Author Topic: Olympus PEN with Panasonic 20mm DSLR quality ? (Read 5588 times)

asterinex · « **on:** December 20, 2010, 12:42:55 PM »

I was wondering how an Olympus PEN equipped with a panasonic 20mm pancake lens compares to entry DSLR's with Kitlens.
I want to compare them solely on image quality at lower iso's.

So my question is :

Can an Olympus PEN, equipped with a panasonic 20mm pancake lens, compete on IQ at lower ISO's with NikonD3000, Canon 550, Pentax K-x ?

adash · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2010, 12:44:09 PM »

Quote

Can an Olympus PEN, equipped with a panasonic 20mm pancake lens, compete on IQ at lower ISO's with NikonD3000, Canon 550, Pentax K-x ?

Yes!

candyspan6 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2010, 12:55:50 PM »

Absolutely, even exceed the quality in some respects, particularly jpegs. Just take a look in the gallery and on flickr.

Em5 Pete · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2010, 01:02:32 PM »

Quote from: adash on December 20, 2010, 12:44:09 PM

Quote
Can an Olympus PEN, equipped with a panasonic 20mm pancake lens, compete on IQ at lower ISO's with NikonD3000, Canon 550, Pentax K-x ?

Yes!

Panasonic G1/2 GF1/2 GH1/2 can also.

go above to 400-800 ISO and there will a slight advantage with the APS-C sensor. above 800 ISO or so APS-C senor will a noticeable edge in larger prints. But, the gap is getting smaller every year... the GH2 is one example with great high ISO IQ.
I think 2012-13 will be a great year for m4/3 sensor IQ at all ISO's.

popo · « **Reply #4 on:** December 20, 2010, 03:22:16 PM »

Competitive, yes. Beat - it depends on what criteria you are using. The DSLR kitlens is very different from the 20mm f/1.7. Since that was specified I have to assume that was intended in the comparison also, even if it isn't like for like.

Las Palm as · « **Reply #5 on:** December 20, 2010, 03:24:55 PM »

Only one diferent, from my point of view. The bigger the sensor the more bokeh ( diferent between the front and back elements)..

Total Exposure · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2010, 04:31:15 AM »

where the m4/3rds format can make up lost ground over the larger sensor DSLR's, is that with no mirror, you can use normal lenses rather than the retrofocus lenses of the SLR camera. I have a Leica 1.4/35mm M Summilux ASPH mounted to my EP2 at the moment, something that I just couldn't do with D3. Yes, I think that the m4/3rds can match and exceed a DSLR in certain areas, but not all....but no one has made a camera yet that can do it all. The 20mm Panny lens is a ripper, and Nikon doesn't have a AF 50mm lens that can match it IMO. But where you can really pull away from the big clunky SLR's is your ability to be discreet and not intimidate your subjects, and this can lead to better image content.

Centauri27 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2010, 12:01:37 PM »

I think it's safe to say a PEN with 20mm can handily beat any entry level DSLR with a cheapo kit zoom. I just made 16x20 and 18x24 canvas prints from my 20mm shots and they are breathtaking.

This review says the EP2/20mm even beats a full frame Nikon D3s with 50mm f/1.8:

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/01/18/the-pansonic-lumix-g-20-1-7-lens-review/

asterinex · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2010, 02:08:28 PM »

You think the price of the lens will drop under 300 euros ?

Centauri27 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2010, 09:54:21 AM »

Quote from: asterinex on December 22, 2010, 02:08:28 PM

You think the price of the lens will drop under 300 euros ?

I have no idea what the European pricing will be, but I saw in another post someone said he just ordered a 20mm for 330 euros. I know that here in Canada, the price has stayed remarkably constant, with maybe the occasional $50 off when on sale. The U.S. price at Amazon seems to have dipped from the high $300s to the low $300s, so they have the best deal. When something is in such hot demand like this lens, I don't see it going down in price. Just look at the prices of iPads and iPods.

asterinex · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2010, 11:25:03 AM »

Quote from: Centauri27 on December 22, 2010, 12:01:37 PM

I think it's safe to say a PEN with 20mm can handily beat any entry level DSLR with a cheapo kit zoom. I just made 16x20 and 18x24 canvas prints from my 20mm shots and they are breathtaking.

This review says the EP2/20mm even beats a full frame Nikon D3s with 50mm f/1.8:

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/01/18/the-pansonic-lumix-g-20-1-7-lens-review/

The review and the pictures on it are realy stunning. I also think that the price will stay above 300 euro's.

Panther · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2010, 03:29:01 PM »

The Nikon D3100 review by DPREVIEW accurately stated that entry level DSLRs now have legitimate competition from mirrorless cameras!

voyager · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2010, 06:26:48 PM »

Better than DSLR quality.

lisandra · « **Reply #13 on:** December 28, 2010, 02:16:17 AM »

If you shoot RAW you can put m4/3s against full framers.
GH2, ISO 6400:

Details

to me the limits have disappeared.

mikmas101 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 28, 2010, 05:55:32 AM »

Not the Pen/20mm combo but a side-by-side comparison of a GH2 with the Nokton 25mm up against a Leica full frame; little to tell between them apart from DoF and slight colour differences:

http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/12/panasonic-gh2-compared-to-leica-m9-take.html
"Comparison tests for sharpness between a Panasonic GH2 fitted with a Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 Nokton and a Leica M9 fitted with a Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar."

candyspan6 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 28, 2010, 09:36:51 AM »

Quote from: Total Exposure on December 22, 2010, 04:31:15 AM

But where you can really pull away from the big clunky SLR's is your ability to be discreet and not intimidate your subjects, and this can lead to better image content.

