SIGMA fp L and fp are the first mirrorless cameras to incorporate EL Zone. With new firmware updates, your SIGMA fp L (61 MP) or SIGMA fp (24.6 MP) camera is now a spotmeter and exposure tool, in addition to being a versatile DP/Director’s Finder, smallest Full Frame cine camera and mirrorless still camera….
Takuma Wakamatsu, SIGMA Product Manager, said, “EL ZONE is based on an evaluation of the actual recorded signal. It displays the exposure status of any part of the frame in a color-coded manner, allowing you to evaluate highlights, shadows, see where details may be lost and where to set your lens aperture.”
EL Zone developer Ed Lachman, ASC said, “I found false color and waveform monitors much too general. They are based on IRE values that originally measured analog composite video signals as percentages of voltage, aren’t consistent with T-stop values on lenses or light meters, and are not the same from one manufacturer to another. I’m happy that SIGMA fp L and fp are the first mirrorless cameras to incorporate EL Zone.”…”
Sigma fp & Sigma fp L mirrorless hybrid cameras
Sigma fp 35mm sensor digital camera with Sigma 45mm f/2.8 DG DN “perfect normal” prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma EVF-11 Electronic Viewfinder for Sigma fp cameras. Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma fp L Mirrorless Digital Camera with EVF-11 Electronic Viewfinder. Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma 40mm T1.5 FF High-Speed Cine Prime lens with Cooke i/Technology, Arri PL-Mount attached to Sigma fp camera. Image courtesy of Sigma Photo.
Sigma fp with Atomos Ninja V monitor/recorder. Image courtesy of Atomos..
Sigma fp L-mount 4K 35mm sensor hybrid video and photography camera. Image courtesy of Sigma.
The EL Zone System on Sigma fp and fp L hybrid mirrorless camera. Image courtesy of Sigma Photo.
Sigma fp L Director’s Viewfinder Kit with PL-L Mount Converter and Sigma 40mm T1.5 FF High-Speed Art Prime 2 Lens with /i Technology (PL Mount, Feet). Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma fp and fp L: open gate anamorphic de-squeeze viewing. Image courtesy fo Sigma.
Sigma fp L Director’s Viewfinder Kit with PL-L Mount Converter. Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma LVF-11 LCD Viewfinder for Sigma fp and fp L digital cameras. Image courtesy of B&H.
Sigma MC-31 Mount Converter/Lens Adapter (PL-Mount Lenses to L-Mount Camera). Image courtesy of B&H.
Commentary
This is excellent news.
Panasonic was the first company to bring Ed Lachman ASC’s EL Zone System for accurate exposure in cinematography to its VariCam cinema camera line and now Sigma has added EL Zone System to its fp and fp L hybrid mirrorless cameras.
Panasonic, what’s stopping you from adding the EL Zone System to the Lumix GH6, Lumix S5 II and the coming Lumix S5 IIX?
Fujifilm, now that you’re supporting professional video production with the Fujifilm X-H2S and X-H2, what’s stopping you from adding the EL Zone System?
And Blackmagic Design, time for EL Zone System to come to your hardware and software too.
Canon, Nikon and Sony, keep playing amongst yourselves.
OM Digital, are you serious about video yet?
What is Edward Lachman ASC’s EL Zone System?
Beyond quoting the words of EL Zone System Ed Lachman ASC above, the best thing I can do here is share some images of it in use on the Sigma fp L and other cameras and software applications so you can make your own deductions.
As a longtime user of the Zone System for analog photography as formulated by Ansel Adams and taught and promoted by Fred Picker, I’m relieved that hardware and software makers are coming to realize the necessity of an exposure system based on the relationship between adjacent f-stops and shutter speeds, a factor of two where the amount of light hitting the sensor is doubled or halved.
Compared to the EL Zone System, traditional video exposure tools are little better than voodoo.
Chart of the Ansel Adams Zone System by Sean De Wispelaere. Available to download via a pin at his YouTube channel.
Pentax Digital Spotmeter Zone System Scale VI, Water-Proof Vinyl Pre-Cut Label by James A. Rinner. Photograph courtesy James A. Rinner.
Pentax Digital Spotmeter Zone System Scale VI, Water-Proof Vinyl Pre-Cut Label by James A. Rinner. Photograph courtesy James A. Rinner.
Panasonic USA: EL Zone System Uses Stop Values in 15 Delineated Steps for Precise Image Control for VariCam Cinema Cameras, page 1. Image from PDF by Panasonic USA.
Panasonic USA: EL Zone System Uses Stop Values in 15 Delineated Steps for Precise Image Control for VariCam Cinema Cameras, page 2. Image from PDF by Panasonic USA.
