Conclusion
Pros:
- Very small lens that is constructed quite well.
- Fast, silent and accurate autofocus
- Good central sharpness wide open and very nice sharpness across the frame stopped down
- Good bokeh when you can create blur
- Good control of flare
- Excellent color and contrast provide and excellent look to the images
- Great close focusing ability for unique perspectives
Cons:
- Edge and corner softness at wide apertures, and a smidge of remaining corner softness stopped down
- Some longitudinal CA can show up in the right circumstances
- High native distortion, though corrected with Lightroom and JPEGs
- Aperture ring is non-functional on Olympus bodies and is a bit too easy to move.
- A bit expensive
The Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 rounds out the wide end of the Leica branded primes for Micro 4/3, and for the most part, it fits into that series quite well. The lens is sharp where it counts at wide apertures and provides plenty of resolution across the frame stopped down. The color and contrast give the images a look similar to the Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4, which is fairly high praise in my opinion. All of this is packaged in a tightly assembled great looking and tiny package.
On the down side, the lens is missing that amazing cross frame sharpness at the widest apertures that the 42.5mm Nocticron exhibits, and the high native distortion ends up costing the corners some resolution once corrected. The price of $599 puts it at a price point that sits firmly for enthusiasts, and I don’t think most serious shooters will be disappointed. The price is a little on the high side given the field of view and aperture, but it’s not unreasonable, especially when considering the competition. The natural competitors to this lens are the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and the Olympus 17mm f/1.8, and while both of those lenses are pretty good, the 15mm Summilux is a bit better than both. It’s a solid lens and a great ‘take anywhere’ prime that is capable of producing excellent images in most any situation.
Image Samples
Click on an image to enlarge
Thx for the interesting review! How would you rate this lens against the Pana 20mm 1.7 image quality wise?
Interesting; thanks! I have the 14mm/2.5, but I think these look a bit better. And you’re probably right about the colors, they remind me of my 25mm/1.4. Would be interesting to compare it against the 14mm Pana and the 12mm Olympus.
Wolfgang, Gordon Laing did an extensive review of the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 and also a comparison with the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. It might be interesting.
I used alternately the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 and the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 on the DMC-GH4 for this film on https://vimeo.com/99292489 at the Jüdischer Friedhof in Berlin. If you see the difference, pay the difference.
Filmed willingly in 1080p for comparison with my previous DMC-GH3. No correction.
Regards,
To be fair, the differences in these lenses will not be apparent in a 1080p video (and probably not even in a 4K video, simply due to motion).
In my shooting, I found the 15/1.7 to be roughly equal to the 17/1.8 when shooting in the mid-range, say from 3 to 10 feet. Outside of that range, though, the 15/1.7 is a little better, especially at infinity.
I also think that while the focal lengths are close, they do feel different, with the 17/1.8 slotting in where a typical 35mm lens would fit, while the 15, while not too much wider, is wide enough to feel different. Both are good lenses.
I agree with you.
Cheers
Gordon Laing did an extensive review of the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 and also a comparison with the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. The results reflect my own findings. The Panasonic 15mm is the better lens. However, I agree with you Jordan. The focal lengths are close, but do feel different. Just like the Panasonic 20mm feels very different from the 15mm and 17mm lenses. That’s exactly why I use the Panasonic 20mm. The field of view is most important. What good is a sleek looking, fast focussing lens if the focal length prevents you from making the photos you really want? If I likes the wider view though, I would choose the better lens, the Panasonic 15mm.
Would you know how it compares to the pany 20 1.7?
I haven’t shot with the 20/1.7 in quite some time (I owned it for a couple years, but sold it at least two years ago), but from my recollection: At f/1.7, the 20 is a little sharper over more of the frame. That said, I prefer the rendering from the 15. The 20/1.7 has a very clinical rendering that produces very nice images, but they almost feel sterile to me. I prefer the way the 15 (and the 25, which I think is more a direct comparison to the 20, despite the fact it splits the difference) render a scene.
I think the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 and the 15mm f/1.7 have the same rendering. Just like the Panasonic 25mm and 42.5mm. Very consistent.
for bokeh, compare between this lens with Fujifilm Fujinon XF 23mm f/1.4 R.
Do you think which one is better?
It’s hard to really directly compare given just how much more blur you can achieve with the 23/1.4. Both lenses render scenes quite well.
Very nice review, Jordan, and specially lovely images, as usual!
I purchased this lens as soon as it was released, 2 months ago, to use it with my GM1, and it has lived attached to the camera ever since; it’s such a joy to use, and it renders such beautiful pictures! From landscape to streets to people, I find it a very versatile lens, and its diminutive size makes it king of portability.
I wrote my own review in my blog, with plenty of images from the Spanish Pyrenees: http://gonzalobroto.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-lens-old-grounds-review-of.html
great review. thanks. i see columbus and cosi 🙂
I have the DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4. I am thinking about this wide angle 15mm f/1.7 also. What’s your recommendation?
It’s not a particularly strong optical performer. However, at this moment, the new Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 is the best compact moderate wide angle AF prime available for the Micro Four Thirds system. Sharpness and contrast are better than the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 (especially in the corners). I think the focal length, size, weight and lens speed are perfect for street and other documentary photography. A very all-round focal length. This makes the Panasonic 15mm the moderate wide angle lens I will buy. Click, click, click (order now) and my money is gone.
This is a very good real world review. It helped me decide between the Olympus 17mm and this Panasonic 15mm. I got myself a decent copy of the Panasonic 15mm and I am happy with it. Good sharpness, excellent contrast, fast focussing, great build quality and it’s small too. I tried the Olympus, but images looked a little lifeless to me. Not sure what it is but I guess it’s the lack of contrast and the ‘3D pop’ so many people talk about. I wonder how bad the distortion on the Olympus is. Must be very bad. The corners are visibly worse than th Panasonic. Longer focal lengths are better on Micro Four Thirds cameras. Wide angles are difficult to make I think. Optically they never impress me. Well, we have to make do with what we got. This Panasonic is the best in this focal length so far and I doubt we’ll see anything new or better soon. Highly recommended lens.
In comparison to the Olympus 12mm f2, which lens is better?
Jordan,
I enjoy your site and reviews. I do not want to come across as hypercritical, but I want to point out that the correct use of “it’s” is only when one means to say “it is”. Nothing else. You may be surprised how many readers automatically get a negative feeling when they see this used incorrectly. It puts into question the content of the review. These may have been typos and if so, my apologies.
RJ
It’s been difficult to refrain from telling you that you are incorrect.