I feel similarly to you, and think you summarized the pros/cons and objective + subjective elements really well. I didn't immediately love this lens but neither did I dislike anything about it. It felt a bit... Well. Unexceptional. Unremarkable. But the more I shot with it, the more I came to feel that it's a really well balanced and well built lens, quite nice for those who like manual focus. But it's subtle and brilliant strength is its very smooth and beautiful rendering. It makes rather ordinary images have a certain magical mix of rather sharp in focus area and very smooth and soft out of focus areas, and a slightly flatter overall contrast. I find this ends up feeling cinematic. It's not razor sharp and hyper realistic. It's a tiny bit warm and dreamy. I love it. Especially for environmental portraiture and my version of street photography (family and kids candids). Good review and great channel! Keep up the good work.
This was the first lens that I bought for my GH5.... Now had my metabones adapter been available when I wanted it, I would not have likely bought it as I always intended my metabone and Sigma 18-35 to be the primary lens on the camera. Since the metabones was not available when I picked up my camera, I bought this lens so I would have something to shoot with. Turns out I liked it.... I guess that metabones was late for a reason.
A relatively unspoken use for this lens is as an environmental interview lens. At f1.8, it blurs out the background just enough to give subject separation, and is sharp but not so sharp as to make people's faces look like a lunar landscape of pores and wrinkles. It's compact and fun for street shooting, and physically fits well with just about everything from the GM1 to the GH5.
Boy, Olympus 17/1.8 is excellent for any time and age. Good lens is a good lens, regardless of other offerings which are never same or pure duplicates. Even today, I would buy 60 years old Takumar 35/2 made for the M42 mount. Do you know why? Because no such lens was made ever since, despite many 35mm lenses issued in various forms. Same for Olympus 17/1.8.
These are the 3 lenses I'd been trying to decide between a month ago to pair with my GX85. Tried out the Sigma 16mm in store on a GH5 and it seemed perfect. When I got it home I instantly realised the mistake I'd made. It's HUGE on the smaller m43 bodies. Also, fly by wire focus is a nightmare for manually focusing video. Returned it the next day and took home the 17mm F1.8. I think I made the right decision.
oh that's great!! honestly the sigma is really beefy, almost the same weight as a lumix g7 which is pretty massive for m43! glad you're happy with the 17mm 1.8!
1:46 B&H is wrong - the 16mm Sigma has a single gasket at the lens mount, but that does not make it weather sealed. It would need gaskets throughout in order to be weather sealed. Sigma does not say the lens is weather sealed. Some B&H employee misunderstood and went too far writing ad copy.
It would be close to the perfect lens if only it was a bit sharper. It renders nicely and has fast AF, but both the Panasonic Leica 15 f1.7 and Panasonic 20 f1.7 are noticeably sharper.
At around 5:50 you NAILED IT. One of those magic moments on UA-cam where the universe kind of just comes together and you realize someone is, to use the word lovingly, preaching the truth. Well done.
Kim Cruz there’s a time for everything! Gotta have a life too! I bought this lens based on your review and Thorpe’s. So happy I did. I’m not into manually focusing and yet this lens has made me enjoy it with its excellent feel and design!! It’s auto speed is excellent, but thanks to the clutch, hard stops and build quality it’s been great getting back into manual fun. Anyway, keep up the great work, and upload when the time is right! 👍👍
Great review. I sold my Olympus 17mm 1.8 lens a few years ago and have been missing it lately. Your philosophizing helped seal the deal in my decision to add this back to my bag.
This review really resonated with me-I have similar feelings and love for my Oly 17mm f1.8. I’ve owned and shot with my copy since 2018. It’s been, by far, my most used prime lens and usually the one and only prime I’ll take with me when I travel (along with either Pana 14-140mm 3.5-5.6, Pana 12-60mm f3.5-5.6, or Pana 12-32 f3.5-6). I own/have owned the Panasonic 25mm f1.7, Sigma 30mm f1.4, Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 along with the Oly 17mm f1.8. The Oly 17mm f1.8 is just a wonderful goldilocks of sorts - not too long/not too short, fast enough to use indoors (despite not being as fast as other lenses), sharp enough for architecture/landscape about any use when stopped own and when shot wide open just sharp enough in the center for portrait shots and fine detail work, delightfully smooth out of focus areas, speedy and quiet autofocus, manual focus cluch is delightful, excellent build quality, tiny and light, and affordable too. It’s lens that makes me think the optical engineers made really smart tradeoffs, capable of producing images and video with a character, joy, and versatility that cannot be reflected in the MTF charts/perceived megapixel charts. The only negative I’d add to your observation that the lens is not weather sealed is that it really cannot be used with video with continuous autofocus on a Panasonic body unless you’re using an off-camera mic because, the fast-cycling contrast-detect AF on the Panasonic makes this otherwise-silent autofocus no longer silent. A high pitched whiny oscillation noise will be present and annoying to the point of ruining the audio track for any video you shoot. This isn’t a huge concern for me as I rarely shoot video with continuous autofocus on my Panasonic cameras, but for anyone who does, this lens won’t be usable unless you’re using off-camera audio capture. Thanks again for your content. Even your old stuff is pretty on point.
Yeah I agree in general Olympus makes excellent lenses and their build quality is top notch! Agree with video and noisy focus although for me that hardly comes up because when I use it for video, it's for professional use so I usually have an external mic of some sort! Thanks for stopping by!
Aweomse video thank you! Im really considering this lens as my main for my Olympus. I tried it out in the store and wasn't too impressed until they showed me the clutch to manual focusing and then I was in love. That alone is enough to make it my main lens.
You got another sub. Nice work, and you're clearly on the rise - 2k and growing! 👏 As for the lens, I really struggle with justifying it - I have the 7-14mm pro and the 25mm f1.8: the 25 lives on my MII as a walk-around/daily lens, and the 7-14 is great for travel/stills and video or when I'm doing dedicated street and reportage. I WANT the 17mm prime, but I don't think I NEED it, or would use it enough to justify owning it at this point. 😅
yeah i think there's 2 types of 'primes' people, the ones that like 35mm equivalents, and the 50mm equivalent lol..... if you already have the 25mm 1.8, i think it's safe to stay away from the 17mm haha!
I find it interesting that there is so much discussion about this lens. Before realizing how much interest there is in it I definitely rated it as my favorite lens - the one where I would consider the feel of the capture and the outcome and go “WOW”. The size and feel is remarkable. I recently acquired a Zuiko 25mm f1.2 Pro which is now competing with it but look at the difference in price and convenience. I commend you for the thought and presentation of this video.
Thank you for this very informative video. You convinced me to buy this lens as my first lens on my brand new GX85 ! I would like another lens in order to make cinematic video, I was thinking about the panasonic 25mm 1.7 but would you recommend something with a longer focal lengh such as the olympus 45mm 1.8 ? I don't know if the Olympus 17mm 1.8 can replace the 25mm 1.7 if I take few step forward for example.. I think having a 50mm equivalent lens is a must but I can only afford 2 first lens for now... what would you recommend?
hi Kim! I have read some comments about a noise when the lens is used in auto focus mode for shooting. Could you enlighten me if this actually happens? thank you!
Hey man in my experience I haven’t encountered that noise problem but that’s due to several reasons, let’s start with interview or UA-cam type of set ups- mostly I use manual focus, secondly because when I use audio I’m usually using an external microphone, either a shotgun mic or a lav mic! For b roll and those kind of shots you normally don’t use audio, and when you do it’s normally done with music so the lens noise doesn’t really affect anything..
I ordered it last month, I'm tired of heavy lenses. Since I got the 40-150mm which I want to carry with me ALWAYS, I opt for lighter lenses in all other focal ranges. The 12-32 (thirtytwo!)mm from Panasonic is a 70 Grams light sharpness and color wonder and it has replaced my 12-40 :)
I personally like this lens, it‘s the only prime I have besides my Olympus Pro zooms. It‘s the best lens for street photography for me. Size, rendering and overall look of the images is just great. Though it really isn‘t the sharpest lens and is far inferior to the 12-40mm at 17mm.
I think when you talk about the lenses it would help to distinguish the pro lenses vs the regular lenses. There does seem to be big differences between regular oly and their pro line. The panny is the same, the differences are pretty big between the regular and the pro lenses/leica.
I bought this when a user decided to ditch M43 for good. After selling every other gears of the deal, this lens come literally free. I worth say it's worth the effort.
Amazing video Kim, it is very weird that m43 is one of the best systems for street photography and the 35mm EQ length is not as saturated. I would buy in a heartbeat a 17.5mm 1.2 lens the size of the Oly 17mm or the Pana-Leica 15mm. Great work and subscribing.
Flunu Calderon thanks and yeah I hear you! I guess the brands didn’t want to step on each other’s toes so they have similar but not the same focal lengths.. honestly wonder they can make it that small. I’ve seen the Olympus pro 17mm 1.2. The thing looks like a giant for m43!