Sigma Photo: “EL Zone System works with Cine Rae (CinemaDNG), H.264 (.MOV), Stills (.DNG) or Stills (.JPEG) files. The values and accuracy are consistent.” Image from screenshot of Sigma video.
A false color set in Sigma fp and fp L cameras as a Style in the False Color menu settings. Image courtesy of Sigma Photo.
EL Zone System by Edward Lachman ASC in Sigma fp and fp L cameras, set as a Style in the False Color menu settings. Note: EL Zone System is not false color. Image courtesy of Sigma Photo.
The EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC, based on Ansel Adams’ Zone System. Screenshot from FD Times web page.
The EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC, based on Ansel Adams’ Zone System. Screenshot from FD Times web page.
EL Zone System developed by Ed Lachman, ASC. implemented in SmallHD PageOS 5. Image courtesy of SmallHD.
EL Zone System developed by Ed Lachman, ASC. implemented in SmallHD PageOS 5. Image courtesy of SmallHD.
EL Zone System by Ed Lachman ASC in use in Colourlab.Ai. Image courtesy of Colourlab.Ai.
Links
B&H Affiliate Link – click here to research and purchase or pre-order your choice of cameras, lenses and accessories for stills photography and video production whatever your genre and subject matter.
Introducing the compact, lightweight, high-resolution M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO single-focal-length lens offering beautiful bokeh
Sydney, November 4, 2021 – OM Digital Solutions Australia is pleased to announce the M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO (35mm equivalent: 40mm) lens. This Micro Four Thirds System standard compliant lens delivers both beautiful feathered bokeh and the outstanding resolution and performance the M.Zuiko PRO series is known for, and is scheduled to go on sale early December 2021. This compact, lightweight, and high-performance single-focal-length lens utilises the natural perspective of the 40mm equivalent* angle of view for a versatile shooting experience, from the landscape genre to portraits and snapshots. This lens is the first product to feature the recently announced “OM SYSTEM” brand logo.
Compact, lightweight PRO lens featuring beautiful feathered bokeh
Outstanding resolution unique to M.Zuiko PRO lenses: Featuring a 11-element, 10-group lens configuration consisting of Super ED lens, ED lenses, Super HR lenses, and aspherical lenses arranged effectively for sharp imaging from the center to the farthest corners of the frame. This high- resolution lens makes the most out of camera performance, including the high image quality acquired when shooting using High Res Shot mode. ZERO coating is used along with optimal suppression of internal reflections within the lens barrel to reduce ghosts and flaring.
Feathered bokeh: Using the knowhow gained in the development of the M.Zuiko PRO F1.2 series, which delivers ultimate defocusing effects, we have implemented feathered bokeh that slowly introduces blur moving from the in-focus area to the out-of-focus region. Using an aberration measurement instrument to measure bokeh at the aberration level and deliver optimal control over spherical aberration allows the lens to deliver superior resolution and beautiful bokeh effects.
Compact, lightweight design with a maximum aperture of F1.4: The lens remains compact and lightweight at 247 grams with a bright maximum aperture of F1.4. When paired with the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, the system is compact and lightweight at approximately 661 grams**, for mobility that enables nimble shooting.
Comfortable and stress-free shooting in a variety of circumstances
Highly reliable dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof construction (-10°C): Sealed throughout, this lens offers IPX1 equivalent splashproof performance. It also features a dustproof and freezeproof construction to -10°C, and pairing it with a dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof camera body makes it possible to continue shooting in punishing environments, such as rain and snow, with peace of mind. Fluorine coating on the front-most lens allows for water droplets to roll off and for dirt to be cleaned off easily.
High-speed, high-precision AF: Superb optical design and lens processing technologies are used to make a lighter focusing lens, which enables faster, more accurate AF, allowing users to enjoy stress-free, high-speed, high-precision AF shooting.
A variety of expression for any type of scene
Close-up shooting to make the most of feathered bokeh: This lens is designed for amazing close-up shooting performance with a closest focusing distance of 25 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.22x* for shooting up close to the subject. The beautiful, feathered bokeh slowly introduces blur for creative macro shooting.
An angle of view that balances natural perspective with bokeh effects: The 40mm equivalent angle of view is slightly wider than that of standard lenses, providing a natural sense of perspective and bokeh effects. This unique angle of view is perfect for a wide variety of scenes, such as landscapes, portraits, and snapshots.
Availability & pricing
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO lens will be available from early December 2021 at an RRP of $1199 AUD / $1299 NZD.
OM Digital Solutions Corporation is a leading provider of award-winning digital imaging and audio solutions, noted for its precision optics and groundbreaking technologies.
After being split from Olympus Corporation in 2021, OM Digital Solutions was newly formed to infuse its imaging heritage of 85 years – including its technologies, products, services, and brand legacy – into a new agile company, unleashing the full potential of its business.
