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Cacator posted:I'm almost considering selling my 20mm f1.7 along with my E-P3 and getting the 25mm f1.4 instead for the E-M5. My X100 covers a similar focal length and pocketability won't really be a factor in either case anymore. I dunno, that pancake is just so drat versatile and I feel still pocketable that I would definitely miss it. It's always been my default lens on my E-P1 and I'm still using the Oly version which is by all accounts the lesser of the two pancakes. Gaaaah I really want something new though, it's gear lust pure and simple but I have been really good at not buying new crap for the sake of new crap and have the disposable income right now so I think I might grab one of those two lenses. Does anyone have any experience with either of them (Panasonic 25mm f1.4 or Zuiko 45mm f1.8)? I feel like the 25mm will benefit me the most, as I have the 4/3 zuiko 50mm f2 (one of my most favourite lenses) which will be fairly similar to the 45mm, but obviously a bit bigger. It's also half the price of the 25mm. I love the 50mm effective focal length and I realised I don't really have anything in my digital kit at that focal length (the closest is actually the 17mm pancake) thanks to the 2x crop when I stick all my legacy lenses on it. So yeah, any impressions of either of those two lenses?
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Mar 23, 2012 07:58
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| # ? May 16, 2024 00:41 |
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Lon Lon Rabbit posted:"By March 31st" here in Japan. Got an estimated date of April 3rd now (Sweden), will see if it holds up. The 45 is definitely a go, the 25 looks lovely but is not cheap.
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Mar 23, 2012 09:41
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Sharizard posted:I don't think this has been posted yet, but here's an interesting blog post that covers how to emulate photos taken with a full frame sensor with a m4/3 (or similar) cam. The point of big censor/fast lens combo is that you can take a portrait photo, sometimes upper body, sometimes full body and still have a nice blur out background. Sure you can blur out the background even with a P&S if you take a picture of the flower. But who goes around and take picture of small objects all day.
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Mar 23, 2012 13:20
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whatever7 posted:But who goes around and take picture of small objects all day. Me, when I was doing your boudoir photos.
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Mar 23, 2012 13:34
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Costello Jello posted:Me, when I was doing your boudoir photos.  ... On another subject, I'm still not sold on the 25mm being so much better over the 20mm to justify the price. I guess if I didn't have the 20, and I really needed the extra focal length and I really needed the extra speed, I might go for the 25 instead. The size and quality of the 20mm is just hard to beat imo.
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Mar 23, 2012 22:22
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Ok, I got a Minolta 50mm 1.7 and E mount adapter on eBay. What am I getting myself into?
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Mar 24, 2012 00:29
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DoktorLoken posted:Ok, so, I'm intrigued by the prospect of using vintage manual focus lenses on my new NEX. It seems relatively cheap and awesome. Nope that's basically the best lens, anything wider will be f/2.8 or slower or significantly more expensive and anything longer will be awkward on a NEX.
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Mar 24, 2012 04:35
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Beastruction posted:Nope that's basically the best lens, anything wider will be f/2.8 or slower or significantly more expensive and anything longer will be awkward on a NEX. Counterpoint: Samyang 35mm f/1.4, in Nikon or Pentax mount. Then you can also buy a Pentax MX or a Nikon FM2 and get semiwide goodness in addition to a fast normal lens. It's about $500 but if manual focus is your thing it actually beats the Nikon and Canon competitors.
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Mar 24, 2012 08:51
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Beastruction posted:Nope that's basically the best lens, anything wider will be f/2.8 or slower or significantly more expensive and anything longer will be awkward on a NEX. Counterpoint: Konica 40mm f/1.8 AR. I paid 50 eurobux on ebay, there are millions.
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Mar 24, 2012 12:13
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Paul MaudDib posted:Counterpoint: Samyang 35mm f/1.4, in Nikon or Pentax mount. Then you can also buy a Pentax MX or a Nikon FM2 and get semiwide goodness in addition to a fast normal lens. It's about $500 but if manual focus is your thing it actually beats the Nikon and Canon competitors. Yeah, that counts as "significantly more expensive". No need to encourage gear lust, it will happen on its own soon enough.
