Advice on indoor, natural light lens?

[Glen L]

Pany 25 1.4 and the Oly 45 1.8

 

[mattia]

I'm still on the fence regarding the Panny. I think I need to actually see it in a store before deciding. I've got a 20mm waiting for me at the post office, and the 14/2.5 is getting a lot of love. The form factor is holding me back somewhat - the E-M5 remains a very pocketable camera, at least in terms of fitting in the pocket of even my slimmest fitting coat when paired with a pancake.

But I do love shooting my 50/1.4 primes on my full frame systems, so I may cave eventually...

 

[Viktor]

I wouldn't pick the 17mm unless you absolutely adore the focal length;

I actually adore the focal length. But not the lense. I think the m43 really lacks a 35mm equiv. fast AF lense (with no rattle!), and my guess is it would sell very well.

 

[iGonzoid]

My preference for party/social occasion pix is a two-body, two-lens approach: namely the optically superb Summilux f1.4 25mm on a Lumix GH2; and the nifty Lumix f2.5 14mm on an Oly EP-2. Thus I can shoot without flash via the f1.4 for a natural-light feel; with flash if necessary; nice and wide with the 14mm f2.5 for close-up/crowded room group shots, especially in 16/9 aspect ratio; and swap lenses on the bodies depending if I am using flash or need image stabilisation via the EP-2 body. Coincidentally both these lenses and my f2.8 45mm Leica Macro Elmarit use the same 46mm filter size, so I need just one B&W circular polarizer for use on all three.

 

[Pyro451]

I know I called out the 20 & 25mm lenses in the OP, but I am surprised no one mentioned the Sigma 19.

Is it really that much worse than these two?

Considering that I will carry a P&S if I want a pocket camera the size of the lens is not as important to me. Speed is important (both aperture and AF) as is IQ.

Anyone think the Sigma is a viable alternative?

 

[pcnyc]

I had both and kept 25mm because:

1. f/1.4
2. AF speed
3. less rattlesnake, I only get it outdoors with 25mm, with 20mm it's there all the time.
4. better at portrait/headshots.

20mm is less expensive and smaller.

I haven't used 19mm so I can't comment. I had 17mm but it's too wide for me. e-m5 has better high ISO, so maybe f/2.8 is good enough, but for e-pm1 I feel I have to go at least iso1600 with f/2.8 and it gets noisy.

 

[starlabs]

A lot of people are not keen on the Sigma's because of their aperture. Remember, many people are buying the 20mm and 25mm not just because they're fast, but because they'll have more shallow depth of field than f/2.8. Are the Sigmas good lenses? From the reviews it seems so, and for the price it's a bargain. But people want their fast lenses.

With regards to the 20/25 dilemma I have both. And like probably 95% of that population, the 20mm sees very little use since I got the 25mm. For me it's mostly the focal length. This article has some good comparison shots between the 20mm and 25mm focal length (note especially the distortion you can get shooting 20mm close up).

Having said that I won't be selling my 20mm. It's a great lens and when I need that focal length, nothing else beats it. :smile:

 

[songs2001]

Anyone think the Sigma is a viable alternative?

It's a viable alternative.

It's has faster Autofocusing than the 20 1.7. Half the price. And at 2.8, it performs decently.

On a Sony Nex 7 it maxes out at 870, while the 20 1.7 maxes out at 1050 on the EM5 at 2.8 and 25 1.4 maxes out at 960 at 2.8 and much worse wide open

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/05/wide-angle-micro-43-imatest-results

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/04/nex-7-lens-imatest-resolution-comparison

With the 20 1.7, you'll have slower AF and will miss focus shots

With the 25 1.4, you'll have shallower DOF, so more stuff will be out of focus. Not a big deal for portraits but becomes more an issue in group shots.

With the 19 2.8, you'll need to have slower shutter speed, so there will be more chance of motion blur.

So you pick your poison, blur by missed AF, blur by shallow DOF, or blur by motion.

 

[Warren T.]

"With the 20 1.7, you'll have slower AF and will miss focus shots"

I see this mentioned a lot, but this has not been my experience with the 20mm. To all you other owners of the 20mm, has this been your experience?

FWIW, I'm using my 20mm on my G1 and GF1, it it focuses well enough for what I'm doing with it. (landscapes, street, indoor events, travel, portraits, and other general purpose photography, etc.)

Plus, there's always manual focus, pre-focus, and other techniques if it really is too slow for what you're shooting.

my .02. :smile:

--Warren

p.s. Didn't mean to hijack this thread.

 

[Pyro451]

I ordered the 25 f/1.4 tonight from Unique Photo ($529 shipped). If I really don't like it then I suspect I can find someone here to take it off my hands.