The 17 1.8 is my fav. lens and stays glued on my PEN-F.. Love the focal length, the build and that manual clutch is outstanding.. And the sexiest of the 3 in this video...
This is my favourite lens. It goes with me whenever I need to shoot an event indoors. It is usually on my E-M 10 mk2 when I need a simple rig I can count on. I have also used it on an old E-P2 that I use for B&W photography. Love the lens, great feel, looks good and produces excellent results.
dxomark is wrong. every other review from pcmag and ephotozine has this as sharper than the pana leica 15mm. I haven't tested the pana leica but this lense is way underrated for what it delivers.
Great as always, Kim. I have this lens on the strength of you previous video on it. Like you, I love it. Congrats on the 1000 subs. Your channel WILL grow rapidly.
Great review. Simple, yet entertaining, with real world comparisons to glass I'm also looking at picking up. The only real advantage it seems to have is price - it's about $100 cheaper then the rest (used). That said, I have the Oly 12-40 and love it, including that sweet focus clutch. Having that on the 17mm is very nice. Still leaning towards that Sigma 16mm, but you have me thinking....
lol if you can try it out at a local camera shop! i never buy a lens until i've tried it..... honestly the sigma was one of my main considerations, but seeing as I'm already bothered carrying my camera with a small prime all day (for when i'm out and about), i probably would hate it more having to bring along a more sizable item. In reality this is mostly because I buy equipment that works for both casual everyday shooting, and good enough quality for paid jobs. Since I saw the 17mm wasn't as great as the 15mm 1.7 or the sigma 16mm, BUT was good enough for video- i picked it up. it was small enough for casual days, and good enough for paid jobs and cheaper than the other two! last thing and totally irrational, but the 17mm felt premium, more than the 15mm 1.7.. don't know why and definitely subjective so your milage may vary!
This 17mm is also my most used lens. I had a Panasonic G7 and an Olympus omd em10mki, however , I sold them and have only an omd em10mkiii now. I have to tell you that the contrast/color issue is when mounted on Panasonic bodies. I don't know why Panasonic does this, but Panasonic cameras are less "compatible" with oly lenses than the other way around. You loose dfd autofocus, dual is, and then you don't get the same punch in terms of contrast/color, although this last thing is easily fixable as you said.
yeah i noticed that too! using my friend's em5ii with the panasonic 20mm 1.7, the colors are punchy but not when i use the g7/g85 with the 17mm 1.8. But then again it's also down to taste as well and there's something i like about the desaturated look with the oly lens! oh well, fixable in post no biggie!
Beautiful video! You just sold this lens to me. I use a GH4 so maybe the Panasonic lens might be better but it’s all about the feel, just like a guitar.
I just picked up this lens today, and happened to stumble on your video (was kind of curious about the reception as I did not really research before purchasing). I am really inspired to get to work. Good Review. Subbed.
Happy New Year Kim.. Even if the video is 2 years old, I found bargain price the Laowa 17mm (around 160 euros) which somehow is competive to Oly 17mm at the half of the price. I enjoy it a lot the old fashioned style and the solid metal construction. I think Oly is better in IQ. Have you ever tryied that lenses. At micro 17mm lenses there aren't many choises. People they say that sigma 16mm is the best for the price, but it's like full frame lenses size..
Hey man happy new year to you too! I haven’t tried the 17mm laowa lens but I’ve tried their 7.5mm 2.0.. they make good lenses although I wouldn’t know about the 17mm specifically. As for this range of lenses here’s my summary: Olympus 17- prettiest looking and closest to 35mm focal length (aside from laowa). Slightly less sharp than the next two. LUMIX 15mm- richer colors and sharper and closer focusing distance, is significantly wider (some people like that some people don’t) Sigma 16mm- largest and heaviest lens and weather sealed- but if you’re looking for performance and bang for buck, this is the lens! Bonus- 20mm 1.7- slow focusing and significantly more zoomed in (try it first to make sure or set a zoom lens to that focal length and compare to 17mm). Almost as sharp as the 15mm Linux Leica- rich colors (but not my taste). Ultimately I think you choose with focal length rather than outright image quality between these lenses, as well as size and weather sealing!
Wished I hadn't seen this video because now you're making me want to buy this lens. I have the Oly 25mm 1.8 but for a prime wide lens, I was thinking I would go Oly 12mm 2.0 because I do a lot of landscape photos. Great review!....maybe a little too good!! ;)
just sold my panasonic 20mm lens, it's slow focusing is a no-no for my photographic style. Apart from that it is an awesome lens. I'm going for the 17mm. Great channel you have, I really like your style, please keep doing what you do!
love the sharpness on the 20mm!! but same with me, way too slow for my kind of shooting which sucks.. the 17mm is awesome too though and thanks I'll try and keep it up!!
I would pleasantly buy the panasonic 20mm 1.7 mk...III version. I hope they will fix the slow focusing problem that lens has which is unacceptable. We are in 2018...
@@gregorydziedzic the panasonic 12-32 is lightning fast, it is a zoom lens and it is smaller! So I guess it can be done! So you say that you prefer the 20mm over 15pl and 17oly?
I have the Sigma lenses for my Sony system. They are very sharp and offer great image quality, however, they are not very well built. They may claim to be weather sealed but they are fragile lenses. They scuff easily, the lens hoods fall off easily and they feel cheap. Their size also defeats the purpose of a micro four-thirds system.
Hello Kim! Congratulations on the channel and thank you for the videos. I use panasonic gh4 exclusively to record videos and use gimbal a lot for broll. I'm wondering which lens to buy for the gimbal: sigma 16mm 1.4 or olympus 17mm 1.8? I currently use the panasonic 14mm 2.5 and would like to use a faster lens. My gimbal is a Zhiyun Crane V2. Thank you, friend!
Thanks man do you have an issues balancing the camera because it’s too heavy for the lens? If so I would go with the sigma- I use the 17mm 1.8 and sometimes I need to tape stuff to the lens to make it balance better on the v2 gimbal..
Hi Kim, thanks for the great video! I have using been my em10.3 with the basic kit zoom lens for about 2 years. I have recently purchased my first prime 45mm f/1.8 and really like it but would like to buy one that is wider for travels. I was considering the 17mm 1.8, or the 12-40 pro 2.8. 1) Which one do you recommend for travelling to countries where it'll be dark most of the time (i travel to canada, usa and asia during their winter) Does the extra stop make a huge difference?. 2) Also do you think it's worth buying both later down the track? Thanks!!!
Hey new sub here. Thanks for your succinct and detailed reviews. I have a 12-60mm kit and do you think the 17mm is a good upgrade for vlog, B roll and travel videos? Is the AF good on g85? I find ,myself not using the zoom of my kit and preferring the wider range with faster aperture or maybe just got used to using an iPhone with a fixed focal length. Thanks and I know I’m viewing this a year too late. Just getting into video making.
Hey, congrats on reaching 1,000 subs!! I went to buy the Olympus 17mm 1.8 a few weeks back after watching your video, but in my rush somehow bought the 17mm 2.8... oh well. I like the focal length but instead of buying more lenses I'm going to save for a bit and get the Sony A 6500. Have you used that camera at all and would you recommend it?
ooff! easy mistake to make! as for the Sony A6500 it's a great camera. 4k video quality is superb and better than the G7 (I'd say the average joe probably can't see the difference if a tv played them side by side though).. The video AF is great and the camera is pretty compact. Reason i never went with the Sony is their lenses are a bit expensive and there aren't too many native lenses for Sony APSC cameras (I think it's grown a lot more since then but still nothing like m43). Also, they say they fixed the overheating on the a6500 but I also hear that some people still experience it. Lastly, it seems like 1080p is much softer than recording in 4k. of all the things i mentioned, look into this the most. the g7 gets lots of praise for being able to shoot in 4k, but something undersung is it's 1080p quality. Just because a camera shoots nice 4k, doesn't mean it'll shoot nice 1080p as well.. for 95% of projects i do for clients or for youtube, i shoot in 1080p, and having the option to shoot quality video in both formats is very important. I don't want to need to shoot 4k all the time. The extra render times, extra storage needed (literally 4 times the size) for files that will be compressed online isn't worth it for my uses!
hey man save yourself some time- i never talked about the 1080p quality in my vid because other guys already have! My favs here: ua-cam.com/video/rAxG72QDveM/v-deo.htmlm12s (probably all you need to see actually) ua-cam.com/video/cJKRgMPk1BU/v-deo.htmlm35s
Do u have a script in from of you when you are talking? It’s quite seamless, I mean you are not studdering or searching for words or using fillers etc, its quite a fluid delivery, thats why I ask :)
I found your channel since UA-cam appears to have caught on that I like micro four thirds, and can never decide whether I prefer 28mm or 35mm focal lengths. Or something. Either way, liked the video and how you worded it all, and doubly so that you compared it to a lot of the other offerings that are at similar price points and focal lengths. ^_^
thanks man i'm glad that you liked it! yeah the 24, 28 and 35 are really interesting in my opinion and sometimes i like the 28 just because my smartphone is usually around 28... but the 35 gets me in that much closer which i like!
