Don't forget the end of year live stream later today (dec 30th 8pm uk / 3pm est) for an end of year celebration ☺️ also tell me which is your fave low light lens??
The Panasonic Leica 42.5mm is a fantastic lens, i borrowed it before to do some portraits. My favorite lens that i use daily in work is the 25-50mm F1.7, works wonders on the g9II in low light. I need to change the Panasonic Leica 12-35mm F2.8 to the Panasonic Leica 10-25mm f1.7. I never thought i said this but 2.8 is way to dark for me on the M43 system. (Living in Sweden, shit's dark).
@@ErodotusI ordered the F 1.7 Olympus 25mm from Amazon for only $208 but it's the international version. It ships from Amazon of Japan without a warranty. I figure if there's something wrong I can return it, which is unlikely. It gets very good reviews, seems very sharp anyhow, even in corners... Can't justify spending more money and carrying more weight. The 17mm F 1.2 is tempting (the f1.7 isn't well liked) but I wish it was wider... The Olympus F2.0 12 mm seems very good but not great.... So I'm not sure what I'm going to do for a fast wide lens. Panasonic 9 mm is a bit too wide I think... I had a 16 mm equivalent on a canon apsc and it often looked odd - had to hold it level to avoid perspective distortions.
Kinda weird seeing Tromsø from eyes of a tourist, but having lived up here for so long the most brilliant low light option I have found was Metabones XL x0.64 and Canon 50mm F1.2 which essentially makes it a 64mm F0.77 with 1/25th shutter setting on any MFT body with IBIS, you get some really wicked light out of it with the little daylight that exists here in December. Took it out once into the fjord in December and notice spectacular colours with an Olympus E-M1 (Remember to turn on electronic shutter to avoid damaging shutter with x0.64 Speedbooster attached) But I think it has something to do with the spectrum of light it enhances that are not visible to humans but more visible to a camera? It produced some very interesting results, its also freaky to shoot at ISO 800 and even then you tend to overexpose if there is too much street lights, middle of the night.
I’ve had a ‘40mm’ Christmas. My OM System 20mm f1.4 hasn’t left the front of my camera. I appreciate it’s not the best lens in some regards but it’s done a sterling job for me, from indoor ‘get the shot of grandad asleep after too many ports’, to outdoor light shows. Fast enough. Light enough. Job done. (The 25mm f1.2 is definitely on my list though’).
Most of these are out of my price range, but I do have the Lumix 25mm F1.7 and the TTArtisans 55mm F1.4 manual, both of which are very good low light lenses. Great video again!
Currently travelling around Thailand armed with the GX85 + 25mm 1.7! Having so much fun especially as its a prime lens and forces me to be physical and intentional when framing the composition. Think I might try grabbing a 20mm to get a lil wider but otherwise just enjoying the learning curve. Happy New Yeaaar too!🎉
Great video Emily! Some question come to mind though. 1. How would you rate the Olympus 17mm F1.8 (which I have) against the Panasonic 15mm F1.7? 2. How would you rate the Olympus 45mm F1.2 pro (which I have) against the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.2? In both cases very similar pairs of lenses in terms of reach, size, weight and aperture.
Great images of Tromso, definitely a go to destination! Will have to look at the TT artisans lenses! Looking forward to your 2025 content, Happy New Year!😀
I went to Tromsø in 2019 and my Lumix 15 mm f/1.7 was glued to my em5 mark ii. I shot the northern lights with it and brought back so many beautiful photos.
Happy New Year Emily!! Looking forward to more great 2025 videos!! I had to plug my ears and sing so you didn't talk me into another lens!😂 My New Year res is now decided!! Pick one lens every couple of weeks and only play with that one. But I will still run out of year before I run out of lenses to play with. Waw waw.
I really love that little ttartisan 50mm f1.2. The bang-for-buck is off the charts. Wide open it's a little bloomy and the contrast goes down a touch but it's not truly unsharp (and the contrast and bloom is controlled by f2). I use it with my Fuji XE1 so the focal length is more versatile. The build quality is just great and I also love the front aperture ring - it reminds me of Olympus Zuiko lenses from the '70s and '80s. I got the 17mm f1.4 as well and I love that too. The whole lot, including the camera cost me a chunk less than the equivalent of 200 pounds. And I've got some real keepers with that lot.
