This is the first time I've seen a review of a below-par lens. It is either there are hardly any weak lenses or the reviewers are too polite and don't want to sound negative. So good for you in preventing people to buy something they wouldn't like.
Peter, your hat is AMAZING! It is so cool! Thanks a lot for video. Yea, it is nice nice to have these cheap manual focus, fast lenses. But :) most of them are unusable wide open. Bokeh is questionable. Sharpness is below of any reasonable level. I would rather stick to amazing Olympus PRO or Panasonic Leica glass. Yes they do cost a lot but quality and rendering is above and beyond. Anyway love your videos, really do! Thanks a lot for all your effort.
Your description of the lens' qualities (or lack thereof) made me smile. Yet, I really liked the images. And that's fun too, squeezing good images out of a technically problematic lens. I enjoyed it!
@@ForsgardPeter It's simple: you, as a experienced and talented pro, produce excellent work with any gear. I suspect you'd make great portraits with that lens, too. Maybe a nice experiment? Thanks again!
I brought this lens second hand, use it with the EM 10 Mk III and actually like the character of the lens. Yes it's not fully sharp, yes it's not 'perfect' clear like the PRO 17mm 1.2 that I have for my EM 1, but I find it an enjoyable lens that makes you work for your image. And yeah the bokeh is a bit swirly, it's a bit quirky, kind of like me! XD
Thank you for your candid observations. We photography enthusiasts appreciate such honest evaluations. By the way, I love your hat! Did you purchase it online? I would like to get one.
"Since this is the only lens I brought with me" (all the while carrying a backpack big enough to hold an event photographer's full frame gear 8-D ). I have the v2 version of this lens. The bokeh is still a bit weird and busy, but the sharpness is much improved I've read. However, it's great for taking indoor candids under low light, where the f/1.1 is useful and bokeh is not a big deal.
For retro looking gear, I found the Nikon Df and the Olympus Pen-F to be very appealing for all the retro reasons but did not pursue either for missing features. Sadly the "retro nature" got the blame by the manufacturers. My current favorite old lens is an ancient m42 threaded 135mm f/2.8 by Lumetar (I know nothing of them). It is so crude with a 6 blade aperture and it cost me $10. The proper adapter cost more than the lens and almost doubles it's length Ha Ha... but using it is pleasant and the images make me happy.
Cool hat! Gives colours to your video :-) Concerning wide aperture lenses: I'm only investing in them, if the bokeh is nice. I'm happy with the 45mm/1.8
Another great video Peter. I really enjoyed it. I also have this lens (as well as the 45mm 1.8). Your photos are great! I think Jimmy (Red35) mentioned this may be a fun lens to experiment for black and white, and that old film look. Like a lens to use at high ISO in low light situations. With manual focusing and imperfect optics it is as close as I can get to my film beginnings :)
Good video as usual Peter. Why didn't you use the version two of the lens? That version was pretty much condemned by most reviewers, with focus now on the second F1.1 offering from Kamlan
It’s great to see a truthful review about a product. Thank you for that. I agree with you that cameras have to look retro but be full of tech. It might be because we want something intemporal. Anything modern looking looks outdated very quickly. But we also don’t want to give up the modern features. Or maybe the original designers just got it right the first time.
There are some great OM lens that will give you fantastic image quality and super sharpness for little money. I current own 7 vintage lens that I use all the time. I love the vintage look and on my silver EM-10 people ask if I’m shooting on film. I love that camera with a vintage set up.
Understand that the KamLan lens isn't the big purchase, but I have an odd combination you really should try. I'm an old Nikon shooter, and still have much of that, and I also have the Metabones Speedbooster to mount the Nikkor gear on m43. Then I have a Mitakon 85/1.2 which will give me a field of view as a 60 mm with m43 and Speedbooster and near 0.8. With ISO 3200 you can shoot handheld in darkness and get nice pictures with m43.
The Samyang (Rokinon, Walimex, whatever...) 50mm f1.2 is an incredible lens, better than this Kamlan. But I sold it because I missed the AF. Now I am a proud owner of the 45mm f1.2 PRO and I love it, it's a real gem.
I missed out on a really cheap offer for the 45mm f1.2 Pro sub 400 $ :( So sad. But instead bought the 45mm f1.8 for 50 bucks. So I'm not so sad anymore now xD
Hi Master Peter, this video is great as well the KamLan, but this skips a question for me, have you made any videos about the holy trinity of Sigma 16 mm, 30 mm, and the 56 mm f1.4 for Olympus? if you have please share the link.
I liked all the images at the end. Your real-time struggle was really a struggle! Between the sparse landscape and the snow partially obscuring what was there, you had a tough assignment. You did get a couple good long-distance shots of buildings and the open grassland before you started wrapping up. I do like the vintage look when done well. My 5 Mk II is a silver one, and a fellow complimented me on it as he thought I was shooting film! I said no, this one's digital but I have plenty of film cameras at home. I got the cheap 40-150 in silver and I have to fight the urge to get the 12 and 75 primes in silver too. They just look SO good.
No no no. The olympus 45mm f1.8 is very good and the f1.8 is enough(maybe 1.4 later) for me. Also the oly 45mm f1.8 realitively cheap and small and light weight. Nice video to show the short comings of the lens though.
Matti Sulanto commented on RWong’s review of version 2 that perhaps the drawbacks would not seem so pronounced if shooting in monotone. I considered this lens for a low light (night) project but then had an opportunity to purchase very cheaply the 7artisans 35mm f1.2 (150g) which I availed myself of and don’t regret it for a moment as I’m shooting in monotone in the dark using streetlights as lighting source. Loved the idea of you looking for a lonely tree photo at 7.28 and as you walked out of shot there was the reveal of the snowy walkway which would have been a great still. Also am curious that when you found the lack of contrast you simply didn’t alter the camera setting rather than wait for pp? Olympus 45mm f1.8 (1 stop slower and more expensive) 45mm f1.2 (1/3 stop slower, 162g heavier & 4 times the price)
You look as cold as Matti ! It was 27.7 Celsius here on the Coast of California yesterday. Thanks for a review, with photos. Snow photos! The best deal in lenses in the Olympus line has to be the 45mm. There are always two sale prices -- good and best. If I was to do it all again with MFT gear, I would choose but one camera, and a zoom, and that 45mm, though a Pro zoom is sharp enough to not need the 45mm, so ???
