Panasonic 45-150 owners...how do you like your lens? Alternatives?

So far I like it esp when 14-150mm is giving me blurry images with epl5 at decent shutter speeds... Photozone review:
http://www.photozone.de/m43/845-panasonic45150f456

 

I have the O40-150R, and have a P45-150 in the mail to me for 3 main reasons:

The Oly has more CA than I would like, and the Panny is supposed to be a bit less
The Oly is not that strong at the long end, where I prefer to shoot, the Panny is supposed to be better there
The Panny has OIS, which I prefer

I will be testing them both when I get the chance, and will try to remember to come back and post my findings.

The other lens I have is a P100-300 which for my money is just gorgeous and I highly recommend, but I need a lighter lens for certain times when traveling.

 

I used it a couple times at local festivals and I think it was fine.. I have to check the photos.. It was last year and last Spring. I didn't compare to any other lenses. I am normally happy with 14-150mm. A few posted images, again small resized ones:

114mm


150mm

 

for the few times that I have used it, I am very happy with this lens. I think it's underrated and overlooked. I have plans of using it more often.

 

Sorry that I don't have direct experience with the P45-150 to share, but I have tested the O40-150 and the P45-175 which both have very similar IQ to the P45-150 according to many reviews and people who have owned both.

Basically all three of the lenses fall into the "surprisingly good for the size and price" category.

Central sharpness out to 150 is good, especially if stopped down a bit. But given how small and inexpensive they are of course there are some compromises. Edge and corner sharpness is not particularly good, especially at the long end. However, for lots of shots this is irrelevant since the edges and corners are often out of focus anyway in wildlife or sports shots. I'm a landscape photographer and so I notice this corner softness for sure, but for the vast majority of users it is center sharpness that matters and all three do a good job in that department.

The other trade off is in what is sometimes called "micro-contrast" or "acuity". This is how much contrast there is in fine details rather than just the limits of resolution or "bluriness". This is what gives many images "pop". These less expensive super compact lenses don't do as well in this department, even stopped down, as a more expensive and heafty telephoto lens would. Some of this can of course be made up for in post processing.

In the end this category of lenses does great for something so small and inexpensive, I think something like the 45-150 belongs in the bag of anyone who is out hiking with their camera and is concerned about weight and size. But if you test these lenses against something like the O75-300 you will certainly see a difference in corner sharpness and overall micro-contrast when shot in the 75-150 range where these lenses overlap. But of course the O75-300 is significantly bigger and more expensive so no surprise there!

While I don't own it personally (I already have the 45-175 which covers the same range with the same IQ) in general I'd recommend the P45-150 as the best general use compact telephoto for m43 right now. Don't expect miracles, but expect what I said at the top - suprisingly good give its size and cost.

 

I've gotten acceptable to great results with the Oly 40-150/4-5.6R. I often need something longer and picked up a used Oly 75-300/4.8-6.7 and it is a great performer in good light as well. The 75-300 is a lot more expensive than the 45-150 as well.

 

I have the Panasonic 45-150, since it came with the G5 kit I bought last year. My usual walk around kit has been the Sigma 19mm, the Sigma 30mm and the 45-150 zoom. I don't use the zoom a ton, but I love having it in the bag just in case.

A few images:


(At 150mm, cropped a fair amount)


(At 103mm, also cropped)


(At 109mm, and yes, cropped)



(150mm)


(150mm)

 

I have the older Panasonic 45-200. I've thought about swapping for yours or the 175, the Oly 40-150 for size, or one of the longer xx-300 lenses. I could probably get about an even trade for one of the 150s but am not sure if I'd miss the extra reach or if the gain would really be worth the effort.

 

I have the the Panasonic 45-150 and I like it, most of my pics are taken at the long end. I like the IQ, I like the build quality, id does feel well made, yet it is light in weight and it is about the same size of the old 14-42 & 14-45 zoom lenses Panasonic use to make. The zoom action and focus ring are buttery smooth in use.

 

I like mine.
It's a good lens, considering the price, the range, the size & weight.

It's a very pleasant lens to use.
I compared it to the Oly 14-150 and the difference in terms of image quality (not only sharpness, but contrast) was largely in favor of the Panasonic.

The only thing I don't like is that my couple E-M10 / 45-150 is subject to shutter shock, so even with last firmware I have to avoid the range 1/1000s - 1/400s.

 

When I was in the market I looked at the samples people posted here of both the Oly and the Pany lenses and decided I liked the Pany shots better. I've been pretty happy with my choice, especially for the money, even if it's a bit soft compared to the new Oly 40-150 f2.8.

 

I just got my Panny 45-150. I got the Oly used for about $100 and the Panny used for about $150. If the IQ is the same, I would say I would prefer the Panny. It's slightly smaller but feels even smaller than it is. It has a better build feel to it, it's nice looking IMO and it has OIS (for my non-IBIS GX7). That alone makes it worth the extra $50. Hope to find some time to compare shots, too.

 

Santa brought my 40-150mm Pro and I had a chance to play with it a bit today. I decided to try and get some hummingbird shots with it. Here's one I will try to post. If I can figure out how to post shots on here I will do some more if folks would like to see them. I don't think there is an alternative for this lens at the moment it is an impressive lens from what I can see.
https://ppcdn.500px.org/93563441/08f24ba12de1a39e0e898eb4086eaa9f3e6e25cf/3.jpg?v=5