Another reason to like 35mm focal length is that there's that ever so gorgeous Olympus 17mm f1.2... Although I've only ever held it in the shop, since it's a $1,500 CAD lens, but it sure balances nicely on a G85! I'll probably get it at some point, but there's always the comparison against other lenses that aren't quite so pricy, and it becomes a case of whether or not I'm willing to pay for additional light coming in and some of the additional features that lens has. Sure makes a nice image though! Definitely have to agree about liking the 35mm about how it will get in closer compared to a 28mm equivalent lens.... Besides, if I wanted to show more there are some rather nice lenses out there that pull off the 24mm effective focal lengths quite nicely, like the Olympus 12mm f2 ^_^ As for cell/mobile phones, it seems most are right around that 27-28mm effective focal length. it is a nice one, but I always find myself having to get just that little bit closer to get things framed how I want. ^_^;;
yeah it really fits that niche perfectly! as for the 17mm 1.2 i just wish i can justify it for the price! maybe if a i was a full time photographer/videographer!
Very good. Thank you for the review, sharing your thoughts, and I hope, that it will finally help me to make a decision on which lens to take with 45mm, that I already have.
@@KimCruz1 something wider, than I have. 25, 17, 12mm. From the point of price/handy/compact/wide enough this seems to be the best. 12-40mm 2.8 and 12mm 1.8 are too expensive, 25mm is cheaper, but could be too narrow. I'd take Olympus lens, as I believe it would work better with my M10 camera.
alright check out the 15mm 1.7 (pricey but super sharp) the 16mm 1.4 sigma (massive but cheaper) and the 17mm 1.8 (middle of the road, not as sharp as the 15mm but decent and small) I think those are the main options at this point. The 20mm 1.7 could also be an option but it's not quite as wide as i wanted, but you'll have to test and see for yourself!
First: Very good content! Second: I own it for a while, also the panaleica, what troubles me is the softness in the corners, even thow i'm not a pixel peeper (same with the oly 12 2.0, even more worse, at least my lens) But i couldn't let it go. The build is great. No scratch in years on the metal. Weight is no sign of quality in this case. Shot a party last night, took the 15 and really missed the manual focus of the 17 in bad light. I could hold the 17 the whole day in my hands and play with it. Think the aperture ring of the pany is very overrated, quite useless for me.
thanks!! and yeah i think aperture rings are overrated in general, i find myself using the dials on the camera because it's quicker... also, not sure if you have the same experience, but even without using the focus clutch on the 17, I think the ring is just calibrated better than lumix lenses! but I know what you mean with softness in the corners, i just shoot things closer to the middle lol!
lol me too.. broke it once, got it fixed, just accidentally dropped it last week while on a trip but still working fine... still my most used lens for work and for leisure!
I do a lot of street photography. I can never understand when a person says I primarily do this type of work, but a weather sealed lens or body doesn't matter. I often ask do you only do street photography when the weather is great?
@@KimCruz1 I get that, which confuses me even more. I have lived places where it rarely rains. Lived in places where it rarely snows. Lived in places where it's cloudy all the time. In my mind what these people are telling me is that when I have a chance to get different photos and probably some of the most interesting I will forgo that to get the sunny photos I always get. A lot of people have never seen it rain in Vegas as it gets less than 10 inches a year. Can you imagine being able to capture that in photos and video?
Thanks for a good review. I'm looking for something in this range. Focal length is a huge deal to me. I've always been (full-frame) 24/35/50mm guy. Panasonic 15mm would be great if I was used to eg. 28mm. I have 24/35/50mm sets for other cameras which makes me look 17mm or so for my M4/3 camera.
Great man the Olympus is the closest one with autofocus- there’s also a laowa one that’s 17mm 1.8 but that’s completely manual focus- very old school haha!
@@KimCruz1 For autofocus that lens is still a viable solution at 2020. No 35mm equivalent from Panasonic and no 35mm eq. with stabilation available. I'm on a market for one currently and will probably pick up that lens.
Great review man. I own the PanaLeica and I'm currently debating if I should get the PanaLeica 12mm f1.4. But if I do, should I sell the 15mm- first world problems. As for that 16mm Sigma, its not the best looking design- >_
thanks man and yeah lol fwp haha! honestly i haven't really thought too much about the 12mm 1.4 because the 15mm, the 16mm sigma and the 17mm olympus seem much more versatile because they aren't so wide but aren't too tight either.. maybe try out the 12mm first! because I've been on the fence about switching my 17mm for the 15mm, but the 17mm seems to match my eye more!
Actually I really like both of them! Right now I don't own the Olympus anymore jjst the Panasonic and I chose it because the Panasonic was slightly wider which is more useful for me but either lens is good!
@@KimCruz1 Awesome, do you feel like the pana is better in terms of image quality and rendering. I just grabbed the Olympus after watching your video because of the focal length, but I keep hearing that the image out of the pana is slightly better. I would be using it for commercial shoots and music videos.
I've owned both for a number of years- all I can say is they are both excellent! The biggest determining factor for me was the focal length in the end. While the Olympus was good, I found the overall wider pana leica to be more useful in more places. Because these lenses functioned as my main 'do it all lens' it made sense to sell the Olympus but your mileage may vary. Have a good think, go with your gut!
none with the 25mm 1.8 but i do with the panasonic 25mm 1.7. i think the biggest consideration between the 17mm 1.8, the 25mm 1.8 and the panasonic 25mm 1.7 is the focal length- if you prefer to shoot wide get the 17mm 1.8. also, wider lenses will be more versatile- i often take the 17mm 1.8 by itself, but rare able to go out with just the 25mm 1.7.
This is an absolutely lovely review! Can't put my finger on what it is but...it just is! I'm waiting for this lens to drop in my mailbox. Now I can't. Thanks.
honestly both lenses are great, had the 20mm before but couldn't get over the slow focusing.. last thing that pushed me over the edge was that the 17mm was wider and i found it generally more versatile in the end because of that!
haha to each their own! DO NOT be afraid to make your own choices about the lenses you use and once you have a good feel for both lenses, trust your gut, and forget all these online trolls, myself included!
Hey man my set up changes over time but it usually has these staples: G85, Olympus 17mm 1.8, Panasonic 42.5mm 1.7, rode video micro and some cheap yonguo lights!
hey man not so sure if I understand correctly, but i'll try to answer: some people online say that the lens has a sound when autofocusing in video- I've never experienced this but i think it's also because I never use autofocus in video. Also, if you are recording a video with sound, you should never use the microphone on the camera- but that's if you want to make your videos more professional. hope this helps!
If you are happy with it, if it feels good to you, I sincerely think that it is a good choice. DxMark rates the sharpness of this lens at 9. The Panasonic 15mm at 15. That is like saying the Olympus 17mm has 60% of the sharpness of the Panasonic. It is a soft lens. As much as I like the angle, I feel I am wasting time and opportunities if I were to use it. Camera Database - DxOMark www.dxomark.com/lenses/brand-panasonic-olympus/launched-between-1987-and-2016/launch_price-from-0-to-13000-usd#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=global
yup and reviews online are pretty consistent with that.. however i've tried both and just can't get along with the 15mm 1.7! oh well, to each their own :)
@@yttean98 not necessarily: there is much more in a lens that pure sharpness! I had the 15mm two years ago and I could not stand it: the focal is just weird with always too much or too little in the scene. It's not a wide angle and it always distorts too much as a standard lens on portraits. Yes it's sharp, but we are not talking of a telephoto. BTW, chromatic aberration on the PL is really strong: The 17mm has some, more then usual for Olympus but not to the levels of the 15mm. I exchanged the 15mm at a loss for this Oly and it shows how much I loved that PL: Never regret my choice.
Yup, first video I watched and subbed... Great presentation and awesome style! I just got my first Pro 25 1.2, looking to get 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 in the near future. But now you gave got me thinking about this little 1.8 lens. It looks great on my Pen F, probably instead of the pro I will get the 1.8! Time to ponder and pull hair 😂
AlteredStar Studios lol...... I take no responsibility for any hair loss!! Glad you enjoyed man honestly if you’re into seriously and into photography the Olympus Pro Line is awesome.. the 1.8 version will carry you through a lot (I do professional video jobs with it and for general photography of course), but if you need the best of the best ie build and durability.... get the pro line!!!
hey Kim! I sold my 12-40 f2.8 to go back to the compactness of Micro Four Thirds xD I am currently using Lumix 20mm f1.7 II. I am currently very keen on selling that for Oly 17 f1.8 & Oly 25 f1.8. I know it's gonna double the cost but then... What do you think?
