Review of 20mm f1.7 lens

[Vivek]

4/3rds is dead after the arrival of the m4/3rds. Leica probably sell ~10 new lenses a month in any region. They ought to be worried about Olympus.

 

[OzRay]

I NEVER shoot JPEG and to be honest the first Panasonic I owned personally is the G1 (unless you count the Leica D-Lux 4 variant of the LX3 too.) I don't think they do anything to those RAW files outside of lens correction info and I'm pretty sure noise reduction is only applied to JPEG where they are both concerned... Again... I never shoot JPEG though.

OK, my mistake, I thought that you shot JPG. That said, the LX2 does use noise reduction even with RAW files and the results are complete mush. The out of camera JPG files are better than anything I can get shooting RAW. That's a real shame, as I've printed 13" x 19" prints from LX2 JPG files and often wondered how good they could have been if I could have developed clean RAW files.

Cheers

Ray

 

[iiiNelson]

I think Pana would kill Oly. Eventually.

I don't know that to be true as their are more Olympus dedicated people than Panasonic. I think many people "look down" on Panasonic attempting to make serious cameras since they are a conglomerate (well a subsidy of one) and not a "camera company" in purist terms. I think those are the same type of people who sleep on the Sony Alpha line of DSLR's when it's clear they are putting out a quality product, more so IMO than Canon and Nikon, even if the lens lineup isn't complete yet.

 

[Vivek]

I think those are the same type of people who sleep on the Sony Alpha line of DSLR's when it's clear they are putting out a quality product, more so IMO than Canon and Nikon, even if the lens lineup isn't complete yet.

I would disagree with that assumption.

Sony have brought out A900/850 ISO200 cams. Not a match to what CaNikon offer.

Yeah, there isn't much of a system to speak of either. This is despite the fact that Sony is resisting offering any combicams!

 

[OzRay]

4/3rds is dead after the arrival of the m4/3rds. Leica probably sell ~10 new lenses a month in any region. They ought to be worried about Olympus.

Don't bet your crown jewels on that. My comment about Leica was something someone, who'd worked for Leica (or whose family had worked for Leica), mentioned about a discussion on who could compete on lens quality with Leica. Not overly relevant now, but interesting nonetheless.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Vivek]

Don't bet your crown jewels on that.

I won't.

I hope you do not either, based on:

My comment about Leica was something someone, who'd worked for Leica (or whose family had worked for Leica), mentioned about a discussion on who could compete on lens quality with Leica.

 

[iiiNelson]

I would disagree with that assumption.

Sony have brought out A900/850 ISO200 cams. Not a match to what CaNikon offer.

Yeah, there isn't much of a system to speak of either. This is despite the fact that Sony is resisting offering any combicams!

I'm going off of what I see versus the specs alone. The base ISO isn't what's most important to me - the finished product is.

I will say a D3X is probably the best overall DSLR on the market in 35mm because of the versatile ability to shoot low light better than anything else right now. Unless you are constantly shooting in low light I don't think you will see the benefits over a a900/850. While Sony doesn't have the lineup of either of the big two what's more important is what they do have is very good and covers most situation for most types of shooters. You mostly are only losing out on specialty lenses at this point.

This all is just my opinion though. We all have our own personal tastes.

 

[OzRay]

I won't.

I hope you do not either, based on:

Quote:
My comment about Leica was something someone, who'd worked for Leica (or whose family had worked for Leica), mentioned about a discussion on who could compete on lens quality with Leica.

If I could find the post, you might not be so dismissive. I've been betting my Crown Jewels, and earning an income, from 4/3s for over five years now. I'm not losing any confidence at the moment.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Vivek]

I've been betting my Crown Jewels, and earning an income, from 4/3s for over five years now.

That clearly sounds dishonest. If you are earning an income from 4/3rds, I bet it has nothing to do with crown jewels (unless you consider your creativity and effort among them).

 

[OzRay]

I would disagree with that assumption.

Sony have brought out A900/850 ISO200 cams. Not a match to what CaNikon offer.

Yeah, there isn't much of a system to speak of either. This is despite the fact that Sony is resisting offering any combicams!

If I wanted a near MF landscape, studio or similar camera, the Sony A850/900 would have to be a camera of choice; high MP and at a cost that make the likes of the D3x truly obscene. And there are enough Sony lenses to complement just about any need. This list doesn't seem that bad:

http://www.sony.com.au/productcategory/dslr-camera-lens

Cheers

Ray

 

[OzRay]

That clearly sounds dishonest. If you are earning an income from 4/3rds, I bet it has nothing to do with crown jewels (unless you consider your creativity and effort among them).

