Jonathan-Mac
Well-Known Member
There's another thread discussing this lens but I wanted to start a new one here for sample images and discussion.
I've had the lens for a couple of weeks now and used it a lot while I was home in Scotland. In fact I barely used my Lumix 50/1.8, which is my usual go-to for my trips back home, because I was using this one where possible. The lens is optically excellent, with incredible sharpness even wide open and no signs of optical flaws such as flare, chromatic aberrations or colour casts. It's every bit as good as my Lumix and Sigma lenses in this regard. Bokeh seems OK, it's hard to judge without more testing. AF speed and accuracy are absolutely fine and I haven't checked yet which firmware it's running and if there's an update which might improve things further. Build quality is decent, perhaps a tiny bit lower than my Lumix 50/1.8, but barely. The hood clicks nicely into place and the aperture ring is clicked so you know when you've passed each 1/3 of a stop.
There are only two problems. One is that the rear cap is terrible - it's hard to get on and it turns the wrong way, which I've never seen before in a rear cap for any brand. I've replaced it with a Sigma cap. The second is that the aperture ring is very light, requiring very little pressure to move it. Several times over the last two weeks I've found that shots were taken at a different aperture setting from what I set on the ring because some small brush against something has moved the ring. I could put it in the A setting and use a piece of electrical tape to prevent it from moving but that defeats the purpose of having the ring, which is something I really like on lenses.
But overall I would certainly recommend it as the optics are outstanding for such a price.
The first one went into Flickr's Explore
Sundown over the lapping waves by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Leaning back by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Beachwards by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
On the beach by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Sunset over the bay, just outside Oban by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Fright by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Tide out by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Still some cherry blossom in Edinburgh II by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
I've had the lens for a couple of weeks now and used it a lot while I was home in Scotland. In fact I barely used my Lumix 50/1.8, which is my usual go-to for my trips back home, because I was using this one where possible. The lens is optically excellent, with incredible sharpness even wide open and no signs of optical flaws such as flare, chromatic aberrations or colour casts. It's every bit as good as my Lumix and Sigma lenses in this regard. Bokeh seems OK, it's hard to judge without more testing. AF speed and accuracy are absolutely fine and I haven't checked yet which firmware it's running and if there's an update which might improve things further. Build quality is decent, perhaps a tiny bit lower than my Lumix 50/1.8, but barely. The hood clicks nicely into place and the aperture ring is clicked so you know when you've passed each 1/3 of a stop.
There are only two problems. One is that the rear cap is terrible - it's hard to get on and it turns the wrong way, which I've never seen before in a rear cap for any brand. I've replaced it with a Sigma cap. The second is that the aperture ring is very light, requiring very little pressure to move it. Several times over the last two weeks I've found that shots were taken at a different aperture setting from what I set on the ring because some small brush against something has moved the ring. I could put it in the A setting and use a piece of electrical tape to prevent it from moving but that defeats the purpose of having the ring, which is something I really like on lenses.
But overall I would certainly recommend it as the optics are outstanding for such a price.
The first one went into Flickr's Explore
Sundown over the lapping waves by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Leaning back by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Beachwards by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
On the beach by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Sunset over the bay, just outside Oban by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Fright by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Tide out by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Still some cherry blossom in Edinburgh II by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr