This objective corresponds to a result of Micro Four Thirds an equivalent focal length of 50mm at full screen. Thus, we are moving in quite conventional 50mm format. Many consider this mitlerweile for a bit boring. Personally, I like it very much because it's a nice compromise of everything. It allows me Portraits, so something like macro photography and I have about the natural view and use it "on the road" or in buildings. Certainly would be here an even more extreme wide angle sometimes helpful, but for me personally it is enough.
For a long time I looked at the (Micro) Four Thirds range in order to find a lens with which you can work really nice with the exemption of objects or the depth blur, because I find this style means just very elegant. And even now the offer is reduced to quasi 3 models. The 0,9er Nokton which 1,4er Panaleica and the 1,8er Olympus. All 3 lenses have their merits and their weaknesses.
When Nokton bothers me the complete manual focus. Yes ... of course, with time and tranquility are the Nokton excellent images possible, but if it should go quickly? As is well worth a AF Gold. In addition, it seems only to be significantly dimmed really sharp and I wonder why I have to have necessarily a 0,9er panel. -> Here, the films should be very interesting, because you can make the "weakness" to a strength here.
When Olympus lens can highlight mainly 2 things, a very good look for narrow money and extremely compact design. An ideal lens if you want to exploit the advantages of the MFT compact structure completely. I personally liked the Bokeh of Olympus, which I was allowed to retest short but not so good.
The mentioned herein PanaLeica lens is a compromise between the two. It is more expensive than the Olympus, but cheaper than the Nokton, it is sharper than the Nokton, according to other reviews, the sharpness of the Panasonic lens at 1.4 is higher than a dimmed to 1.4 Nokton even when fully open aperture.
Processing:
The processing is as we know it from Panasonic / Leica lenses, high-quality. Nothing rattles, nothing rattles (well almost, but more on that later). The sharpness regulator runs silently and completely soft, but with a very pleasant resistance. The locking of the lens via a metal bayonet coupling. The rest of the lens housing is, however, from (high-quality) plastic.
The lens itself is equipped with Panasonic's Nano Surface coating, so the manual is designed to prevent reflections.
Technical details / equipment:
The lens comes with two lids, a manual and a quiver. The lens is wrapped in a soft tissue material and additionally protected by a dimpled foil.
The PanaLeica is not waterproof and protected against sand / dust. So you should be a little careful when using. The lens itself weighs just 200g and has a near-adjustment limit of 30cm.
Personal Experience:
I have found this lens immediately good. While it is not necessarily compact, but relatively easy. In everyday life, I can cover almost all situations I know, so I refrain as much as possible on my 12-40mm zoom. The bokeh is very nice, you can very well isolating objects (MFT conditions). The AF is very fast and works largely reliable. This even in rather dark environments. Already at 1,4er Aperture very sharp when appropriate light is present, I have achieved a stopping down by 2 stages the best results.
What I did not like so much, and has led to the downgrade
- The price: Yes, it is Leica front on it, but make no mistake about anything, Leica has essentially only the stamp on it down that Panasonic has built a lens with which you can come to terms. To my mind, the objective is the price for this, mitlerweile also quite old, too high. Especially when one considers that Olympus As the lens 1,8er what picture quality, very close draws near and with more compact dimensions and significantly less money
- Clatter and chatter: I said it runs completely silent? Unfortunately, this is only half the story. In connection with the Olympus E-M1 significant noise from the automatic diaphragm can be heard if you work in the autofocus area. The Lumix devices seem here differently to work as Olympus cameras. I once had snapped that Olympus on in larger increments and dims and it happened thus. In manual adjustment of the aperture, it is however not perceive. Nevertheless, in quiet environments (church etc.), this can sometimes be very embarrassing and annoying
- The lens aperture: I do not know what Panasonic has this thought. Yes ... the bezel looks kind of cool, the rectangular shape it has the charm of old video cameras. But a big problem, especially for objective changer adjusts itself soon. What to do with the thing? While I just pick up my sun visor at Olympus, upside aufstecke and firmly screw and therefore hardly significant evidence more space in your backpack, I just do not have this feature in the Panasonic. Because someone has not thought along properly.
- Housing and service: Yes ... I know for a lot of it is in the end only the image that counts. And yes ... in many ways brings plastic certain advantages. But personally I prefer metal housing. It conveys a sense of quality. Particularly in this price region and ridiculous costs on manufacturers, I would have found it already beautiful when the case would have been made of metal. And since we anyway no longer very compact build, I would have found a manual adjustment of the aperture very nice. I would refer at this point on the 12-40er Zoom from Olympus, can be changed by a slider between AF and manual focus in which, without the need to settle the camera. This shows what is possible with MFT. Why here is no innovation of large companies such as Panasonic and Leica?
All in all, the Panasonic 25mm an excellent fixed focal length lens, which is a good compromise in almost all respects and therefore the stuff "always-on" has a lens. The Bidlqualität is absolutely fine and allows many experiments with depth of field. A few details, see above, should have been fulfilled, however, for a perfect lens still with me.