Dpreview: four top ultra-wide primes for Micro Four Thirds
Dpreview published an article about four top ultra-wide primes for Micro Four Thirds:
All of these lenses are quite usable and, so long as you are prepared to work on your post-capture software skills, all will offer a decent enough result if no one looks too closely. I’ve had great experiences with Laowa lenses in the past, but sadly this 7.5mm isn’t as good as I’d hoped, and I think comes last in the group. The Samyang 10mm comes in just ahead of it, and the Meike 8mm a good way ahead of that. I’ve been taken aback by how good the Meike lens is, especially considering how much less it costs. At the top I place the Lumix 9mm.
While more expensive lenses don’t always win group tests, I suppose it’s a little predictable that the Panasonic Leica 9mm F1.7 would come out on top – but it does so in quite dramatic style. It performs well ahead of the others in image quality, and offers autofocus, a very wide maximum aperture, extreme close focusing and EXIF data to boot.
I suppose the lack of the usual premium Panasonic/Leica touches like a metal barrel keep it light and also keep the price down, meaning it compares nicely even there with the rest of the group. The Leica-approved optics inside give optical characteristics well ahead of the pack and make it an exceptional lens.