I'm afraid I don't understand that comment at all. I earn an income in a domain dominated by Canon and Nikon, using what is for most an anathema as far as sport (or any professional) photography is concerned. That means I've put my reputation (as small as it is) and my ability to earn an income, on the line by using a camera system that barely anyone would use for sports and news photography. I defy the odds and keep churning out results that everyone is happy with.

Cheers

Ray

 

[Terry]

Speaking of Sony, after much gear juggling this year that is exactly where I landed.

Sold Nikon D700 and all the lenses you would expect
Sold M8 and most lenses

Bought Sony A900 24-70, 70-300, 135, 24-105 (minolta tiny and quite good), Sigma 12-24
Bought full m4/3 kit (actually too much now I need to sell some stuff own all bodies/all lenses)

I'm very happy with my current set up.

What do I wish for? The simplicity of the M8 in a micro 4/3 system. The X1 gets the first part right but I can't help feel like a GF1 and 20mm lens for most instances with the added flexibility to use other lenses has it trumped.

 

[Vivek]

I earn an income in a domain dominated by Canon and Nikon, using what is for most an anathema as far as sport (or any professional) photography is concerned.

Are you a photographer or just an Olympus user? No photography is dominated by Canon or Nikon. Perhaps some areas are "dominated" by photographers who use those brands.

Hope that clarifies.

 

[Vivek]

If I wanted a near MF landscape, studio or similar camera, the Sony A850/900 would have to be a camera of choice; high MP and at a cost that make the likes of the D3x truly obscene.

I will wait for the A800 that would show up in a few months and would make the prices of the A900/850 look obscene.

..and I do not need a manual focus camera for landscape or studio in a Sony.

 

[iiiNelson]

Speaking of Sony, after much gear juggling this year that is exactly where I landed.

Sold Nikon D700 and all the lenses you would expect
Sold M8 and most lenses

Bought Sony A900 24-70, 70-300, 135, 24-105 (minolta tiny and quite good), Sigma 12-24
Bought full m4/3 kit (actually too much now I need to sell some stuff own all bodies/all lenses)

I'm very happy with my current set up.

What do I wish for? The simplicity of the M8 in a micro 4/3 system. The X1 gets the first part right but I can't help feel like a GF1 and 20mm lens for most instances with the added flexibility to use other lenses has it trumped. l

Simplicity is good. The G1 is a great camera for what I do. The 14-45 pretty much lives on my G1 and I use the D-Lux 4 for wider shots. I rarely use the 45-200 to be honest now which led me to my current reality - I was thinking about adding a GF1 to compliment my G1 but in reality I'm happy with the G1 as is and a M9 would be a better fit for what I like to do. I could almost sell the G1 except those cases where I wouldn't want to have several thousand dollars of equipment on me and when I do want the occasional long shot.

 

[OzRay]

Are you a photographer or just an Olympus user? No photography is dominated by Canon or Nikon. Perhaps some areas are "dominated" by photographers who use those brands.

Hope that clarifies.

Sports photography is dominated by Canon/Nikon, no ifs, no buts. Canon was supreme until the advent of the D3, whereupon Nikon started to make major inroads into what was once nothing but Canon territory (thanks also to the initial dismal quality of the 1DMkIII - nothing new when it comes to Canon).

I came into sports photography more by happenstance, when I was already an Olympus user (long story), but I remained with Olympus initially and after realising that the big two really didn't offer me much more, I've remained with Olympus ever since.

The one major thing that has kept me with Olympus are the lenses. Only recently has Nikon released lenses equal to the Olympus 7-14mm and 14-35mm and no one, no one, offers a lens like the 90-250mm. If Nikon brought out a lens equal to the 90-250mm f2.8, I'd possibly (only possibly) sell my Olympus gear and buy Nikon.

However, I'd never buy Canon, I just don't want to become a pr*ck like just about every Canon sports photographer I've ever encountered on the field (that's another story).

Cheers

Ray

 

[Vivek]

Ray,

Shoot with what you like and how you like it.

AFAIK, there is no extra $ or a badge because one uses brand X or Y or Z.

 

[OzRay]

Ray,

Shoot with what you like and how you like it.

AFAIK, there is no extra $ or a badge because one uses brand X or Y or Z.

I use exactly what I want to use, not what others think I should use. And so far, the only opinons that count are those of my news and sports editors. :thumbup:

Cheers

Ray