i like about it that the other lenses from panasonic (the 1.8) lenses will be the exactly the same in size and filter size! great for people who swap for lenses . Especially when you film on a gimbal or use filters! looking forward for their wideangle 1.8 lens!
Have used this lens for around a year now. It quickly became not only my favorite lens, but has become my overall go to lens for street and portrait photography. Have found the color rendering and sharpness to be nothing short of excellent, especially given the price point. Can also confirm the build quality holds up, have used this lens, paired with a S5, in heavy rain and in hail, never had an issue with water damage with that combo.
Great lens optics, fast, with decent AF, smaller form factor, weather resistant, less weight, lower price! Who wouldn't like this lenses? We have even more goodness to add to the S system with the next 3 prime lenses to be releases in the near future. So glad I didn't switch to SONY or CANON like so many others! Panasonic has my eye... and my back!
Excellent review. Only slight concern is focus breathing, not what I’d expect from LUMIX. Feature on s5ii camera might correct this. Have you tested that since your review? Thanks.
Thank you Robert! Yes focus breathing is a bit more than the other Lumix S 1.8 lenses. But usually the longer the focal length, the more focus breathing it could have
Just goes to show that f/1.8 aperture lenses are plenty for working professionals ;) Honestly, it looks stunning both in terms of quality and the decision to keep size down so much. I love that design choice, perhaps an influence of the Leica partnership? Any thoughts on a comparison between this lens and the Nikkor Z equivalent?
The Nikon Z 85 1.8 is really great too when i test it a while ago. will see if i have the chance to compare them. But before that, i will compare with the Sigma 85 1.4 ART L mount very soon! And yes 1.8 is def ok for pro jobs!
Richard I just picked up an S5 and I think you might have just sold me on this combo. I also have a SL2-S and the Lumix 50 1.4 stays pretty much glued to that majority of the time. I was wondering if this lens comes with the hood by chance? My original plan was to pick up the Sigma 85 1.4 but it seems the native lenses have better continuous auto focus and perhaps CAF in video's.
I finally have this lens! It’s amazing! Any news on when the rest of the 1.8 line coming out? Like you, I reeeeaaally wanna get my hands on the 35mm 1.8!
Definitely on my list of lenses to get if I pull the trigger on an S5, which I’m itching to do any day now. Aunty Jacinda said I’m allowed to go to the camera shop tomorrow, so maybe I will.
AWESOME Richard like usual... The photos are gorgeous... With which profil have shot these one ? Also have you done editions on these ? If yes any tips to get same results ? I like this style...
Most photos were shot in RAW (well i shot in RAW+JPG, but since i did edit them, so i use the RAW instead). yes I did some edits. Boost a little bit of contrast and play with the curve a bit to get the look you want. But the photos from this lens is beautiful even without editing so you don't need to do much.
I haven't got a chance to compare the nikon Z and lumix S lenses but I would guess they should be very similar as I found them great when tested individually
Thanks for the detailed (as always) review. One question, what made you choose 96 mp mode instead of regular? IMO, on tripod and ideal lab condition 96 MP mode will give sharper and much cleaner IQ (assuming 50 ISO) and may not reflect upon lens's capabilities because of introduction of computation aspect (it may also introduce certain artifacts).
Good question. My understanding is that the hi res 96MP output is a bit more demanding than the normal 24MP mode and would help me reveal imperfections in the optics more than the 24MP. Having said that, i do have concerns if it will introduce artifacts in some of the photos so this is something i will think about it more when I work on my next L mount lens review
@@TheRealRichardWong I ordered the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN for my S1R. The lens is quite compact for its large aperture, very sharp. But I cannot live with its distortion, so I returned it two days ago. I am thinking of getting a Panasonic 85mm F1.8 or the old version of Sigma 85 F1.4 HSM Art which I think it's almost distortion free.
Can you set the focus motors to "linear" within the Panasonic body settings, like the 24-105mm? I would assume so, but I can't find confirmation. This is important for accurate focus pulls.
Excellent review, thank you. My Lumix S5 arrives next week and I will need lenses. Do you know when the 35mm lens will be coming out and the approximate price? Also, any word of a 105mm or 150mm macro lens? Thanks!