Complicated question, and of course the first thing to think about is, what do you like shooting, and how do you like to shoot? Typically i like to pair my primes in doubles of focal length, the idea is to spread out the focal lengths enough so they aren't performing the same jobs. I think what i'm trying to say is it might be better for you to invest in the 17mm 1.8, or the 25mm 1.8, and pair that with the 45mm 1.8. The idea there is to have a wide/standard (the 17mm and the 25mm), paired with a longer lens for the most versatility (45mm), especially if you wanted to isolate your subject more. So basically, I think it's better to choose between the 17mm or the 25mm and pair that with a different lens!
@@KimCruz1 thanks for a very thoughtful reply! I have the Oly 45mm f1.8 in my kit and I love it. I got the 20mm f1.7 was because I thought it's the middle ground of the 17 f1.8 and 25 f1.8. I shoot street most of the time for leisure and some video when I travel. That's why 17 seems like a better choice compared to 25 which seems a bit tight for me. So I am still torn between 17 f1.8 and 20 f1.7. I've watched that video of yours several times but still can't decide haha. I like the sharpness/contrast of the 20 but love everything else about the 17mm :(
@@legend240891 haha let me confuse you more then, or maybe this will help?! the 15mm 1.7 is also quite a nice lens! Just as sharp (maybe sharper than the 20mm) and AF as fast as the 17mm... it's wider though and it's a significant difference.. I think the main point is which lens can you actually use the most? My 17mm is my most used lens because it's wide enough, and the AF is fast enough. If AF was not an issue I would have stuck with the 20mm!
you can see from the comparison video here: ua-cam.com/video/qtSz5atrxc8/v-deo.html but in a nutshell i needed the faster focusing of the 17mm but optically the 20mm is better
any of the lenses discussed in this video would be perfect.. obviously my pick is the 17mm but another lens not mentioned in this video is the 19mm 2.8 sigma- sharp but a bit big for only a 2.8 aperture!
adapting is fine too but just pay attention to 2 things- 1. field of view- how wide is that going to be? 110mm sounds like it's going to be very zoomed in, very different from the 25mm and wider lenses. and 2. can you live without the AF? if this isn't going to be your main lens, perhaps maybe your portrait lens you use when you want to obliterate the background and you dont need to take shots in a fast paced environment- go for i! also, what happened to your kit lens??
never even heard of that lens before but that thing looks pretty darn cool look at how tiny it is at that focal length! and if it's that wide, focusing isn't super important anyway! go for it and save the money and let me know how it goes!
Hi, thank you for this amazing review. I really love this lens. However, I came across a weird issue with recording in C-AF mode. This is my go-to lens and I often switch between shooting and recording. But when I'm recording in C-AF, the lens is making weird "clapping" sound as it tries to focus. With S-AF or MF, there is no problem. I'm using Olympus ELP-7 body. As I read on many discussions, this is a mechanic issue and it's not caused by users. Can you please check this behavior and advice, what to do? I reached Olympus service and I'm waiting for the answer, however it looks like I have to pay 120EUR for repair. I'm based in Berlin, Germany. Do you think that newest models have already fixed this issue? Best. Hana VIDEO EXAMPLE: @
Hey there I tested my version and it makes little clicking sounds when using c af during video. In my experience this is normal (the sound on mine is very light and will not get picked up on an external mic and very very little on the internal mic. if you compare it to other lenses like the sigma 18-35, the sound is incomparable, the sigma sounds like a train chugging along by comparison haha! this is also quite normal for older canon lenses in video mode as well. If for some reason yours is really loud I would still try to get it fixed, however if it was my lens and there was no problem with the focusing except for sound, I wouldn't bother since I don't use af in video!
my two cents? unless you're a MF focus person, don't bother! get the sigma! i hardly use the focus clutch but the reason i use this lens is mostly because it's small and fast. if you need faster, get the sigma!
The reason the out of focus elements are so smooth, is because Olympus uses a different type of bokeh. Long story short, it's a creamier type of bokeh, there are videos on this, no reason to explain. :)
You look like your 16 years old, but you're right. Being 34 now, it's just plain weird watching reviews from people younger than me. I am weird and I am sorry for this insane and inane comment. Keep up the solid work, you philosophy major.,
![Olympus 17mm, 25mm and 45mm F1.8 - [Which One?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DfwnhP0szOo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Olympus 17mm, 25mm and 45mm F1.8 - [Which One?]](/img/tr.png)
Probably the lens that pulls at my heart strings the most... Does anyone love this lens as much as I do? What lenses do you guys LOVE?
Just watched your video for the 3rd time. You convinced me it's a good'un, I just purchased the lens from ebay.
Alan Platt great I hope you enjoy the lens!!!
I feel similarly to you, and think you summarized the pros/cons and objective + subjective elements really well. I didn't immediately love this lens but neither did I dislike anything about it. It felt a bit... Well. Unexceptional. Unremarkable. But the more I shot with it, the more I came to feel that it's a really well balanced and well built lens, quite nice for those who like manual focus. But it's subtle and brilliant strength is its very smooth and beautiful rendering. It makes rather ordinary images have a certain magical mix of rather sharp in focus area and very smooth and soft out of focus areas, and a slightly flatter overall contrast. I find this ends up feeling cinematic. It's not razor sharp and hyper realistic. It's a tiny bit warm and dreamy. I love it. Especially for environmental portraiture and my version of street photography (family and kids candids). Good review and great channel! Keep up the good work.
@@mmartel thanks it's like i was reading my own thoughts just now haha! glad you enjoy the lens and glad you enjoyed the video!
This was the first lens that I bought for my GH5.... Now had my metabones adapter been available when I wanted it, I would not have likely bought it as I always intended my metabone and Sigma 18-35 to be the primary lens on the camera. Since the metabones was not available when I picked up my camera, I bought this lens so I would have something to shoot with. Turns out I liked it.... I guess that metabones was late for a reason.
A relatively unspoken use for this lens is as an environmental interview lens. At f1.8, it blurs out the background just enough to give subject separation, and is sharp but not so sharp as to make people's faces look like a lunar landscape of pores and wrinkles. It's compact and fun for street shooting, and physically fits well with just about everything from the GM1 to the GH5.
versatile for sure!!
Well said
First video from the search that actually explains everything without wasting time, great work!
thanks man it's been a while since i've been on youtube, hope to make a come back soon though!!
Boy, Olympus 17/1.8 is excellent for any time and age. Good lens is a good lens, regardless of other offerings which are never same or pure duplicates. Even today, I would buy 60 years old Takumar 35/2 made for the M42 mount. Do you know why? Because no such lens was made ever since, despite many 35mm lenses issued in various forms. Same for Olympus 17/1.8.
Zvonimir Tosic I really think so and there are just those lenses that pull on your heart strings!
These are the 3 lenses I'd been trying to decide between a month ago to pair with my GX85. Tried out the Sigma 16mm in store on a GH5 and it seemed perfect. When I got it home I instantly realised the mistake I'd made. It's HUGE on the smaller m43 bodies. Also, fly by wire focus is a nightmare for manually focusing video. Returned it the next day and took home the 17mm F1.8. I think I made the right decision.
oh that's great!! honestly the sigma is really beefy, almost the same weight as a lumix g7 which is pretty massive for m43! glad you're happy with the 17mm 1.8!
I have the sigma it has some serious focus along with the 30. Sucks but good video
1:46 B&H is wrong - the 16mm Sigma has a single gasket at the lens mount, but that does not make it weather sealed. It would need gaskets throughout in order to be weather sealed. Sigma does not say the lens is weather sealed. Some B&H employee misunderstood and went too far writing ad copy.
It would be close to the perfect lens if only it was a bit sharper. It renders nicely and has fast AF, but both the Panasonic Leica 15 f1.7 and Panasonic 20 f1.7 are noticeably sharper.
Olympus lenses in my eyes are number one for my Panasonic. You're photos are just great . Good video .
At around 5:50 you NAILED IT. One of those magic moments on UA-cam where the universe kind of just comes together and you realize someone is, to use the word lovingly, preaching the truth. Well done.
thanks man this is really encouraging! trying to get back to uploading!!
Kim Cruz there’s a time for everything! Gotta have a life too! I bought this lens based on your review and Thorpe’s. So happy I did. I’m not into manually focusing and yet this lens has made me enjoy it with its excellent feel and design!! It’s auto speed is excellent, but thanks to the clutch, hard stops and build quality it’s been great getting back into manual fun. Anyway, keep up the great work, and upload when the time is right! 👍👍
Thanks Robert and Thorpe is one of my favorite camera reviewers too, and glad to hear you found my review useful as well!
It was my first lens for M43 and i love it! This lens and the 45mm f1.8, are a must! The 45mm is an absolutely gem...and a bargain!