Merry, Merry, and Happy, Happy to you Emily, your family, and the Nerds family. Thank you for this video. I seldom need and thus don’t use ultra wide lenses. I live in the f5.6-8 range. I don’t use bokeh for my street photography. If I’m in a low light situation I depend on my IBIS. None the less, I enjoyed this video. It is good to know what my options are. Also your surprise kerfuffle was pretty entertaining. Thank you for leaving a it in your video. MFT certainly gives us many choices when it comes to lenses. Thank you Olympus, LUMIX, Leica,, and the many third party lens manufacturers. Not to mention manufacturers of adapted lenses. Good to know if you have a need there is a solution. Also good to know there are affords options available to us. I hope each of us takes our gear out and shoot up the town this year. For the animal lovers amongst us the animals should be very afraid. This will be our very best year so far with our M43 bodies, fast and affordable lenses, plus great subjects. Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Those Oly f1.2 primes on the used market are bargains. I love mine. Amazing build quality Weather sealed Fast Great IQ Feather bokah Function button and clutch manual focus
I’d love to see a video comparing different m43 camera sensors for low light performance. It’s the one reason I don’t own a m43 camera yet. The G7s I’ve tried are so fun but they get noisy pretty fast.
g7 is kind of old. If you compare the latest 20mp sensors (so, OM-1 basically) to the 16mp sensor in the g7 things have improved about 1 stop at the pixel level n my rough estimation. Combined with the increased resolution, that's maybe a third of a stop more once downsized?
Good video! Guessing that your Leica 25mm f1.4 is the mark I version as you said it’s not weather sealed. My Christmas gift this year was the mark II version of this lens which IS weather sealed. Starting to use it now!
Infinity marker on the lens is a great starting point but I always like to check with magnification each time as I've found some lens markings to be slightly off, especially at really wide apertures!
Would you suggest fast FF primes with a Speedbooster for low light? Wondering about your experience with that kind of setup. As for my favourite - well, the 10-25 of course!
Have you used the Panasonic Leica 10-25 and 25-50 F1.7 lenses? I've got some gear to pay off, but then a pair of the 10-25s are on my shortlist. I mostly use zoom lenses (the Olympus Pro F4 lenses have been great to work with). Since I mostly do videography, I like the ability to change the focal length without having to swap lenses all the time. But looking at some of these shots, I'm thinking something in a 20mm or 25mm might be good to have in my kit. Anyway, thank you for your work. Cheers Rick
I have! They were a bit large for this trip, but absolutely ideal for video. The best m43 setup imo for jobs like wedding films where you need versatility but also a wide aperture. So good.
@@MicroFourNerds - Thank you for getting back to me! I've been struggling to settle on a platform but have circled back around to m43 because of the overall value to performance. I also have an S5II, but the cost to round out my kit with 2 more + glass was more than I could justify. So I bought 3 GH5 IIs for work, and I'm using an EM-1 MIII, E-5 original (thanks to your video), and I have a G9 coming in today. I'm done now.. going to go have fun. Cheers Rick
Hey there. I have the 10 to 25mm Leica. I've tried it on my g9 mk1. I do a lot of aurora shots and it failed. I had to shoot at 1600 iso and f1.7 for 8 seconds to get a reasonable result. But the image wasn't clean enough for me. During the day this lens is solid. I love it and the video is gorgeous. For nighttime I use my ff s1 with a tt artisans 14mm f2.8. Shooting all the way up to 6400 the images are clean. The lens is sharp at 2.8. The battery lasts all night in the camera. It's a great setup. Just findings. The oly might be better at noise control but the g9 isn't good at anything above 800!
Another great video! HNY! Any chance you could do one about OM Workspace? I use it for culling off the card and it’s also really good for making quick timelapse movies. However, editing seems really clunky and I couldn’t get the ai straight off the camera to work. Can’t find any detailed tutorials anywhere. Thank you!
Would you review the Mitakon 25mm f0.95 some day? It's been under my radar but there's very few reviews about it. Also you're the best and happy new year! :)
Funny to see the remarks towards the Voigtlander 17.5! I got this one after really loving their 42.5 (also f/0.95), but found the wider range was just too soft and somehow didn't carry the same feeling I really loved on the 42.5. I ended up trading it in because it just didn't 'spark joy' the same way and I can't quite figure out why. Perhaps I got a bad copy, or maybe I do better with tighter framing? Either way, I still have (and love) the 42.5 and it's gorgeously smooth focusing ring, so I suppose that counts for something!
Nice video. As a native Norwegian I'm puzzled by the concept of freeze proofing. After 40 years of daily photo journalism in this icebox country I have never had a single gear failure due to cold weather. Maybe I've just been lucky?
Yeah, this is one of these things that seem like marketing and certification rather than functional difference. Unless there's a lot of moisture inside the lens, I don't understand exactly what the cold temperatures are supposed to do. Slighly stiffer rubber gaskets and some miniscule contraction of the materials? And how are the freeze proof ones doing it differently? I of course am talking out of my bum, and it could be they use certain types of anti-seize materials, or lubricants or something, but I never got a satisfying answer to this.
