This should be a fun comparison. I have the pleasure of having three of the best mirrorless cameras around in my possession right now: a newly acquired Fuji X-E1 with 35mm f/1.4, my trusty Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Panasonic GH3, fresh into my hands for review. Expect full reviews of the Fuji X-E1 and Panasonic…
Category: Shop Talk
“Full Frame Equivalence” and Why It Doesn’t Matter
With smaller than 35mm sized sensors, you will often hear talk of a camera’s or lens’ “full frame equivalent” focal length or aperture. This can often be a source of great confusion among new shooters, and it can also be a point of disturbingly odd derision for other people, especially with regards to ‘aperture equivalence’….
Quick Impressions: Olympus 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens
Earlier this year, Olympus announced one of the odder lenses for Micro 4/3. A $49 ‘lens’ that doubles as a body cap: The 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens This is what you could call an ‘ultra-pancake’. And, like it’s name implies, it’s roughly the same size as a standard Micro 4/3 body cap. The lens…
Micro 4/3 Year in Review
First Impressions: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN
Sigma has been around for a long while, making their own lenses and cameras for the Sigma SA mount, as well as an array of high end compact cameras. They also are one of the major third party lens manufacturers for most DSLR camera mounts. However, they’ve just recently gotten into the mirrorless game with…
Quick Test: Olympus 60mm Macro vs Olympus 12-50mm Kit Zoom
I’ve had several requests over the past few weeks to compare the new Olympus 60mm macro to the relatively versatile Olympus 12-50mm kit zoom that’s available as a bundle with the OM-D. The 12-50mm is an interesting lens. It’s got a wonderful range, from super wide to medium telephoto, plus has a macro mode that…
Macro Battle Part 2 – Olympus 60mm vs Leica 45mm
A few days ago, I compared the new Olympus 60mm f/2.8 against the venerable Leica 45mm f/2.8 to see how they stacked up in the macro and close focus arena when stopped down. Today I’m going to look at another characteristic: Wide open performance and bokeh. These are important because macro lenses often pull double…
Macro Battle: Olympus 60mm f/2.8 vs Leica 45mm f/2.8
I did a little bit of testing last night with the new Olympus 60mm f/2.8 Macro and I compared it with the only other dedicated macro lens for Micro 4/3, the Panasonic Leica 45mm f/2.8 OIS. As far as construction goes, they are similarly built. Both have high-grade plastic bodies built to tight tolerances and…