Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Rare photo of Terry . Thought since it was a really nice shot that it deserved the I am over 25 look. 
Need to take care of my Mods. around here.
Need to take care of my Mods. around here.
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Fun with the Lumix/Leica 45 macro
- Thread starter jonoslack
- Start date
Terry,
I would take a crack at that.
I have worked over a number of 19 year olds who wanted to look 19 gain LOL
-bob
Hey Guy.....lemme send my pix.....I'll settle for 45!! :ROTFL:Rare photo of Terry . Thought since it was a really nice shot that it deserved the I am over 25 look.
Godfrey
Well-known member
Heya Terry!
I like the one you posted of me! Jim's got squinty little eyes, hard to get his eyeballs in sharp focus. ];-)
I also like the one I made of you, although the lighting accentuated some of the usual portrait 'issues'. A little fussing with it and I think it will be very nice indeed.
You're faster than I am ... I'm running a project right now and have about about 1000 exposures to go before I get to today's shooting, so I won't have any of what I shot up until tomorrow sometime.
I like the one you posted of me! Jim's got squinty little eyes, hard to get his eyeballs in sharp focus. ];-)
I also like the one I made of you, although the lighting accentuated some of the usual portrait 'issues'. A little fussing with it and I think it will be very nice indeed.
You're faster than I am ... I'm running a project right now and have about about 1000 exposures to go before I get to today's shooting, so I won't have any of what I shot up until tomorrow sometime.
Terry
New member
Perhaps I have no social life :ROTFL:. Perhaps I should spend the time getting my tech hooked back up to move from back from a 13" to a 30" display. But portraits can get scary that big.Heya Terry!
You're faster than I am ... I'm running a project right now and have about about 1000 exposures to go before I get to today's shooting, so I won't have any of what I shot up until tomorrow sometime.
Terry
New member
OK, Bob worked some magic here :thumbup: so I thought I would repost the first portrait again.
Remember the first kudos for Godfrey for taking a shot that I'm actually willing to post! :clap:
Guy now has the file and I pray that I don't end up in the funky color thread. Guy I promise to be nice.....
I decided to spare you and post as thumbnails that can be seen larger...you know the drill if you want them bigger.
View attachment 25136
View attachment 25135
Remember the first kudos for Godfrey for taking a shot that I'm actually willing to post! :clap:
Guy now has the file and I pray that I don't end up in the funky color thread. Guy I promise to be nice
.....I decided to spare you and post as thumbnails that can be seen larger...you know the drill if you want them bigger.
View attachment 25136
View attachment 25135
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Feeling devilish this morning. LOL
Terry
New member
I'm a moderater and my delete button works :angel:
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Yea but I can make it so you can't delete my posts.
I'll be nice though, PROMISE.
Better undo my crossed fingers their
I'll be nice though, PROMISE.
Better undo my crossed fingers their
Godfrey
Well-known member
gdg ... first impressions
Terry asked my initial impressions of the 45 Macro so I wrote them down and posted them to DPR too. Thought I'd post them here as well.
---
I was mostly interested to see how the 45 Macro compared to the Konica 40/1.8 as I've found the Konica to be about my most used lens for a lot of my still life and portrait work in recent months. A lens of similar quality and speed with AF and OIS would be an advantage in my work. While the Konica is a stop and some faster, I tend to use it at f/2.8 most of the time as its wide open performance is a little soft.
There were 58 exposures made with the 45 on my camera, all but 10 of them were wide open. In four cases, I shot exactly the same "mostly planar" scene (+/- the focal length difference) with both the ME45 and the Konica 40 @ f/2.8.
- On center performance from both is just about the same.
- At four-fifths of the way out from center and beyond to the corners , the ME45 holds sharpness with only very small degradation where the Konica goes a little soft.
- I see little evidence of significant rectilinear distortion with either.
[B]note[/B]: Resolution looks very good with both lenses ... of course, without a good reference target, tripod and level to do serious resolution testing, I'm sure that neither lens is performing at its best. Same goes for rectilinear correction.
- The Konica is very well controlled on lateral chromatic aberration, the ME45 shows even less.
- I didn't shoot any high-contrast edges so edge blooming and/or longitudinal chromatic aberration isn't easily apparent with either lens.
- Bokeh at f/2.8 looks pretty similar on both (which is very good: the Konica 40/1.8 has lovely bokeh at f/2.8!)
Overall, the biggest things I noticed in shooting with the two lenses:
- Configured as I have it set up (modified Konica 40 on DMW-MA1 with deep lens hood), the two lenses are about the same size and weight, balance about the same in the hand.
- The manual focusing with the Macro is substantially slower than the Konica 40.
- Field of View and Depth of Field at f/2.8 with either lens is just fine for my portraiture needs. If I need more background blur on this format, going to f/1.8 on the Konica does a tiny bit more but in reality what I really need is a longer lens ... the 70mm f/2 lens is better for that, presuming you have the working room.
- Going to f/1.8 on the Konica helps in lower light helps a good bit, but you give up a lot of sharpness, particularly on edges and corners.
- I didn't make many very close-in shots (I reserve macro testing for a copystand and proper lighting ...) but of what I did, the ME45 performs beautifully for the sort of subjects the focal length is good for.