Today, OM Digital Solutions develops best-in-class products that challenge the boundaries of product design and functionality, fulfilling the needs of consumers and professionals alike.
* 35mm equivalent
** The weight of the OM-D E-M5 Mark III is for the camera body only.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro, equivalent to 40mm in 35mm format. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro on Olympus OM-D E-M1X. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro on Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro weather resistance sealing. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro cutaway. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro plastic petal lens hood. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro in front of M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro, M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro and M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro optical design diagram. Image courtesy of B&H.
Commentary
At time of writing a prior article on OM System’s M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro prime lens OM Digital Solutions Australia had yet to share this press release so I was waiting on specifications and confirmations.
I have yet to receive replies to my questions but it is reasonable to assume that this lens is the first of the M.Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lens collection not to be equipped with manual clutch focus.
I look forward to reviews by professional photographers and videographers on their experience with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro’s capabilities for critical manual focus and focus-pulling, most especially American-Australian director of photography and Olympus Visionary John Brawley.
“A PRO lens that is perfect for everything from scenery to portraits and even snapshots, offering an angle of view close to that of a 40mm standard lens, providing both high resolution and feathered bokeh.”
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro, equivalent to 40mm in 35mm format. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro cutaway. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro weather resistance sealing. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro plastic petal lens hood. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro on Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. Image courtesy of B&H.
OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro. Image courtesy of B&H.
Commentary
OM Digital Solutions has released its first OM System-branded lens, the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro, and it looks like the “perfect normal” prime lens I would have loved when I bought into the Micro Four Thirds system more than a few years ago now.
I have yet to read the press release and specifications for the 20mm f/1.4 M-Zuiko Pro, but as with all its professional-quality prime and zoom lens siblings I hope it has the excellent manual clutch focus mechanism that has proved so invaluable to critical manual focusing for documentary video and stills photography under a range of available light and darkness.
I look forward to reading more about this lens soon, but if it has the same optical and mechanical quality as the rest of the M.Zuiko Pro lens collection then it will be a no-brainer investment.
At time of writing the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 Pro is priced at US $799.00 compared to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro Lens which is normally priced at US $1,299.00, currently discounted to US $1.149.00.
I have always preferred “perfect normal” prime lenses to “standard normal” primes, and thus 20mm to 25mm in M43, so if I were in the market for a “normal” lens right now my choice would be this very promising new lens.
I hope OM Digital Solutions will add more such pro-quality f/1.4 M.Zuiko Pro prime lenses to its nascent OM System, especially in the 10.5mm, 14mm, 37.5mm and 52.5mm focal lengths, thereby adding 21mm, 28mm, 75mm and 105mm equivalent lenses to its line-up.
“Perfect normal” prime lenses in other brands, sensor formats & analog film
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II Aspheric pancake prime lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Fujifilm Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
Leica Summicron-C 40mm f/2.0 lens for Leica CL 35mm film camera. Image found on ebay.
Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2.0 lens for Minolta CLE 35mm, successor to the Leica CL and Leitz Minolta CL. Image courtesy of Japan Camera Hunter.
Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM pancake prime lens for Canon EOS 35mm and APS-C cameras.
Yongnuo YN 40mm f/2.8N for Nikon F-Mount.
Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lens for 35mm sensor cameras. Image courtesy of Sigma.
Voigtlander Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspheric for Leica M-Mount. Image courtesy of B&H.
Voigtlaender Nokton Classic 40mm f/1.4 MC for Leica M-Mount. Image courtesy of B&H.
Voigtlaender Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIS Aspheric lens for Nikon F -Mount (Black Rim). Image courtesy of B&H.
Voigtlaender Nokton 40mm f/1.2 Aspherical lens for Sony E-Mount cameras. Image courtesy of B&H.
Cooke 40mm T2.0 S7/i Full Frame Plus Prime Lens (PL Mount) cinema prime lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
Fujifilm Fujinon GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR “pancake” lens. Image courtesy of B&H.
“As the title suggests, Olympus, in my humble opinion is still, in 2021, the best choice when it comes to user friendly, rugged and feature packed mirrorless cameras!
… the conclusion I came too was that none of these other systems could come close to offering the same features, form factor and user experience I had come to expect and love in my Olympus OM-D E-M1 MkII which at the time, was my primary camera….”
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro ultra-wide to standard normal zoom lens on Olympus OM-D E-M1X professional Micro Four Thirds camera. Image courtesy of OM Digital Solutions Australia.
Commentary
Olympus Lens Roadmap as of July 2, 2020. Image courtesy of OM Digital Solutions.Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro ultra-wide to standard normal zoom lens showing lens elements and groups. Image courtesy of OM Digital Solutions Australia.