Hey Emily.. Loved the video as allways. Is it possible to shoot decent pictures with the lumix 20mm 1.7 in cold weather (in combination with olympus pen e-pl7). Or will it fog up and destroy my equipment? Is it wise to invest in a lens like the 25mm f1.2 from olympus. Or is this overkill?
I used my ep7 which is almost the same thing in all kind of conditions from dust to the harsh northern weather and mountains in winter, the camera is still fine beside one time the shutter got stuck, from the dust i suspect.
Freeze resistance isn't something I've ever worried about. I've spent hours at a time out in Canadian winters (sometimes below -40°) with various systems using both consumer and pro level lenses without ever having issues. My main difficulty with cold weather is battery life, so I keep spare batteries close to my body to keep them warm. YMMV but my two cents.
Nice comparison but the big missing piece is surely the Sigma f1.4 series. All sharp and all fully auto and much cheaper than the Lumix or Olympus (or Voigtlander for that matter!) offerings.
I have some thoughts on this... The g9ii is supposed to be the best at the moment. It's the most modern sensor and has an automatic feature called dynamic range boost which should help. I am really happy with the results overall! However I honestly think the real super power of that camera is the stabilisation. Being able to shoot handheld at 1/10th of a second for example let's loads more light in and really helps. So I reckon any m43 camera with great stabilsiation built in would give great results also
Sigma made a 16mm 1.4f DC DN "everyday" lens for a few hundred. I'm pretty sure it was just an adapted APS-C or even Full Frame lens, as it was rather large. But pretty sharp (and a buttery smooth focus ring) for not a lot of money!
The newer, MK II version of the Lumix/Leica 25/1.4 is weather sealed, and a fantastic lens, so the newer model should be as tough(or nearly so) as the Oly/OM Pro lens. You are still giving up a little bit of light, however. Also, for anyone interested in less expensive f/0.95 lenses, I can say that the Meike 50mm/0.95 has been a really solid lens for me. Even wide open I'm happy with the results. You just have to be realistic and give yourself a good working distance so the depth of field isn't TOO thin.
I started me photographic journey in a Canadian city at -20 to -30⁰C, shooting film and ancient manual lenses. I know just how cold a metal lens can be...
Oooof! Yes at the top of that mountain it briefly got to -22 and that's BY FAR the coldest I've ever experienced and even then only for a short period!
Let's get back to the 42.5 Leica... no, you're not the only person who thinks that a lens in this price range should be weatherproof. Luckily, there's the Olympus 45mm 1.2!
any advice for a struggling photographer? I bought m43 kit but I am struggling with lens choices. so far all the ones I tried (the f1.2s, f1.4s, f0.95) are way more expensive and/or bigger and/or don't produce such nice subject separation and/or don't AF and get noisier on the smaller sensor than the f1.8s or f2s I used on FF. I am a bit perplex as I bought into the system expecting small cheap fast glass. I pay 5x cost for f1.2 lens which is 2x the size and has worse subject separation than my tiny f2 or f1.8 FF lenses . Also I didn't know that real isos are way bellow to those reported by olympus, so shooting 6400 on FF means for me shooting around 10 000 on m43 while getting performance equivalent to somewhere between 25600 and 40 000 iso in fullframe terms. its all just a frustrating experience, particularly when it gets darker.
Given that a full frame f/2 is equivalent to f/1 on micro 4/3, and mid-tier prime lenses go down to f/1.7 or f/1.4 (wider than that, expect more bulk, higher price, or optical compromises), if you need f/2 on full frame then micro 4/3 or even APS-C is not a great option for you, you can get the same combo in FF with lenses that are smaller and/or way less expensive. (just to clarify: I love micro 4/3 and one would need to pry my GX9 from my cold, dead fingers. but there are things for which it is not the practical option)
I would suggest that if you need to be shooting above 3200 iso then m43 is probably not the right sensor size. Editing software is good at reducing noise but it's extra work and time. The best and brightest M43 lenses are expensive as you said. I've found Fujifilm lenses to be more affordable and for lowlight work the bigger apsc sensor does a better job than M43. Of course FF is best for low light but glass can be big and expensive as well. Side note, if you're shooting at 10000 iso on M43 with f1.2 lenses, would suggest that your scenes are way to dark and you should look at lighting. I would also suggest to check your shooting exposure triangle settings to see where you may be able to lower that iso. Shooting the same exposure settings on FF at f1.2 and a M43 at f1.2 should give you roughly same iso. Of course the FF sensor image will be cleaner at the same high iso.
