Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 Mk II is here

 In 2012, I bought the Panasonic GH3 and the Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8 in order to get started with micro Four-Thirds.  It was a rough start.

The GH3 EVF had the wrong color and the 35-100mm f/2.8 was subject to horrible flare with the lens hood in place and the sun out of the frame.  The OIS also had terrible stutter during video recording, even after a specific firmware update designed to fix the problem.

 

Besides that, it just didn't measure up to the US$1400 price or my Olympus ZD SHG 35-100mm f/2.0.   $1400 vs $2499 makes it seem as though the Panasonic lens was priced too high.  It took time to come to terms with micro Four-Thirds but I was using the system most days in 2015 and 2016.

Today, January 15, 2026, I received a used Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 Mk II.  I spent about US$500 on it.  The Panasonic G97 isn't as big as the GH4 that I was using daily but it has similar capabilities and IBIS (in-body image stabilization) that the GH4 did not have.  With most Panasonic lenses using OIS (optical image stabilization), they will be combined in what Panasonic calls Dual I.S.  I considered the Panasonic 135 Format 70-200mm f/2.8 instead but it's over US$2000.

 

Ugly flare with sun out of frame 

The second photo was taken with the sun out of frame, similar to the first, but look, there is no ugly flare.  Hopefully, it's not just that it was later in the day.

 I took the lens for walk of about 5 miles.  It feels like the earlier lens and it also felt surprisingly like a brand new lens.  Considering that it was used and coming from a rental company, I feel that my choice was good.

 

Color cast is non-existant.  I'll see if I can do a video test because I've been told that the OIS stutter still exists, even in the Leica-branded lens.  I hope it's been eliminated. 

 

Update 2026.01.25: Yesterday, I was at the Korean church and the person who photographs for the church had the Sony body and 70-200mm f/2.8 out on the dinner table.  I took out the G97 and 35-100mm f/2.8 Mk II.  There is a slight difference in size, and yes, I know, it's a lovely photo.  I took zero minutes to arrange things.  I didn't put the lens hood in place and the Sony has the lens hood in place.

 

Update 2026.03.01: Went out last evening with the G97 and 35-100mm f/2.8 Mk II.  The Dual I.S. performed admirably for such a middle of the range camera body. 

Photographing a Wedding: Preparing for the Worst

Photographing a wedding seems the worst I could handle.  Most of the people are people I likely don't know.  If the daughters are anything like their mother, it could be very emotional.

How do you photograph the wedding of two people who already have four children?  Life has changed a great deal over time.  I remember my uncle saying "Are you playing 'So Happy Together'?" because my cousin and his fiancee had already been living together.

I bought a Joby (the Gorillapod people) Pro Sling Strap.  It's a brilliant, complicated strap that hooks into your tripod socket.  I probably should have bought the extra piece to allow it to be used more easily with a tripod.  It wasn't cheap, but it was discounted quite a lot, so it seemed a good choice from a reliable brand.

Other than that, I believe I need another (at least, one) SD Card that can record video and write photos at high speed.  I have two camera bodies (Panasonic GH4. GM5), both of which do HD video.  I could record 4K video but that's a bit much.  No one wants to see their flaws that much.

I was thinking about using the small camera behind the altar or whatever home-made setup they're using, to record the bride's walk down the aisle.  I can have someone start and stop it remotely, using a phone--if they remember.

Otherwise, I've got a slightly wide (15mm f/1.7) angle lens, plus zoom (12-35mm f/2.8) lens for the wedding party shots and reception shots.  I've got a portrait length (42.5mm f/1.7) lens for closer shots, plus a zoom (35-100mm f/2.8) lens for the vows.  I've also got a fisheye Olympus 8mm f/1.8) lens that works in lower light situations, if things get weird.

I need to figure out something neutral to wear since I don't have many clothes these days.

Update 2018.09.08: Got the strap, an SD Card (SanDisk Extreme, up to 90 MB/sec), a light gray, short-sleeved shirt, and I've ordered another GH4 battery.  I'm still feeling more than a bit of anxiety but whatever.

GH5 soon? GH4 with me for over two years

I was thinking that I'd only had the GH4 for a little more than 1 year, but it has been 2.  Strange how time seems to pass.  It's been almost 5 years since I started with micro Four-Thirds, with the GH3 and 35-100mm f/2.8 lens.

In about 36 hours, Panasonic will announce the GH5.  So far, the rumors have indicated very little.  It's getting a higher resolution sensor.  It's getting a higher resolution EVF and a higher resolution rear display.  It will be able to record at higher bit rates, including 4K at 60p, and possibly 120 fps or 180 fps for 1080p.  There is a new hotshoe-mounted interface device.

The 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8 lenses are to be revised.  Hopefully, they'll fix the pathetic OIS unit in the 35-100mm f/2.8.  The stutter in video was just as bad after the firmware fix.

Speculation is everything now.

I have one big wish--that the AF be tremendously improved.  Whether I'm recording video clips and the AF suddenly goes away or I'm trying to take a still photograph of someone and it locks onto the fence or wall behind the person, I need improvement.  Supposedly, they've divided the AF areas to provide a more granular set but it didn't feel as the number of CDAF areas were the problem.  It was that the camera body became too busy to be bothered with AF.

It's odd that I can be sitting and I point the GH4 in a slightly different direction and I can hear it working on AF, but if I need it to take care of it while doing the half-press on the shutter release button, it's off in lala land just enough to be a problem.

I've still had problems with the EVF blacking out while I'm wearing non-polarized sunglasses but that isn't really a problem for me.  Muscle memory helps me get my shots.

Since Sony and Canon have stepped up their game, Panasonic must arrive with much better technology and I'm not enough of a brand fanatic to believe that they have.  I believe whatever Venus Engine processor they use will be better but it always comes up a bit short.  They've become better at removing chroma noise, but not enough to make anything over ISO 3200 usable for me.

To me, they should have the same sensor with 121 cross-type AF PDAF and CDAF points that the E-M1 Mk II has.  This would solve many problems, if used correctly.  Panasonic told us that they didn't need PDAF and that using pixels for PDAF degraded image quality.  I suspect that they didn't use the best technology.

Whatever comes, they will likely underestimate demand and eek out a few units, so that people will wait months for their camera body to arrive, even if they receive a boatload of pre-orders.

I hope that Panasonic overwhelms us with good news about the GH5 and the 35-100mm f/2.8 replacement.

What, no PDAF?  Are they stupid, cheap, or both?  For the price, PDAF should be included.

I'm underwhelmed.  Yes, it's better than the GH4, but it would be difficult to not improve on the GH4.  Apparently, the sensor outputs at 1.7x the speed, they say, but isn't 480 2.0x 240?  Hopefully, the replacements for the 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8 are up to full speed instead of lagging.  They aren't--the same 240 fps that the originals did.  I'm wondering if they fixed the OIS in the 35-100mm f/2.8 or just re-did the exterior, as with the 20mm f/1.7 lens.  At least, they reduced the price from the maximum of the original.

I was unimpressed with the 35-100mm when I used it on the E-M1 instead of the GH3 because it was so much slower.  It's slow on the GX8 also, but of course, not on the GH4.  In the revised version, they say 240 fps, which seems the original figure, but it never seemed to work well, for me, on anything but the GH3 or GH4.  It was slow on the GX8 and E-M1, for me.

At least, the GH5 finally has 5 axis image stabilization, and hopefully, the new routines in the Venus Engine 10 image processor will help them keep up.  Its speed improvement was less than impressive, considering that the GH4 was overwhelmed at times and didn't keep up.  It almost feels as though the new processor was good enough for the GH4.

It's both brilliant for the film maker, and brilliantly flawed for the rest of us.

