If you're looking for a combo that you can go out drinking with--14mm.

Because if you scratched it or something, it's cheaper to replace :).

I think the real thing to consider here is the 12mm has a metal body and the 14mm doesn't. That means the pictures you take will feel heavier.

Well, it's silver... so they'll also be shinier. Always a give and take to these things.

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500px | flickr

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

For an all around wide-ish angle and pocketability / replaceability I'd say the 14mm would be the better bet. 12mm is pretty wide for an only lens and I think of it as a bit more specialized focal length, whereas 14mm feels less like a true wide angle to me.

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

I've got the 12
If I wasn't a spoiled rotten brat, I'd be all over the $176 eBay specials on the 14's!
I would terribly miss the dof scale tho
I LOVE it !
But on a non spoiled budget, it's not worth an extra $625!

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Eliot

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The 14mm suits me very well. The 14 is a nice walk around or close quarters lens for the price and it is discreet. The 12 looks like a fantastic lens all around, but the price puts me off a bit for how much I would use it. I got the 14mm with my GX1 and I couldn't see getting rid of it considering my overall investment in it.

I don't use wide angles a lot, and when I do, I want really wide. 12 isn't wide enough for me when I want to do UWA shooting, so I went for the 7-14 (which I use @ 7mm all the time).

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i was wondering this exact same thing. there should be a reason why the $500~ difference right?... is it worth. i used to have the p14 was my first pancake lens. i totally hate it. the lens is not really a good one compared to the cheap equivalent in FF (which is from where i come from)...but after some time got to like it till i sold it and now that i want/need an wide angle lens im thinking in between this two specially considering if its worth the jump onto the O12. any help is much appreciated.

Is $500 a big deal to you? Do you crave sexy metal build with dof scale? Is tiny good enuf? Or do you need pancake tiny?

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Eliot

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If you have the money I would go for the 12mm. I do not own it but I hear great things. I have used one in the store and the MF is delicious on it.

I do however own the 14mm and its image quality is so so. I hardly ever put it on my camera because its optically a bit meh compared to my 20mm.
Also it has monstrous barrel distortion that needs to be corrected if you're shooting RAW.
That said its cheap and tiny, also its moderately bright and it focuses very quickly.

because it is is why im asking. But if there is a $500 difference in IQ of AF speed then i can do my best to get it. if its not that much of a real difference i would get the P14 again.