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Mar 24, 2012 18:43
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How does the Sony 50mm 1.8 E mount lens compare to these vintage MF lenses in optical quality?
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Mar 24, 2012 22:51
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While I can't speak for the Sony, this lens is pretty okay when stopped down at least to 2.8, but the infinity stop isn't - possibly since the fall that dinged the filter ring. It goes significantly past it, infinity is somewhere at the 7 meter mark! It seems to work well other than that. Perhaps it's time to order a set of lens spanners, after all, this thing has to be easier to take apart than my Nikkor AF 70-210 that no longer goes -past- 7 meters.  It's not -much- worse than my somewhat more modern early-nineties Nikkor 50mm/1.8 and the 85mm/1.8, both who also have fringing problems fully open. The Konica goes slightly soft and actually has a more appealing character than the rather harsh aberrations of the former. Wolf on Air fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Mar 25, 2012 |
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Mar 25, 2012 01:03
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DoktorLoken posted:How does the Sony 50mm 1.8 E mount lens compare to these vintage MF lenses in optical quality? I don't own a NEX, but I usually trust Photozone's reviews. They have only tested it on the NEX-7, which is known for some issues with its sensor's edge sharpness. The center looks great, very sharp right from wide open, but the edges are abysmal until f/2.8, and aren't equally sharp until like f/4. If you're shooting wide open all the time or you want autofocus, it's probably a worthwhile upgrade.
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Mar 25, 2012 02:37
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I ordered a second battery for my NEX from Amazon. The one I bought was listed as "used - like new" from a vendor and arrived in "Sony" packaging, however the battery itself is lighter by almost 10 grams, has a different label on the battery itself and the plastic of the battery itself clearly is of different manufacture. So I'm going to say I got a counterfeit battery. It's charging now, we'll see if it works. I plan on getting my money back from the vendor or Amazon however. So, on this subject, are there any clone (As opposed to outright fakes) batteries that are known to be decent?
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Mar 26, 2012 04:30
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I have several generic ebay NEX batteries that work fine. I think I just bought the cheapest ones I could find from US-based sellers.
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Mar 26, 2012 04:34
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Cool, I'm fine with clones as long as they're cheap/not being sold as counterfeits and they don't blow my camera up.
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Mar 26, 2012 04:37
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DoktorLoken posted:Cool, I'm fine with clones as long as they're cheap/not being sold as counterfeits and they don't blow my camera up. My ebay 3rd party battery work just fine. It even work with 5n. But if a battery is lighter, it should have less capacity.
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Mar 26, 2012 19:13
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HPL posted:JJC has a NEX to cold shoe adapter out now, the MSA-6. It's around $18. You can find it in the usual places for such things. Hooray 
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Mar 27, 2012 01:21
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whatever7 posted:My ebay 3rd party battery work just fine. It even work with 5n. Yeah, it works in mine. Except I paid $30 for it which is absurd for a Chinese counterfeit. It's going back to Amazon, I ordered 2 generic ones on eBay from Hong Kong for $16. Flying_Crab fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 02:20
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Sad that there aren't enough pancake lenses for the NEX system? Take matters into your own hands and just strip away the lens housing of whatever you're adapting. Backstory - as a hobby, this guy tears down and restores old Minolta AF lenses. His next project is to turn a Minolta 50mm f/1.7 lens into a pancake. He could easily do the same thing to a 50mm f/1.4, a 24mm/28mm f/2.8, or a 135mm f/2.8.
Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 05:25
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Bob Socko posted:Sad that there aren't enough pancake lenses for the NEX system? Take matters into your own hands and just strip away the lens housing of whatever you're adapting. Backstory - as a hobby, this guy tears down and restores old Minolta AF lenses. His next project is to turn a Minolta 50mm f/1.7 lens into a pancake. He could easily do the same thing to a 50mm f/1.4, a 24mm/28mm f/2.8, or a 135mm f/2.8. I don't see how this helps, once you use an adapter it's not a pancake anymore.