Update 2019.04.01: It's been over two years and a lot has happened.  The GH5 is still there, but there are also the G9 and the GH5s.  For film makers, the GH5s is a great way to get things done, but for the extra expense.  It's definitely not for a stills photographer, as it has 10.28 MP and costs more than the GH5, but without in-body image stabilization.  That camera body is the G9 with IBIS and 20 MP and much better auto focus.

The G85 is actually quite good, as a GH4 alternative and shortly, its successor should be available, if the rumors are true.  20 MP, 4K video, and a small-ish body.  That might be worth it, just to get an enhanced version, even if it is small.  Since the G85 already has the Dual IS to make the joined stabilization stronger than either lens OIS or IBIS, it could be an alternative, especially if the price drops due to its replacement.

Got the Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6

As much as I like ultimate image quality, there is no such tangible thing.  Sure, you can buy a Medium Format system and tweak every setting but unless it conveys the emotions you feel, is all the work worth it?

Since I photograph sports, the Panasonic GM5 seemed an odd choice.  It’s tiny and because of that, it’s big on compromise.  e.g., the mechanical shutter only goes to 1/500 of a second.

At the time, I got the GM5 with the 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens and the 42.5mm f/1.7 Power OIS lens.  I already had the Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7 and the 25mm f/1.7 lenses.

For a while, I’ve struggled with telephoto shots.  Since I have a heart defect that is killing me, I can’t just run (or walk) where I want to be.  Sometimes, I have trouble standing.

Now, I have the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens, plus my Olympus ZD 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 and SHG 35-100mm f/2.0 lenses.  Even the small Panasonic lens is rather too big for the GM5.

As the Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 is often available with a US$100 rebate, I decided to try it.  It seems to be the tiniest telephoto zoom lens I’ve ever seen.  Panasonic’s 35-100mm f/4.0-5.6 may be smaller but I had so little luck with the 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 that I didn’t want to spend the extra money.  Besides, the extra 50mm of reach was useful.

The salesperson referred to it as “the cheap lens” and kind of choked on his words.  I didn’t see the manager, but I nodded and grinned.  US$100 is a low price for a lens, with rebate, of course.  At US$200, it’s probably overpriced, but they run the rebate so often, does anyone pay full price?  The Panasonic 35-100mm f/4.0-5.6 designed for the GM5 was US$250.  This 40-150mm is the third US$100 lens, after the Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 and the 25mm f/1.7.

The one thing I noticed right after removing it from the bubble wrap was that it had a plastic mount.  I remembered all the original Canon Digital Rebel/300D bodies with part of the kit lens still mounted while the rest of the lens was not attached.  I’m a bit rough on my equipment but I treat the GM5 with more care, so maybe it will be fine.

The lens is light, consistent with its small maximum aperture.  It looks fairly big on the GM5 but not any worse than my 35-100mm f/2.0 on the Olympus E-1.

40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 35-100mm f/2.8

50-200mm 40-150mm 35-100mm f/2.8 and f/2.0

Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 beside GM5 and 12-32mm

Panasonic 12-32mm beside Olympus 40-150mm on GM5

Panasonic 12-32mm beside Olympus 40-150mm on GM5

Olympus 35-100mm f/2.0 on GM5

At US$199.99, I want to compare it to a Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 I had for Nikon that cost exactly that.  With over 11x zoom, the Tamron was quite useful and I knew that there would be deficiencies.  The Olympus lens is just under 4x zoom range and should be quite clear, for the same price.  It isn't bad, but at the 150mm end, the results so far haven't been consistent.  I've tried it on the GM5 and E-M1 so far but not on the GH4 or GX8.  I may have to re-work my grip on the GM5 for maximum stability, especially while shooting at skate parks.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 and 50-100mm f/1.8 versus Olympus 14-35mm f/2.0 and 35-100mm f/2.0

Since the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 Art lens was announced, I've been thinking about the correlation of this lens with the Olympus SHG ZD 35-100mm f/2.0 and the relationship from the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 to the Olympus SHG ZD 14-35mm f/2.0 lens.

It almost seems as though Sigma is doing this for bragging rights alone.

I have three of these lenses and I'm contemplating the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8.

Mostly, I photograph at skate parks.  That requires very responsive camera bodies and lenses.  So far, the Nikon D7200 and Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens combination has been better at wide-normal casual situations.  Obviously, the lens isn't part of Sigma's Sport line but is part of their Art line.

The two Olympus lenses were part of their Super High Grade line, which meant that they could be used in any situations requiring the utmost quality and weather-sealing--and that they were very costly, somewhat above US$2000.  I've used the 35-100mm f/2.0 lens for indoor high school sports such as swimming and basketball.  The almost 3:1 zoom is 135 Format equivalent to 70-200mm, and not a bad range.

The trouble with the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 lens is that it has a limited range, similar to the 18-35mm f/1.8 lens.  Occasionally, I switch the D7200 from DX coverage to 1.3x, to effectively extend the far end of the lens.  It uses less of the sensor and therefore, less of the lens, so image quality should be improved at the edges.

Also, I find the 18-35mm f/1.8 lens to be very good, but not great.  The Olympus 14-35mm f/2.0 on micro Four-Thirds equipment still works better for me, but the balance is off, even with the GH4.  I wish that there was a tripod collar for the 14-35mm f/2.0 lens.

My experience with the 18-35mm f/1.8 not being incredibly good, I'm not enthusiastic about spending US$1099.99 on the 50-100mm f/1.8.  It's not that I feel a need to buy it, but that it would make a good companion for the 18-35mm f/1.8.  I suspect that, if I got a US$200-300 discount, I'd be much more likely to buy it, as I did with the 18-35mm f/1.8 lens.

I was watching a video espousing an opinion about the lens and it was somewhat amusing.  I'd never seen that person's videos or web site, but the video was mistaken, at least, on the Nikon side about the possibilities for use of the 50-100mm f/1.8 lens.

At this point, I may not buy another lens for the D7200, although a normal zoom or the Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye lens could be useful.  I'd really like to see the D7200 work well.

Panasonic Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8 continues to disappoint

This weekend, I was photographing and video recording a skateboard and scooter competition.

Since the skate park was fairly spacious, and so many people were everywhere, I used the Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 instead of the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8.

I have not really used the 35-100mm lens since sending it for repair due to a very ugly purple lens flare with the sun out of the frame.  That was over one year ago.  If I need such reach, I get one of my Olympus dSLRs (E-1, E-5) and use the Olympus 35-100mm f/2.0 or 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5.

However, recently, Panasonic had developed and released firmware to make the Optical Image Stabilization better than it had previously been when recording video.  Apparently, it stuttered terribly.

In any case, I took 1014 photos and 23 video clips.  A buddy and I were going to work with the video clips today, and I tried to weed out the worst of them.  I was shocked at how horrible and jumpy they were.  I don't have such a problem with the GH4 and the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 or the Leica/Lumix/Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 lenses, and they're not stabilized at all.  (The still photos were reasonable, especially since it was afternoon and there was plenty of sun.)

This lens is unfortunate, especially at a retail price just under US$1500.  The image quality is good, especially for a lens that would cost $750 (compare to Sigma's 18-35mm f/1.8 for US$799.99), but it's only average for a $1500 lens.  The build quality seems weak for such a lens, although it is supposedly weather-sealed.  Zacuto mentioned in an online interview with Panasonic representatives that it seemed much less high quality (did he say "cheap-feeling construction"?) than the 12-35mm f/2.8 also made by Panasonic.

I swore off Panasonic lenses, but the 15mm f/1.7 was too good to ignore.  It functions well, aside from some low light AF hunting.