What do you mean real ISO? AFAIK the ISO of Olympus bodies is the same as other cameras. Just to check I just tested my MFT camera against a Fuji camera and a 1/2.3" sensor camera and each had about the same level of sensitivity.
@@marshallw I do not know about fuji's small sensors, lens t-stops etc. But if you check dxomark's measurements of "real" iso versus manufacturer's iso you will see that most of the cameras perform around the same but for olympus that overstates their iso values somewhat more. Eg iso 100 for nikon z6 translates to a measurement of iso 77 whereas the oly sensor has to go to iso200 to reach iso 83. this difference is consistent across the iso values going up by the same factor and should lead to a different exposure. I did not test myself ( I would only anecdotally say that I am observing higher values w m43 than what I am used to). Some time ago I got files from an Internet article comparing sony:m43 and the histogram confirmed the sony image being brighter at the same settings. Albeit not scientific, you can search for these samples, google "Noise on Olympus vs Sony cameras for birds in flight". (Imho it's a factor the author of that article is missing when drawing his conclusions.)
When shooting in low light on M43 it is important to remember that you need to use two stops numerically smaller f-stop than full frame to obtain the same image (same depth of field). For the same shutter speed you will be operating at half the ISO, and for similar sensor technology the noise will be similar. If you are shooting a relatively static subject you can often use the superior image stabilisation of M43 to lower the shutter speed and ISO. The “low light” performance of the M43 will usually be better than full frame in this situation. However, in order to create a very shallow depth of field you need a physically large lens - irrespective of sensor size. You need a large aperture size - the actual size of the hole. Unfortunately it is difficult and expensive to build lenses with small f-stops. So it may be cheaper to use a full frame camera as a given aperture size can be created with a numerically larger f-stop. For example, a 50mm f/1.8 has the same aperture size as a 25mm f/0.9 but will often be cheaper and/or have better controlled aberrations.
I get it. You don't want to show 2 Oly pro lenses. You could have done 3. But, the 17mm f/1.2 is legendary. It's the sharpest lens I own...and I own the 25mm f/1.2. I use it for Milky Way photography.
You forgot to mention that arctic low light photography requires triple IBIS to reduce camera shake: battery powered hand warming gloves and undies!🥶👍😉
I feel like all of these are overrated for my Pen ep-10 or something like that. Looking into expanding to better than kit lens and like a dslr style instead of pocket style cam in 2025. Which also means I've discovered your channel and watch it time to time.
Please, next time you record a video make sure you get rid of the dust on the lenses. So many particles on the shown lenses annoy those you take care of our lenses like jewels. Nice images.
Don't forget the end of year live stream later today (dec 30th 8pm uk / 3pm est) for an end of year celebration ☺️ also tell me which is your fave low light lens??
RF 50mm f 1.2 L USM or RF 85mm f 1.2 L USM. No mft but you didn't specify that.
The Panasonic Leica 42.5mm is a fantastic lens, i borrowed it before to do some portraits. My favorite lens that i use daily in work is the 25-50mm F1.7, works wonders on the g9II in low light. I need to change the Panasonic Leica 12-35mm F2.8 to the Panasonic Leica 10-25mm f1.7. I never thought i said this but 2.8 is way to dark for me on the M43 system. (Living in Sweden, shit's dark).
I finally own the long desired Olympus 25mm f1.2: fast, sharp and weather sealed. It is really fantastic!
@@ErodotusI ordered the F 1.7 Olympus 25mm from Amazon for only $208 but it's the international version. It ships from Amazon of Japan without a warranty. I figure if there's something wrong I can return it, which is unlikely. It gets very good reviews, seems very sharp anyhow, even in corners... Can't justify spending more money and carrying more weight.
The 17mm F 1.2 is tempting (the f1.7 isn't well liked) but I wish it was wider...
The Olympus F2.0 12 mm seems very good but not great....
So I'm not sure what I'm going to do for a fast wide lens. Panasonic 9 mm is a bit too wide I think... I had a 16 mm equivalent on a canon apsc and it often looked odd - had to hold it level to avoid perspective distortions.
Kinda weird seeing Tromsø from eyes of a tourist, but having lived up here for so long the most brilliant low light option I have found was Metabones XL x0.64 and Canon 50mm F1.2 which essentially makes it a 64mm F0.77 with 1/25th shutter setting on any MFT body with IBIS, you get some really wicked light out of it with the little daylight that exists here in December.
Took it out once into the fjord in December and notice spectacular colours with an Olympus E-M1 (Remember to turn on electronic shutter to avoid damaging shutter with x0.64 Speedbooster attached) But I think it has something to do with the spectrum of light it enhances that are not visible to humans but more visible to a camera? It produced some very interesting results, its also freaky to shoot at ISO 800 and even then you tend to overexpose if there is too much street lights, middle of the night.