When Olympus sold its camera and lens-inclusive imaging division to JIP and it was rebranded to OM Digital Solutions, many photographers and moviemakers reliant on the Micro Four Thirds format nervously held their breath, waiting to see which way the new company would jump.
Would OM Digital be releasing more Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional-quality lenses for use on the company’s current and coming cameras as well as those made by other Micro Four Thirds System members including Blackmagic Design, JVC Kenwood, Panasonic and more?
Would OM Digital deliver on its promise to concentrate more on video and deliver cameras that might rival if not surpass those by Panasonic and Blackmagic Design in their video production features?
Would the long-awaited Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro ultra-wide to standard lens with the signature Olympus manual clutch focusing mechanism so perfect for focus-critical and focus-pulling documentary cinematography and photography work finally make its appearance?
The latter certainly came true late June 2021 and although I did not have the chance to try out that lens mounted on my Panasonic Lumix GX8 or the OM Digital Solutions Australia rep’s Olympus OM-D E-M1X to document the Camera House Road Show, during the little time I had with both items I was impressed with their quality and capabilities.
I am now looking forward seeing what else comes down the OM Digital Solutions turnpike, especially the “Bright Prime Lenses” item in its M.Zuiko pro lens range and its newfound commitment to video production.
Recent advances in raw image file processing with applications by DxO and Topaz Labs have proven there is plenty of life and potential left in this smallest professional-quality sensors format of Micro Four Thirds, and I encourage readers to keep an eye on further developments in the M43 system as it does not appear to be going away any time soon.
Unititled.Net – Cameras – Please use these B&H affiliate link lists here and below for researching and purchasing hardware and help keep Unititled.Net going.
“… We need to make those users realize that they can invest in our system with confidence. The best way to do that is by introducing innovative products, and I can confirm that will be an exciting product announcement from OMDS later in 2021. I think that will put a lot of people’s minds at rest….
… The Micro Four Thirds system is not limited to 20 Megapixels. Our Pro lenses have excellent resolution and performance, enough to work well even with a 100 Megapixel sensor. However, increasing number of megapixels significantly impacts processing speeds and high ISO image quality….
… Still imagery is very important for us, but we’re not disregarding video….
… We believe that we can contribute to improving video capture by offering a portable system with strong image stabilization and a video-dedicated AF system….“
Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Commentary
I have not had the pleasure of trying out any Olympus digital camera for an extended duration, but I have had some experience with the company’s lenses, most especially its M. Zuiko Pro professional-quality Micro Four Thirds lenses, both primes and zooms, and I would have no hesitation in investing in a complete set of them if I had the means and the motivation.
The latter including a BMPCC 4K updated in the same way that Blackmagic Design updated its BMPCC 6K to the BMPCC 6K Pro, the now confirmed Panasonic Lumix DC-GH6 hybrid successor to the legendary GH5, a professional-quality GX10 successor to the GX8 professional camera and not just another cut-down GX9 that is really a GX7 Mark III.
It is hardly surprising that the Olympus M. Zuiko Pro lenses “work well even with a 100 Megapixel sensor” given optical performance so amazing that I reach for my M. Zuiko Pro lenses before my Panasonic or non-M. Zuiko Olympus lenses.
I would have loved it if Olympus had followed Panasonic’s example with an aperture ring instead of relegating aperture control to the camera button plus command dial arrangement, given the common need to ride aperture when shooting in available light.
Olympus and Panasonic both need to consider adding internal neutral density filters to their more videocentric cameras in the way that Blackmagic Design has done so with the BMPCC 6 Pro.
Otherwise we will still need to rely on professional-quality variable ND filters for changing exposure while shooting video in light over which we have no control.
Another thing Olympus, or rather its spun-off OMDS, should do is release more wide aperture prime M. Zuiko Pro lenses to go with the current excellent 17mm f/1.2, 25mm f/1.2 and 45mm f/1.2.
Namely, a 10.5mm, a 14mm, a 37.5mm and a 52.5mm, and although it would be nice and neat if they were all f/1.2 wide aperture optics same as their siblings, the first two lenses would still be useful if their maximum apertures were a little larger numerically.
Although I appreciate the M. Zuiko Pro zoom lenses, a truly professional lens system demands a decent set of superlative prime lenses as its core.
DxO – DxO PhotoLab, DxO FilmPack and DxO ViewPoint – the best raw processing software for Bayer sensors though sadly Fujifilm X-Trans sensor cameras are not supported by it. DxO PhotoLab 4’s DeepPRIME AI-based demosaicing and denoising tech combats excess grain at high ISOs in small sensors such as Micro Four Thirds.
Unititled.Net – Cameras – please use these B&H affiliate link lists here and below for researching and purchasing hardware and help keep Unititled.Net going.
