I got that 25mm f1.7 not too long ago, not knowing too much about it, because at that price point it was just a no-brainer. Have only read and heard good things about it since and am very satisfied with my own images I took with it. It's my standard lens now for general use. Highly recommended!
I own two of these three lenses: the 42.5 mm and the 15 mm. But I rarely use prime lenses. I prefer the 12-35 f/2.8 or the 12-60 f/2.8-4.0 as a "walking around lens", adding the superb Lumix Leica 50-200 mm zoom for travel photography.
My favorite lens is the sigma 30mm f1.4 lens on my Lumix g85. Images are crisp and I use ND filters when I want that same bokeh in my daylight portraiture. LOVE IT !!
My favorite three are: 20 mm f1.7, 56 mm f14 Sigma and 100-400 PL. But very close to these but used for other purpouses are the 12-35 and 35-100 2.8 Panasonics. The one I aspire to buy soon is the 15 mm f1.7.If I do add the 15 mm f1.7 and if it performs really well my favourites would be 15 mm (also for the FL), 56 mm f1.4 and 100-400 PL I guess….But it is indeed guessing. What I would love to see is how the 10-25 mm f1.7 performs and apart from that (since we can call this a true beast of a lens) I would love it if Oly or Panny introduced a 10 mm f1.7 for us.may be a 9 mm.
Nice selection. My favourite for a long time has been the 20mm 1.7 but then again I have always liked the 40mm focal length for general photography. The fact that it is also a pancake does not hurt.
My most used mft-Lens is the Leica 2,8-4/12-60mm. It has a very good reach for landscape photography. For fotos with longer focal length i use the Leica 4-6,3/100-400mm Lens. This lens too is very versatile. With this two Lenses i have focal length from 12 to 400mm or in Full Frame 24mm - 800mm. This is a very good set for walking around in our mountains in switzerland.
Looking at the name of this video I thought you would tell about the most expensive lenses in Lumix lineup. It is rather great one can make brilliant photos with "budget" lenses. And the photos you showed are brilliant! Thanks a lot for the review!
I have the 25mm F1.7 too, I agree, I find this to be a great all round lens. I don't have the other two. I have the Olympus 45 F1.8 and I love it, it was my first M43 lens, just great and a good price. No IS but with my GX80 that has IBIS it doesn't matter. For wide I am lacking. I wish I had the 15mm, everyone praises it. Other primes? I have the Olympus 60mm macro, that is soooo good.
I’m moving from the gh5 to S5iix. Selling many of my lenses but I’m just keeping these exact 3. My faves are also in that order. I use the 25 the most but the 15 is magic
With my Panasonic GX9 my favourite lenses are Olympus 17mm f1.8 (for street) and 45mm f1.8 (for the Zoo) plus Panasonic 25mm f1.7. Recently I am loving the 12-32mm kit lens for walk around which gives me a fantastic cheap 12mm and with a Leica style 3rd party lenshood reminds me of my old collapsible Leica Summicron; an underrated lens with unexpectely stunning image quality in a very compact and pocketable package ;-)
Matti, I agree with your choice of focals. I have a 12-100mm which is great as everybody knows but I have also primes in this range (17mm 25mm 42.5mm 75mm) because using versatile lens does not mean there is no room for prime in some cases. The Pana 42.5 f1.7 is better than the Olympus 45mm f1.8 (the corners are sharper) and I swapped form Olympus to Panasonic. I have the Olympus 25mm f1.8 but it could be the Panasonic, both are great lenses. However, for the wider lens, the gain of f1.2 aperture is useful to have a little shallower depth of field for environmental portraits, moreover the Olympus has a little bigger magnification ratio which sometimes helps for a nicer bokeh, and that's why I prefer the Olympus as my "dream lens".
the 15 mm is my standard on my GX9. Love it. And the lenshood is cool! The small 42,5 I love too! So I drag it with me. Good it´s small. Although I have to admit I also have the big 42,5 and the quality for portraits in the late evening is outstanding! But I´m not dragging that around...