I’ve had a ‘40mm’ Christmas. My OM System 20mm f1.4 hasn’t left the front of my camera. I appreciate it’s not the best lens in some regards but it’s done a sterling job for me, from indoor ‘get the shot of grandad asleep after too many ports’, to outdoor light shows. Fast enough. Light enough. Job done.
(The 25mm f1.2 is definitely on my list though’).
Most of these are out of my price range, but I do have the Lumix 25mm F1.7 and the TTArtisans 55mm F1.4 manual, both of which are very good low light lenses. Great video again!
As a prime the 25mm F1.7 is affordable and sharp..agreed..nice equivalent of a nifty 50 in FF format .
Thanks Emily, and well done for taming the f/0.95 razer thin focal plane! Great pics :)
Currently travelling around Thailand armed with the GX85 + 25mm 1.7! Having so much fun especially as its a prime lens and forces me to be physical and intentional when framing the composition. Think I might try grabbing a 20mm to get a lil wider but otherwise just enjoying the learning curve. Happy New Yeaaar too!🎉
Used the same set-up during our honeymoon in Japan. 😊
Added the 45mm 1.8 from Oly and the trusty 14-140mm Pana
Great video Emily!
Some question come to mind though.
1. How would you rate the Olympus 17mm F1.8 (which I have) against the Panasonic 15mm F1.7?
2. How would you rate the Olympus 45mm F1.2 pro (which I have) against the Panasonic 42.5mm F1.2?
In both cases very similar pairs of lenses in terms of reach, size, weight and aperture.
Great video! Several favorites of mine made your list.
These lens look great for lowlight. Thanks for sharing.
Great images of Tromso, definitely a go to destination! Will have to look at the TT artisans lenses! Looking forward to your 2025 content, Happy New Year!😀
I went to Tromsø in 2019 and my Lumix 15 mm f/1.7 was glued to my em5 mark ii. I shot the northern lights with it and brought back so many beautiful photos.
I had my 12/2 on an m10ii
I bought a tiny camera through your mpb link. So excited! 🙌🏻
Enjoy!! 😁📸
Happy New Year Emily!! Looking forward to more great 2025 videos!! I had to plug my ears and sing so you didn't talk me into another lens!😂 My New Year res is now decided!! Pick one lens every couple of weeks and only play with that one. But I will still run out of year before I run out of lenses to play with. Waw waw.
I really love that little ttartisan 50mm f1.2. The bang-for-buck is off the charts. Wide open it's a little bloomy and the contrast goes down a touch but it's not truly unsharp (and the contrast and bloom is controlled by f2). I use it with my Fuji XE1 so the focal length is more versatile. The build quality is just great and I also love the front aperture ring - it reminds me of Olympus Zuiko lenses from the '70s and '80s. I got the 17mm f1.4 as well and I love that too. The whole lot, including the camera cost me a chunk less than the equivalent of 200 pounds. And I've got some real keepers with that lot.
That set is really impressive.
Bloomy! That's the perfect word. Not entirely unpleasant wide open, just a bit bloomy
Merry, Merry, and Happy, Happy to you Emily, your family, and the Nerds family.
Thank you for this video. I seldom need and thus don’t use ultra wide lenses. I live in the f5.6-8 range. I don’t use bokeh for my street photography. If I’m in a low light situation I depend on my IBIS. None the less, I enjoyed this video. It is good to know what my options are. Also your surprise kerfuffle was pretty entertaining. Thank you for leaving a it in your video.
MFT certainly gives us many choices when it comes to lenses. Thank you Olympus, LUMIX, Leica,, and the many third party lens manufacturers. Not to mention manufacturers of adapted lenses. Good to know if you have a need there is a solution. Also good to know there are affords options available to us.
I hope each of us takes our gear out and shoot up the town this year. For the animal lovers amongst us the animals should be very afraid. This will be our very best year so far with our M43 bodies, fast and affordable lenses, plus great subjects.
Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)
Those Oly f1.2 primes on the used market are bargains. I love mine.
Amazing build quality
Weather sealed
Fast
Great IQ
Feather bokah
Function button and clutch manual focus
Absolutely, honestly it had fallen off my radar as I assumed it would be about £1000 haha I'm so glad it's come down in price it's a gem
I’d love to see a video comparing different m43 camera sensors for low light performance. It’s the one reason I don’t own a m43 camera yet. The G7s I’ve tried are so fun but they get noisy pretty fast.
g7 is kind of old. If you compare the latest 20mp sensors (so, OM-1 basically) to the 16mp sensor in the g7 things have improved about 1 stop at the pixel level n my rough estimation. Combined with the increased resolution, that's maybe a third of a stop more once downsized?
