I am looking for some recent thoughts and experiences in relation to wide primes. I would like to soon purchase one to round out my lens options but I am stuck with choice.
I know that 24mm and 28mm are different perspectives, however if your experience tells me that IQ is similar between the Panny 14mm and the Oly 12mm then affordability will have to side with choosing the 14mm.
I am really happy with the Panny 25mm 1.4. It almost creates mood on its own.
Thanks
Mark
Cat Scratch Images

Like you said I dont think IQ is significantly different and you are paying extra for the better build quality (which is awesome). I also prefer 24mm FOV to 28mm. The 14mm is priced really well, I believe its currently 1/3 of the 12mm so unless you really like shooting wide angles I would go with the 14mm.

I had the 14mm, it came with my GF3, and I really didn't like it at all. IMO, the IQ was less than that of the 20mm and wasn't as good in low lighting conditions which is why i would end up using the 20mm instead.

I picked up the 12mm a couple of months ago and I actually prefer it to the 20. It's noticably wider than the 14mm, faster to AF than the 20mm and works better in low lighting conditions than the 14mm. The only areas, IMO, that the 14mm is favorable is price and size.

The build of 12mm is outstanding, it looks and feels amazing. if you like WA lenses and you can afford the 12mm, I couldn't recommend it more.

I own both lenses, but the 14mm is my most recently acquired lens and I haven't made many shots with it yet. Bearing that in mind, so far my impression is that there is a noticeable IQ edge to the 12mm, but it's not mind-blowing. It's a bit like comparing the 25mm f/1.4 versus the 20mm f/1.7 I guess... not a dramatic difference, but there is one, at least to my eye.

The 12mm FOV is also appreciably wider than 14mm and if you are wanting a true wide angle then the 12mm will give more of "that look". And, as Mijo pointed out the build quality of the 12mm is in a completely different league. The manual focus snap ring may also be helpful for you if you do street photos and want to use zone focusing, or just like manual focus.

Overall I agree that the 14mm is really only a clear winner in price, and size - it's a tiny lens. I don't care what color my lenses are generally, but the 14mm is less conspicuous for street/candid photos, since it's a tiny flat black pancake. If I were picking one solely on optical and build quality though, it'd be the 12mm all the way. That said, the question is whether it's worth several times the price to you. A 14mm can be had for $160-170 easily versus $7-800 for the 12mm.

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500px | flickr

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” -- Dorothea Lange

Take a look at Steve Huff site. You will find a complete review 12 vs 14

ALthough I've never experienced the Oly 12mm, I do own the Panny 14. That said, I thought I would join in the discussion and share my thoughts on the Panny...

1. As several have already opined, the IQ is adequate but NOT exceptional (for instance in comparison to the Oly 45 /f1.8 -- which is a fantastic world class lens IMHO or the Panny 20/1.7 -- also an exceptional lens particularly when considering its price). The 14mm renders images in a somewhat soft & lower contrast way than optimal.

2. IT is wonderfully compact (almost tiny) and its build quality is quite good -- especially considering its featherlike weight and mostly plastic body.

3. On my E-P2 and or OM-D, there are often red / cyan chromatic aberrations along edges and highlight areas in images shot with it.

4. Autofocus speed is fairly good -- in my experience, faster than the Panny 20/f1.7

If given the choice between the Panny 14 or the Oly 12, based on what i've read and seen (image-wise) of the Oly 12 (and my preference for the wider 24mm perspective), it would be my first option. Given the radical difference in price between the two, the Panny is the real deal and is the main reason I opted to purchase one.

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Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst. – Henri Cartier-Bresson


OM-D | E-P3
14 | 20 | 45 | 7-14 | 14-45 | 40-150

I've had both. The 12mm is awesome. In fact, near perfect. Saying that, the 14mm is smaller, almost as sharp and the most important factor...dirt cheap!

If you're a wide angle junkie, by all means get the 12mm, if you think you'll shoot wide only occasionally, save some cash and get the 14mm.

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Jonathan
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www.jonathanfriolo.com

Even though the Panasonic 14mm is not as bright as the Panasonic 20mm, f/2.5 vs. f/1.7, I find that the auto focus lock is much quicker and accurate on the 14mm. The 20mm fails on me more often than not in poor light, which kind of defeats the purpose of the f/1.7 a bit.

YMMV, I only tried out the 20mm briefly.

They are both wide enough for me. I use the 12mm most of the time but there are many times when I want to carry the camera in a coat pocket when only the tiny 14mm lens will work.

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GX1: P7-14, P14, PL25
Contax T3

hi guys, i'm too wondering between these two lenses, i'm looking for something that can be an all-rounder when you're going out with friends, let say going out to the city, i'm an international student so i do travel around. so which lens should i go if i want to capture the moment of having fun while still giving the impression that i am at a new place