I have both of the smallest system cameras there is, the GM1 and GM5. For those I have the 15/1.7 and 12-32 and 35-100, and the 45/2.8. I use it for makro, and portraits. And for Oly E-M1, I have 12-40/2.8 and 75/1.8, and for FourThird, the 50-200/2.8-3.5 ED SWD. Great and cheap lens. I'm also need a very good wide angle lens. Maybe the new 10-25/1.7. But I have Metabones Speedbooster for both, the Nikkon F and Olympus OM to m43, and lots of F1.2 and F1.4 lenses for both of the systems, and also tilt and shift 24/3.5 for Canon and Nikkor. I suppose I will buy the new Fuji GFX, and many of my lenses will be used by that system, and I can also use the same lenses on m43, I guess. I always see possibilityes and not problems. Normaly I use Mamiya MF and 4x5" cameras.
Forgot to mention, that I have and old Sigma 10-20 for Nikon F/DX. When I use it with m43 and Metabones Speedbooster, it will give me 7-14 mm with m43. The funny thing is, that I still have the 18-200 from mye Nikons days. It gives me 13-140 with m43 and actually pretty good if I wanne use it.
1. Panasonic 12-35mm 2.8ii. Very flexible lens for foto and video. It is actually not my favoirite lens but it is the one that gets mostly used due to its flexibility. 2.Leica 15mm f1.7 Everything sharp and just a bit faster than the 12-35. A very nice lens in deed And affordable! 3.Olympus Pro 40-150mm f2.8 My favourite lens. Build quality, sharpness and zoom are fantastic. But obviously lacks wide view. Wants: well, the Nocticron 42.5 has very good reviews. And it is this sweetspot focal length for portraits. Might check for a good used one.
Those are the same 3 lenses I have! Only I have the 25mm 1.4. I also have the 45-150 GX85 kit lens and at some point I'd love to add a wide angle as well as an upgraded telephoto lens. The 15mm is a special one for sure---just a ton of fun to have on the camera in a variety of settings. Just getting familiar with the other two focal lengths as they are my latest additions.
Panasonic 20mm/F1.7 mk1. I have two other lenses but I use this all the time. 40mm equivalent works perfect for me. One big flaw is the slow noisy AF. A perfect lens construction for my taste would be the Panasonic Leica 15mm but with 20mm focal length.
Cool selection, For me, is the:12-60mm kit + 45mm f2.8 macro + 100-300 mkII is my ultimate travel kit! but I think that the 25mm f1.7 is the ultimate all-around lens for any purpose.
My copy of the 25mm/1.7 was rather soft at every other aperture than f/2.8, so I came back to my orginial 20mm/1.7 which is very sharp right from f/1.7, it gives a nice bokeh, and I prefer the slightly wider field-of-view for environmental portraits and for general purposes. It pairs very well with the 42.5mm/1.7 (and the 14mm/2.5). The only downside of the 20mm is the lousy AF-motor. Panasonic should really update this lens (which won't happen because of the 15mm/1.7). Of course there a many more lenses to like in the mFT-System, my bread-and-butter lens is definitely the 12-35mm/2.8. ;-)
This video is now one and a half years old. I got myself a cheap GX80 with the kit lens 12-32 as a second camera for easy carrying. I, too, found the 42,5mm F1.7 a great lens for portraits. On the small body, it is much less intimidating for kids. And the IQ is great. For the price, it is unbeatable. I don't think I want to spend 400€ on a Leica 15mm at F1.7, however. I am using this range at F8 rather in bright daylight, and have not been convinced that it beats the kit lens at F8 at all. Maybe someone is still reading this and can clarify this question. The 25mm F1.7 has more use since a nifty fifty makes sens indoors. And it is way cheaper.