Amen to that! I do like DSLRs for the benefits they provide, but the fact that I can be discreet with my PEN has given me the confidence to take pictures I simply wouldn't have been able to make with a larger DSLR. You really can "shoot from the hip" with a PEN, and nobody looks twice when I'm taking pictures. If I had my supersized DSLR, then people would be running and hiding everywhere I looked.

Centauri27 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 02, 2011, 10:34:06 PM »

Quote from: candyspan6 on December 28, 2010, 09:36:51 AM

Amen to that! I do like DSLRs for the benefits they provide, but the fact that I can be discreet with my PEN has given me the confidence to take pictures I simply wouldn't have been able to make with a larger DSLR. You really can "shoot from the hip" with a PEN, and nobody looks twice when I'm taking pictures. If I had my supersized DSLR, then people would be running and hiding everywhere I looked.

I was just thinking about those advantages myself the other day. I've found that I can take even better discrete candids with my PEN even compared to a P&S. Then it occurred to me the reason why: not only do I not have to lift a big black SLR to my face, the PEN's lack of AF illuminator means I can be really discrete, holding the camera low and snapping away without people noticing. With a P&S, my subject would often look up when that Borg-style red beam fires at them prior to the shutter going off. So what many perceive as a PEN disadvantage is actually an advantage in this case.

russell · « **Reply #17 on:** January 03, 2011, 03:09:54 AM »

Another vote for discreteness here. Apart from the cost, I hate how imposing modern DSLRs are. Many a family gathering is marred by relatives wielding them. Nothing like a papparazzi feeling to make everyone relax

.

I held out with film and my OM10 for a long while after digital came out... now with the PENs it seems I can finally get a quality digital outfit without resorting to those horrible big black things!

lisandra · « **Reply #18 on:** January 04, 2011, 12:15:11 PM »

Quote from: mikmas101 on December 28, 2010, 05:55:32 AM

Not the Pen/20mm combo but a side-by-side comparison of a GH2 with the Nokton 25mm up against a Leica full frame; little to tell between them apart from DoF and slight colour differences:

http://soundimageplus.blogspot.com/2010/12/panasonic-gh2-compared-to-leica-m9-take.html
"Comparison tests for sharpness between a Panasonic GH2 fitted with a Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 Nokton and a Leica M9 fitted with a Zeiss 50mm f/2 Planar."

the voigtlander has 80something lines of resolution at f2.8!! For those of you who dont really understand what this means, this is canon L glass territory or even most leica!

voyager · « **Reply #19 on:** January 04, 2011, 04:00:05 PM »

Something that I forgot before that should be mentioned is that Panasonic lenses won't always look good in image quality on the PEN cameras. They're not designed for them.

mikmas101 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 04, 2011, 04:06:13 PM »

I am more than satisfied with the IQ from the 20mm on my EP2 - over the moon in fact!

Detailing is superb and colours are lush and deep - usually have to desaturate slightly in fact.

.....can't wait for the sunshine (a rare commodity at the moment)

popo · « **Reply #21 on:** January 05, 2011, 12:25:18 AM »

Quote from: voyager on January 04, 2011, 04:00:05 PM

Something that I forgot before that should be mentioned is that Panasonic lenses won't always look good in image quality on the PEN cameras. They're not designed for them.

They're all (Oly+Pana) designed for the same system so will work as well as their own brand. The only minor difference is the lack of CA removal in Oly bodies, but that affects their own lenses as much.

Now if you're talking about cosmetic appearance, you might have something there. The 20mm f/1.7 is the wrong shade of grey to go with the E-P1...

voyager · « **Reply #22 on:** January 05, 2011, 02:22:00 AM »

I remember the CA removal, but I also remember lenses causing things like distortion when used on the other brand.

adash · « **Reply #23 on:** January 05, 2011, 06:27:10 AM »

Quote

I remember the CA removal, but I also remember lenses causing things like distortion when used on the other brand.

Distortion is not caused by the lens/camera combination, but rather by the lens design itself. It is simply not corrected in-camera in case of a Pany lens on an Oly body and vice versa. You can easily correct it in PP.

popo · « **Reply #24 on:** January 05, 2011, 10:00:00 AM »

I thought distortion correction was implemented cross-brands. e.g. I use the Pana 20mm f/1.7 on the E-P1, mostly jpeg, and never needed to do manual distortion correction. Uncorrected the lens has significant barrel distortion. The lack of CA correction is an Olympus only omission, but distortion correction seems to be implemented.

Author Topic: Olympus PEN with Panasonic 20mm DSLR quality ? (Read 5588 times)

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