I'm also waiting for the 35mm but i haven't heard any date yet. Hoping it's not too far away as I really want one myself. no haven't heard anything about the macro lenses, but i would suggest checking out Laowa's macro lenses, a little bird told me they are releasing their macro lenses ini L mount quite soon
@@TheRealRichardWong thanks, I will keep my eye on Laowa. I’m working with Don Komarechka on proof-reading his Macro Photigraphy book so will probably hear from him. Your review was excellent.
The Noct surely has much better/premium build quality. In terms of picture quality, i haven't done any side by side comparison so can't really answer sorry.
Always Hard to choose between 35 / 50. My favourite is 35 as it allows me to capture a wider angle, but i also have many 50mm lenses on my camera shelf
I can tell you the Nocticron has chromatic aberation wide open. Very sharp and contrasty wide open and warmer tone compared to its rival the 45mm Pro. Not weather sealed like the 45mm. But it is the fastest prime with optical stabilizer so far. Same filter thread as this 85mm full frame, and if I can remember right, has an okay controlled focus breathing... though I haven't really tested that part out properly. But I don't remember any focus breathing much. But personally, I'd suggest the 45mm if you're sticking with mft. I have both lenses. But this 85mm, which will likely be similar to the other Lumix f1.8s, is making me tempted to go full frame too. Considering the f1.2 from the nocticron is dof of 2.4. But since the S5 has dual IS, the iso level, dynamic range, etc. is more advantageous. And lso lighter than my G9 and GH5s.
Hard to say. i have a Z6 and S5 (not S1) myself and use them both equally as much. Use the Z6 a bit more for stills and S5 a bit more for videos but i could use either camera for everything as they are both great. S1/S5 has no time limit in most recording mode and a flip out screen which can be important for some usage.. but the Z has phase detection which can make AF a bit more reliable under more demanding situation. Can't really go wrong with either of them, it's just which suit your requirement more :)
I'm really not interested in ff cameras honestly maybe for photos but I still want to get a gh5 and maybe a bm4k so these cameras and lenses aren't on my radar. Deff looks nice though. Hey rich question man how do you feel the gh5 and gh5s compare?
hey A1 Bro, the GH5S has better low light performance, actually very close to full frame, like 1 stop difference.. i did a test in one of my recent BGH1 video, really surprised. But it has no IBIS so not really good for handheld without any stabliser, as the GH5 IBIS is silky smoothhhhh
Hi! I got a really stupid question. I got the s5 for photography mainly but since its such a great video camera i made some 4k 30p 10bit 4:2:2 in .mov clips. But somehow i cant watch them. In premier pro they are very choppy ( i have a ryzen 9 3950x 32gb ram and a asus 1060oc card). Do I need to decode them before using them? I couln‘t find anything on the internet somehow. Iˋd be very glad if you or someone could help me with this issue. Thx!
Most video player won't playback 10bit video files directly so that's normal. Re in premier pro, it's also true the playback would be slower/choppy,. I am not really familiar with the video card specs so can't comment if it's normal but I would guess if it's not the greatest and latest it won't be super smooth playback in full res as well. There are ways to make it easier like crearing proxy... There are some videos on UA-cam that can help you on that search for Adobe premiere pro video proxy. Hope that helps
Looking at the 1st series of sequential shots at f/1.8, your claim of "all except 1 shot are spot-on..." just ain't true; I can clearly see on my 29" 4K screen only 10 out of 14 shots are sharp enough on the little girls' eyes - at best. Maybe even only 9. That's roughly 70%, not 93% as you claim via "one out of fourteen" in the video. That's quite a difference. I like the lens, though ...
Also his video autofocus test was shot at 2.8 and was still failing so I’m guessing 1.8 would be even worse.. this is making it harder to buy into the l mount system. Might just have to go with the RF now with the 85 f2..
I don't know what you are talking about. They look pretty damn sharp to me on my 27" 5k screen. We don't have the RAW photos and this video went through compression. Also, he clearly states and the graphic shows he's shooting wide open at f1.8.
@@JimmySaul888 6:42 onwards the video autofocus test is at 2.8, he doesn’t actually show how it reacts at 1.8 but rather take his word on it that it’s the same as 2.8. I reckon it’s going to be pretty bad autofocus at 1.8..