Leica 15mm f1.7 is also my favorite for street and general use. And: Sigma 30mm f1.4 Olympus 75mm f1.8 (Fantastic!!!) For vídeo work I like to use: Oly 7-14 f2.8 Lumix 12-35 f2.8 Lumix 35-100 f2.8 Nokton 10.5mm f0.95 Nokton 25mm f0.95 Birding: Leica 100-400mm
indeed :) I just chose a favorite for each type of use. Photo (including Birding) and video. But believe me, I have other favorites :D !!! For Macro Oly 60mm f2.8! With the kids I love Oly 12-50! Ultra compact 12-32! Single Travel Lens 14-140 ... My favorite lens is the right lens for the moment. Greetings From Germany
I agree with the choice of focal ; I use the 42.5mm (I switched from the Oly 45mm which is not as sharp) and the 15mm. The only difference is that I use the Oly 25mm, I do not think there is much difference between both lenses.
My top lens is spilt I carry the 12-35mm f/2.8 ii and the 35-100mm f2/8 ii. When out which ever better fits environment will be on camera with the other uncapped in a open pouch hanging next to the camera. 6 second switch. I also have the 15, 25 and 42.5 f/1.7 primes. but it's rare I ever use the primes.
I found your channel and you have some very good content. I somewhat wish having different lenses than I have historically. I would definitely keep 20mm/f1.7, but I wish it with weather sealing and internal focus. I'm perfectly happy with 12-60/f3.5-5.6 as the most versatile lens. Then I wish to have optically good and lightweight zoom up to 150mm at least. Something (not so) wide angle such as leica would be nice, but to me it seems a bit overpriced. And some portait lens. I have Oly 45mm/f1.8, it's great, but perhaps sigma 56 is better option and I don't care about weight of lens with single and predicable use: portraits. Lenses I would not buy again are 14-45mm old kit lens, 45-200mm huge zoom and sadly my long time favorite 12-35mm/f2.8. There's nothing wrong with the last one, except there always seems to be better alternative today - it either lacks zoom range or fast aperture of prime lenses and since G80 cameras have IBIS and way better image stabilisation.
Great video, short and oh-so-sweet. Surprised you went for the 25mm F1.7 instead of the F1.4. Yeah, hell of a difference in price, but from what I gather, the results from the 1.4 lens are phenomenal. I like the idea of having two cameras when out on a shoot, the LX100 Mark ii (to cover 24-75 equiv…F2.8 at the long end suits me just fine) and the Olympus OMD-EM10 Mark iii with the 75mm F1.8 Zuiko lens. I’m not a pixel peeper nor a purist, so the button on the EM10 that effectively doubles the focal length when pressed would suit my telephoto needs turning the 75mm into a 150mm, a 300mm equiv on FF. You’ve used the LX100 Mark ii for a while now, you made it very clear that its lens performance doesn’t match that of MFT lenses, I’m wondering by how much it lags behind and would clients be able to notice. Portability wise, the minimal kit I mentioned above appears to be, on paper at least, a dream for my wedding and event photojournalism needs (to be seen as a guest, not to stand out as the official pro photographer, to be as invisible as possible…you get my drift). Nice video, I discovered you today and I’m looking forward to watching more of your clips. Thanks for posting.
Thanks again. I'll publish a new video twice a week, so there should be new stuff almost all the time😀 I have a video where I compare both the 25mm options, if you search the channel a bit. I don't think a client would notice any difference between the LX100II and any MFT lens, if the content in the shot is pleasing to the client. I've made some very nice prints from the LX100II files too and they look great. If you pixel peep side by side you'll see a difference there.
Good choices there. I had the 25mm f/1.7 but I never liked the results. Sold it. Had the 12-32mm which was nice. But I also have the Panasonic 14-45 which is pretty good so sold the 12-32mm. There was a Sigma 19mm which broke. Good results but somehow boring to work with and not enough wow factor in the results. But good. I'd like to try the 15mm but it's dear and some of my best photos were taken on my 14mm so there's not much trying the 15mm. If I were looking for a new lens, it'd be the 25mm f/1.4 for low light photos without the motion blur I sometimes see on photos taken with the 14-45 which has Mega OIS.
