Summilux Panasonic 25mm f1.4

A

admactanium

Well-known member
Just picked up this lens last weekend used locally. Nice copy that didn't seem like it had much use at all. I had to order the 4/3 to µ4/3 adapter, which just arrived today.

I have projects around the house that I'm working on and have a deadline but I did play around with the lens during some break time. I'm really glad I found and bought this lens as it will be a perfect lens for baby photos (my main usage and purpose for buying the GH1). Very nice bokeh, fast focus on the GH1 body and sharp wide open.

I'm a big fan of shallow depth of field, especially for stills. Plus it gives me that fast normal prime that I always like to have. The only downside is that the focus action is quite loud. So for video it'll likely be best to run it in full manual mode - although it also makes noise when you focus it manually (a series of clicks). I don't really have any technical tests, but I did take a few snaps with it today for those that are interested. I'll shoot some video with it when I have more time.

Clickable thumbnails:



Sorry for the cat shot. I know everyone's tired of cat shots:

 
Good to hear. Trying to decide what to go with for a lens around 24-28mm (normal on the GH-1). I'm staring fresh, no lenses in my setup currently. I considered going with a bunch of Nikon/Nikkor primes, but fast lenses around this focal length are quite spendy. I've heard good things about this lens, however. Thanks for your feedback.
 
No problem. I was searching for the same thing. I looked into all the nice old manual focus lenses. It's a bit of fool's gold when you start checking those out because most of the normal lenses are very cheap. You can get lenses in the 50mm ƒ2.8 range for less than $100 usually. 50mm on this camera is just too long for most of my uses and once you start looking for fast glass it gets expensive. I finally sat back and thought "If I'm going to spend over $1000 for an older manual focus 25mm in <ƒ1.8, then I might as well look at this autofocus 4/3rd lens."

I don't have any old 25mm lenses to compare it to. Sure, there are neat lenses out there like 25mm ƒ0.95s but I'm not willing to spend that much on a manual focus lens at this time. This lens was the perfect solution and I found it locally on Craigslist from a guy selling his digital stuff so he can shoot film. $725 with a UV filter for this lens that's in perfect condition and barely used seemed like a steal for me.

I'm happy with the decision. I took some shots of my friend's new baby with it and the shallow depth of field is really perfect for baby photos.
 
Wow nice snag on Craigslist. Yeah the fact that it's a fast "normal" lens and that the autofocus works with the GH-1 is pretty nice. I'd feel pretty comfortable booking some photo portrait gigs on the side with the lens.
 
Yeah. I was very happy to find it. It's really the best solution for me at this time. I always like to have a fast normal since it gets you shots that you can't get from kit lenses and point-n-shoots. And those photos are the ones that are more "special." I'm a big fan of shallow depth of field - probably to the point of being slightly cheesy. Haha. But for babies shallow DOF is exactly what I want.
 
Aww kitty!

Since it's a 4/3 lens, it means it's focus-by-wire... so full manual mode focusing will pick up noise, like you mentioned. A bit annoying, really!
 
Yes, full manual focusing has a gear-like ticking noise - similar to the sound the combination dial on a safe make when you turn it.
 
Yeah I know! But man, 25/1.4 on GH-1? Dream.

I guess that is one advantage of full frame sensors: I'm finding that even though the MKii doesn't actually record a full frame, the FOV is wide enough to where a 50/1.4 looks more like a 30 to 35mm (in terms of Full Frame S35 FOV-- cinematic) to my eyes so I'm using it more often than I ever used a 50.

That also means a fast 35 is going to be rather wide, and a fast 24 super wide.

Regardless, the 25/1.4 looks juicy.
 
Tell me about it. B&H sent me their in-stock email the day I was buying it but I see it's out of stock at B&H again. It seems to be very hard to find overall. I just happened to be searching Craigslist that day and I happened upon it. Luckily I was the first person to contact him about it. It's really in perfect condition. Looks brand new plus it had a UV filter already on it.

I haven't had nearly a free minute to play with it though. I've been doing pretty big projects around the house. Got a baby on the way (thus the new camera with video mode) and I've been doing all kinds of crazy tiring stuff around the house. We're having the baby shower today so I think I'm going to do a video of the shower. :)
 
DonalDuc said:
Hmmm, price of Summilux 1.4 = Sigma 30mm 1.4 + Sigma 50mm 1.4 together :-(
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Yeah. I know. I do have the Sigma 30 ƒ1.4 for my Canon 30D and I like that lens a lot too. It's obviously a heavy lens but I don't think it's that much different than the Summilux in weight. But when you start to do the research you'll find that the Sigmas are Manual Focus only on the GH1. That's not a problem per se, but if you're going to buy a manual focus only lens, you might as well buy a Canon FD 50 ƒ1.4 or 55 ƒ1.2 and an adapter. Then at least you have an adapter that fits a whole host of cheap and fast lenses.
 
SUMMILUX 25mm great crisp image but focus hunting

SUMMILUX 25mm great crisp image but focus hunting

admactanium said:
Just picked up this lens last weekend used locally. Nice copy that didn't seem like it had much use at all. I had to order the 4/3 to µ4/3 adapter, which just arrived today.

I have projects around the house that I'm working on and have a deadline but I did play around with the lens during some break time. I'm really glad I found and bought this lens as it will be a perfect lens for baby photos (my main usage and purpose for buying the GH1). Very nice bokeh, fast focus on the GH1 body and sharp wide open.

I'm a big fan of shallow depth of field, especially for stills. Plus it gives me that fast normal prime that I always like to have. The only downside is that the focus action is quite loud. So for video it'll likely be best to run it in full manual mode - although it also makes noise when you focus it manually (a series of clicks). I don't really have any technical tests, but I did take a few snaps with it today for those that are interested. I'll shoot some video with it when I have more time.

Clickable thumbnails:



Sorry for the cat shot. I know everyone's tired of cat shots:

Click to expand...
Hello,
I have received a few days ago my summilux 25 f1.4, I owned for many years a Leica R3 (was stolen with 3 lenses during a burglary at my home- I had also a rolleiflex...). I love crisp images and could not resist the call of a summilux to supplement my GH1 as soon as I got it...
So far my first tests of the summilux give me images I like:):):), and I don't regret in spite of a question whether it behaves correctly:
Under AFS (auto focus Single) set up on the camera it keeps on hunting (back and forth) for focus while I move the aim (without pressing on the release -half way or not).
Quite annoying and noisy (although the dowlnload update on lumix site says so). I would expect that it would only try focusing when half way pressed.

Consequently, most of the time I go for MF (manual focus)... Lens software version was 2.something so I did not have to update.

Have you or has anyone experienced the same focus hunting? Is there a solution apart from MF?
I will post soon some tests.

By the way I really enjoy the GH1 with its 14-140mm :):):) (not very luminous though, but still very worth it).

I have also ordered a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f1.1, should be great... delivery takes a while I have been told.
Other question has anyone played with the Nokton?
 
I've noticed it does hunt quite a bit but usually because I'm too close to the subject and closer than its minimum focus distance. Outside of that I haven't really had too many issues with its focusing ability. It is loud though as you've noted and I've mentioned before but the images are really worth it. :)
 
summilux focus hunting due to bad setting by user (me)

summilux focus hunting due to bad setting by user (me)

I'm stupid since in fact I had PRE AF set as ON, as soon as I set it OFF it became alright focusing only when "requested" with a halfway pressure on shutter release...

So far I am very very happy: great lens worth the money.
 
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