Great review. I sold my Olympus 17mm 1.8 lens a few years ago and have been missing it lately. Your philosophizing helped seal the deal in my decision to add this back to my bag.
Thanks man yeah it’s a great lens isn’t it!!
Thank you for this absolutely awesome review!! Everything on point without "bla bla". Keep up the good work bro ! 🎬👍🏼
Cas Paris thank you so much I’ll try!!
This is a great take, I like the way you think about breaking things down, and what to focus on. Your style stands out among youtubers :)
This review really resonated with me-I have similar feelings and love for my Oly 17mm f1.8. I’ve owned and shot with my copy since 2018. It’s been, by far, my most used prime lens and usually the one and only prime I’ll take with me when I travel (along with either Pana 14-140mm 3.5-5.6, Pana 12-60mm f3.5-5.6, or Pana 12-32 f3.5-6). I own/have owned the Panasonic 25mm f1.7, Sigma 30mm f1.4, Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 along with the Oly 17mm f1.8. The Oly 17mm f1.8 is just a wonderful goldilocks of sorts - not too long/not too short, fast enough to use indoors (despite not being as fast as other lenses), sharp enough for architecture/landscape about any use when stopped own and when shot wide open just sharp enough in the center for portrait shots and fine detail work, delightfully smooth out of focus areas, speedy and quiet autofocus, manual focus cluch is delightful, excellent build quality, tiny and light, and affordable too. It’s lens that makes me think the optical engineers made really smart tradeoffs, capable of producing images and video with a character, joy, and versatility that cannot be reflected in the MTF charts/perceived megapixel charts.
The only negative I’d add to your observation that the lens is not weather sealed is that it really cannot be used with video with continuous autofocus on a Panasonic body unless you’re using an off-camera mic because, the fast-cycling contrast-detect AF on the Panasonic makes this otherwise-silent autofocus no longer silent. A high pitched whiny oscillation noise will be present and annoying to the point of ruining the audio track for any video you shoot. This isn’t a huge concern for me as I rarely shoot video with continuous autofocus on my Panasonic cameras, but for anyone who does, this lens won’t be usable unless you’re using off-camera audio capture.
Thanks again for your content. Even your old stuff is pretty on point.
Yeah I agree in general Olympus makes excellent lenses and their build quality is top notch! Agree with video and noisy focus although for me that hardly comes up because when I use it for video, it's for professional use so I usually have an external mic of some sort! Thanks for stopping by!
Aweomse video thank you! Im really considering this lens as my main for my Olympus. I tried it out in the store and wasn't too impressed until they showed me the clutch to manual focusing and then I was in love. That alone is enough to make it my main lens.
Matt Cameron thanks man I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I found your channel by searching for this... 'panasonic 20mm v olympus 17mm' and your video was the first result. Now a subscriber.
Welcome glad you can join us!!
Just when I was comparing the PanaLeica and Olympus! Congratulations on the 1000 subs, I believe that you're deserving a whole lot more than that!
thanks glad you found it useful! :)
You got another sub. Nice work, and you're clearly on the rise - 2k and growing! 👏
As for the lens, I really struggle with justifying it - I have the 7-14mm pro and the 25mm f1.8: the 25 lives on my MII as a walk-around/daily lens, and the 7-14 is great for travel/stills and video or when I'm doing dedicated street and reportage. I WANT the 17mm prime, but I don't think I NEED it, or would use it enough to justify owning it at this point. 😅
yeah i think there's 2 types of 'primes' people, the ones that like 35mm equivalents, and the 50mm equivalent lol..... if you already have the 25mm 1.8, i think it's safe to stay away from the 17mm haha!
I find it interesting that there is so much discussion about this lens. Before realizing how much interest there is in it I definitely rated it as my favorite lens - the one where I would consider the feel of the capture and the outcome and go “WOW”. The size and feel is remarkable. I recently acquired a Zuiko 25mm f1.2 Pro which is now competing with it but look at the difference in price and convenience. I commend you for the thought and presentation of this video.
thanks a lot glad to find someone that loves the lens as much as I do!
Thank you for this very informative video. You convinced me to buy this lens as my first lens on my brand new GX85 ! I would like another lens in order to make cinematic video, I was thinking about the panasonic 25mm 1.7 but would you recommend something with a longer focal lengh such as the olympus 45mm 1.8 ? I don't know if the Olympus 17mm 1.8 can replace the 25mm 1.7 if I take few step forward for example.. I think having a 50mm equivalent lens is a must but I can only afford 2 first lens for now... what would you recommend?
hi Kim! I have read some comments about a noise when the lens is used in auto focus mode for shooting. Could you enlighten me if this actually happens? thank you!
Hey man in my experience I haven’t encountered that noise problem but that’s due to several reasons, let’s start with interview or UA-cam type of set ups- mostly I use manual focus, secondly because when I use audio I’m usually using an external microphone, either a shotgun mic or a lav mic! For b roll and those kind of shots you normally don’t use audio, and when you do it’s normally done with music so the lens noise doesn’t really affect anything..
@@KimCruz1, thank you so much for your attention.
I ordered it last month, I'm tired of heavy lenses. Since I got the 40-150mm which I want to carry with me ALWAYS, I opt for lighter lenses in all other focal ranges. The 12-32 (thirtytwo!)mm from Panasonic is a 70 Grams light sharpness and color wonder and it has replaced my 12-40 :)
Nice man m43 gear is just so versatile!
I personally like this lens, it‘s the only prime I have besides my Olympus Pro zooms. It‘s the best lens for street photography for me. Size, rendering and overall look of the images is just great. Though it really isn‘t the sharpest lens and is far inferior to the 12-40mm at 17mm.
yeah it's really more of a lens you have just because you love it.. the center is still decently sharp though!
Brilliant Kim, such a clear presentation and honest appraisal so rare on untuned, subbed😎🇦🇺👍
thanks man glad to have you on!
I think when you talk about the lenses it would help to distinguish the pro lenses vs the regular lenses. There does seem to be big differences between regular oly and their pro line. The panny is the same, the differences are pretty big between the regular and the pro lenses/leica.
I bought this when a user decided to ditch M43 for good. After selling every other gears of the deal, this lens come literally free. I worth say it's worth the effort.
Amazing video Kim, it is very weird that m43 is one of the best systems for street photography and the 35mm EQ length is not as saturated. I would buy in a heartbeat a 17.5mm 1.2 lens the size of the Oly 17mm or the Pana-Leica 15mm. Great work and subscribing.
Flunu Calderon thanks and yeah I hear you! I guess the brands didn’t want to step on each other’s toes so they have similar but not the same focal lengths.. honestly wonder they can make it that small. I’ve seen the Olympus pro 17mm 1.2. The thing looks like a giant for m43!
Great review - thanks Kim! Just bought one of these myself, and your review has also inspired me to get out shooting with it more.
great to hear it man and your comment just inspired me to get back to uploading again! hoping to make stuff soon!
Great style, man! Can truly feel your emotions there, thanks for your work.
Thanks a lot man that’s really encouraging :)
The 17 1.8 is my fav. lens and stays glued on my PEN-F.. Love the focal length, the build and that manual clutch is outstanding.. And the sexiest of the 3 in this video...
lol sexy is subjective.. but yeah i like the 17mm most out of the 3 as well lol
This is my favourite lens. It goes with me whenever I need to shoot an event indoors. It is usually on my E-M 10 mk2 when I need a simple rig I can count on. I have also used it on an old E-P2 that I use for B&W photography. Love the lens, great feel, looks good and produces excellent results.
Yes it does!
Which do you prefer between 17mm and 25mm for indoors event? If you already tried both lenses.
Thank's for your honest review, my heart tells me it's the one to buy.
no worries and i'm glad you're sorted!
dxomark is wrong. every other review from pcmag and ephotozine has this as sharper than the pana leica 15mm. I haven't tested the pana leica but this lense is way underrated for what it delivers.
Great as always, Kim. I have this lens on the strength of you previous video on it. Like you, I love it. Congrats on the 1000 subs. Your channel WILL grow rapidly.
thanks man and i'm so glad you love it! seriously if I could just have 1 lens, to do an entire shoot, this would be it!
Great review. Simple, yet entertaining, with real world comparisons to glass I'm also looking at picking up. The only real advantage it seems to have is price - it's about $100 cheaper then the rest (used). That said, I have the Oly 12-40 and love it, including that sweet focus clutch. Having that on the 17mm is very nice. Still leaning towards that Sigma 16mm, but you have me thinking....
lol if you can try it out at a local camera shop! i never buy a lens until i've tried it..... honestly the sigma was one of my main considerations, but seeing as I'm already bothered carrying my camera with a small prime all day (for when i'm out and about), i probably would hate it more having to bring along a more sizable item.