My favourite lens for olympus ..is the 12-40 2.8....and the 25 1.2 but I got a demo Panasonic 15 1.7 and I like it very much....later I saw there could be issues with tracking on olympus cameras...I use it as a compact point and shoot
I switched from Canon to Panasonic a couple of years ago. I like the convenience of smaller body and optics. I use panasonic 25mm f1.7, kit 12-32mm and Olympus 45mm f1.8 a lot, witch I like. Also have the 14mm f2.5 witch I dont like so much. Maybe try the 15mm f1.7 instead? But my favorit lens is the older Canon 70-200mm f4L USM. Model about 20 years old now. Couldn't get rid of my Canon 550d body for that lens. Excellent image quality. Mostly use it for family portaits outside in daylight. Like your blog.
I've just got an olympus omd m5 mark II. I have 3 lenses. The panasonic 14mm lumix g, olympus 45mm 1.8 and the olympus 14 - 150 4.0 5.6. I think I'm pretty much covered however I'm thinking about getting the leica 42.5 I like shorter focal lengths more than wide angle for general photography.
Good video 👍 I have these 3 lenses as well as the 20mm Lumix and I agree with your choices but I like them with a range finder type camera like my GX85 as opposed to my G85.
I got the 15mm and 42.5mm at the same time I got my first m43 camera - GX9. I've been thinking about getting the 25mm so it's nice to know it's been highly recommended.
42.5mm f1.7 is my favorite followed closely by 15mm f1.7 . I also have both 25mm (f1.4 and f1.7) on 2 different bodies . I did not compare them side by side but the f1.4 is hard to beat at f2.8 and f4 while i was surprised to see how sharper the f1.7 is fully opened . If it is occasionally to fill the gap, the lighter and cheaper f1.7 would be it unless you pick a 30mm macro . For that, you can also consider the thinner Meike extension tube on the 42.5 f1.7 : works great for me .
Paired with a Canon M50 + EF-M to EF Adapter Canon EF 85mm 1.8 USM Canon EF 50mm 1.8 STM Canon EF-S 24mm 2.8 STM Note how all of them are primes too! :D
Matti where did you get that leather hand strap i see in your videos? Do you have a brand name. Works with the SmallRig? Wooden handles look cool but are so expensive.
Hi Matti, did your rating change with the release of the Leica Pana 10-25mm F1.7? From the focal length, it covers both the 17mm and the 25mm, with additional flexibility for wider focal length? Or do you consider it mainly as a video lens? BTW: my favorite lens as yet are the Sigma 30mm F1.4, the Olympus 12-100mm (boooh, a zoom lens!!) and the Oly M.Zuiko 60 mm F2.8 for macro and portraits. BR Erwin.
I really like the 42.5 1.7 on my G80. Sharp, colours are great enough dof for me to work with. I also have the 25mm 1.7 which is my main lens if I’m shooting video and photos especially if I’m in low light areas. Not as sharp as the 42.5 but for the money this is great. The 12-60 kit lens is the workhouse though for those times when I cannot move and need the range. I have been looking at the 15mm Leica as well to complete the 3 prime collection like in your video.
42.5 f1.7 is also my favorite on G85 . I have found that the 12-60 kit lens is good enough in the 12-20mm range at F8 and i usually pick a 25, 42.5 or 60 prime over that . I stay on the 12-60 when the wheater is bad since it is wr . I also have the 15mm f1.7 but on the GX9 as it takes fully advantage of the neewer sensor . So, that lens is not really needed unless you want a larger aperture, just prefer a set of primes or still want a bit more iq .
Hey Matty! I have the Lumix gx 85 now and I like it but would like to improve on the IQ a bit. Is the g90 notecebly better? And is the g9 same as g90 for IQ? Thank you!
Well, the G90 and G9 (both the same) have better IQ than the GX85, but whether it's noticeably better really depends on how you use your pictures. You can see the betterness if you pixel peep, but in most real world situations it's not that significant.
Thanks again for another brilliantly helpful review @sulantoblog I have just purchased the G9 with the 12-60 leica kit lense (for flexible use). Along with a Leica 100-400 for my love of nature photography, and thanks to your advice a 45 Leica Macro for insect, food, portrait & product compositions. Question. My local camera shop has a second hand 25mm lumix F1.7 for sale at 1/2 the price of new. I figured my kit might benefit from a versatile prime suited to darker light situations or night time. Would I be better off getting your favourite 15mm or the second hand 25mm? Would either of these offer an evident improvement to the range I already have with my zooms, or os there perhaps another prime option you'd recommend to complete my kit for the foreseeable future?