Panasonic 10-25mm F1.7 is the fastest Wide-Angle Zoom for MFT bodies…. Panasonic 10-25mm f1.7 lens was introduced in Photokina 2018. It was not until May 2019 when it was officially launched. It [is] the fastest wide-angle zoom for MFT.
Correction: This unique lens is better described as the fastest wide-to-standard zoom lens.
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide to standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
The recent publication by 4/3 Rumors of Peter Forsgård’s intro video about the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric reminded me that I had yet to try one out myself or even simply clap eyes on one in our ever diminishing local camera stores.
Time, I thought, to look deeper into this intriguing lens to determine if I should place it on my documentary stills and video hardware wishlist, or forgo it in favour of that other uniquely fast zoom lens, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art lens.
Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 with Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide to standard zoom lens. I would love to try out this combination in the field for documentary stills and video storytelling. Some say that the lens somehow works better with the G9 than with the GH5 or GH5S. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional prime and zoom lens collection as of late 2017, all with manual clutch focus, invaluable for fast, accurate and repeatable manual focusing as well as linear focus-by-wire and autofocus. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Peter Forsgård has yet to produce a more in-depth video about the lens and his results with it, and there is the fact that he is using it on Olympus OM-D cameras rather the more videocentric Lumix GH5, GH5S and G9 hybrid cameras from Panasonic for which the lens was clearly designed.
Its clickless aperture ring only works on Panasonic Lumix cameras but clickless is of more use for moviemaking than stills photography and Olympus seems to have fallen well behind Panasonic in the video half of the hybrid camera equation.
Australian/American Director of Photography and Olympus Visionary John Brawley is one of the few I have encountered who shoots serious video with that brand’s hybrid cameras but I can better understand his love of Olympus lenses, especially the Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional-quality collection with the lenses’ manual clutch focus via retractable ring and hard stops at each end of the focusing scale.
I spotted the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric zoom lens at SMPTE’s Metexpo in July 2019 but could not borrow it for a quick tryout at the show. Pity, as I still have some unanswered questions about it.Will Panasonic’s DFD autofocus approach the speed of PDAF autofocus camera systems some day? Fujinon XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR on Fujifilm X-Pro3. Image courtesy of Fujifilm Australia.
The Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric is Panasonic’s very first manual clutch focus lens and not before time.
Focus-by-wire only lenses can be problematic for moviemaking with some more unusable than others although they can work acceptably for stills photography especially when relying on back-button focus in manual focus aka MF mode.
I have not done much video using autofocus on any camera and lens combination, partly because I only had manual focus during the analog era and became comfortable with it, and more to the point because autofocus on video and hybrid cameras was unreliable up until recently.
Has the S5 improved Panasonic’s DFD autofocus enough yet? Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 with Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
I still set my cameras to manual focus by default when prepping for a project, and the unpredictability of documentary photography and moviemaking means I often need to snap into manual focus in an instant, easily done by rapidly retracting the focusing ring.
Hard stops in manual focusing mean I can train myself in approximating the right focus point fast without looking at the focusing scale, then refine focus through the viewfinder or monitor.
The Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric, on the other hand, allows its focusing ring to travel beyond extreme left or right of the focusing scale, and I remain unsure as to the usefulness of this behaviour.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art EF-mount fast zoom lens can be adapted for a range of Super 35/APS-C cameras or for cameras with larger sensors that can be set to Super 35/APS-C. Image courtesy of Sigma Australia.
Mr Undone is currently the first and sometimes only YouTube reviewer I watch these days and his in-depth, fast-talking rundowns amply reward the effort.
The highly adaptable Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art EF-mount fast zoom lens is high up on my wishlist for use with several camera systems and sensor sizes, but the lure of one lens with a focal range from 10mm through 14mm, 17mm, 20mm and 25mm is strong.
In 35mm sensor terms that equates to 20mm, 28mm, 35mm, 40mm and 50mm, only lacking my longer favourite focal lengths of 75mm and 105mm.
The lens’ image quality at each of those focal lengths is reportedly almost as good as that of pro-quality premium-priced lenses such as Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro 17mm, 25mm and 45mm primes, a feat only matched by Fujifilm’s shorter Red Badge zooms.
I will keep looking for reviews and videos about Panasonic’s Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7, but I found Gerald Undone’s comparison with Sigma’s 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art zoom lens the most useful so far.
There are pros and cons to both lenses and the choice depends on these currently unanswered questions about the 10-25mm:
Exactly how much curvature is there at its wide end of lens? I find too much curvature irritating especially when the frame contains horizontal parallels and I am following a figure walking through it.
How much vignetting is there at all focal lengths but most especially at the wide end?
How well is skin rendered by it given not all lenses are equal in doing this?