- Autofocus on the ME45 is convenient and quick at normal subject distances. It does some hunting on complex subjects in the near field ... I didn't try too much but maybe spot focus with a smaller spot would help there. (I usually just jump to MF.) Face detection in portraits worked perfectly, as usual.
- The ME45's OIS proved as I expected: a useful aid in mediocre shooting circumstances. IMO, this is all I expect from any IS system.
Ok, enough initial thoughts ... Back later, I'll post some pictures then.
Terry!
Thanks again for the opportunity to try this lens! It is really a delightful piece.
I like the new Terry avatar ... of course, I have a vested interest. ;-)
Terry asked my initial impressions of the 45 Macro so I wrote them down and posted them to DPR too. Thought I'd post them here as well.
---
I was mostly interested to see how the 45 Macro compared to the Konica 40/1.8 as I've found the Konica to be about my most used lens for a lot of my still life and portrait work in recent months. A lens of similar quality and speed with AF and OIS would be an advantage in my work. While the Konica is a stop and some faster, I tend to use it at f/2.8 most of the time as its wide open performance is a little soft.
There were 58 exposures made with the 45 on my camera, all but 10 of them were wide open. In four cases, I shot exactly the same "mostly planar" scene (+/- the focal length difference) with both the ME45 and the Konica 40 @ f/2.8.
- On center performance from both is just about the same.
- At four-fifths of the way out from center and beyond to the corners , the ME45 holds sharpness with only very small degradation where the Konica goes a little soft.
- I see little evidence of significant rectilinear distortion with either.
[B]note[/B]: Resolution looks very good with both lenses ... of course, without a good reference target, tripod and level to do serious resolution testing, I'm sure that neither lens is performing at its best. Same goes for rectilinear correction.
- The Konica is very well controlled on lateral chromatic aberration, the ME45 shows even less.
- I didn't shoot any high-contrast edges so edge blooming and/or longitudinal chromatic aberration isn't easily apparent with either lens.
- Bokeh at f/2.8 looks pretty similar on both (which is very good: the Konica 40/1.8 has lovely bokeh at f/2.8!)
Overall, the biggest things I noticed in shooting with the two lenses:
- Configured as I have it set up (modified Konica 40 on DMW-MA1 with deep lens hood), the two lenses are about the same size and weight, balance about the same in the hand.
- The manual focusing with the Macro is substantially slower than the Konica 40.
- Field of View and Depth of Field at f/2.8 with either lens is just fine for my portraiture needs. If I need more background blur on this format, going to f/1.8 on the Konica does a tiny bit more but in reality what I really need is a longer lens ... the 70mm f/2 lens is better for that, presuming you have the working room.
- Going to f/1.8 on the Konica helps in lower light helps a good bit, but you give up a lot of sharpness, particularly on edges and corners.
- I didn't make many very close-in shots (I reserve macro testing for a copystand and proper lighting ...) but of what I did, the ME45 performs beautifully for the sort of subjects the focal length is good for.
- Autofocus on the ME45 is convenient and quick at normal subject distances. It does some hunting on complex subjects in the near field ... I didn't try too much but maybe spot focus with a smaller spot would help there. (I usually just jump to MF.) Face detection in portraits worked perfectly, as usual.
- The ME45's OIS proved as I expected: a useful aid in mediocre shooting circumstances. IMO, this is all I expect from any IS system.
Ok, enough initial thoughts ... Back later, I'll post some pictures then.
Terry!
Thanks again for the opportunity to try this lens! It is really a delightful piece.
Well, thanks for that Godfrey (probably will cost me some money in the end too LOL).
That was a very useful review for me since i shoot quite a lot with the same 40 f/1.8 also.
BTW--like the new avatar also--and kudos to you (Godfrey) for the shot--very very nice. I told Terry I liked the B & W until I saw the color--and it came alive for me with the eyes in color.
Diane
That was a very useful review for me since i shoot quite a lot with the same 40 f/1.8 also.
BTW--like the new avatar also--and kudos to you (Godfrey) for the shot--very very nice. I told Terry I liked the B & W until I saw the color--and it came alive for me with the eyes in color.
Diane
Brian Mosley
New member
I like your colour portrait Terry (are your eyes really that stunning colour?)...
Godfrey, you didn't mention the Hexanon 40mm f1.8 is probably one of the cheapest Hex lenses you can find... an incredible bargain.
Cheers
Brian
Godfrey, you didn't mention the Hexanon 40mm f1.8 is probably one of the cheapest Hex lenses you can find... an incredible bargain.
Cheers
Brian
jonoslack
Active member
Well - great shot, love the new avatar, and well done to Godfrey for taking it. Great summary Godfrey - you seem to have nailed it's character.
The lens does look like a winner . . I'm finding the IS on the EP1 body to work really well, I rather wish I still had the GF1 to do some proper comparisons.
The trouble around here is that it's blowing a gale, and raining really hard on and off, so it's pretty difficult to get anything meaningful.
OT Jono. I watched the video from parts of the UK yesterday with the flooding, extreme weather, a gale as you said. Hope you and all our UK friends are okay.
Diane
Last edited:
Godfrey
Well-known member
Terry has beautiful eyes, yes. (don't blush, you! ;-)
I made no mention that the ME45 is an expensive lens either, Brian. The cost of the ME45 does not affect my initial impressions of its performance at all, just like the cost of the Konica 40 does not impact its performance at all either.