In reality this is mostly because I buy equipment that works for both casual everyday shooting, and good enough quality for paid jobs. Since I saw the 17mm wasn't as great as the 15mm 1.7 or the sigma 16mm, BUT was good enough for video- i picked it up. it was small enough for casual days, and good enough for paid jobs and cheaper than the other two!
last thing and totally irrational, but the 17mm felt premium, more than the 15mm 1.7.. don't know why and definitely subjective so your milage may vary!
Thanks for the fast reply! Keep up the good work....
@@evilgeniusentertainment thanks for the encouragement will do!
This is my daily lens .... my most used lens. I zoom with my feet and it's AF is ultra fast!
One of my favorite lenses ever!
This 17mm is also my most used lens. I had a Panasonic G7 and an Olympus omd em10mki, however , I sold them and have only an omd em10mkiii now. I have to tell you that the contrast/color issue is when mounted on Panasonic bodies. I don't know why Panasonic does this, but Panasonic cameras are less "compatible" with oly lenses than the other way around.
You loose dfd autofocus, dual is, and then you don't get the same punch in terms of contrast/color, although this last thing is easily fixable as you said.
yeah i noticed that too! using my friend's em5ii with the panasonic 20mm 1.7, the colors are punchy but not when i use the g7/g85 with the 17mm 1.8. But then again it's also down to taste as well and there's something i like about the desaturated look with the oly lens! oh well, fixable in post no biggie!
Beautiful video! You just sold this lens to me. I use a GH4 so maybe the Panasonic lens might be better but it’s all about the feel, just like a guitar.
I just picked up this lens today, and happened to stumble on your video (was kind of curious about the reception as I did not really research before purchasing). I am really inspired to get to work. Good Review. Subbed.
thanks man glad you liked it! it's important to just keep shooting so im glad i gave you a little boost!
Thanks for the review! Which ND filter can you recommend for the 17mm 1.8? :)
Happy New Year Kim.. Even if the video is 2 years old, I found bargain price the Laowa 17mm (around 160 euros) which somehow is competive to Oly 17mm at the half of the price. I enjoy it a lot the old fashioned style and the solid metal construction. I think Oly is better in IQ. Have you ever tryied that lenses. At micro 17mm lenses there aren't many choises. People they say that sigma 16mm is the best for the price, but it's like full frame lenses size..
Hey man happy new year to you too! I haven’t tried the 17mm laowa lens but I’ve tried their 7.5mm 2.0.. they make good lenses although I wouldn’t know about the 17mm specifically. As for this range of lenses here’s my summary:
Olympus 17- prettiest looking and closest to 35mm focal length (aside from laowa). Slightly less sharp than the next two.
LUMIX 15mm- richer colors and sharper and closer focusing distance, is significantly wider (some people like that some people don’t)
Sigma 16mm- largest and heaviest lens and weather sealed- but if you’re looking for performance and bang for buck, this is the lens!
Bonus- 20mm 1.7- slow focusing and significantly more zoomed in (try it first to make sure or set a zoom lens to that focal length and compare to 17mm). Almost as sharp as the 15mm Linux Leica- rich colors (but not my taste).
Ultimately I think you choose with focal length rather than outright image quality between these lenses, as well as size and weather sealing!
Wished I hadn't seen this video because now you're making me want to buy this lens. I have the Oly 25mm 1.8 but for a prime wide lens, I was thinking I would go Oly 12mm 2.0 because I do a lot of landscape photos. Great review!....maybe a little too good!! ;)
Haha well I think they all have their own advantages but for which is most versatile I have to say it's this one!
just sold my panasonic 20mm lens, it's slow focusing is a no-no for my photographic style. Apart from that it is an awesome lens. I'm going for the 17mm.
Great channel you have, I really like your style, please keep doing what you do!
love the sharpness on the 20mm!! but same with me, way too slow for my kind of shooting which sucks.. the 17mm is awesome too though and thanks I'll try and keep it up!!
Mark my words you will buy it back. I sold it and thought the PL 15mm would replace it. No way!
I would pleasantly buy the panasonic 20mm 1.7 mk...III version. I hope they will fix the slow focusing problem that lens has which is unacceptable. We are in 2018...
As I understand it's not fixable. The design that makes it a pancake requires the whole group of lenses to be moved for focusing.
@@gregorydziedzic the panasonic 12-32 is lightning fast, it is a zoom lens and it is smaller! So I guess it can be done!
So you say that you prefer the 20mm over 15pl and 17oly?
Well, that was passionate! I have one on the way and I'm hoping that I am moved as well. Great honest review. 🙂
Ve Martinez hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
are you still recommending the Olympus 17mm? I'm up in the air between the sigma and olympus, Does that 17mm have alot of focus breathing in video ?
I have the Sigma lenses for my Sony system. They are very sharp and offer great image quality, however, they are not very well built. They may claim to be weather sealed but they are fragile lenses. They scuff easily, the lens hoods fall off easily and they feel cheap. Their size also defeats the purpose of a micro four-thirds system.
Haven't had a problem with my sigma lenses yet but yeah they're huge and heavy as well!
Hello Kim! Congratulations on the channel and thank you for the videos. I use panasonic gh4 exclusively to record videos and use gimbal a lot for broll. I'm wondering which lens to buy for the gimbal: sigma 16mm 1.4 or olympus 17mm 1.8? I currently use the panasonic 14mm 2.5 and would like to use a faster lens. My gimbal is a Zhiyun Crane V2. Thank you, friend!
Thanks man do you have an issues balancing the camera because it’s too heavy for the lens? If so I would go with the sigma- I use the 17mm 1.8 and sometimes I need to tape stuff to the lens to make it balance better on the v2 gimbal..
YES I definitely agree. I am emotionally attached to this lens!
jayden chan in my feelings
Hi Kim, thanks for the great video! I have using been my em10.3 with the basic kit zoom lens for about 2 years. I have recently purchased my first prime 45mm f/1.8 and really like it but would like to buy one that is wider for travels. I was considering the 17mm 1.8, or the 12-40 pro 2.8. 1) Which one do you recommend for travelling to countries where it'll be dark most of the time (i travel to canada, usa and asia during their winter) Does the extra stop make a huge difference?. 2) Also do you think it's worth buying both later down the track? Thanks!!!
Random DIY honestly I’d take the zoom for travel just because of the flexibility but the 17mm 1.8 is better overall for low light!
Wow!! Such a great video. Love the philosophy bit... have you thought about acting? Very good. Makes me want to buy the lens!
thanks man and lol nah never considered acting as a career but did some in high school way back when lol.. anyway glad you enjoyed the video! :D
Hey new sub here. Thanks for your succinct and detailed reviews. I have a 12-60mm kit and do you think the 17mm is a good upgrade for vlog, B roll and travel videos? Is the AF good on g85? I find ,myself not using the zoom of my kit and preferring the wider range with faster aperture or maybe just got used to using an iPhone with a fixed focal length. Thanks and I know I’m viewing this a year too late. Just getting into video making.
Fantastic video
Earned a sub
Your channel is criminally small right now. You'll blow up huge soon.
Just found your clip, so good, especially the last part.
Thanks man I appreciate it!
Excellent lens report, Kim, fine personal touch.
Thank you!
Size is an important point.
Hey, congrats on reaching 1,000 subs!!
I went to buy the Olympus 17mm 1.8 a few weeks back after watching your video, but in my rush somehow bought the 17mm 2.8... oh well. I like the focal length but instead of buying more lenses I'm going to save for a bit and get the Sony A 6500. Have you used that camera at all and would you recommend it?
ooff! easy mistake to make! as for the Sony A6500 it's a great camera. 4k video quality is superb and better than the G7 (I'd say the average joe probably can't see the difference if a tv played them side by side though).. The video AF is great and the camera is pretty compact.
Reason i never went with the Sony is their lenses are a bit expensive and there aren't too many native lenses for Sony APSC cameras (I think it's grown a lot more since then but still nothing like m43). Also, they say they fixed the overheating on the a6500 but I also hear that some people still experience it. Lastly, it seems like 1080p is much softer than recording in 4k. of all the things i mentioned, look into this the most.
the g7 gets lots of praise for being able to shoot in 4k, but something undersung is it's 1080p quality. Just because a camera shoots nice 4k, doesn't mean it'll shoot nice 1080p as well.. for 95% of projects i do for clients or for youtube, i shoot in 1080p, and having the option to shoot quality video in both formats is very important. I don't want to need to shoot 4k all the time. The extra render times, extra storage needed (literally 4 times the size) for files that will be compressed online isn't worth it for my uses!
Thanks for the in depth reply! I'll have to go checkout your G7 video
hey man save yourself some time- i never talked about the 1080p quality in my vid because other guys already have!
My favs here:
ua-cam.com/video/rAxG72QDveM/v-deo.htmlm12s (probably all you need to see actually)
ua-cam.com/video/cJKRgMPk1BU/v-deo.htmlm35s
Excellent review. Thoughtful and intelligent. Thanks.
Thank you kind stranger!