Superb video, carry on
I'm glad to hear a good rating for the voigtlander, I've got a 25mm coming in the post.
Good video! Guessing that your Leica 25mm f1.4 is the mark I version as you said it’s not weather sealed. My Christmas gift this year was the mark II version of this lens which IS weather sealed. Starting to use it now!
Beautiful pictures, especially the wide landscape at night shot. Do you focus at infinity when shooting landscape with such a wide aperture as f1.2?
Infinity marker on the lens is a great starting point but I always like to check with magnification each time as I've found some lens markings to be slightly off, especially at really wide apertures!
@@MicroFourNerds Thank you
Thanks for a great video. I really enjoy your videos. Most enlightening and inspiring too.
“Cool” Video Emily. V gd point about a metal manual focus lens when it’s cold .. get those mittens at the ready .. metal autofocus bad enough 😮😅
Would you suggest fast FF primes with a Speedbooster for low light? Wondering about your experience with that kind of setup. As for my favourite - well, the 10-25 of course!
The voigt has a clicking and clickless apperature :) you can change it by lifting the ring and spinning it around
Ha! I did not notice that thanks!
Have you used the Panasonic Leica 10-25 and 25-50 F1.7 lenses? I've got some gear to pay off, but then a pair of the 10-25s are on my shortlist. I mostly use zoom lenses (the Olympus Pro F4 lenses have been great to work with). Since I mostly do videography, I like the ability to change the focal length without having to swap lenses all the time. But looking at some of these shots, I'm thinking something in a 20mm or 25mm might be good to have in my kit.
Anyway, thank you for your work.
Cheers
Rick
I have! They were a bit large for this trip, but absolutely ideal for video. The best m43 setup imo for jobs like wedding films where you need versatility but also a wide aperture. So good.
@@MicroFourNerds - Thank you for getting back to me! I've been struggling to settle on a platform but have circled back around to m43 because of the overall value to performance. I also have an S5II, but the cost to round out my kit with 2 more + glass was more than I could justify. So I bought 3 GH5 IIs for work, and I'm using an EM-1 MIII, E-5 original (thanks to your video), and I have a G9 coming in today. I'm done now.. going to go have fun.
Cheers
Rick
Hey there. I have the 10 to 25mm Leica. I've tried it on my g9 mk1. I do a lot of aurora shots and it failed. I had to shoot at 1600 iso and f1.7 for 8 seconds to get a reasonable result. But the image wasn't clean enough for me. During the day this lens is solid. I love it and the video is gorgeous. For nighttime I use my ff s1 with a tt artisans 14mm f2.8. Shooting all the way up to 6400 the images are clean. The lens is sharp at 2.8. The battery lasts all night in the camera. It's a great setup. Just findings. The oly might be better at noise control but the g9 isn't good at anything above 800!
Another great video! HNY! Any chance you could do one about OM Workspace? I use it for culling off the card and it’s also really good for making quick timelapse movies. However, editing seems really clunky and I couldn’t get the ai straight off the camera to work. Can’t find any detailed tutorials anywhere. Thank you!
Would you review the Mitakon 25mm f0.95 some day? It's been under my radar but there's very few reviews about it. Also you're the best and happy new year! :)
Funny to see the remarks towards the Voigtlander 17.5! I got this one after really loving their 42.5 (also f/0.95), but found the wider range was just too soft and somehow didn't carry the same feeling I really loved on the 42.5. I ended up trading it in because it just didn't 'spark joy' the same way and I can't quite figure out why. Perhaps I got a bad copy, or maybe I do better with tighter framing? Either way, I still have (and love) the 42.5 and it's gorgeously smooth focusing ring, so I suppose that counts for something!
I think there should be more fisheye videos. That fisheye is great.
Nice video. As a native Norwegian I'm puzzled by the concept of freeze proofing. After 40 years of daily photo journalism in this icebox country I have never had a single gear failure due to cold weather. Maybe I've just been lucky?
To be fair, i think it only really comes into play if you leave a camera out overnight timelapsing or something extreme
Yeah, this is one of these things that seem like marketing and certification rather than functional difference. Unless there's a lot of moisture inside the lens, I don't understand exactly what the cold temperatures are supposed to do. Slighly stiffer rubber gaskets and some miniscule contraction of the materials? And how are the freeze proof ones doing it differently? I of course am talking out of my bum, and it could be they use certain types of anti-seize materials, or lubricants or something, but I never got a satisfying answer to this.
