Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4- A quick test. - TheWackyDuo.com - Singapore Wacky Digital Underground Outpost

Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4- A quick test.


Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f1.4 ASPH on OMD-EM5  
Picture taken with my first prime lens

I had the OMD-EM5 for over a month and I decided it is time to get serious about photography.
Unlike my previous set up of Canon 500 with Kit Lens and a cheap EF 50mm F1.8, I decided to 'invest' in this 'hobby'.

The pictures taken with the Kits len 12-50mm were sharp , but something is missing... BOKEH
The lens is Leica co-branded, meaning it is of top notch quality. It is not a full fledged Leica but at 1/10th of the price and 80% of the performance, you don't really find an issue with it. The 25mm is a micro four-thirds lens with equiv focal length of 50mm on full format. At this focal length, it is equivalent to what the eye sees outside the camera.

I am just an amateur shooter. The first few pictures were delightful and match my expectations. I had always been accustomed to shooting with Zoom lens, it will take a while for me to get use to being mobile when it comes to photo-taking. This is due to the fix length of the Lens and that means the only zoom I can use is me going closer to the subject. This makes you think about framing your shots more and thus makes photo taking more involved, then compared to just point and shoot in the past.
At the range and its low light capabilities, this would normally be use indoors and kid's photography. With an aperture f1.4 wide open and under the right condition, the Bokeh on the lens would be dreamy. This very shallow depth could potentially allow me to shoot creative shots that I may otherwise miss with my current kit..

Bokeh
The street price for the lens is about S$820. It is out of stock in most camera shops. The price is on the high side, but I hope when it comes to the rewards of priceless memories, it will pay itself back. 
  
I am still adjusting to the auto focus on this lens. I seem to be only able to get this right on SAF+ manual instead of CAF. At CAF, the auto focus takes quite a while to lock on the subject. I must be doing something wrong, but I could not figure it out. Any kind souls out that who reads this,, please enlighten me on the auto-focus mode that I should adopt on my OMD for this particular lens. 

Time for more practices ahead...

The Panasonic Lecia  25mm F1.4 - Taken with EF 50mm F1.8 on Canon 500D

My old Workhouse Canon 500D - Taken with Panasonic Lecia 25mm F 1.4 on OMD-EM5 (Love the Sharpness!)

8 comments:

  1. Cool! So you got yourself a OMD too! I am also eyeing this lens but I will wait a while first. Probably going to get the 45mm F1.8 first since i have the lumix 20mm F1.7.

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    1. Your review motivated me to get one :)
      Was torn between the 20mm and the 25mm. I think I would shoot more on a 20mm focal length, but wanted a fast autofocus as I would be mostly shooting kids. The 45 F1.8 is on my radar too. Had not focus on portraits and street photography, but I can see where it would be useful. The positive reviews and the photos from the lens are also a big temptation!

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  2. The lens are very tempting for MFT format.

    I am constantly debating in my mind for the 12-35mm F2.8 lens going to be released soon but costs about $1500. I miss my Canon EFS 17-55 F2.8 zoom.

    And then there is this 75mm F1.8 too which has very very good first reviews.

    And oh, the grip. I just got my FL600R flash and it is really not so great to hold it with a external flash mounted without a substantial grip.

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    1. Lucky for me I think my kit lens 12- 50 overlaps the new 12-35mm . In terms of range and f stop , it does not give me an incentive to change at that price. As for the 75mm, unless I am shooting from a far distance for sports or animals, it is not something I would use often. The 45mm 1.8 would be more useful given its range. As for grip , I am using the gariz half case as alternative. No regrets for that as it is light and ergonomic

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  3. Don't understand the technical jargon but I do love the pictures.. especially the pretty bokeh effect :)

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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    1. Thanks Ai! Actually still a novice and learning how to use the camera effectively. Looking forward to showcase more Bokeh pictures in the future!

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  4. I have this combo as well..but mine is Black OM-D E-M5 :)

    45mm f1.8 in my list too, hopefully there is a black version ^^

    btw, do u have rattlesnake problem with your 25mm?

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    1. If the sound it makes when it autofocus is consider rattlesnake , there is one mean one on my Omd. But the quality of the picture beats the 12-50mm hands down, so can live with that.

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