Do u have a script in from of you when you are talking? It’s quite seamless, I mean you are not studdering or searching for words or using fillers etc, its quite a fluid delivery, thats why I ask :)
Meyy Arunachalam trust me man, it was a lot of practice lol.. check out my early vids my gosh haha.. no script just an outline and well placed b roll!
I found your channel since UA-cam appears to have caught on that I like micro four thirds, and can never decide whether I prefer 28mm or 35mm focal lengths. Or something. Either way, liked the video and how you worded it all, and doubly so that you compared it to a lot of the other offerings that are at similar price points and focal lengths. ^_^
thanks man i'm glad that you liked it! yeah the 24, 28 and 35 are really interesting in my opinion and sometimes i like the 28 just because my smartphone is usually around 28... but the 35 gets me in that much closer which i like!
Another reason to like 35mm focal length is that there's that ever so gorgeous Olympus 17mm f1.2... Although I've only ever held it in the shop, since it's a $1,500 CAD lens, but it sure balances nicely on a G85! I'll probably get it at some point, but there's always the comparison against other lenses that aren't quite so pricy, and it becomes a case of whether or not I'm willing to pay for additional light coming in and some of the additional features that lens has. Sure makes a nice image though!
Definitely have to agree about liking the 35mm about how it will get in closer compared to a 28mm equivalent lens.... Besides, if I wanted to show more there are some rather nice lenses out there that pull off the 24mm effective focal lengths quite nicely, like the Olympus 12mm f2 ^_^
As for cell/mobile phones, it seems most are right around that 27-28mm effective focal length. it is a nice one, but I always find myself having to get just that little bit closer to get things framed how I want. ^_^;;
yeah it really fits that niche perfectly! as for the 17mm 1.2 i just wish i can justify it for the price! maybe if a i was a full time photographer/videographer!
I had the 17mm 1.8 when I bought my EM-5 back in 2013. I don’t have either now but I sure wish I had the 17mm for my Pen f.
terry breedlove that’s a beautiful camera man what lens are you using on it?
Kim Cruz that is an old photo of me. It is a Nikon D2x and Nikon 80-200 f 2.8.
Very good. Thank you for the review, sharing your thoughts, and I hope, that it will finally help me to make a decision on which lens to take with 45mm, that I already have.
no probs man i hope it made you choose easier! which lenses were you choosing from?
@@KimCruz1 something wider, than I have. 25, 17, 12mm. From the point of price/handy/compact/wide enough this seems to be the best.
12-40mm 2.8 and 12mm 1.8 are too expensive, 25mm is cheaper, but could be too narrow.
I'd take Olympus lens, as I believe it would work better with my M10 camera.
alright check out the 15mm 1.7 (pricey but super sharp)
the 16mm 1.4 sigma (massive but cheaper)
and the 17mm 1.8 (middle of the road, not as sharp as the 15mm but decent and small)
I think those are the main options at this point. The 20mm 1.7 could also be an option but it's not quite as wide as i wanted, but you'll have to test and see for yourself!
That was a great, thorough, and well thought out review!
thanks man glad you liked it!
First: Very good content!
Second: I own it for a while, also the panaleica, what troubles me is the softness in the corners, even thow i'm not a pixel peeper (same with the oly 12 2.0, even more worse, at least my lens) But i couldn't let it go. The build is great. No scratch in years on the metal. Weight is no sign of quality in this case. Shot a party last night, took the 15 and really missed the manual focus of the 17 in bad light. I could hold the 17 the whole day in my hands and play with it. Think the aperture ring of the pany is very overrated, quite useless for me.
thanks!! and yeah i think aperture rings are overrated in general, i find myself using the dials on the camera because it's quicker... also, not sure if you have the same experience, but even without using the focus clutch on the 17, I think the ring is just calibrated better than lumix lenses! but I know what you mean with softness in the corners, i just shoot things closer to the middle lol!
That moment when you find a video on internet and at the end of it, automatically subscribe! Amazing guy!!!
thanks a lot man and welcome to the channel :)
Kim Cruz where I can send messages? I would like to ask you something regarding pictures. Thanks
Mango Andrei hey man Instagram or via email works alright with me!
I have this. I’m still in love with it.
lol me too.. broke it once, got it fixed, just accidentally dropped it last week while on a trip but still working fine... still my most used lens for work and for leisure!
I do a lot of street photography. I can never understand when a person says I primarily do this type of work, but a weather sealed lens or body doesn't matter. I often ask do you only do street photography when the weather is great?
Jamal Peoples well maybe they live in places like me where it hardly ever rains?
@@KimCruz1 I get that, which confuses me even more. I have lived places where it rarely rains. Lived in places where it rarely snows. Lived in places where it's cloudy all the time. In my mind what these people are telling me is that when I have a chance to get different photos and probably some of the most interesting I will forgo that to get the sunny photos I always get. A lot of people have never seen it rain in Vegas as it gets less than 10 inches a year. Can you imagine being able to capture that in photos and video?
Very nice review. Thank you very much for your time and effort.
Wahab Dilawar thanks man glad you liked it!!
Thanks for a good review. I'm looking for something in this range. Focal length is a huge deal to me. I've always been (full-frame) 24/35/50mm guy. Panasonic 15mm would be great if I was used to eg. 28mm. I have 24/35/50mm sets for other cameras which makes me look 17mm or so for my M4/3 camera.
Great man the Olympus is the closest one with autofocus- there’s also a laowa one that’s 17mm 1.8 but that’s completely manual focus- very old school haha!
@@KimCruz1 For autofocus that lens is still a viable solution at 2020. No 35mm equivalent from Panasonic and no 35mm eq. with stabilation available.
I'm on a market for one currently and will probably pick up that lens.
hoggif I hope you enjoy whichever one you choose to go with!
Great review man. I own the PanaLeica and I'm currently debating if I should get the PanaLeica 12mm f1.4. But if I do, should I sell the 15mm- first world problems. As for that 16mm Sigma, its not the best looking design- >_
thanks man and yeah lol fwp haha! honestly i haven't really thought too much about the 12mm 1.4 because the 15mm, the 16mm sigma and the 17mm olympus seem much more versatile because they aren't so wide but aren't too tight either.. maybe try out the 12mm first! because I've been on the fence about switching my 17mm for the 15mm, but the 17mm seems to match my eye more!
May I ask what do you like about this lens over the Pana Leica?
Actually I really like both of them! Right now I don't own the Olympus anymore jjst the Panasonic and I chose it because the Panasonic was slightly wider which is more useful for me but either lens is good!
@@KimCruz1 Awesome, do you feel like the pana is better in terms of image quality and rendering. I just grabbed the Olympus after watching your video because of the focal length, but I keep hearing that the image out of the pana is slightly better. I would be using it for commercial shoots and music videos.
It's almost 2022 and I'm here doing the same comparison Oly 17mm or Pana-leica 15mm ... hmm.. still undecided...
I've owned both for a number of years- all I can say is they are both excellent! The biggest determining factor for me was the focal length in the end. While the Olympus was good, I found the overall wider pana leica to be more useful in more places. Because these lenses functioned as my main 'do it all lens' it made sense to sell the Olympus but your mileage may vary. Have a good think, go with your gut!
@@KimCruz1 Thanks a lot for the feedback, Kim! Just took the Pana-leika 15mm, doing some tests right now... :)
My all time favorite lens small sharp fast AF and affordable
Me too!
Thank you
Does anyone have any experience with the 17mm and the Oly 25mm f1.8, I'm trying to decide between the two.
none with the 25mm 1.8 but i do with the panasonic 25mm 1.7. i think the biggest consideration between the 17mm 1.8, the 25mm 1.8 and the panasonic 25mm 1.7 is the focal length- if you prefer to shoot wide get the 17mm 1.8. also, wider lenses will be more versatile- i often take the 17mm 1.8 by itself, but rare able to go out with just the 25mm 1.7.
I have the sigma 16 but I’m about to have 2 cameras maybe getting the 15 is worth it
ahh what a great problem to have :P honestly the 16 sigma, the 15 leica and 17 olympus are all good lenses!
This is an absolutely lovely review! Can't put my finger on what it is but...it just is!
I'm waiting for this lens to drop in my mailbox. Now I can't. Thanks.
Not a problem glad you enjoyed it!
Great vdo. I still cannot decide which lens I prefer on my Pen F, Oly 17mm or Panny 20mm, still alternating between the two lol
honestly both lenses are great, had the 20mm before but couldn't get over the slow focusing.. last thing that pushed me over the edge was that the 17mm was wider and i found it generally more versatile in the end because of that!
@@KimCruz1 I have both lenses, kinda liking the 20 more this week, but ask me again next week and it bound to be the 17mm lol
haha to each their own! DO NOT be afraid to make your own choices about the lenses you use and once you have a good feel for both lenses, trust your gut, and forget all these online trolls, myself included!
