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35mm f/2 or better equivalent pancake for MFT?
  • StudioDCCreativeStudioDCCreative

    I'm looking for a fantastic, compact, high performance lens for Micro Four thirds similar in character and function to the lens on the X100T. That lens is a 35mm equivalent f/2. There are a few options that I'm presently aware of:

    The Olympus 17mm f/1.8, which has been criticized on many fronts for having sub-par IQ, focus speed, and manual focus. The Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 which I have owned. The image is lovely, the focus speed and manual focus ability are both awful, so bad that I really couldn't use this lens.

    There are other lenses in this approximate focal length that are much larger, physically. This is not what I'm looking for.

    So, are there any compact (pancake?) lenses in the 35mm-equivalent for micro four thirds at f/2 or better that autofocus quickly and have at least a halfway decent manual focus ability?

  • 5 Replies sorted by
  • cantsincantsin

    PanaLeica 15mm f1.7. As a 30mm equivalent, it's closer to an 28mm than a 35mm lens, but otherwise ticks your boxes.

  • StudioDCCreativeStudioDCCreative

    Hm, very good point. A nice lens. Bit too wide for a decent portrait though. 35 is sort of the goldilocks FOV/distortion point, any longer and you can't fit in the couple across the dining booth from you and any wider and their faces start to look weird. Might pick it up on a whim, but I can't see myself being happy with it. The 20mm was pushing too long, too, but was manageable. It's a damn shame Panasonic didn't make that 17.5mm instead of the awkward 15 they chose.

  • yskuntoyskunto

    15mm f1.7 is meant to accommodate additional crop factor on GH4 4K mode. It will be around 35mm equivalent for that mode. Olympus 17mm f1.8 is nice, fast autofocus, very nice manual focus mechanism, not sharp but that is the beauty that creates a soft cinematic look. I have it for a while and it is very nice build lens as well.

  • StudioDCCreativeStudioDCCreative

    Hm, the FOV matching in 4K mode is a good point, although I'm interested in this as a stills lens as much or more than video - I just don't want to buy a lens I "can't" use usefully for video as well.

    How's manual focus on these lenses? Able to use a FF and hit repeated points? I've read that the Oly is terrible in that regard - with an accelerating focus change based on how fast you turn the knob. Anybody who's tried to use either lens around who can chime in?

  • StudioDCCreativeStudioDCCreative

    Eh, I found a very nice deal on a gently-used 15mm so I'm going to give it a try!

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