I was considering the 12-35mm f/2.8 because of the OIS but forget that.  I've been told that it was much better, but that was before the firmware release "fixing" the 35-100mm f/2.8 lens.  If this is normal behavior for the 12-35mm f/2.8, how are they selling any of them?  How can I be more disappointed than I already was?

After handling the Olympus 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 for 14 hour days, I wonder if Olympus' new 40-150mm f/2.8 will be a problem to hold steady on the GH4 or E-M1?

Update 2015.11.04: I shot a competition at a skate park more recently and the 35-100mm f/2.8 behaved fairly well.  I still don't believe the price is appropriate but I got the work done and the video was not entirely as bad as that from the previous competition.

More recently, I got the GX8 with 12-35mm f/2.8 and, not surprisingly, I've found the 12-35mm to be a much better lens.  It didn't hurt that I got it at a US$300 discount, due to instant rebates and the bundling with the GX8. 

It really does seem as though Panasonic went through some design compromises to get the size of the 35-100mm f/2.8 down to that same 58mm filter size.  I just wish that they'd made it a lens I could want to use.

Update 2016.11.16: There were rumors that the 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8 would be replaced or their replacement announced at Photokina 2016.  That didn't happen, unfortunately.  I've seen some hate over the 35-100mm f/2.8 not performing well and the only people who seem to love it don't seem to tax it much.  It's close to half the original price, which suggests that it's about to be discontinued or maybe, Panasonic realized all along that they'd made a 2nd rate lens and still priced it as 1st rate, only to let it fall after they have reclaimed their R&D expenses.

Panasonic GH4 is in my bag

It's just before Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A. and the sales are all over the place.  One of the national broadcasters mentioned that electronics would be cheaper before Black Friday, and cameras and other photographic equipment generally falls into line with electronics.

I read that Panasonic has reduced the price of the GH4 by $200.  Adorama, B&H Photo, and Mike's Camera (Colorado and California) have said that this is an instant rebate.  Mike's Camera ended this instant rebate on November 26th--today.

I braved holiday traffic to drive 30+ miles to buy the camera body.  I met with a salesperson with whom I'd previously talked.  I asked about the body, and he checked their web site, and I bought it, even using my extra battery from my GH3 to try it.  (My battery appeared to be fully charged, even though I traded my GH3 in early June.  That makes it almost six months since it was charged.)

At $1499.99, the body is somewhat more reasonable for me, and it's the same price I paid for my Olympus E-5.  That also makes it less than half the price of the Canon 5D MkIII, its nearest (hybrid) competitor in the business.  Well, actually, the 5D MkIII was the competitor of the GH3, and the expanded 4K capabilities and high bit rates at 1080p add to the differences between the GH4 and the 5D MkIII, above those between the 5D MkIII and the GH3.

The salesperson mounted an Olympus 25mm f/1.8 lens, so I could check the body.  The lens seemed almost tiny, though not as small as the 15mm f/1.7 approved by Leica, designed and made by Panasonic especially for the GM1/GM5.  The image through the viewfinder seemed improved (it has over double the density) over my memory of the GH3.  I didn't notice that much difference from the E-M1 I use regularly, or from my memory of the FujiFilm X-T1.

I used my sunglasses briefly, explaining about the blackout problem that I had with the GH3, and I currently have with the E-M1 on occasion.  It only happened on occasion, but it happened enough that muscle memory was my only way around it with the GH3.  I'm guessing that it may still occur.  Perhaps, switching to polarized sunglasses may help.  It isn't a problem with optical viewfinders.

Of course, it took a few minutes to find settings to change, to try to personalize it similarly to my GH3.  I was pleased to see many video additions in the menus, bringing up the professional specification.  I can't say enough how great it is that the GH3 and GH4 have 5 slots for settings.  I only used two slots with the GH3 and that might be the same with the GH4, although I'll be more focused on video this time, so I might use more.

The most wonderful thing about the GH4 is the instant familiarity.  Panasonic wisely chose to keep ergonomic choices almost all the same.  They added a lock to the mode button, something it has in common with the E-M1--and the Olympus E-1 from way back when.

I just checked the What Digital Camera (my go-to magazine) review for the GH4 and E-M1 and they said that the design of the GH4 was an 85 and the E-M1, 95.  In the text, they complained about the GH4 having so many buttons but appreciated the dSLR-like design.  Strangely, everyone else seems to like that you don't have to dig through menus, and the Panasonic menus are a bit less extreme than those of Olympus.  The magazine has had a complete change of staff and they seem to work toward advertisers more than 10 years ago.  89% for the GH4 vs 92% for the E-M1 isn't a huge difference.  However, I would say that, given Olympus' poor video performance and uncomfortable grip, the two are equal at least.

One of the bigger issues for me with the E-M1 was the combination of the small battery and small, angular grip.  Now that I have 3 batteries for the E-M1, I don't run out of power early, but I don't use it nearly as long as I used my dSLRs, so I'm still concerned.

With the GH3, I never had a problem where I exhausted both batteries during a long day of shooting.  Since the battery is so much bigger than that of the E-M1, there is definitely a difference.  Getting battery grips for each won't help much, as either grip only holds an extra battery, though they might help with using my Four-Thirds 35-100mm f/2.0 (3.64 lbs./1650g) lens.  I was never happy with that balance on the GH3 and I've never bothered to try it for more than a few minutes with the E-M1.  Of course, with the tripod collar attached to a tripod, the balance issue goes away.  Naturally, this was never a problem with the Olympus E-5, which is only as big as the Nikon D7100.

When mounting the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens outside the store, I found that the lens operated at full speed again, in contrast to its performance on the E-M1.  I had not used it significantly since the Panasonic Repair Facility had checked it.  The few times I tried it with the E-M1, the frame rate was significantly slower than Olympus' 12-40mm lens, which made no sense, since it was very fast on the GH3.  This makes the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens important for the E-M1.  I expect that the color from the lens will be equally better over the 35-100mm f/2.8 as the 12-40mm f/2.8 was.  I thought that there was a problem with the GH3, until I used the 12-40mm f/2.8 on it.  It should be interesting to see how fast the frame rate of the GH4 will be with the 40-150mm f/2.8 lens.

I'm hoping to try some skate park video soon, using the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens.  I don't know much about video but I took a few with the GH3.  I don't have an enhanced speed card to handle 4K video but learning how to handle video is more important at this time.  Responsiveness with my current SanDisk Extreme Pro card seemed much better than with the GH3.

Oh, and concerning the bag, I'm afraid that I've got to re-distribute equipment again to emphasize the smaller equipment, though I still want to use my Four-Thirds lenses through the adapter.  I hope Crumpler has something appropriate.

Update 2014.11.28: Ouch!  The firmware needs to be updated and for some reason, I'm unable to update it for various reasons.

First, the U.S. Panasonic web site ends up with only a Windows executable when I open the .zip file I've downloaded.  Perhaps, I didn't see a Macintosh-related link or the web site incorrectly detected that everyone uses Windows.

I used the Japanese web site that I'd used for the GH3 and that seemed to give me the correct file, but the camera body doesn't recognize that there is an update available when I go through the procedure.  I'm sure I'll be fine with firmware version 1.1 instead of 2.0, for a while anyway, but whatever.  Panasonic continues to be an administrative screw up.  What was downloaded was labeled AH4 instead of GH4.  I got something different tonight, and have updated my GH4.

Taking the GH4 and 35-100mm f/2.8 to the skate park, it performed well, but not with as much performance as expected.  (Continuous AF is enabled by default.)  Auto Focus accuracy was acceptable, similar to the GH3.  I'll try it with the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 at a later date.  It didn't feel as fast or responsive as the Olympus E-M1 and 12-40mm f/2.8.  Auto Review is also enabled, which not only slows things down, as it does with the GH3, but it's also a battery waster.