@@JimmySaul888 You "don't know what I'm talking about" ...? Well, nothing I can do here ... it's just so obvious, you must be blind not to see it. Richard can easily prove I'm wrong - just post a series of 100% (heck, 50% would be enough ...) crops and let's see ... "spot-on" simply does not equal "acceptably sharp," because spot-on is ecactly what it means, while acceptability varies from person to person. What's acceptable to you, maybe/probably is not acceptable to me. And (at least) 4 out of ten of those shots are NOT ACCEPTABLY SHARP TO ME.
@@aditya_gupta however, they are really worth it. If you buy them during discount periods you can get 50mm 1.8 for as low as 350 pounds which is crazy :)
So what do you think about this first f/1.8 lens from Panasonic? Do you like it or not?
That is the Lens i am waiting for,i dislike the Heavy 1.4 lenses with Filter size 77-87mm😱
i like about it that the other lenses from panasonic (the 1.8) lenses will be the exactly the same in size and filter size! great for people who swap for lenses . Especially when you film on a gimbal or use filters! looking forward for their wideangle 1.8 lens!
i think it looks awesome
I bought it and i wish Panasonic would make more lenses!
More will come soon!
Have used this lens for around a year now. It quickly became not only my favorite lens, but has become my overall go to lens for street and portrait photography. Have found the color rendering and sharpness to be nothing short of excellent, especially given the price point. Can also confirm the build quality holds up, have used this lens, paired with a S5, in heavy rain and in hail, never had an issue with water damage with that combo.
Great lens optics, fast, with decent AF, smaller form factor, weather resistant, less weight, lower price! Who wouldn't like this lenses? We have even more goodness to add to the S system with the next 3 prime lenses to be releases in the near future. So glad I didn't switch to SONY or CANON like so many others! Panasonic has my eye... and my back!
these 1.8 primes should make a lot of L-mount shooters happy!
Incredible review bro, really detailed, helpful and relaxing to watch !
Thank you very much Coach Sayf!!!
Oooh finally! I'll get it for sure!
Thank you for the review Richard!
You are welcome Luca! :)
Thank you for this nice Video. What a nice lens, but I think I will wait for the 50mm f/1.8 from Panasonic
RICH! I just got the 35mm I am def thinking of picking this one up as well ! I do not use 85 much but I would like to use much more for certain things
You going crazy ALi!! Or you wanna wait for the Lumix S 18mm f/1.8 instead?
@@TheRealRichardWong lol ya I'm back into my gear research. Ya man they need to release it already!
Excellent review. Only slight concern is focus breathing, not what I’d expect from LUMIX. Feature on s5ii camera might correct this. Have you tested that since your review? Thanks.
Thank you Robert! Yes focus breathing is a bit more than the other Lumix S 1.8 lenses. But usually the longer the focal length, the more focus breathing it could have
Just goes to show that f/1.8 aperture lenses are plenty for working professionals ;)
Honestly, it looks stunning both in terms of quality and the decision to keep size down so much. I love that design choice, perhaps an influence of the Leica partnership?
Any thoughts on a comparison between this lens and the Nikkor Z equivalent?
The Nikon Z 85 1.8 is really great too when i test it a while ago. will see if i have the chance to compare them. But before that, i will compare with the Sigma 85 1.4 ART L mount very soon!
And yes 1.8 is def ok for pro jobs!
Richard I just picked up an S5 and I think you might have just sold me on this combo. I also have a SL2-S and the Lumix 50 1.4 stays pretty much glued to that majority of the time. I was wondering if this lens comes with the hood by chance? My original plan was to pick up the Sigma 85 1.4 but it seems the native lenses have better continuous auto focus and perhaps CAF in video's.
Yes it sure does have hood comes with it. All Lumix s lens I have tested have a lens hood included
I finally have this lens! It’s amazing! Any news on when the rest of the 1.8 line coming out? Like you, I reeeeaaally wanna get my hands on the 35mm 1.8!
Wonderful review! I’ve been waiting for this lens and hopefully soon the 35mm 1.8!
35 1.8!! that is the lens i'm waitinig for!! I already told Panasonic I will preorder one, and no i have not seen the 35 1.8 yet.
Definitely on my list of lenses to get if I pull the trigger on an S5, which I’m itching to do any day now. Aunty Jacinda said I’m allowed to go to the camera shop tomorrow, so maybe I will.