@ You're probably right. For the rest of us, that let the camera sleep indoors at night, it's mostly about marketing :)
Hey Emily.. Loved the video as allways. Is it possible to shoot decent pictures with the lumix 20mm 1.7 in cold weather (in combination with olympus pen e-pl7). Or will it fog up and destroy my equipment? Is it wise to invest in a lens like the 25mm f1.2 from olympus. Or is this overkill?
I used my ep7 which is almost the same thing in all kind of conditions from dust to the harsh northern weather and mountains in winter, the camera is still fine beside one time the shutter got stuck, from the dust i suspect.
Freeze resistance isn't something I've ever worried about. I've spent hours at a time out in Canadian winters (sometimes below -40°) with various systems using both consumer and pro level lenses without ever having issues. My main difficulty with cold weather is battery life, so I keep spare batteries close to my body to keep them warm. YMMV but my two cents.
Nice comparison but the big missing piece is surely the Sigma f1.4 series. All sharp and all fully auto and much cheaper than the Lumix or Olympus (or Voigtlander for that matter!) offerings.
Any recommendations for the body in terms of low performance?
I have some thoughts on this...
The g9ii is supposed to be the best at the moment. It's the most modern sensor and has an automatic feature called dynamic range boost which should help. I am really happy with the results overall!
However I honestly think the real super power of that camera is the stabilisation. Being able to shoot handheld at 1/10th of a second for example let's loads more light in and really helps. So I reckon any m43 camera with great stabilsiation built in would give great results also
Awesome video! Im planning to sell off my nikon ZF and try my em5mk1. Need a small n lightweight setup so that my shoulders can thank me.
For low light I use a Sigma 16mm F1.4
Nice! I got that set of Sigmas but for L mount instead of m43, they're great lenses!
Same. Also the 30 mm F1.4 for low light portraits.
Sigma made a 16mm 1.4f DC DN "everyday" lens for a few hundred. I'm pretty sure it was just an adapted APS-C or even Full Frame lens, as it was rather large. But pretty sharp (and a buttery smooth focus ring) for not a lot of money!
Grazie per la traccia audio in italiano 👏 👏 👏 💪
What about the Oly 20mm F1.4? Ever used it ?
I've not tried that one yet, I'll add it to my list 😁
The newer, MK II version of the Lumix/Leica 25/1.4 is weather sealed, and a fantastic lens, so the newer model should be as tough(or nearly so) as the Oly/OM Pro lens. You are still giving up a little bit of light, however.
Also, for anyone interested in less expensive f/0.95 lenses, I can say that the Meike 50mm/0.95 has been a really solid lens for me. Even wide open I'm happy with the results. You just have to be realistic and give yourself a good working distance so the depth of field isn't TOO thin.
What camera is at 9:30?
The Yongnuo YN455 it's... a bit weird haha I recently reviewed it here
ua-cam.com/video/cUo49sxsIWw/v-deo.htmlsi=KK0GYZdkC22cBzfd
Why did you not review the Voigtlander 29mm F/0.8? Wouldn't that be even brighter, and a better choice for a low light round-up?
Dang, I want to go to Norway. It’s my father’s homeland.
That 15mm f/1.7 looks like it would be a great travel lens.
It's one of my faves for sure, I've used it paired with the GM5 for a lot of this year and it's such a compact setup!
I started me photographic journey in a Canadian city at -20 to -30⁰C, shooting film and ancient manual lenses. I know just how cold a metal lens can be...
Oooof! Yes at the top of that mountain it briefly got to -22 and that's BY FAR the coldest I've ever experienced and even then only for a short period!
@MicroFourNerds before moving to Canada 100 years ago my family came from VERY Northern Norway. I am genetically predisposed to cold climates :)
Let's get back to the 42.5 Leica... no, you're not the only person who thinks that a lens in this price range should be weatherproof. Luckily, there's the Olympus 45mm 1.2!
any advice for a struggling photographer? I bought m43 kit but I am struggling with lens choices. so far all the ones I tried (the f1.2s, f1.4s, f0.95) are way more expensive and/or bigger and/or don't produce such nice subject separation and/or don't AF and get noisier on the smaller sensor than the f1.8s or f2s I used on FF. I am a bit perplex as I bought into the system expecting small cheap fast glass. I pay 5x cost for f1.2 lens which is 2x the size and has worse subject separation than my tiny f2 or f1.8 FF lenses . Also I didn't know that real isos are way bellow to those reported by olympus, so shooting 6400 on FF means for me shooting around 10 000 on m43 while getting performance equivalent to somewhere between 25600 and 40 000 iso in fullframe terms. its all just a frustrating experience, particularly when it gets darker.