Does the lens have that classic warm and three-dimensional Leica lens micro-contrast and resolution?
I love the idea of an emotive wide-angle closeup on a face and upper body using a wide aperture to throw figure and background into stark contrast, but how well does the lens render this look?
Why did we not have a choice between clicked and clickless aperture ring given de-clicked works best for video while clicked is best for stills?
Is Panasonic working on the perfect companion for the 10-25mm, a similarly-designed 25-50+mm f/1.7 zoom lens?
I am accustomed to hard stops at each end of the focusing scale on manual clutch focus lenses, but how useful or not are the 10-25mm’s software stops?
Although I still rely heavily on manual focus for video and back-button focus for stills, great autofocus in both modes certainly has its uses. Will Panasonic’s reliance on DFD aka depth-from-defocus instead of PDAF aka phase-detection autofocus continue to be its Achilles’ Heel?
Questions remain about the viability of the Micro Four Thirds system given Olympus’ recent sale of its camera and lens division to JIP and Panasonic’s big investment in 35mm SLR-style cameras.
The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Aspheric prime lens is well-balanced on the GX8. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Panasonic staffers say that work continues on the company’s M43 cameras and lenses, but where is the much-requested pro-quality successor to the GX8 rangefinder-style hybrid workhorse, and when can we expect the GH6?
With the Lumix DC-S5, Panasonic has demonstrated it can make 35mm sensor cameras smaller than its M43 cameras.
If Panasonic follows the same path with the successors to its other two first generation S-Series cameras, the S1R and the S1H, will there be less incentive to stick with M43?
Right now I love the choice between the GH-series and G-series M43 cameras’ Super 16 and 35mm film handling and aesthetics, and those of the S-Series cameras’ Super 35 and 120 roll-film look and feel.
But DxO’s PhotoLab raw editing software and Topaz Labs’ Gigapixel AI image enlargement application radically reduce the need for larger sensors to produce better image quality.
Likewise, I wonder how much difference is really noticeable onscreen between Super 16 4K and Super 35 4K.
Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM | Art APS-C zoom lens.
Panasonic’s Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 may be an amazing M43-only lens with an incredibly useful focal range for documentary stills and video, but Sigma’s 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art zoom lens is adaptable to a range of Super 35/APS-C and Super 16/M43 cameras, helping future-proof one’s investment in lens and adapters.
Furthermore, the 18-35mm already has a longer companion lens in the form of Sigma’s 50-100mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art zoom, though there is no obvious companion lens on the wide end though there is that gap between 35mm and 50mm.
Breakthrough Photography – Step-Up Ring – I strongly recommend Breakthrough’s excellent knurled brass X4 UV and ND filters although they do not supply every filter diameter in existence. That is where step-up rings come in handy.
johnbrawley – website of “John Brawley has developed a reputation as one of Australia’s most talented and sought after Directors of Photography, who works with vision, speed and an inherently collaborative nature.”
Three Blind Men and An Elephant Productions – WOW. A Compelling Case for Micro Four Thirds: LEICA DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 – video – “This is an INCREDIBLE lens. When paired with our 2018 lens of the year (the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200/2.8-4) you have an unbeatably compact, high performance urban landscape, street shooter or all-around video kit.”
I bought this lens some time after it came out so never thought to reviews [sic] it. Quote a few photographers have taken me to task about that so here, at last, is my take on it. There’s no shortage of standard zooms for Micro Four Thirds but the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Constant Aperture Pro zoom should be towards the top of any buyer’s list.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro standard zoom lens.
Former Fleet Street newspaper photographer David Thorpe remains one of the very best digital camera and lens reviewers on YouTube and I thoroughly recommend him for those interested in the Micro Four Thirds format.
He has to buy the gear that he reviews so he makes somewhat infrequent appearances on his YouTube channel and limits his coverage to the Olympus and Panasonic cameras and lenses that he uses for his own freelance work.
Likewise, Panasonic Australia seems to have fallen off in it support for local reviewers while Olympus Australia has never been interested in helping out with review units, so my current coverage of both company’s hardware and firmware is limited to items that I already own, or based on articles by others.
Thank goodness, then, for reviewers like David Thorpe and others too numerous to list here!
Other M43 lenses that David Thorpe uses and recommends
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 lens with lens shade, also available in black.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro. Image courtesy of Olympus Australia.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspheric Mega OIS collapsible standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of B & H.
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide to standard zoom lens. Image courtesy of Panasonic Australia.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ Power Zoom kit lens, now sadly discontinued but apparently one of the best-kept secrets of the Micro Four Thirds format, widely praised by pros and enthusiasts, and now only available secondhand for high prices.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II Aspheric Power OIS “all-in-one” wide-to-telephoto zoom lens.