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Mar 27, 2012 06:15
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Yeah. You'd have to reformulate the lens somehow to make it work at an E-mount register distance.
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Mar 27, 2012 07:06
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Whoa there, no one's talking about modding the back of the lens to change its register difference. And yes, an adapter will add size. The point of me posting this photo is that someone was clever/crazy enough to shave about 1/3rd off the length of a lens to the point where it could arguably be called a pancake. Assuming it's a viable mod for other brands with shorter register distances, it adds to the pocketability of a NEX camera.
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Mar 27, 2012 15:29
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But that's practically the same size as any other manual focus 50mm f/1.7, which is what you'll be stuck with on a NEX unless you get an expensive Alpha adapter that sticks out the same as any other adapter.
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Mar 27, 2012 15:57
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Bob Socko posted:Assuming it's a viable mod for other brands with shorter register distances, it adds to the pocketability of a NEX camera. Also, it's a silly picture. Bob Socko fucked around with this message at 16:14 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 16:11
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Bob Socko posted:It's a proof of concept which makes me wonder if there are Konica AR or Leica M lenses which could see similar size savings to the point where they could arguably be called a pancake, even with an adapter. No, simply because even the flattest pancake lens for an SLR is like a regular lens when you put an adapter on it to use it on a NEX. Also, a big downfall of using rangefinder lenses on a mirrorless is the huge minimum focus distance. Rangefinders just weren't meant for close up work.
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Mar 27, 2012 16:21
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You're no fun at all. Fine then, no adapted pancakes. I still think its an interesting idea for saving space.
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Mar 27, 2012 16:29
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What does it matter unless you're trying to cram a NEX into your pocket?
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Mar 27, 2012 17:22
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Bob Socko posted:It's a proof of concept which makes me wonder if there are Konica AR or Leica M lenses which could see similar size savings to the point where they could arguably be called a pancake, even with an adapter. What with all the very small rangefinder lenses out there, especially the collapsible ones, I'm willing to bet you could find something that would work as pancakes even without a mod. moonduck fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Mar 27, 2012 |
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Mar 27, 2012 18:00
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RustedChrome posted:On another subject, I'm still not sold on the 25mm being so much better over the 20mm to justify the price. I guess if I didn't have the 20, and I really needed the extra focal length and I really needed the extra speed, I might go for the 25 instead. The size and quality of the 20mm is just hard to beat imo.
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Mar 27, 2012 20:59
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moonduck posted:What with all the very small rangefinder lenses out there, especially the collapsible ones, I'm willing to bet you could find something that would work as pancakes even without a mod. FWIW, my Contax RF mount Tessar 50/2.8 won't collapse on a NEX-3 - it hits the baffles in front of the sensor. I haven't tried any others, but I suspect you'll see similar issues.
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Mar 27, 2012 21:52
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Goddammit the Blackrapid SnapR 35 is too small, by a pinch like a goddamn centimetre or two, for the NEX-7. So is every Kata compact bag. And every compact Lowepro bag. gently caress. They're all made for the NEX-5 or 3. Any recommendations on bags, straps, etc? I'd ideally like a small bag for the NEX-7+kit (or the 50mm, same size). The Kata MX series and SnapR looked perfect for me until the camera didn't fit. (preferred the SnapR due to the strap workings, love my Blackrapid, but yeah that's a no-go now)
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Mar 30, 2012 00:07
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Try the Tamrac Rally series
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Mar 30, 2012 01:08
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HPL posted:Also, a big downfall of using rangefinder lenses on a mirrorless is the huge minimum focus distance. Rangefinders just weren't meant for close up work. That does suck, but someone finally made an NEX to M adapter that includes a helicoid for close focusing. I think it's like $180, but worth it if you've got some nice Leica glass.
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Mar 30, 2012 05:51
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/360446185677#ht_3766wt_992 E-PL1 w/ kit for $199 refurb.
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Mar 30, 2012 16:19
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How would the new Sigma 19mm f/2.8 be compared to the Panasonic 20mm pancake? I don't think I'm ready to drop over $300 on a lens yet, but I want something better to replace my E-PL2's kit lens and the Sigma seems solid.
