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Fun with Leica Summilux 25mm/1.4

clay stewart

New member
Nice shots, everyone. I've been waiting for a M43 50 mm equiv., since the beginning and even though it's larger than I would like, it seems to be, so far, the best 50 mm lens I have ever owned, as far as contrast, sharpness, color and bokeh go. Here are a few recent shots.
 
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Yep, instructions included. Never open them. It's a lens! You shove it on your camera and start firing away :D:D:D
you asked "Should there have been one included?", so instead you can just bother to read the list of included things (hood, caps, etc) there...
 

biglouis

Well-known member
you asked "Should there have been one included?", so instead you can just bother to read the list of included things (hood, caps, etc) there...
Dude, you completely lost me. Not sure why you are bothering to extend the discussion.
 

DHart

New member
Seems like a little scolding going on. :rolleyes: I got scolded for "playing Captain Obvious" earlier in this thread.
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Nice shots, everyone. I've been waiting for a M43 50 mm equiv., since the beginning and even though it's larger than I would like, it seems to be, so far, the best 50 mm lens I have ever owned, as far as contrast, sharpness, color and bokeh go. Here are a few recent shots.
Clay the portraits are excellent examples. It is a very sharp lens.

LouisB
 

biglouis

Well-known member
My first experiences with the lens leads me to the following conclusion. Firstly, it is a very sharp lens, amazingly so even at f1.4. Secondly, it draws colour beautifully. There is definitely a 'Leica-intensity' to the colouration. Both shots are at f1.4.

Now, if only Panasonic would complete the set with a Leica 17/2 Summicron...



This was shot through a glass screen
 

DHart

New member
Nice images, Louis. I can't wait to get the time to get shooting with mine. Very soon my busy season ends and 6 months of play time begins!

My lens wish list for m4/3 has but one item left on it now... a 90-100mm at f/1.8 or so.

With the 7-14, 12/2, 14, 20, 25/1.4, 45/1.8, 14-45, 14-140, and some legacy glass... I'm happy as a clam and only missing a really fast 90-100. In the meantime, I use my Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4, which pretty much gives me the portrait look I want, but having a native with AF would be sublime.
 
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biglouis

Well-known member
Don,

Thanks and I hope you get the time to play with the lens soon. I notice your list does not include the superb Leica 45/2.8. I own one and I am thinking of also obtaining the 45/1.8. The 45/2.8 is a superb macro lens. But not that good as a portrait lens. Incidentally, the only manual lens I use in m43rds is the Voigtlander 50/1.5 which sort-of meets your desired focal length and does do very nice portraits.

LouisB
 

DHart

New member
Louis, I have a Zeiss Planar 50/1.4 and a Canon FDn 50/1.4 which, along with my Planar 85/1.4, are great portrait lenses - especially the 85/1.4... WOW.

When I say I yearn for a native 90-100mm f/1.8, I mean just that, yielding an equivalent 180-200mm at f/1.8.

My favorite portrait "look" is obtained by using a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L (usually at 200 and always at f/2.8) on a 5DMkII full frame sensor body. With the 200 f/2.8 and full frame sensor, I can back away from my subject by, say, 12 to 18' or so and get strikingly shallow DOF and great bokeh with a half-length portrait. In order to get that same "look" on a m4/3 body, I will need a 90 to 100mm f/1.8 lens. I already have the Planar 85mm f/1.4 which is STUNNING, but I'd like a native m4/3 lens which I can use to get about the same look I get with the 5DMkII and 200/2.8, but with auto focus (which the Planar 85/1.4 lacks).
 

DHart

New member
Louis... my portrait style, for my professional portrait work, calls for a full frame sensor (5DMkII) with 80-200 f/2.8L lens shot at f/2.8 and typically at 200mm. There is no native m4/3 lens on m4/3 that will give me quite this look.... yet! I can get a similar look with the new 45/1.8 lens, but only with camera to subject distances of around 4' to 5', which requires a much tighter head and shoulders composition only.

This is the look I earn my bread and butter with:





The Zeiss Planar 85/1.4 lens will give me this look on m4/3 (though without the better dynamic range and low noise at high ISO) and without AF.

Zeiss Planar 85/1.4 on GH2:



When Panasonic or Olympus gives us a 90-100mm f/1.8 native m4/3 lens with AF, I will be giddy with joy!

I have to get this close with the 45/1.8 on m4/3 to achieve a similar look:
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Don, WOW and yes I see where you are coming from. I don't think m43rds can quite match the results of the Canon (yet?). Very nice results from the 45/1.8 although I really like the softer (more natural?) look of the 85/1.4. I can see why you need a more professional m43rds portrait lens than the ones currently on offer.

LouisB
 

biglouis

Well-known member
Ron, I have to say it is the quality of the landscape photographs you have taken, especially their colouration which sold me on getting the lens for myself. That and the fact that I found it available over the counter, so I could touch and feel it first(!).

LouisB
 
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