What's your favourite mu43 native lens to manually focus?

[Trixter]

It may have simply been a general dislike of how it felt and an underwhelming response to the images, rather than anything definite.

That was my feeling as well; underwhelming sharpness. I also felt it didn't have any purpose; the 12-xx zooms covered that range, as does the 7-14 and 8-18. And if you only needed it because it was a good travel pancake lens, the 20mm f/1.7 is much better image quality (IMO) with a more useful (also IMO) focal length. So yeah, the 14mm f/2.5 was the first lens I ever sold.

 

[PakkyT]

@melanieylang I am curious what it was about the Panasonic 14 f/2.5 that you didn't like. I was thinking of picking one up to give it a go.
Karen

I have this lens. But I bought it for a specific purpose as it was reported to work well with infrared shooting (it does) which is what I mainly use it for on my infrared converted Olympus E-P2. I admittedly have not used it much on a "normal" camera other than when I first got it to check it out, but for my IR shooting it has been very nice. the focal length is well suited for general purpose shooting. Since I am shooting passive IR all the photos are shot in daylight so the f2.5 is perfectly fine. It is a tiny lens so doubles as a body cap lens on my E-P2. Otherwise it works fine and I imagine it is a nice lens for normal spectrum shooting. I think the only negative I noticed with this particular sample I have that it is a little tight mounting and un-mounting from the camera.

 

[Generationfourth]

... I've felt the same way about the 12-32mm, which gets a lot of love on this forum.

I hated my 12-32 as well. Mine was an early version where they didn't use enough glue so it came apart. Generally speaking I loathe any lens that collapses and needs to be expanded to use. They always break on me and are annoying to use. I did take some damn good photos with it and it irks me that there are claims that it is sharper than the 12-35 2.8.

 

[Chris999999]

I have Manual Focus Assist permanently on. So I can use manual focus after autofocus with an enlarged focusing area. With my Panasonic Leica 100-400 it is very useful - after all the camera/lens doesn't know exactly what I want to focus on.

I do also regularly use Manual Focus on primes such as the 15mm and 42.5mm f1.7. Probably because when I started in photography lenses were manual focus, and I regularly use adapted lenses which are fully manual.

 

[Vermont3133]

Just on the Pana14mm/12-32mm thingo.
I really like the 14mm......size, weight, price and a goldilocks focal length.....for me at least and i find it sharp enough.
Could never warm to the 12-32, particularly because of the need to zoom it to get it to work.
But favorite lens to manual focus? I don't do it much but the PL25 has a lovely, wide, buttery focus ring that makes it pleasure to use.

 

[wjiang]

I don't really use MF, but the Sigma 56mm feels the best. Large, smooth rubbery ring, but not too soft (my old PL25 felt too soft). There's always the 7.5 FE, but that's a real MF lens...

 

[StephenRH]

Oly 12-100 with the manual clutch and focus peaking.

 

[bigboysdad]

I thought the Oly 45 was quite nice manually focusing actually, with the camera set to wide open and its lovely small size. Mind you I did that without focus peaking.

 

[dornblaser]

Voigtlander's and the PL 10 - 25, the 10 - 25 has become one of my favorite lenses.

 

[Holoholo55]

I can't recall any of my native M43 lenses being pleasurable to focus manually, that is, in the way that a mechanical focusing lens would be. The closest I have a 4/3rd Sigma 105 f2.8 macro, which works better in manual focus than AF, partly because the screw drive AF motor is slow and noisy, but also because it's a mechanically focused lens and with a long throw for macro work, it is a please to focus with.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I manually focus my O60mm a lot of the time when taking close up shots.

 

[melanieylang]

I don't really use MF, but the Sigma 56mm feels the best. Large, smooth rubbery ring, but not too soft (my old PL25 felt too soft). There's always the 7.5 FE, but that's a real MF lens...

I have just received a Sigma 56 and agree - like the 30/1.4, they're really nice to hand focus.

 

[melanieylang]

Something I've been thinking about is the differences in manual focus experiences between the brands. For simplicity, I now have only Lumix bodies, but don't find them anywhere near as nice to use with manual focus aids as my last Olympus, OMD EM10m2, which darkened the view slightly when put into manual focus mode, enabling better focus peaking.

On my Lumix bodies, a lot of the time I can't see the focus peaking, which I set to blue high, though have tried other combinations. Anyone have some tips about this, that don't involve my getting back with Olympus?

 

[Gillymaru]

I have the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f 0.95. It is manual focus and for a very long time was my favorite m4/3 lens. The Olympus 25mm 1.2 now get more use but that Voigtlander has a charm about it that has meant I have kept it for the times I feel like slowing down and getting old school with my photography.
One of my favorite photographers Len Metcalf has a nice review of it here.
https://www.lensschool.com/free-content/micro-four-thirds-lens-favorites

 

[melanieylang]

I have the Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f 0.95. It is manual focus and for a very long time was my favorite m4/3 lens. The Olympus 25mm 1.2 now get more use but that Voigtlander has a charm about it that has meant I have kept it for the times I feel like slowing down and getting old school with my photography.
One of my favorite photographers Len Metcalf has a nice review of it here.
https://www.lensschool.com/free-content/micro-four-thirds-lens-favorites

I had a brief affair with that lens, but after a while it realised I wasn't on its league, so it didn't stick around! It's true that only manual-focus lenses are properly nice to hand focus with (and select aperture on). It was good to read Len's love song to the Voigtlander again! It would be great to join one of his workshops one day.

 

[archaeopteryx]

Anyone have some tips about this, that don't involve my getting back with Olympus?

Not sure I have tips but orange low on my G7 puts up so much peaking I often have turned it off so I can see the composition. At some point I should try some of the other combinations.

 

[robcee]

I manually focus my O60mm a lot of the time when taking close up shots.

me too, but man, I wish that 1:1 dial had a lock on it. Having to hold that into position against the spring is a pain when lining up a shot.

 

[Mike Wingate]

me too, but man, I wish that 1:1 dial had a lock on it. Having to hold that into position against the spring is a pain when lining up a shot.

Ah, but you don't need to hold it. Just get close enough to the subject, rock too and fro to get the 1:1 focus.

 

[PhotoCal]

The Olympus 100-400 has a nice manual focus. I've been using it a bit for perched birds.

I never noticed any problems with the Panasonic 100-300.

But I agree with others who like the Olympus lenses with manual focus clutch (12-100).