Tag Archives: pancake

*Leica 15mm f/1.7 vs the Pana-cakes

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panasonic lumix leica 14mm, 15mm, 20mm

Choice is good, and unless it is an important, multiple choice test, the more choices, the better I feel.  In this constantly growing camera system, we are continuing to get quality choices in the lens game.  From semi-wide through standard focal lengths, the micro 4/3 system boasts quite a few options and those options are increasing.

So, with the recent addition of the new Panasonic Leica Summilux 15mm f/1.7 lens, it begs the question, why?  With quite a few other comparable focal lengths in the lineup, why this lens?  Panasonic has already provided two, pretty comparable, adequately performing focal lengths in this space.  Come on in for a comparison between these three lenses to see which might be most deserving of your adoration and hard earned money.

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*Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens, Tested

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Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 lens review Yet another kit lens has come onto the scene.  On paper, ho-hum, a little wider, a little shorter, still slow, no focus ring…  Why would this particular kit lens be a better choice than the other current options?  Yes, it’s tiny and light weight and nearly as small as the Lumix 14mm Pancake lens, but what’s this?  It’s reasonably sharp at all focal lengths and all apertures and offers us a 24mm equivalent lens as opposed to the moderate wide 28mm equivalent in most all other kit zooms… Interesting.  Hit the jump for my user review on this little optic…

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*Panasonic Lumix 20/20 vision! v.1 vs v.2

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

2020

What the what?  Why did Panasonic replace a seemingly near perfect lens with one that from initial reports didn’t remedy the AF speed which was really the only major gripe about the first version?  Well, let’s see…

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*Canon EOS-M: Almost there, kinda.

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canon eos-m

The last few years have seen a very large push in the photographic landscape toward smaller, lighter, high performing mirrorless interchangable lens compact system cameras. Most of the major camera manufacturers have produced something in this new segment. As Panasonic started the whole party off with the G1 a few years back, Olympus, Sony and Samsung jumped in quickly thereafter. Pentax and Ricoh have even had some interesting ideas since. Nikon and Canon watched this segment closely I’m sure, and calculated their entry into the mirrorless ring. Nikon took a different tack, creating a very small (comparatively) sensor system and Canon came up with this, the EOS-M. A few weeks ago, and after what many saw as a response to very poor reception and subsequent lack of sales since its introduction, Canon dropped the price of this APS-C sensor, mirrorless compact camera through the ground and I bit. Here are my thoughts on the camera itself, the Canon approach and where I think they need to go in the future with this…

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*Panaleica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH, I couldn’t help myself.

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments

It’s a hard thing to admit to myself really.  Being that I’ve been in love with the Lumix 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens for so long, I never really thought about acquiring a lens for the Micro 4/3 format that provided such a similar angle of view.  Now that I have, I must make a decision, which do I keep…

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*G-cubed in Chi-town

by in General ramblings, Travel and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

High above it all - G3 + FD55 f/1.2

Where else in the world would one want to be than Chicago in the depth of winter I ask you?  I know it may sound somewhat sadistic, but I’ve really come to enjoy walking around the windy city when the river is frozen over, the streets are coated with a salted crust and the wind makes your face feel like someone repeatedly smacked you with a frozen fish.  I’ve also come to realize the genius of having the largest sail show in the midwest at the same time every year.  It may hurt to go outside, but when you get into the boat show, your thoughts immediately transport you to warmer times, and you feel any potential financial inhibitions start to ease with the promise of a midsummer breeze on the lake, the water lapping against your bow and the only ice you encounter is inside your cooler.  On the business side of things, orders in January mean that you can actually get everything built before sailing season starts.

 

Read on for more shots and mumblings…

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*Lumix G3 vs the mighty might GF1, or why I chose to upgrade my MILC.

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 58 Comments


When it came time to upgrade my beloved GF1, I waited for its true successor to be revealed.  The GX1, not the GF2 nor GF3, is seen by most GF1 users as the camera that has had the GF1’s torch passed to it.  I’ve spent two solid years with the GF1 and have finally felt that the current crop of mirrorless system cameras out there have upped the game enough for me to trade it in.  I surprised even myself when I decided on the G3 over the GX1, NEX5n, EP3 or NEX7.  A budget conscious option which I feel punches well above its weight.  I’ve got some low light test shots, size comparison shots and the like.  C’mon in and I’ll explain why I feel the G3 was the best option for a shooter like me…

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