Update 2014.12.01: I ordered a 4K-capable SD card from Adorama.  It's interesting that these cards were UHS-I, class 10, U 3.  Do I need such a card right now?  Probably not, but having dedicated for-video storage would be a good idea, especially on those days when I've been busy taking still photos.  I'm a little short on cards now that I have three bodies that take SD Cards.

I had a chance to buy a higher capacity SanDisk card but, after viewing several descriptions of the card, I couldn't determine the exact performance.  One mentioned 95 MB/sec., while others mentioned 60 MB/sec. and 80 MB/sec.  They were also labeled Extreme or Extreme Plus because the company changed the name at some point.

Update 2014.12.07: Part of my order was not readily available, so I ended up at Best Buy getting a 4K-capable card.  It was about the same price for 32GB as Adorama had for 64GB.  That's not the worst I've seen.  At least, it's a SanDisk card.  They had the Extreme and Extreme Plus cards, but this one is labeled Pixtor.  I've barely used it for anything.  I thought that the card would enable 4K options immediately, but that happens through the Creative Video mode on the mode dial.  Getting past the GH3 is taking time.

I'm impressed with how responsive the GH4 has been, especially in low(er) light.  I went to a skate shop with an indoor half pipe, and shot both still photos and video.  I was there a few weeks earlier and the E-M1 struggled with the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens but the GH4 didn't seem to have any problem at all.  That doesn't mean that it's great in the dark.  It isn't.  I could use more lenses at f/1.4 or wider than my older Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 from the Four-Thirds system.

The Voigtländer lenses look good.  There is a 10.5mm f/0.95 that should be available soon (okay, officially Q1-Q2 2015), and that is wide enough to get skate park shots easily, and should be good for sharp landscape shots at a less aggressive aperture.  Is US$1000 or more too much for a manually focused lens?  It depends on your wallet, of course, and whether you can make money from it.  The other three (17.5mm, 25mm, 42.5mm) have all been rated well and many people are satisfied with what they do.

Update 2014.12.31: The Panasonic card is flaky and has had general errors in both the GH4 body and the computer SD Card slot.  Almost naturally, the SanDisk card isn't a problem--I've had to have one replaced in the past, but only one.

I'm having some struggles learning the GH4.  I'm not finding it as instantly familiar as I thought I would--or at least, I'm not as successful with it as I had hoped.  As I go further with it, I'm finding little issues.  The drive mode dial has been accidentally moved.  The burst mode position is adjacent to a +/- burst mode position that allows you to take bracketed auto exposure photos.  For instance, it will take photos at -1/3 EV, +0 EV, +1/3 EV, much like HDR preparations.  Your bracketing settings will affect the latitude of the exposure range.  It is useful, although there have been times when I was getting a series of shots and naturally, it stops at three and the action continues without me.  Yes, I should be more aware of my settings.  I'm sure I saw it in the viewfinder and didn't really notice as the +/- didn't seem so significantly distinct.

The GH4 is so capable that it could be 6 months before I'm really comfortable.  It's been a little over a month that I've had it now, so getting casual photos are easy but action photos are usually more involved.  I've basically given up the use of the E-M1 to get up to speed with the GH4.

2015.01.09: The auto focus still isn't everything it should be, with continuous auto focus or not.  During video, it will lose focus completely, which is a great effect that people like, except that it will do it at the wrong time.  That's not unlike the Olympus E-M1.  Maybe, the 12-40mm f/2.8 isn't feeling well.  I was using the 35-100mm f/2.8 the other day and I noticed that the auto focus on the GH4 was similar to the E-M1, lower performing burst speed, but with better AF accuracy.

2016.12.07: It's been over two years since I got the GH4.  I've got over 100 videos on YouTube.  Most are skate park videos but I have some music performances and random things, also.  The camera itself does a very good job, except for AF.

I've got a number of Panasonic lenses and it loses focus on those, as well as while using the Olympus lenses.  It just seems too busy to bother with auto focus duties, but in this price range, it shouldn't have such a problem.  I'm not asking it to track someone.  I want it to focus on the single area I select while I move the camera.  It has predictive focus--it's always busy.

I'm still learning.  I've been learning to do time lapse photography because I wanted to try some shots while driving, to condense little road trips as I've seen someone else do.

Since the GH4, I've bought the GX8 and GM5.  The GX8 has very good 1080p video which matches what I get from the GH4, and that is so useful at skate parks since I'll have the 35-100mm f/2.8 on one and the 12-35mm f/2.8 on the other.  The E-M1 doesn't come close and I suspect that the GM5 won't match either.

The GH5 should be released in spring.  What the whole feature set is, no one outside Panasonic knows, and I'm not certain even they know at this point.  3840x2160 at 60p is one of the few things that are guaranteed to be included.  They've shown mockups of the body and it's agreeable, but nothing is much different.

The new sensor may be 18MP or 20MP, but they're not saying.  The new Olympus E-M1 Mk II has a 20MP sensor with 121 cross type AF points--both PDAF and CDAF.  Many speculate that they will use a lot of the same equipment in the GH5.

One year with the Panasonic GH3 and 35-100mm f/2.8

When I bought the GH3, I was practically desperate to combat low light photography in a way I had not tried since ASA 400 speed film was considered high speed.

I photograph sports.  I usually do it well, but certain gymnasiums and swimming pools make the task much more difficult.  Many gyms have multiple levels of seating, which restrict the floor level to sports-related people, i.e., those involved in the game or meet such as athletes, coaches, and referees.  Equally, a swim meet I was supposed to photograph put the swimmers behind a wall of glass.  However, nothing is worse than poor lighting and it's more likely than not.  If you can't adequately see the athletes, it's likely that the camera can't capture the moment.

I met with quite a few lighting obstacles, especially with high ceilings and few lights.  There are many schools that were built in the 1960s or earlier, and often small communities struggle to pay the bills.

I've often felt that getting a few keepers out of hundreds of photos was still a good workout.  In the case of dark venues, I was getting very few keepers.  I had considered switching brands, tossing my old equipment, and hoping for the best.  I analyzed a number of other photographers' photos and found that Nikon and Canon weren't in much better shape than Olympus in the US$1000-$2000 range for camera bodies.  Being that I would be spending US$2500 on a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens to complete the combination, it had to do much, much better, if I was to spend US$4200.  I dare say that the D800 is still in the same normal ISO sensitivity range, up to ISO 6400, where the D7100 resides.  They may seem better, but are they really?

The crazy, but conservative alternative was the released but difficult to find Panasonic GH3 body.  With an adapter, it could be used with my current lenses.  I had never used a Panasonic body but I was impressed with the construction of the Four-Thirds Leica 25mm f/1.4 lens made for the Leica Digilux 3--made by Panasonic.

Every review I read said that the GH3 was an adequate stills body and an amazing value for video.  As most photographers know, the world is moving to hybrid photography, and the GH3 (and now GH4) is a good product to become acquainted with it.

I had been looking for lenses, but Olympus was answering the call for fixed focal length lenses and generally, Panasonic had a number of software-corrected zoom lenses that weren't good without bright light, starting with an aperture of f/4.0, such as my 45-200mm.  Panasonic also had their new fixed aperture lenses, the 12-35mm f/2.8 and 35-100mm f/2.8, but with an earlier X-series lens, it didn't seem that they might be adequately designed.  When I read the reviews for the 35-100mm especially, on LensTip, I cringed for sure.