Given that a full frame f/2 is equivalent to f/1 on micro 4/3, and mid-tier prime lenses go down to f/1.7 or f/1.4 (wider than that, expect more bulk, higher price, or optical compromises), if you need f/2 on full frame then micro 4/3 or even APS-C is not a great option for you, you can get the same combo in FF with lenses that are smaller and/or way less expensive.
(just to clarify: I love micro 4/3 and one would need to pry my GX9 from my cold, dead fingers. but there are things for which it is not the practical option)
I would suggest that if you need to be shooting above 3200 iso then m43 is probably not the right sensor size. Editing software is good at reducing noise but it's extra work and time.
The best and brightest M43 lenses are expensive as you said. I've found Fujifilm lenses to be more affordable and for lowlight work the bigger apsc sensor does a better job than M43.
Of course FF is best for low light but glass can be big and expensive as well.
Side note, if you're shooting at 10000 iso on M43 with f1.2 lenses, would suggest that your scenes are way to dark and you should look at lighting. I would also suggest to check your shooting exposure triangle settings to see where you may be able to lower that iso. Shooting the same exposure settings on FF at f1.2 and a M43 at f1.2 should give you roughly same iso. Of course the FF sensor image will be cleaner at the same high iso.
What do you mean real ISO? AFAIK the ISO of Olympus bodies is the same as other cameras. Just to check I just tested my MFT camera against a Fuji camera and a 1/2.3" sensor camera and each had about the same level of sensitivity.
@@marshallw I do not know about fuji's small sensors, lens t-stops etc. But if you check dxomark's measurements of "real" iso versus manufacturer's iso you will see that most of the cameras perform around the same but for olympus that overstates their iso values somewhat more. Eg iso 100 for nikon z6 translates to a measurement of iso 77 whereas the oly sensor has to go to iso200 to reach iso 83. this difference is consistent across the iso values going up by the same factor and should lead to a different exposure. I did not test myself ( I would only anecdotally say that I am observing higher values w m43 than what I am used to). Some time ago I got files from an Internet article comparing sony:m43 and the histogram confirmed the sony image being brighter at the same settings. Albeit not scientific, you can search for these samples, google "Noise on Olympus vs Sony cameras for birds in flight". (Imho it's a factor the author of that article is missing when drawing his conclusions.)
When shooting in low light on M43 it is important to remember that you need to use two stops numerically smaller f-stop than full frame to obtain the same image (same depth of field). For the same shutter speed you will be operating at half the ISO, and for similar sensor technology the noise will be similar. If you are shooting a relatively static subject you can often use the superior image stabilisation of M43 to lower the shutter speed and ISO. The “low light” performance of the M43 will usually be better than full frame in this situation.
However, in order to create a very shallow depth of field you need a physically large lens - irrespective of sensor size. You need a large aperture size - the actual size of the hole. Unfortunately it is difficult and expensive to build lenses with small f-stops. So it may be cheaper to use a full frame camera as a given aperture size can be created with a numerically larger f-stop. For example, a 50mm f/1.8 has the same aperture size as a 25mm f/0.9 but will often be cheaper and/or have better controlled aberrations.
I like my Voigtländers, but I dial them back to 1.4. It's much easier to focus and almost just as dreamy, but way sharper, obviously.
I think that's a great sweet spot and still super impressive!
I get it. You don't want to show 2 Oly pro lenses. You could have done 3. But, the 17mm f/1.2 is legendary. It's the sharpest lens I own...and I own the 25mm f/1.2. I use it for Milky Way photography.
As they say, size matters depending on what body you shoot. Especially on this system...
I got my new Voigtländer 60mm 0.95 just yesterday
You’ve inspired me to go out for some night photography excursions!
You forgot to mention that arctic low light photography requires triple IBIS to reduce camera shake: battery powered hand warming gloves and undies!🥶👍😉
So true the IBIS probably helped more than the lenses 😂
Lumix 9mm f1.7
Bought this for auroras and night sky
Such a nice lense. Still on my list since I don't use ultra wide that often to justify buying it 😂
oh you shoot at very high ISO yet the images are very beautiful.
Youngnuo 17,25,42.5mm f1.7
I use the Kamlan 50mm F1.1.,JUST £43.00 from Alibaba..😮😮😮😮 amazing..❤
Sigma16,30,56mm f1.4
finally
The wait is over. Lol
u look healther keep on going
I feel like all of these are overrated for my Pen ep-10 or something like that. Looking into expanding to better than kit lens and like a dslr style instead of pocket style cam in 2025. Which also means I've discovered your channel and watch it time to time.
48 seconds ago nice vid
I think it's cheaper to use a tripod lol
Please, next time you record a video make sure you get rid of the dust on the lenses. So many particles on the shown lenses annoy those you take care of our lenses like jewels. Nice images.