Thanks! A 15mm and 25mm are two different lenses and therefore not directly comparable. It all depends what you plan to shoot and what you like. My favorite lens is not necessarily your favorite. However, that Lumix 25mm is a very good value and at half price it should not cost much. So, you probably could buy it and not suffer too much financially. You could then use it and decide whether you need the 15mm F1.7, which is a lot more expensive lens. Photography, after all, is not about collecting lenses. Once you find the suitable lens(es) you can then concentrate on making awesome photos😀
I have the 42.5mm f1.7 and I love it. I don’t have the other two but curiously I have the 20mm f1.7 that falls in between, and make a great combo with my GX800. I’m tempted to try the 15mm or 25mm thought.
I have the Lumix 25mm/f1.7 and Lumix 42.5mm/f1.7 and love them. I also find the Lumix 12-60mm kit lens (I have a G85) very handy -- even for videos in bright situations. But I really like my SLR Magic 8mm, non-AF, non-electronic, rectilinear lens for really broad wide angle shots (photo and video) with little distortion.
I am buying the 25mm F1.7 next week for my GX85 as my first Prime lens, however I do intend to buy all three of the lenses you have reviewed. I am buying the 25mm f1.7 Lumix lens first as your mentioned sometime back in another video that in your data from your software editing this was the focal length that you used most?
I have 2 of your favorites lens, and i will eventually get the third (15mm). But i also have the 12-60 Pana-Leica zoom. For street and general photography, may it be preferable to bring only the zoom rather than switching between 3 lens ?
great lenses Btw I'm using GX9 with kit 12-32mm I need a fix lenses for versatile function, especially for street photo, traveling, some stuff for hiking. is the 25mm f1.4 still enough? or 42.5mm F1.7? thanks :)
hi, i have a GX9, G85 and a older G6 . My G85 has an extended array of lenses while i carry 3 primes with the GX9 : 15mm f1.7 (great fast moderatly wide) , Oly 30mm f3.5 macro (for close-ups) and Sigma 60mm f2.8 (lovely rendition) I also have the 25mm f1.4 but the 42.5mm f1.7 is my favorite lens overall and i think it would complete your 12-32mm better . The 25mm would be a better choice only if you don't carry your 12-32mm anymore and want only one lens.
i agree to sulan . The 25mm f1.7 is also to consider. It's sharper at full aperture, lighter and much cheaper but the f1.4 is marvelous at f2.8 or f4 . I bought it many years ago when it was launch and cheaper . I had an oportunity to buy the f1.7 later at great price. Considering the big current price spread, the f1.7 is a better value . You can probably get the 25 f1.7 and the 42.5 f1.7 together for the cost of the 25 f1.4...
I purchased a G7 with kit lens around a year ago. Had it for a week and ordered the 25mm f/1.7. It’s the lens that’s mostly on the camera. Recently purchased an Olympus 17mm f/1.8. Missing the 42.5mm for portraits.
Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 for travel and context Leica 15mm f/1.7 for street photography Sigma 16mm f/1.4 for street portraiture Olympus 17mm f/2.8 if I really need the reach If only they'd release a 13mm and an 18mm I'd have a complete set ;)
Currently, I have Lumix G 25mm/F1.7 and I love it! I have nothing to compare it with, as it's my first fix lens. Since I bought it, I forgot about zoom 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6. But I guess I need a zoom lens like Leica 12-60 for traveling when I want to shoot scence but I am not familiar with places to choose a point of shooting or when I'm short of time to find a better point.
I have the 25mm f1.7 has good bokeh, but nothing sharpness, my panny 12 60 f3.5 is even sharper! ... 25mm f1.7 could have been a great lens, but it is not like that, I must retouch my portraits to obtain sharpness ... lumix 14mm f2.5 is still a great economic lens and forgotten