Cough Drop The Beat fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Mar 30, 2012 |
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Mar 30, 2012 18:31
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Killer Queen posted:How would the new Sigma 19mm f/2.8 be compared to the Panasonic 20mm pancake? I don't think I'm ready to drop over $300 on a lens yet, but I want something better to replace my E-PL2's kit lens and the Sigma seems solid. It seems entirely redundant. Whatever extra you pay for the 20mm is absolutely worth it.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:32
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Killer Queen posted:How would the new Sigma 19mm f/2.8 be compared to the Panasonic 20mm pancake? I don't think I'm ready to drop over $300 on a lens yet, but I want something better to replace my E-PL2's kit lens and the Sigma seems solid. Well, the 20 mm Panasonic is 0.8" shorter, and a stop and a half faster. That amount of light-gathering is nothing to scoff at for m4/3 with its limited DOF and high ISO compared to APS-C. For something typically considered a "long term investment" like a camera lens, I would think the Panasonic is definitely worth it, but it's your money. The sigma 19 mm certainly isn't a bad lens.
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Mar 30, 2012 19:46
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My OM-D is waiting for me at home! I am in Nagoya all day today unfortunately but I played with one in store, got a spare battery and the 25mm 1.4. There is also another promotion in addition to the free adapter/sd card, where if you register your camera online you get a free phone strap model of it, complete with two interchangeable lenses haha.
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Mar 31, 2012 04:19
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| # ? May 16, 2024 00:41 |
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Been out and about with the OM-D this morning and it's an incredibly satisfying upgrade from my E-P1 so far. The new features work really well, the old features are all improved, and it just FEELS GOOD in my hands. Coming from a long line of Olympus cameras I'm no doubt very biased and already well versed with their handling/menu systems, but it really just feels right and natural to me. It really makes the X-Pro 1 feel clunky in comparison. The last electronic viewfinder I tried at any length (other than the great one in the X pro) was the first one that came out for the E-P2 and I was not impressed; it was slow and super grainy. I was worried this one would be similar but it is fantastic, super fast, bright, and clean enough confirm focus quite well. The camera swaps quickly between LCD live view and EVF with the eye sensor, which makes trying different compositions really easy. The touch screen is something I never thought I would bother to use, but today I discovered that in combination with the swivel LCD, it actually turns the camera into an absurdly stealthy WLF style street camera. You just tilt the screen out, look down at it like a WLF, and literally just point at peoples' faces to take photos. The "fastest in the world (until Nikon takes the crown again) AF" really is super fast and accurate, and I was able to stand right in front of people and take their photos while looking like I was just stabbing at my screen and fiddling with settings or something. Add the weather sealing and you can even do all this in the rain! There are about FIVE programmable buttons on this thing, and another 1 or 2 more I think if you buy one of the new lenses which includes buttons on the lens itself. I finally have a dedicated button JUST for focus assist zoom (the level of which can also now be adjusted with one of the dials at 5x/7x/10x/14x) which is fantastic, as my manual lenses were a chore to fine focus on the E-P1. I have everything in super easy reach, and then ON TOP of that 2 dedicated dials just for aperture/shutter. I'm still not used to the position of them, though, and am fumbling a little bit for my back button AF, but I'm pretty sure muscle memory will take care of that soon. I tried out a little low light stuff last night and took a shot in nothing but TV glow at about 1/30, f1.4, 6400 ISO which came out looking like a daytime shot and it looks MORE than usable to me. Granted, I have yet to check it out properly on a computer screen and am basing this off the LCD, but on the E-P1 grain was pretty noticably ugly even on the LCD at about ISO 800, so I couldn't be happier. Will push it some more when I go out to dinner tonight. Considering the new and improved IBIS, I bet I could have gotten another stop or two of light out of the shutter speed and still hand held it, so I am really excited by the low light possibilities. Anyway, TLDR; I haven't spent a lot of time with the OMD yet but it's been an absolute blast so far, incredibly usable, versatile and I think pretty powerful.
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Apr 1, 2012 07:18
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