Definitely a good idea to listen to aunty Jacinda especially when she ask you to buy a s5!!
Great video 👍👍!! Please do it a video with a comparation between the Lumix 85 mm and the 20-60mm👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Hi Paulo, those are very different lenses, how do you want to see them compared?
@@TheRealRichardWong a auto focus test, what are the best applications for each, etc. 👍👍👍👍
AWESOME Richard like usual... The photos are gorgeous... With which profil have shot these one ? Also have you done editions on these ? If yes any tips to get same results ? I like this style...
Most photos were shot in RAW (well i shot in RAW+JPG, but since i did edit them, so i use the RAW instead). yes I did some edits. Boost a little bit of contrast and play with the curve a bit to get the look you want. But the photos from this lens is beautiful even without editing so you don't need to do much.
I know this was posted years ago, but thanks for the video and lovely photos!!
thank you for watching Benjamin!
Thank you! I think you just sold me on the Panasonic system. This might be able to hang next to my Sony A9 and GM 135.
haha thanks for watching Hiep Phan!
Pretty sweet Lens, cool review. Finally capable FF lenses are coming in a Compact size thanks to Panasonic and Sigma
and pretty reasonable price too. Thanks for watching!
Can't waut for the 24mm version but this b85m would make a great street lens I reckon... Thanks for the review Richard.
thanks for watching Alan!
You're right, this lens is very compact. Really dense review, thank you.
thank you for watching!
Thanks for this Richard. Will be getting one.
Enjoy! :)
Thank you for this review Richard. In regards to over all image quality, how would you compare this is to the Nikon z 50mm 1.8s ?
I haven't got a chance to compare the nikon Z and lumix S lenses but I would guess they should be very similar as I found them great when tested individually
@@TheRealRichardWong You are the man, thank you again. I'm glad I subscribed to your channel.
Fantastic review! I can’t wait for the 50 and 35mm models!!!
I am waiting for the 35mm !
@@TheRealRichardWong yeah!!! On MFT the little Panasonic/Leica 15mm was my favorite walk around lens, can’t wait for a nice 35mm on my S5.
Thanks for the detailed (as always) review. One question, what made you choose 96 mp mode instead of regular? IMO, on tripod and ideal lab condition 96 MP mode will give sharper and much cleaner IQ (assuming 50 ISO) and may not reflect upon lens's capabilities because of introduction of computation aspect (it may also introduce certain artifacts).
Good question. My understanding is that the hi res 96MP output is a bit more demanding than the normal 24MP mode and would help me reveal imperfections in the optics more than the 24MP. Having said that, i do have concerns if it will introduce artifacts in some of the photos so this is something i will think about it more when I work on my next L mount lens review
I can't wait to get one!
Don't wait for the preorder! I have a feeling it will sold out very quickly
When is this coming out? When is the 50mm f/1.8 coming out? I'm itching to get the 50mm f/1.8 for my S5
The 85 should be already released? Or any minute if it's not. For thr 50mm.. there is no official information announced publicly yet
Hmm, how much smaller it's compared to new Sigma 85mm?
i am waiting for the new Sigma to arrive my house then i'll do a comparison
@@TheRealRichardWong that's a great news
GREAT Jon Richard!!! You should totally make links to the gear ;)
Hey Ben! Does it make you more interested in getting a S5 ;)
@@TheRealRichardWong HaHa Yes definitely! 😍 That or the R6 atm 🤔You should test the R6 😉
Great video, very exciting lens for the L mount.
Curious where is the lens made? Japan?
hi bryce, the lens is made in China just like the S5.
@@TheRealRichardWong thanks so much! I'm impressed with the price there were able to hit, very compelling value.
How does it compare with the new Sigma 1.4 85 mm ? A comparaison of bokeh, etc between the 2 lenses would be interesting.
I have both lenses with me right now... working on a review!
@@TheRealRichardWong I ordered the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN for my S1R. The lens is quite compact for its large aperture, very sharp. But I cannot live with its distortion, so I returned it two days ago. I am thinking of getting a Panasonic 85mm F1.8 or the old version of Sigma 85 F1.4 HSM Art which I think it's almost distortion free.