I own two of the six lenses that receive high recommendations from David Thorpe, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro standard zoom and the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspheric near-pancake sized collapsible standard zoom.
Both have their joys and their workarounds, but both are firmly established as my default zoom lenses for different reasons and different subjects and applications.
Foremost amongst their differences is that the M.Zuiko Pro 12-40mm f/2.8 can be purchased standalone or bundled with a high-end Olympus camera while the 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 can only be purchased bundled with a lower-end Panasonic camera.
I managed to find my 12-32mm zoom lens online at eBay Australia, bought it for a good price, and have been very happy with it ever since.
It is not a lens for all seasons though, lacking a manual focusing ring and an aperture ring, and with a 37mm filter diameter so narrow that it necessitates stacking step-up rings to get it to industry-standard 77mm or 82mm or investing in a set of smaller diameter fixed and variable neutral density filters.
For those reasons I have yet to create videos with my 12-32mm lens, relying instead on the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 with its 62mm filter diameter, excellent manual clutch focusing, solid build, beautiful optics, and great weather and dust resistance.
Despite the effectiveness of Panasonic Lumix cameras’ back button focus, I have often resorted to retracting my 12-40mm’s manual clutch focus ring to quickly zero in on a key detail, and the usefulness of fast and accurate manual focusing when shooting video cannot be disputed.
The one thing that stops the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro from being the perfect standard zoom lens for stills and video is its lack of an aperture ring.
Aperture rings are one of the major areas where Micro Four Thirds consortium partners Olympus and Panasonic appear to have begged to differ, with Olympus lenses have them not at all and Panasonic building them into some and not all of their lenses.
One of the most intriguing Panasonic lenses with a form of manual clutch focus is the company’s Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric wide-to-normal zoom lens.
I had the chance to briefly try one out at the last SMPTE in Sydney and while the lens’ range from 20mm to 50mm equivalent is impressive and incredibly useful for documentary photography and video, I was a little nonplussed by the lens’ lack of hard stops at each end of the focusing scale.
Hard stops aid in easier, faster focusing when your eyes are glued to the camera’s EVF or LCD monitor, as I quickly discovered after investing in my 12-40mm f/2.8, but if I was buying into Micro Four Thirds video nowadays then Panasonic’s Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric would be the first and possibly only lens I would buy alongside a Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5, DC-GH5S or the coming DC-GH6.
If I had the funds and the need for more M43 lenses with manual clutch focus and autofocus capabilities, though, then I would certainly invest them in Olympus’ excellent though aperture-ringless M.Zuiko Pro primes and zooms, so impressive is their optics and performance.
The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional prime and zoom lens collection as of late 2017, all with manual clutch focus, invaluable for fast, accurate and repeatable manual focusing as well as linear focus-by-wire and autofocus.
“… Ayataka Kiyomiya, Olympus Imaging Division (AK): First of all, I want to be clear that there is no plan to withdraw from the imaging business with this transfer. We will continue to develop high-quality camera systems which offer unique values. Also, there are no plans to change our new product launch plans in 2020 due to the transfer. The development of 150-400mm PRO is well underway so please stay tuned for exciting news.”
DE: Looking beyond 2020, what will be the fate of other products that are in earlier phases of development? How long will the product lines stay “fresh”, with regular releases, based on what Olympus already has under development?
AK: We will continue to focus on the high-end market and, in the ILC product lineup, we will strengthen mid to high-end cameras and lenses. We have no plans to reduce the number of models unless there are strategic reasons to change the product line-up….”
The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional prime and zoom lens collection as of late 2017, all with manual clutch focus, invaluable for fast, accurate and repeatable manual focusing as well as linear focus-by-wire and autofocus. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.
Commentary
Olympus lens roadmap of July 2020. Image courtesy of Olympus Global.Leica worked out the best prime lens focal length line-up for documentary photography and photojournalism in 35mm years ago and it remains the benchmark and role model for other lens makers to this very day. The only focal length missing from this lens collection is 40mm, which Leica made for the Leica CL rangefinder camera which was later taken over by Minolta as the Minolta CLE with 40mm standard lens as well as a 28mm and 90mm lens. Too many contemporary lens makers leave out 28mm and 75mm lenses and their equivalents for other sensor formats. Why? Both these focal lengths are the most essential for documentary photography and photojournalism.
As one would assume from the sale by a company like Olympus of a whole division to a new owner, little is given away in this interview and it will take some time to begin to understand where Olympus’s excellent Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses are going and whether the format will vanish altogether.
If I had the means and it was guaranteed that M43 would continue as a sensor format for professional-quality stills and video production then I would invest in more Olympus M. Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lenses.
I have been looking forward to the arrival of a much-needed lens, the hopefully still coming Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4.0 Pro, to fill a yawning gap in superwide-to-standard zoom lenses for documentary photography and video production.