After a grinding debate, I ordered the GH3 and 35-100mm f/2.8 lens.  They arrived, I tried them alongside the E-5 and 35-100mm f/2.0 lens combination.  I tried many settings but in moderate light, the E-5 was better for image quality and color fidelity.  However, the GH3 delivered in darker areas, although I trashed a number of photos over ISO 3200.  In fact, the shots from ISO 4000 and up weren't good enough to be grainy photographs of Big Foot, at least, not for me.

In using the camera body, I ran into some odd problems that I decided were new user problems.  At some angles, the viewfinder image was curved, and the color was always incorrect.  The standard setting pushed me to view every photo after I took it, causing a lengthy pause in the feed, although I kept shooting, as though I could see.    Such is the life of a Live Viewfinder, as Panasonic calls it.  I found the setting to turn off instant review, and the pause was minimized.

At every event, I would revise and refine the settings to my liking, just as I would do with any dSLR.  The images weren't bad but they were never really great.

I tried manually focusing, as the auto focus would often focus somewhere odd, but between the short 35-100mm lens, and the magnification (manual focus assist), I never could rely on manual focus, as I did with an optical viewfinder.  This became more of a problem with track season, and I had to modify my techniques to just do the job.  Then, my sunglasses in concert with the viewfinder would often produce a black view--100% obstruction of the scene.  Auto Focus was equally an opponent to good photos, as it would often choose the chain link fence behind the runners.  If you've ever photographed a chain link fence, you know it's more difficult to focus on it because it's not deep.

However, I've adapted, and I've found ways to make things work, and I've had some good shots.  If it's to be believed, the GH4 likely addresses all of the problems I've encountered.  I'm ready for equipment that doesn't get in my way.  Truth be told, switching from the Olympus E-1 to the E-5, I had my doubts, also but it was certainly less of a stretch moving from dSLR to dSLR, although it didn't feel that the same company designed them both.

I doubt I'll back away from mirror-less bodies now, even though Panasonic had not convinced me 100% through the GH3.  Once the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens is available, I'll likely trade the GH3 and Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens because, even without image stabilization, I'll get better shots.  How?  I've been shooting with the E-1, which has no image stabilization, and also with the E-5, which has simple two axis stabilization, as well with the GH3 and Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens.

It's been a rough road since I got the GH3 but I've found that it is capable of good photography when fitted with the correct lenses.  That could be said of almost any equipment, but I've truly been shocked at how good it really is with Olympus lenses attached, even through an adapter.

Pros:

• Strong, flexible video options
• Comfortable body, especially with Four-Thirds lenses
• Articulated rear display
• Silent mode
• Weather-sealing, magnesium alloy frame
• Battery life
• Five customization profiles

Cons:

• EVF magnifying glass effect, blackouts
• Image quality above ISO 3200
• File naming doesn't contain date
• Too small for larger Four-Thirds lenses

Update 2014.03.20: I watched a video on Vimeo today between Zacuto Films and a Panasonic representative.  They were enthusiastic about the GH4 and they got some good answers from the representative.  I was amused at the quick disappointment concerning the 35-100mm f/2.8 lens feeling plasticky and how the 12-35mm f/2.8 lens felt like a good piece of equipment.  They sounded like my comments on the lens.  The Panasonic representative didn't say anything other than the X-series lenses were meant to work at a higher level.  I wish mine would.  I didn't mention it much in this blog entry because I've complained thoroughly about it in others.  You can get good shots with it, but you have to be very, very careful.  Despite the price, it should not be a US$1500 lens.  US$750 would be more than enough for a lens of this caliber, especially one Made in China.

In any case, the GH3 has been a good camera body and makes me think that Panasonic has mostly thought about the photographer, more in handling lately than Olympus has.  It was the perfect transition from the Olympus E-5--the E-M1 certainly isn't.

One thing that has consistently surprised me about a camera body with two displays is that the battery lasts a very long time.  It's not a huge battery, either, especially coming from the E-1 and the E-5.

The other day, I tried Silent Mode for the first time.  It was interesting, but of course, I couldn't tell much of what was happening since there was no feedback really.  I could tell that something was being written to the card but I had no idea how many frames had been taken.

Update 2014.03.29: Panasonic offers a lot, and the flaws can be a problem, but as with any dSLR, you learn and adapt.  The GH4 is better but more expensive.  It's an easy choice if your main intent is to make video content, but they've also made some improvements for still photography.  If you consider that the GH3 + 12-40mm f/2.8 combo has been my constant companion over the past several weeks and the E-5 and E-1 have remained in the bag (and usually at home), I think you'll understand how good the GH3 actually is.

If I could make changes, I would use Olympus' Super Control Panel and TruePIC VII processing, along with the VF-4 viewfinder.  Why not just buy the E-M1?  It's uncomfortable for use with the Four-Thirds lenses it was specially designed to handle.   The GH3 was more thoughtfully designed for photographers.

For those looking at the GH3 as it is dropped in price, think about how inexpensive it is for a weather-sealed, high quality full HD video device.  Sure, the Pentax K-50 is less expensive for a weather-sealed body and you can buy unsealed lenses on the cheap, if still photography is what you want, but the GH3 is of a bit higher specification overall and the lenses are almost always smaller.

Update 2014.04.17: Panasonic have permanently reduced the price of the GH3 to US$1099.99.  This should make high quality video available to many more people, and make the GH3 bodies a more affordable platform to small studios.  Of course, there have been discounts that have dropped the price lower but they were temporary.  However, this makes buying the Canon 70D and Nikon D7100 for video less reasonable choices, except for those heavily invested in lenses for those brands.

I continue to find the GH3 and Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens a compelling combination.  Many will find the combination pricy but I find fewer lenses of higher image quality fit my needs better than more lenses of lower image quality--and weather-sealing is necessary for me.  If you've ever lived in an area subject to loads of dust and sudden weather changes, you'll understand the importance of not damaging a lens worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Update 2014.05.23: I've used the GH3 a number of times to get a vertical shot from a very low angle using the rear display tilted away from the body, a position unavailable to the Olympus E-M1 or the FujiFilm X-T1.  That in itself is enough to remind me that the GH3 and GH4 have a flexibility I need.

Had I tried to do the same shot with the E-M1 or X-T1, I might as well be using the fixed display of a Canon 70D or Nikon D7100.

Update 2015.03.22: Since I traded the GH3 in June 2014, I'd been using an Olympus E-M1.  It worked well for still photography, but of course, was not very good for video.  In December, I got the GH4, and it reminded me of all the good things that I liked about the GH3.  Many problems with the GH3 were fixed in the GH4, but auto focus is still a problem.  Image quality is better in many respects but photos are still limited to a useful ISO sensitivity of 3200, for my use.  Fixing the chroma noise problem has made those look better, but it's not enough to help the overall problem above that sensitivity.

The 35-100mm f/2.8 lens continues to disappoint, especially as I'm recording video now.  The stuttering of the OIS, even after the firmware update for it, is extreme.

Panasonic GH4: to pre-order or not at US$1699.99

Apparently, the floodgates have opened, and pre-orders on the Panasonic GH4 are available at roughly US$1699.99, the full retail pricing.  I continue to think about the Olympus E-5 that was introduced in 2010 at the same price.  The extra US$400 over the GH3 full retail pricing probably isn't enough to offset the research and development work, but I think that the company will sell enough to business users to make a profit eventually.

If things are good, the first people ordering it should see their camera bodies around the end of April.  If it's as it was with the GH3, it could be longer--a few minutes delay in ordering could mean months.  I'm not sure Panasonic anticipated the demand for the GH3, though I'm not sure that demand that strong exists for the GH4.

I'm ready but cautious.  My GH3 may be flawed but I haven't seen anything about a production-firmware-laden GH4 yet.  Panasonic certainly isn't talking to me about it.