Can you set the focus motors to "linear" within the Panasonic body settings, like the 24-105mm? I would assume so, but I can't find confirmation. This is important for accurate focus pulls.
yes you can. i think you can assume all Panasonic lenses would support that (and i checked it with the 85)
Excellent review, thank you. My Lumix S5 arrives next week and I will need lenses. Do you know when the 35mm lens will be coming out and the approximate price? Also, any word of a 105mm or 150mm macro lens? Thanks!
I'm also waiting for the 35mm but i haven't heard any date yet. Hoping it's not too far away as I really want one myself.
no haven't heard anything about the macro lenses, but i would suggest checking out Laowa's macro lenses, a little bird told me they are releasing their macro lenses ini L mount quite soon
@@TheRealRichardWong thanks, I will keep my eye on Laowa. I’m working with Don Komarechka on proof-reading his Macro Photigraphy book so will probably hear from him. Your review was excellent.
Love the colors. SOOC or edited?
edited. But SOOC is great already! Some photos really just adjusted the exposure/contrast a bit
Thanks for the review! 👍🏻 How does this compare with the 42.5mm F1.2 Nocticron on the G9 for example?
The Noct surely has much better/premium build quality. In terms of picture quality, i haven't done any side by side comparison so can't really answer sorry.
@@TheRealRichardWong thanks for your thoughts 👍🏻
I cant decide between the 35mm or the 50mm as a lightweight travel companion as I have the much larger 14-24mm and 24-70mm f2.8 sigma L mounts already
Always Hard to choose between 35 / 50. My favourite is 35 as it allows me to capture a wider angle, but i also have many 50mm lenses on my camera shelf
@@TheRealRichardWong I think ill be going with the 35mm also. But im also considering the sigma 1.4 35mm also now
Hi Richard
Nice video, may I ask if you know or there is a way to install Chinese language on the lumix S series?
hmm not that I'm aware of Andrea
Thank you for review. very nice image. how do you compare this lens rendering with Nocticron?
oh i can't really answer as i haven't shoot with them side by side. But i find it hard to complain about this S 85 1.8
I can tell you the Nocticron has chromatic aberation wide open. Very sharp and contrasty wide open and warmer tone compared to its rival the 45mm Pro. Not weather sealed like the 45mm. But it is the fastest prime with optical stabilizer so far. Same filter thread as this 85mm full frame, and if I can remember right, has an okay controlled focus breathing... though I haven't really tested that part out properly. But I don't remember any focus breathing much. But personally, I'd suggest the 45mm if you're sticking with mft. I have both lenses. But this 85mm, which will likely be similar to the other Lumix f1.8s, is making me tempted to go full frame too. Considering the f1.2 from the nocticron is dof of 2.4. But since the S5 has dual IS, the iso level, dynamic range, etc. is more advantageous. And lso lighter than my G9 and GH5s.
Richard which do you feel is the better hybrid camera with the best video capabilities, nikon z6 or panasonic S1? Thank you.
Hard to say. i have a Z6 and S5 (not S1) myself and use them both equally as much. Use the Z6 a bit more for stills and S5 a bit more for videos but i could use either camera for everything as they are both great. S1/S5 has no time limit in most recording mode and a flip out screen which can be important for some usage.. but the Z has phase detection which can make AF a bit more reliable under more demanding situation. Can't really go wrong with either of them, it's just which suit your requirement more :)
@@TheRealRichardWong Thank you so much Richard, truly appreciate your Insight, that information is extremely helpful.
I am confused, why a 85mm lens ? I like the the 25mm f1.4 I also have the 45-200mm zoom, why the 85mm ?
Hi Malcolm, this is for the L-mount full frame system, so a 85mm is a traditional portrait lens focal length
cool review 😎
heya Zeapon!! Thanks!!
I'm really not interested in ff cameras honestly maybe for photos but I still want to get a gh5 and maybe a bm4k so these cameras and lenses aren't on my radar. Deff looks nice though.
Hey rich question man how do you feel the gh5 and gh5s compare?
hey A1 Bro, the GH5S has better low light performance, actually very close to full frame, like 1 stop difference.. i did a test in one of my recent BGH1 video, really surprised. But it has no IBIS so not really good for handheld without any stabliser, as the GH5 IBIS is silky smoothhhhh
@@TheRealRichardWong how about the larger field of view on the gh5s?
luv ya content wong
thank you!
