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Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/2.5

I'm not the target for a 20mm prime, but I'm happy that Lumix confirm going to the direction of small full frame lenses. A S9ii being prepared for spring 2027 would not surprise me now.
 
Arkan said:
I'm not the target for a 20mm prime, but I'm happy that Lumix confirm going to the direction of small full frame lenses. A S9ii being prepared for spring 2027 would not surprise me now.
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I really hope you're right. I'd love an S9 with an EVF. The new OM Pen was an interesting launch and rekindled my desires for a smaller, range-finder style L-mount camera. With any of these new Panasonic primes, or the Sigma i-Series primes, it would be a fantastic street and general day-to-day camera. But it needs a damned EVF !
 
pdk42 said:
I really hope you're right. I'd love an S9 with an EVF. The new OM Pen was an interesting launch and rekindled my desires for a smaller, range-finder style L-mount camera. With any of these new Panasonic primes, or the Sigma i-Series primes, it would be a fantastic street and general day-to-day camera. But it needs a damned EVF !
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The new PEN was sadly an exercise in thwarted hopes. ;_; I was hoping for a modern counterpart to the Pen-F, a premium model that squeezed as much of the current flagship cameras as possible into a small rangefinder body with top-notch build quality. Instead we got warmed-over tech that's closer to an E-P7 with a viewfinder - though at least I'll give them credit for the viewfinder. (I'm not looking for all the bells and whistles - but I did want the most current stacked sensor and imaging pipeline, higher frame rate, and premium build of the flagships. Cosmetics are surface-level; a premium build is something you can feel every time you use the camera.)

An S9 with an EVF would be Very Nice Indeed. :) Though I'd still want a quality build; I haven't handled an S9 for more than a few minutes, but from what I remember my fp is built better.
 
Travis Butler said:
The new PEN was sadly an exercise in thwarted hopes. ;_; I was hoping for a modern counterpart to the Pen-F, a premium model that squeezed as much of the current flagship cameras as possible into a small rangefinder body with top-notch build quality. Instead we got warmed-over tech that's closer to an E-P7 with a viewfinder - though at least I'll give them credit for the viewfinder. (I'm not looking for all the bells and whistles - but I did want the most current stacked sensor and imaging pipeline, higher frame rate, and premium build of the flagships. Cosmetics are surface-level; a premium build is something you can feel every time you use the camera.)
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Well, I don't really see why a photo-centric camera aimed at street and casual use needs a stacked sensor. High frame rates and fast readout are not needed for this class of camera. I can see your point about the build quality, but Pen-F level of materials and build would cost more like £2k than the £850 that the OM Pen has landed at. That sort of price would put it up with the OM-3 and make it more expensive than its rivals - and we all know that m43 cameras are always expected to be cheaper than bigger sensor alternatives (no matter how unfair that is).
Travis Butler said:
An S9 with an EVF would be Very Nice Indeed. :) Though I'd still want a quality build; I haven't handled an S9 for more than a few minutes, but from what I remember my fp is built better.
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I agree. The BF (or the Fp) is the sort of build I'd like, but it needs an EVF (have I mentioned this before?) !
 
pdk42 said:
Well, I don't really see why a photo-centric camera aimed at street and casual use needs a stacked sensor. High frame rates and fast readout are not needed for this class of camera.
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Maybe because my vision isn't limited to 'street and casual use'?

The camera I want is something that I can take anywhere, use anywhere, and have with me without needing to lug around a heavy bag. And it should have the maximum performance consistent with those qualities. I don't just want a street camera; I want a camera I can take into a museum without disturbing the other guests, or carry into a packed venue like a sports arena or an airshow without trouble, or tuck into a carry-on bag, and have it perform well under all of those circumstances. I took the Pen-F with me on my last trip to Florida, and while I could have wished for better low-light performance at KSC, it made a great kit with the Lumix 15/1.7, 20/1.7 and Oly 12-40 Pro. (And the old OM Zuiko 100/2.8 for some tele reach in a tiny package.) It was a superb travel camera.*

As for high frame rates and fast readout... how about Precapture and multi-shot computational modes? Those are photo-centric features, and very good ones - I'd even say they're good for the 'casual' use you name - and they're definitely improved by a stacked sensor. And I'd imagine even street photographers run across a bit of action from time to time where high frame rates would be nice. The world is always in motion around us...

pdk42 said:
I can see your point about the build quality, but Pen-F level of materials and build would cost more like £2k than the £850 that the OM Pen has landed at. That sort of price would put it up with the OM-3 and make it more expensive than its rivals - and we all know that m43 cameras are always expected to be cheaper than bigger sensor alternatives (no matter how unfair that is).
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Maybe so; I know I've ranted before about how people used to be willing to pay a premium for miniaturization and a premium build, but don't seem to any more. But those considerations don't change what I want to see and use, or make me anything but disappointed when they go for the lowest common denominator.

*The Sigma fp fills that take-anywhere role for me now, but it doesn't quite match the delight of the Pen-F.
 
Travis Butler said:
Maybe because my vision isn't limited to 'street and casual use'?

The camera I want is something that I can take anywhere, use anywhere, and have with me without needing to lug around a heavy bag. And it should have the maximum performance consistent with those qualities. I don't just want a street camera; I want a camera I can take into a museum without disturbing the other guests, or carry into a packed venue like a sports arena or an airshow without trouble, or tuck into a carry-on bag, and have it perform well under all of those circumstances. I took the Pen-F with me on my last trip to Florida, and while I could have wished for better low-light performance at KSC, it made a great kit with the Lumix 15/1.7, 20/1.7 and Oly 12-40 Pro. (And the old OM Zuiko 100/2.8 for some tele reach in a tiny package.) It was a superb travel camera.*

As for high frame rates and fast readout... how about Precapture and multi-shot computational modes? Those are photo-centric features, and very good ones - I'd even say they're good for the 'casual' use you name - and they're definitely improved by a stacked sensor. And I'd imagine even street photographers run across a bit of action from time to time where high frame rates would be nice. The world is always in motion around us...
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Yes, these are all good points. I think you've convinced me! :)

I guess the OM-3 fits the bill, but of course it's bigger and not rangefinder footprint.
Travis Butler said:
Maybe so; I know I've ranted before about how people used to be willing to pay a premium for miniaturization and a premium build, but don't seem to any more. But those considerations don't change what I want to see and use, or make me anything but disappointed when they go for the lowest common denominator.
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I suspect that the market for premium build at high price also requires a complementary brand image to go with it (Leica being the obvious one). For sure there will be people like you (and me) who might not care too much about the brand, but if I were doing product planning for OM, I'd be very wary of investing a lot of R&D into a premium-level camera given the brand's positioning.

Travis Butler said:
*The Sigma fp fills that take-anywhere role for me now, but it doesn't quite match the delight of the Pen-F.
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I've sometimes toyed with the idea of the fp (probably the fpL), but the lack of a built-in EVF really does put me off.
 
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I was eyeing the 18/1.8, but this I think is an instant buy for me. It would be perfect alongside the 24-105. Hopefully it is good!
 
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