I was reading the marketing blurbs on the Panasonic web site.  Any time I see the word "professional" in marketing these days, I laugh.  It seems to be the way around actually committing yourself to dangerous comparisons that may get you a lawsuit.  I've seen people use an iPhone as a professional camera, so what exactly does that mean to the GH4 or the D4 or 1D x?

Can I use the GH4 instead of a US$3000 (5DMkIII or D800) body and get nearly the same results?  How does it hold up against a US$6000 body?

The answer is a qualified "yes", of course.  Yes, the video functionality will do well.  My question is all about the still photography functionality.  I'm impressed with the numbers but I really need to know how it really works in real world situations because I don't photograph test charts.   I photograph sports.

I'm looking to wait a while anyway.  I need to sell my GH3 or trade it for the GH4.  I want the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens that will be available later this year, so I may wait for the combination of the two and add my Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 and 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 lenses to the trade-in list.  I don't care about the image stabilization, if I can't get a good, clear shot anyway.  (Just ask me about all the years with the Olympus E-1 and 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5.  I did fine.  It could make sense to go with the E-M1 but I might as well wait for the replacement to see if they put a bigger battery in it and therefore, fix the grip.)

Happy shopping!

Update 2014.04.06: The GH4 should be arriving for some people at the end of April.  Hopefully, their production will be strong enough to meet demand.  I'm still hesitating until I can trade my GH3 but then, I'm packing in order to move across the country.  I think I want to trade the GH3 here, where the people at the store know me.  I could get a few dollars more.

Hopefully, the firmware upgrades to the inevitable minor issues will be quickly and accurately written and dispensed.  Of course, the camera body has more intense processing than the GH3, so the little problems could be magnified a bit.

I wonder if any of the newer options from the AG-AF100/AG-AF105 will present new problems.

I hope that Panasonic has a rock-solid version 1.0 firmware release but I won't hold my breath.

Update 2014.04.09: I've seen the initial reports on the Sony A7s 4K camera body.  I'd like to be impressed but it still sounds like checklist engineering.  I see far too many complaints about the lack of responsiveness with the A7/A7R and can't imagine that the A7s will be better.  Yes, it can do the things they list, but can it do them well?  My money will be on the GH4.

Update 2014.04.14: Tweeted at Roberts Camera concerning a GH4 in stock.  No such thing available.  Do I want to be added to the list when I will probably be gone in three weeks?  I don't believe so, but I want to trade the GH3, while I can do it in person.  I'm not sure why, but mail order and waiting just isn't for me.  Selling my house has filled me with anxiety already.  Maybe, I should buy/trade for that Olympus E-M1 while I'm waiting.  :-D

Update 2014.05.19: Over the weekend, I sent a message to Mike's Camera in Dublin, California asking if they did trade-ins.  They have both Olympus and Panasonic, supposedly.  They responded that they don't handle trade-ins, unfortunately.

I'm thinking of a mad, mad solution: trade for the Olympus E-M1, which Roberts easily has in stock.  Then, later, when the GH4 is in stock and properly updated to reliable firmware, I'll buy one outright, probably through Adorama, although I might buy it locally at Mike's Camera.  (I'd rather buy locally but there are times when it's just a bad idea.  Mike's is a company from Colorado with a few California locations, for some reason, and one is reasonably close to where I'll be.)

If for some reason when/if I go to Roberts they have an extra GH4 in stock, I could just go the shorter path, though I'm thinking that the E-M1's 5 axis IS will help on certain nights.  I'd rather have the successor to it, but I suspect that will take some time.  Olympus isn't even replacing the E-M5 yet.

No more Panasonic lenses (well, that didn't last)

I wanted to like the Panasonic Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8 lens.  It's small and it's light and it has a reasonable focal length range at a consistent maximum aperture.

It's not particularly good, though, and on several occasions I've commented that it would be a very good US$750 lens, but not a US$1500 lens.  It's not particularly sharp, wide open or otherwise.  It's more of a hobbyist lens from the results I've got from it, side-by-side with my Olympus 35-100mm f/2.0 lens or my Olympus 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5, which was much cheaper at US$1000.  (I've also got the micro Four-Thirds Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 and the Four-Thirds Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4.)  The 35-100mm f/2.8 is their most expensive, non-Leica lens.  My early encounter with it buried my enthusiasm for the 12-35mm f/2.8, and certainly the lower cost lenses.  You can take great photos with practically any lens, but shouldn't the optical quality be better within a line of lenses when you pay more?

I recently sent it to be repaired.  The nasty purple lens flare was said to be normal, even though the sun was out of frame and the lens hood was being used.  Having the sun in frame didn't seem to have huge negative effects on the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 that I was also using at the same time.

Olympus 12-40mm on E-M1

You can see that the Olympus 12-40mm lens was affected but there is a dramatic difference, even though the sun is in the frame with the 12-40mm, and not the 35-100mm lens.

Panasonic 35-100mm with lens hood on GH3

I'm a bit shocked to be told that "The lens unit flare is normal", even though I included the photo exhibiting the problem.  I also asked the sales staff where I bought it, and they said that it was normal.  Surely, the Canon and Nikon 70-200mm lenses do not do this, even the bargain f/4.0 lenses.

Does size matter?  35-100mm f/2.8 vs 12-40mm f/2.8

I suppose I shouldn't expect too much given the size.  While the 35-100mm doesn't extend at all, with its internal focusing and internal zooming mechanisms, the Olympus 12-40mm does extend somewhat (on both ends of the focal length range) to just a bit longer than the Panasonic lens.  The filter size of the 35-100mm is 58mm while the 12-40mm has a 62mm filter size.  I think it says a lot about the proper design of a lens and using software tricks to get around adequate design.  The 35-100mm f/2.8 doesn't feel as substantial as the 12-40mm lens or even the Panasonic 45-200mm lens.

Given the 35-100mm lens' poor quality, and the repair facility's lack of responsiveness (5 calls, no answer), I think I'll avoid Panasonic lenses.  That's not to say that I have given up on the GH4.  I still believe that it will be much better than the GH3, my GH3.  I just hope I'll never have to send anything for repair again.

What also shocks me is that this is the same company that built my Four-Thirds Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 lens.  It cost me almost double the price of the micro Four-Thirds 25mm f/1.4 lens (and is still cheaper than the 35-100mm f/2.8) yet it is nearly perfect in all respects.  However, when you consider that it was meant for the Leica Digilux 3 and not just the Panasonic DMC-L1, the level of quality had to be higher, don't you think?

It took me a long time to warm up to Panasonic, whose name always meant rice cookers and other home appliances, along with some cheap electronics.  I never thought I'd be buying photographic equipment from them.  They've seriously damaged that relationship, even more than Sony did in the 1990s.  They don't owe me anything, but as a customer, I vote with my money.

Can you see Joan Crawford (or Faye Dunaway) shaking my 35-100mm f/2.8 lens at me, yelling "No more Panasonic lenses (instead of No more Wire Hangers)!!!"?  :-D

Update 2014.03.08: Would I consider the latest Leica lenses from Panasonic, the 15mm f/1.7 and 42.5mm f/1.2?  Perhaps.  They seem very different than the 45mm f/2.8 macro and the 25mm f/1.4 lenses that were labeled Leica lenses, as though someone actually cared.  I still wonder if the 42.5mm lens will be (US$600) sharper than the FujiFilm 56mm f/1.2 lens.   Judging from the differences in the filter size, I'd say that Panasonic did more to correct the design optically than FujiFilm did.  I am still interested in the Panasonic GM1 paired with the 15mm f/1.7, but it's very, very dependent on optical quality.  Besides, that money could be going to replacing the GH3 with the GH4.