Panasonic needs to make a lightweight 20-60 2.8 zoom.
Hi! I got a really stupid question. I got the s5 for photography mainly but since its such a great video camera i made some 4k 30p 10bit 4:2:2 in .mov clips. But somehow i cant watch them. In premier pro they are very choppy ( i have a ryzen 9 3950x 32gb ram and a asus 1060oc card). Do I need to decode them before using them? I couln‘t find anything on the internet somehow. Iˋd be very glad if you or someone could help me with this issue. Thx!
Most video player won't playback 10bit video files directly so that's normal. Re in premier pro, it's also true the playback would be slower/choppy,. I am not really familiar with the video card specs so can't comment if it's normal but I would guess if it's not the greatest and latest it won't be super smooth playback in full res as well. There are ways to make it easier like crearing proxy... There are some videos on UA-cam that can help you on that search for Adobe premiere pro video proxy. Hope that helps
@@TheRealRichardWong thx for the quick response. Yes iˋve seen some videos with proxies. Iˋll try to work with them. Thx!
👋 hello,
Can this 85mm f1.8 compatible to Lumix G7?
No sorry this is a full frame lens for l mount. For m43 you should look at the 42.5mm Lumix G
work good for macro?
Will this fit on my gh5
No sorry this is for the full frame l mount cameras
How does it compare to the Sigma 85mm DG DN?
I will do a comparison review soon
@@TheRealRichardWong Looking forward to watch it!!
When will it come out?
i believe it's already released in Europe and a few other places end of last year and it's also available in the US since mid Jan
@@TheRealRichardWong Thankyou, I can't wait to get my hands on it, along with the 3 other sibling.
What will be the retail on this one?
$599 US
@@TheRealRichardWong thanks a lot for the reply. You have a date when it will be available or a store in the US that will have it?
Do you still consider it great?
yes i think so
S1R at 4k60 - crop is 1.09, and not 1.5
yes true! forgot about that completely! thanks
I don't like that bokeh at all. It looks busy and not smooth and "watercoloury" like e.g. the old Zeiss lenses.
Photos from Sigma 85 look somehow better though.
First comment!
hi Untung Syryono!
aj20a
Looking at the 1st series of sequential shots at f/1.8, your claim of "all except 1 shot are spot-on..." just ain't true; I can clearly see on my 29" 4K screen only 10 out of 14 shots are sharp enough on the little girls' eyes - at best. Maybe even only 9. That's roughly 70%, not 93% as you claim via "one out of fourteen" in the video. That's quite a difference.
I like the lens, though ...
Also his video autofocus test was shot at 2.8 and was still failing so I’m guessing 1.8 would be even worse.. this is making it harder to buy into the l mount system. Might just have to go with the RF now with the 85 f2..
I don't know what you are talking about. They look pretty damn sharp to me on my 27" 5k screen. We don't have the RAW photos and this video went through compression. Also, he clearly states and the graphic shows he's shooting wide open at f1.8.
@@JimmySaul888 6:42 onwards the video autofocus test is at 2.8, he doesn’t actually show how it reacts at 1.8 but rather take his word on it that it’s the same as 2.8. I reckon it’s going to be pretty bad autofocus at 1.8..
@@JimmySaul888 You "don't know what I'm talking about" ...? Well, nothing I can do here ... it's just so obvious, you must be blind not to see it.
Richard can easily prove I'm wrong - just post a series of 100% (heck, 50% would be enough ...) crops and let's see ...
"spot-on" simply does not equal "acceptably sharp," because spot-on is ecactly what it means, while acceptability varies from person to person. What's acceptable to you, maybe/probably is not acceptable to me. And (at least) 4 out of ten of those shots are NOT ACCEPTABLY SHARP TO ME.
Nikon should learn something
Nikon has done good job with it's 1.8 glass already :)
@@lukaspictures Great lenses but super expensive. 50mm is $600 with taxes where I live and 85mm is $800+
@@aditya_gupta however, they are really worth it. If you buy them during discount periods you can get 50mm 1.8 for as low as 350 pounds which is crazy :)
@@lukaspictures we never have such great discounts here in India, unfortunately.