Nice review. Love your images.
thanks man and sorry for the late reply it's been a long time since i've been on youtube!
Hello, what kind of equipment did you use to shoot this video
Hey man my set up changes over time but it usually has these staples: G85, Olympus 17mm 1.8, Panasonic 42.5mm 1.7, rode video micro and some cheap yonguo lights!
é verdade que a 17mm da Olympus no modo manual ela faz um barulho quando vc esta gravando ?
hey man not so sure if I understand correctly, but i'll try to answer: some people online say that the lens has a sound when autofocusing in video- I've never experienced this but i think it's also because I never use autofocus in video. Also, if you are recording a video with sound, you should never use the microphone on the camera- but that's if you want to make your videos more professional. hope this helps!
@@KimCruz1 muito obrigado pela resposta.
If you are happy with it, if it feels good to you, I sincerely think that it is a good choice. DxMark rates the sharpness of this lens at 9. The Panasonic 15mm at 15. That is like saying the Olympus 17mm has 60% of the sharpness of the Panasonic. It is a soft lens. As much as I like the angle, I feel I am wasting time and opportunities if I were to use it. Camera Database - DxOMark www.dxomark.com/lenses/brand-panasonic-olympus/launched-between-1987-and-2016/launch_price-from-0-to-13000-usd#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=global
yup and reviews online are pretty consistent with that.. however i've tried both and just can't get along with the 15mm 1.7! oh well, to each their own :)
I am trying to get hold of either the 15mm or 17mm now that you confirm my suspicion the 15mm would be a better option.
@@yttean98 not necessarily: there is much more in a lens that pure sharpness! I had the 15mm two years ago and I could not stand it: the focal is just weird with always too much or too little in the scene. It's not a wide angle and it always distorts too much as a standard lens on portraits. Yes it's sharp, but we are not talking of a telephoto. BTW, chromatic aberration on the PL is really strong: The 17mm has some, more then usual for Olympus but not to the levels of the 15mm. I exchanged the 15mm at a loss for this Oly and it shows how much I loved that PL: Never regret my choice.
Yup, first video I watched and subbed... Great presentation and awesome style! I just got my first Pro 25 1.2, looking to get 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 in the near future. But now you gave got me thinking about this little 1.8 lens. It looks great on my Pen F, probably instead of the pro I will get the 1.8! Time to ponder and pull hair 😂
AlteredStar Studios lol...... I take no responsibility for any hair loss!! Glad you enjoyed man honestly if you’re into seriously and into photography the Olympus Pro Line is awesome.. the 1.8 version will carry you through a lot (I do professional video jobs with it and for general photography of course), but if you need the best of the best ie build and durability.... get the pro line!!!
@@KimCruz1 awedome, I will probably get a used 1.8 for now and upgrade some time in the future 👍
Damn bro u got hella deep for a sec
Dope video you should have a bigger audience
hey Kim!
I sold my 12-40 f2.8 to go back to the compactness of Micro Four Thirds xD
I am currently using Lumix 20mm f1.7 II.
I am currently very keen on selling that for Oly 17 f1.8 & Oly 25 f1.8.
I know it's gonna double the cost but then...
What do you think?
Complicated question, and of course the first thing to think about is, what do you like shooting, and how do you like to shoot? Typically i like to pair my primes in doubles of focal length, the idea is to spread out the focal lengths enough so they aren't performing the same jobs.
I think what i'm trying to say is it might be better for you to invest in the 17mm 1.8, or the 25mm 1.8, and pair that with the 45mm 1.8. The idea there is to have a wide/standard (the 17mm and the 25mm), paired with a longer lens for the most versatility (45mm), especially if you wanted to isolate your subject more. So basically, I think it's better to choose between the 17mm or the 25mm and pair that with a different lens!
@@KimCruz1 thanks for a very thoughtful reply!
I have the Oly 45mm f1.8 in my kit and I love it.
I got the 20mm f1.7 was because I thought it's the middle ground of the 17 f1.8 and 25 f1.8.
I shoot street most of the time for leisure and some video when I travel. That's why 17 seems like a better choice compared to 25 which seems a bit tight for me.
So I am still torn between 17 f1.8 and 20 f1.7. I've watched that video of yours several times but still can't decide haha.
I like the sharpness/contrast of the 20 but love everything else about the 17mm :(
@@legend240891 haha let me confuse you more then, or maybe this will help?! the 15mm 1.7 is also quite a nice lens! Just as sharp (maybe sharper than the 20mm) and AF as fast as the 17mm... it's wider though and it's a significant difference..
I think the main point is which lens can you actually use the most? My 17mm is my most used lens because it's wide enough, and the AF is fast enough. If AF was not an issue I would have stuck with the 20mm!
What happened to the Panny 20mm 1.7? Is the 17mm Oly bettter?
you can see from the comparison video here: ua-cam.com/video/qtSz5atrxc8/v-deo.html
but in a nutshell i needed the faster focusing of the 17mm but optically the 20mm is better
Ya I need a lens that is a lil wider then the 25mm. My kit lens took a dump on Me a few months back
any of the lenses discussed in this video would be perfect.. obviously my pick is the 17mm but another lens not mentioned in this video is the 19mm 2.8 sigma- sharp but a bit big for only a 2.8 aperture!
Or about adapting the nikon 110 mm To the G7I have found those lenses for about a $100
adapting is fine too but just pay attention to 2 things- 1. field of view- how wide is that going to be? 110mm sounds like it's going to be very zoomed in, very different from the 25mm and wider lenses. and 2. can you live without the AF? if this isn't going to be your main lens, perhaps maybe your portrait lens you use when you want to obliterate the background and you dont need to take shots in a fast paced environment- go for i!
also, what happened to your kit lens??
The 10mm 2.8 for the nikon 1. The lil camera. And I don't mind manual focus i used that with my old sony i had
never even heard of that lens before but that thing looks pretty darn cool look at how tiny it is at that focal length! and if it's that wide, focusing isn't super important anyway! go for it and save the money and let me know how it goes!
I appreciate you. Love your videos.
Thanks man that’s really nice of you!
Hi, thank you for this amazing review. I really love this lens. However, I came across a weird issue with recording in C-AF mode. This is my go-to lens and I often switch between shooting and recording. But when I'm recording in C-AF, the lens is making weird "clapping" sound as it tries to focus. With S-AF or MF, there is no problem. I'm using Olympus ELP-7 body. As I read on many discussions, this is a mechanic issue and it's not caused by users. Can you please check this behavior and advice, what to do? I reached Olympus service and I'm waiting for the answer, however it looks like I have to pay 120EUR for repair. I'm based in Berlin, Germany. Do you think that newest models have already fixed this issue? Best. Hana VIDEO EXAMPLE: @
Hey there I tested my version and it makes little clicking sounds when using c af during video. In my experience this is normal (the sound on mine is very light and will not get picked up on an external mic and very very little on the internal mic. if you compare it to other lenses like the sigma 18-35, the sound is incomparable, the sigma sounds like a train chugging along by comparison haha! this is also quite normal for older canon lenses in video mode as well. If for some reason yours is really loud I would still try to get it fixed, however if it was my lens and there was no problem with the focusing except for sound, I wouldn't bother since I don't use af in video!
I have a g9 and many lens and finally the best is my canon 80d and I my regrets no go to full frame because all is about lights!!
that's true but honestly carrying soo much weight for a full frame camera.. sometimes it's not worth it!
Really torn between this and the sigma.
I really want the physical manual focus of the Olympus, but i want the speed of the sigma.
my two cents? unless you're a MF focus person, don't bother! get the sigma! i hardly use the focus clutch but the reason i use this lens is mostly because it's small and fast. if you need faster, get the sigma!
@@KimCruz1 ty
The reason the out of focus elements are so smooth, is because Olympus uses a different type of bokeh. Long story short, it's a creamier type of bokeh, there are videos on this, no reason to explain. :)
it's on sale for 350 or used 300 I'm really debating whether or not to get it 🤔🤔
sounds like a good deal to me!
Nice video! Well said !!
thank you!
*I had this at one point! Very good lens*
oh no! what happened to it!?!
Kim Cruz I traded it for the 18-35 sigma
massive lens but what a beast!
Kim Cruz facts
Is this good for portraits?
environmental portraiture for sure! but for conventional portraits not as much!
This was like a Video Essay!
Had the sigma for canon m. Great quality, but ridiculous size.
It’s a little big isn’t it haha
You look like your 16 years old, but you're right. Being 34 now, it's just plain weird watching reviews from people younger than me.
I am weird and I am sorry for this insane and inane comment.
Keep up the solid work, you philosophy major.,
Adam Roy haha thanks but I’m actually not much younger than you are! Thanks for stopping by!
Can anyone compare this to the 25mm?
late to this party but i already made that video haha: ua-cam.com/video/qtSz5atrxc8/v-deo.html
$500? Tf? They are $300. New everywhere on eBay