Update 2014.04.04: Since I received my 35-100mm f/2.8 lens from the repair facility, I haven't used it at all.  I have no desire to use it, and thankfully, I'm planning to move away from here, so I have no current need to do photography.  It seems obvious to me that they just didn't want to deal with it, whether it's a design issue or not.  I think it's sad that they would lie about the fingerprints, unless the person who unpacked it put fingerprints on it before it made its way to the technician.

Update 2014.10.08: I've seen but not used the Panasonic/Leica micro Four-Thirds 15mm f/1.7 lens for the Panasonic GM1 and GM5.  It's a very, very good match for that camera body.  I'm concerned about it, though, as the review from What Digital Camera shows that it is excellent, except for some nasty side effects at maximum aperture.  I would likely be using it at maximum aperture for casual food photography.

The Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens is working only as well as it was prior to the service visit.  I don't have anything worse or better to say about it.  I'll be glad to have Olympus' 40-150mm f/2.8 lens but I'm not sure I'll trade for it now.  I may need both, if/when the GH4 is in my bag.

Update 2014.12.16: I found this comment from Jordan Steele concerning his review of the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens and the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8:

The Panny is way better in the flare department

Now, I'm concerned about the 40-150mm f/2.8 lens.

I've got the GH4 and it seems fine but it doesn't fix the lens flare issue, naturally.

Update 2015.03.01: I've got the Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7 lens.  Yes, it exhibits purple fringing wide open but that's almost a Panasonic characteristic.  It should not be there in a lens of this value, especially with the Leica name on it.  While Leica lenses have their own flaws, I'm sure the design would have been better if they had designed it instead of Panasonic.  It probably would have been $750 instead of $600, though.

Hunting for focus in lower light conditions is a problem that shouldn't be there at all, especially with the GH4.  I understand why the craptactular 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 hunts and never locks focus in low light, but f/1.7 is enough, especially if the 35-100mm f/2.8 will lock focus quickly.

Once focus is locked, image quality looks quite good.

The lens is quite tiny and comes with a set of fiddly bits.  It seems that the filter thread is removable, in order to mount the lens hood.  Each has a lens cap.  I've left the lens hood in place with the rubberised lens cap.  The lens hood comes loose too easily but I've never had a problem with it falling.

I can forgive the flaws, given the good image quality and the US$100 instant rebate.  Unfortunately, this doesn't fix my opinion of Panasonic lenses.

Update 2015.11.23: Okay, I really feel like a liar--or at least, things have changed significantly.

Around September, I bought the Panasonic GX8 and their 12-35mm f/2.8 lens.  The 12-35mm lens was running US$999.00 at that time and there was a $100 instant rebate.  Since I got the lens in a bundle, there was another $200 off, which effectively made it US$699.00.

This lens feels and acts so much better than my 35-100mm f/2.8 lens, which was in that same serious category with the red X on the lens cap.  It doesn't seem quite as good as the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens but it works fairly well.

Last night, I ordered the new Panasonic 25mm f/1.7 lens.  Instead of the typical US$249.00, this lens is currently $99.00, which makes it an easy choice vs. the Olympus 25mm f/1.8 lens at US$349.00 or the Sigma, errr, Panasonic/Leica 25mm f/1.4 lens at US$599.00.  Since I have the Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4, I don't need the crappy micro Four-Thirds substitute but this new lens will probably do 80% as well as the micro Four-Thirds 25mm f/1.4.

Update 2015.12.04: The 25mm f/1.7 arrived the other day and it seems okay.  It is very plastic but it has a metal lens mount and it seems a sturdy build.  I won't test it, though.

I was checking Nikon and Canon kit lenses, as well as 50mm f/1.8 fixed focal length lenses and they don't seem as well constructed.  The Pentax K-50's 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens seems a better build than what Nikon and Canon uses.

I haven't shot outside, so I have no idea how it will work in real life.  It responds reasonably well on the GX8 and somewhat slowly on the E-M1.

Update 2016.08.20: Almost two months ago, I got the 42.5mm f/1.7 lens along with the Panasonic GM5.  Getting the lens for US$100 off was a plus.

The lens is tiny, as is the 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom lens that comes with the GM5.  They're working with the GH4 and GX8 very well.

The 25mm f/1.7 works much better with the Olympus E-M1 than it works with the Panasonic camera bodies.  Sadly, the completely out-of-focus problem continues, especially on the GX8.  Could this be a shutter shock problem?  I don't know since I've never had the problem in the past.  I've also noticed that the lens doesn't always handle purple lens flare.  Somewhere I read that it is a problem when stopped down, but not when wide open.  It seems a design issue.

The 42.5mm f/1.7 is good but slow.  It's an economical lens, relatively speaking.  Micro Four-Thirds isn't cheap.  Sure, each lens has a good number of electronic components.  That's why I don't buy much at full price.

It would be ignorant to say that lenses are better for similar prices on APS-C.  It seems that way but doesn't always work out.  You have to deal with third parties that probably don't have quick auto focus--or any at all.  OIS is probably not part of the package, either.  I speak from experience with the Nikon D7200, a Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8 fisheye lens, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 lens, and a Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.  Things didn't work any better.

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 is in my bag (usually in use though)

Today, I took a drive to get some Asian groceries and enjoy the not-so winter weather.  It was above freezing, and the snow was melting, and given how many days we had well below freezing, it was time for a break.

I first went for a fake cheese steak.  I lived in Philadelphia for eight years, and there is yet to be a place 100 miles or further from Philadelphia that can produce a good cheese steak.  Some of them claim to be famous even--that's just odd.  Lenny's Subs has been advertising about how great their sandwiches are.  The founder moved to Memphis, Tennessee and wanted an authentic cheese steak, so he had to create it.

As you probably didn't read in my earlier diatribe on getting it right, you have a roll/bun, thin steak, and mozzarella or provolone cheese or cheese whiz to top it and onions are an option, grilled or raw.  These people had the meat, a too soft roll, and Swiss cheese (although I was able to order provolone) and grilled onions.  It was a let down.

So, not far from the sub shop was a branch of the camera shop where I have recently enjoyed some photographically-related social activities.  Well, it wasn't there any longer.  They'd moved.  I called.  They answered, and they gave me their new address.  Strangely, they seem to be on the edge of a roundabout/traffic circle/rotary, in a small strip mall.

They had quite a lot and it was displayed quite nicely.  With high ceilings, it wasn't nearly as claustrophobic as their old (1920s?) store in downtown Indianapolis.

I talked to one of the people who ran the Olympus photo walk.  He even remembered me.  I'm not sure if that was good or bad.

We talked about FujiFilm mirror-less cameras, since they were next to Olympus' case.  He really likes the X-E2, which I think is quite advanced, but not quite the right shape for me.  He said that the downtown store was getting two X-T1 bodies, but they're already promised to someone.  I told him that I was waiting on weather-sealed lenses and he reminded me that not everything goes as planned.  The 50-140mm f/2.8 and 16-55mm f/2.8 fit me reasonably well.  I'd like to see how the FujiFilm16-55mm and Olympus 12-40mm are in an optical comparison.

In the end, I bought the only 12-40mm f/2.8 lens that they had.  It was made in China, if that's important to you.  It feels just as good as my Four-Thirds HG and SHG lenses.  These 12-40mm lenses have been selling almost as quickly as they can get them.  After all the screaming about fixed focal length lenses, I'm surprised that people are buying the 12-40mm lens.  I suspect people on that photo walk were thrilled with the lens, as it is better than other choices.  (Yes, this is my opinion.  It's my blog--practically everything is my opinion.  My opinion about Panasonic micro Four-Thirds lenses may improve once my 35-100mm f/2.8 is back in my hands.  My other micro Four-Thirds lens, the Panasonic 45-200mm f/4.0-5.6 does not help.)