I admire the design philosophy and manufacturing quality of Olympus’ M. Zuiko Pro lenses even though they lack the clicking/de-clicked aperture rings that are so invaluable for video production and hope that other lens makers learn lessons from them.
My Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro wide-to-portrait-length zoom lens remains my most-used lens of all, especially set at 14mm and 37.5mm focal lengths.
If only Olympus or rather JIP would make f/1.2 M.Zuiko Pro prime lenses in the M43 equivalent of those two 35mm sensor classic focal lengths and documentary standards, the 28mm and 75mm!
Micro Four Thirds remains an excellent format for intense and immersive documentary photography, photojournalism and handheld video production and it would be a damned shame if it disappears.
…So I’ve been shooting with full-frame cameras for 17 years now and here we are in 2019, when full-frame cameras are taking over the popularity contest and Sony in particular has been killing it in well earned reviews, why would I even consider switching to micro four-thirds – a sensor size that is tiny compared to a full-frame sensor? Why would I leave the Sony a7R3 with it’s 42MP (and just announced Sony a7R4 60MP camera) and switch to the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and it’s tiny 20MP sensor?…
Olympus OM-D E-M1X Micro Four Thirds mirrorless digital camera with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens, equivalent in the 35mm sensor format to 80mm to 30mm.
The Micro Four Thirds sensor system co-founded by Olympus and Panasonic over a decade ago is particularly well-suited to documentary photography and moviemaking as well as to the wildlife photography practised by Matt Seuss.
Recent M43 cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M1X and Panasonic’s DMC-G9 with their multi-exposure high-resolution modes have become attractive to landscape photographers needing to produce big, really big, prints and I look forward to high res evolving rapidly so it is more applicable to in-studio and on-location portraiture as well.
Meanwhile I applaud Mr Seuss’ choice to invest in Olympus’ excellent M.Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lenses for M43 cameras including those made by Olympus and Panasonic as well as Blackmagic Design on its Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K.
Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro lenses are excellent for stills and video, especially due to their manual clutch focus mechanism with hard stops at each end, a feature I wish to see on all lenses for cameras in all sensor formats from now on.
It has been good to see Panasonic finally get the memo on manual clutch focus with their first M43 attempt at including it as a key feature on the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 Aspheric zoom, a lens I have been hoping would eventually appear ever since I invested in the Micro Four Thirds system.
Last month at the CP+ show in Yokohama we spoke to executives from several major manufacturers, including Sigma. In our conversation with CEO Kazuto Yamaki we discussed his plans for future L-mount lenses (and cameras) and some of the challenges of supporting multiple mounts.
Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM | Art prime lens with L-mount. A brilliant portrait focal length but no equivalent lens currently exists for Micro Four Thirds or Fujifilm APS-C cameras.
Commentary
I am looking forward to seeing and trying Sigma’s Art collection L-mount prime lenses scheduled for release sometime this year and that are adapted from the company’s current DSLR Art collection offerings.
One major bugbear of new mirrorless launches such as those of Fujifilm APS-C and medium cameras, Panasonic’s Lumix S1 and S1R 35mm cameras, and Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds cameras is the relative paucity of lenses.
Canon took 30 years to come up with its near-complete DSLR lens collection and it may well take Fujifilm, Olympus and Panasonic almost as long to flesh out the many gaps in their lens collections.
Professional photographers and cinematographers rely on the availability of large lens collections for their cameras in a way that amateurs and enthusiasts tend not to, especially when relying on prime lenses for their optimum optical and mechanical quality.
I would love to see Sigma creating lenses for Fujifilm X-mount APS-C cameras given there are so many glaring holes in Fujifilm’s lens lineup, and the same desire applies to professional-quality lenses for use on Blackmagic Design, Olympus and Panasonic M43 cameras.
Panasonic and its L-Mount Alliance partners Leica and Sigma have done well to aim at releasing enough lenses to satisfy those contemplating investing in the L-mount camera system, and it is pleasing to read that Sigma will be working on smaller and more affordable L-mount lenses in due course.
Meanwhile those of use needing focal lengths that Fujifilm does not offer for its X-mount and G-mount cameras may need to bite the bullet and rely on adapted EF-mount lenses instead of the much-preferred native X-mount and G-mount alternatives that simply do not exist yet.
I am still hoping for a professional-quality alternative to Fujifilm’s too-quirky, too-slow Fujinon XF 18mm f/2.0 R prime lens with its 35mm sensor equivalent focal length of 28mm, a staple optic for many documentary photographers and photojournalists, me included.
Clicking on the links below and purchasing through them or our affiliate accounts at B&H Photo Video, SmallRig or Think Tank Photo helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled’.
UNITITLED.NET 