I expect I will like it though. Thank you very much to everyone who commented on my inquiry.

This forum is extremely helpful in causing me to spend money.

 

[AlanU]

I know the cost of the zuiko 12mm f/2 is expensive but this is without a doubt a story telling lens.

I have the 25mm f/1.4 on my OMD and I try to use it often as I can but in good light I prefer the inexpensive 14mm f/2.5. I will eventually purchase the 12mm due to perspective and wide angle.

I'm familiar with my canon 5dmk2 (full frame) with 24Lmk2 prime and I prefer this to my 35L prime or 50 f/1.4.

20mm (40mm equiv works well but its still quite long for my taste in indoor photography.)

 

[songs2001]

"With the 20 1.7, you'll have slower AF and will miss focus shots"

I see this mentioned a lot, but this has not been my experience with the 20mm. To all you other owners of the 20mm, has this been your experience?

FWIW, I'm using my 20mm on my G1 and GF1, it it focuses well enough for what I'm doing with it. (landscapes, street, indoor events, travel, portraits, and other general purpose photography, etc.)

Plus, there's always manual focus, pre-focus, and other techniques if it really is too slow for what you're shooting.

my .02. :smile:

--Warren

p.s. Didn't mean to hijack this thread.

I have a 20 1.7 and a EPL1 and focusing is pretty bad compared to the new EP3 and Kit lens.

I also tried out the 20 1.7 on the EP3, focuses a bit quicker but not as well as the kit lens.

I like the size and using prefocus techniques, it's not bad, you just have to live with its limitations.

But if I had a larger camera like the EM5, or G1, I'll probably would upgrade to the 25 1.4 or the 19 2.8.

 

[MrDoug]

I ordered the 25 f/1.4 tonight from Unique Photo ($529 shipped). If I really don't like it then I suspect I can find someone here to take it off my hands.

I expect I will like it though. Thank you very much to everyone who commented on my inquiry.

This forum is extremely helpful in causing me to spend money.

you will LOVE the choice you made.. have fun..

 

[kinlau]

"With the 20 1.7, you'll have slower AF and will miss focus shots"

I see this mentioned a lot, but this has not been my experience with the 20mm. To all you other owners of the 20mm, has this been your experience?

FWIW, I'm using my 20mm on my G1 and GF1, it it focuses well enough for what I'm doing with it. (landscapes, street, indoor events, travel, portraits, and other general purpose photography, etc.)

Plus, there's always manual focus, pre-focus, and other techniques if it really is too slow for what you're shooting.

my .02. :smile:

--Warren

p.s. Didn't mean to hijack this thread.

It depends on what you're used to. If I've been shooting with my dslr, then it's quite noticeable, I just have to slow down. If I've been shooting manual focus, the AF speed on the 20/1.7 is not a problem at all. Having to listen to the motor whirl away probably doesn't help with the feeling of slowness.

 

[sgt08]

Agreed, the 20/1.7 AF is only "slow" relative to your expectations and other lenses. It's not like we're talking several seconds or anything...

 

[AlanU]

I really appreciate the 25mm for the IQ. However for indoor events photography its definitely too long IMO. When I shoot events I tend to go wide angle like 24mm with my dslr equipment. Even a 35mm on a full frame body its sort of long for my preference. It all comes down to the individual but if your documenting an event your job is to tell a story of a "special day".

To me I find a 50mm (equiv) focus on subjects more with no environmental story telling for indoor applications.

The zuiko 12mm seems to be the most spendy glass but its something that will last for a very long time with M43 format.

 

[m43_user]

I agree with going wider vs. longer indoors. Worse case, I can crop if I need to afterwards if it's not tight enough, but you can only back up so far with a 50mm equiv lens and if you can't get what you need in the shot because the lens is too 'long', there's nothing you can do about it. At least with a 24mm equiv you have more to work with. Sure, DOF it not going to be the same as with a 50mm equiv, but for me it's fine. I like to use the 12mm f/2 for sure in museums

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[Pyro451]

After seeing the ebay deals on the 14 I ordered one of them too ($168 shipped from NJ). I realize it is slower than the 20, but it is faster than the kit zoom and 1/2 the price of the 20.

I really like the size of the 25 though. It seems to look just right on the E-M5.

So now that I have three primes I should be done with GAS, right? Someone please say yes. Or maybe hold an intervention for me?

 

[Tecpatl4]

I use the 20mm for that sort of thing. It works just fine.

 

[Pyro451]

Had a chance to try out the PL25 yesterday at Old Sturbridge Village. I really like how this one came out.

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