I don't buy lenses often, but I spend quite a bit on each.  I almost always buy weather-sealed zoom lenses because of sports, but also because I like the flexibility in other situations, such as quick portraits, food photography, and building exteriors.  Olympus' HG and SHG Four-Thirds zooms can be used wide open, unlike other brands, because they're sharp across the frame.  That's another reason I've been slow to buy micro Four-Thirds equipment.  The zoom lenses sucked--until now.  Once again, my Panasonic 35-100mm didn't impress me except in focusing speed and that doesn't really lend much to image quality.  Perhaps when it is returned to me after the repair for the ugly, nasty lens flare (with lens hood and sun out of frame), it will be a much better lens.

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8, extended, with lens hood

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 without lens hood

Of course, with a busy day, I didn't have time to photograph anything, but I brought it home, mounted it, and took a few photos of the Olympus E-5 with the Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4.  The 12-40mm f/2.8 doesn't seem to like the dark much (what f/2.8 lens does?), but I'm sure I'll find it extremely useful.  This is the first time I've had a 24mm (135 format) equivalent available since the 1970s.   I have two lenses that start at an equivalent 28mm but that's just not quite wide enough in some situations, and you can't always walk further back.  Of course, 14mm (Olympus, Panasonic) or 15mm (FujiFilm) would be amazing in constant aperture zoom lenses.  Given the 7-14mm f/2.8 zoom Olympus has shown as a mock up, I'm inclined to wait.  It is supposedly due in 2015, but because of the aperture and weather-sealing, it's a better choice for me.

This will also be the first time I'll have a truly light lens on the GH3.  Olympus' 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 isn't bad on it but the 14-35mm f/2.0 is heavy and the Leica 25mm f/1.4 is almost that heavy and it's huge for a fixed focal length lens with that 62mm filter size but not as big as the 67mm or 77mm filter sizes of the two zooms.  The 12-40mm is tiny but it also has a 62mm filter size.  The Four-Thirds Olympus 50mm f/2.0 macro may still be my smallest lens.

The lens hood is rather small, but I don't see it as ineffective.  The lens hood for the 14-54mm is a reasonable size but shows up in the photo at some focal lengths, and the lens hood for the 14-35mm is huge but is still dwarfed by the lens hood for the 35-100mm f/2.0 lens.

Olympus 14-35mm f/2.0

The focusing mechanism reminds me of the 14-35mm lens.  It extends on both ends of the zoom range.

GH3 with 12-40mm, E-5 with 14-35mm

The size difference between the E-5/14-35mm and GH3/12-40mm is amusing, much like the comparison with the E-5/35-100mm f/2.0 and GH3/35-100mm f/2.8.

58mm vs 77mm filter size

I am thrilled to say that I'm taking advantage of the wider angle.  It's certainly been useful.

I've photographed this court house a few times but was never able to get a whole side of it at once.

As I noted during the photo walk, the flare resistance is quite good, although I tweaked this photo to dial down the overwhelming sunshine.  You can't have a miserable, cloudy day and then, have sunshine, correct, when you'll just return to misery?  Now, that I look again, it has a bit too much of an unnatural look to it in the smaller size.  It's just great to be able to handle larger structures without stitching.

I'm liking the color, also.  I've had poor luck with the Panasonic lenses and the color, although I suspect that will be the case, even if they're perfect.  This is the first time that I've felt that the GH3 was giving its all with native lenses. 

Just thinking about it, this is the first time since November 2011 that I have not had any image stabilization, in the lens or moving the sensor.   Of course, I haven't had any terribly dark situations yet, but I never saw the E-5's IS helping me through difficult times.

Even near sunset, the color is good

Interesting that Google's Blogger has changed the photo from silhouette on import

Update 2014.02.26: I haven't removed the lens from the GH3 yet.  I've been testing to see if there is a real problem with it breaking.   It's certainly better to find the problem in the first few days, rather than after the warranty is finished.  The lens continues to impress me and it feels as though the GH3 is totally different.

Update 2014.03.05: I can't express fully how happy I am with the 12-40mm lens.  Ultimately, it's not a lens for the dark (could they have coaxed f/2.5 out of a lens with a 67mm filter size?), but my tripod could help with that, once it's a bit warmer outside.  My feelings about the GH3 have become warmer, though.  I find the lens to be extremely useful and it's so light that I don't seem to miss image stabilization, not that I knew when it was helping on the E-5 or within the Panasonic lenses.

The image quality seems to be so much better now that my regrets about buying a Panasonic body are completely gone.   It really has taken me back to the days in 2004 when my Olympus E-1 was new and I only had the 50-200mm and 14-54mm lenses.  I expect the 40-150mm f/2.8 to be equally engaging, so maybe work will just be joy.  If the GH4 turns out to be wonderful, I may not have any need for the FujiFilm X-T1.

Update 2014.03.19: Are they sure this aperture is f/2.8?  I seem to be getting clear shots that don't seem possible with f/2.8, especially since I'm doing it without any image stabilization. 

Update 2014.07.27: I've been using this lens with the Olympus E-M1 (I traded my GH3 in anticipation of a GH4) for the skate park and the extra little bit of the wide angle has been great.  It has some of the typical wide angle distortion, which gives close up shots something close to the skate park style that people love without the fisheye.  It obviously hasn't broken and it's been a good companion.  If there is a everyday problem, it's that the AF ring/clutch is too easily moved while I'm shooting, and I haven't spent a full day trying to manually focus it.  The micro Four-Thirds lenses are all too tiny for me, but at least this one is a bit bigger than most.  I still prefer the ZD 14-35mm f/2.0 though. 

Update 2014.10.02: By now, I've shot over 10,000 photos with this lens, most of them related to skate parks.  It has done well, but it hasn't been quite as wonderful as it initially seemed.  However, real-life problems have been few.

There have been two situations that have caused me to wonder.

• In rare strongly-lit situations, lens flare is a problem
• In mixed light, where strong light is bordered by deep shadow, auto focus with the E-M1 fails occasionally

Otherwise, the lens has been an excellent example of any lens so small.  I must say that I don't feel it's nearly as good as any of my Four-Thirds HG or SHG lenses.  However, it is quite amazing, especially at 12mm, a focal length I don't have with any other lens.

I live about 70 miles northeast of San Jose, California, past the foothills, into the farm land.  The sun and heat are strong through summer, and even though we've passed into autumn/fall, the light is still quite bright and during the afternoon, it is difficult to keep exposure even.

During a trip to Santa Cruz, the skate park's pipe was enough to channel the sunlight into a form that caused lens flare that I didn't expect.  I didn't think that the lens was perfect but it was more than I'd seen from any Four-Thirds Olympus lens.

More recently, in early evening, when harsh light meets harsh shadow, the auto focus with the E-M1 suddenly changes at that moment when I'm ready to take a photo.  I'm not sure whether this is a problem with the lens, the E-M1, or the combination.  The only other micro Four-Thirds lens I use on the body is the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 and I use it so rarely that I can't make a direct comparison.  There is a huge difference in the responsiveness, though, with the 35-100mm being significantly less responsive.''

Update 2015.09.07: It's been almost 1.5 years now since I got this lens.  It has been used almost every day--on the Panasonic GH3 first but lately on the Olympus E-M1 and Panasonic GH4.

There were early warnings about the build quality of the lens, claiming that it simply fell apart without any unusual circumstances.  I have tortured the lens in many situations and it has been great.  The front lens cap has fallen apart.  There is a little wear on the bottom, as I have put it down at skate parks.  (I wish the E-M1 was as healthy.  I have over the 150,000 shutter actuations apparently and it needs a replacement, along with a new eyecup mount.)