Guys and Girls, let's hear some of your favourite and least favourite lenses for MFT. Comment below ;)

First time I’ve seen one of your videos and I enjoyed it, especially you mentioning the Isle of Skye as I used to live on the Outer Hebrides on Benbecula. I have now subscribed. Best wishes for the growth of the channel. Brian “That Micro 4/3 Guy” James

Did I see Bill Murray in your footage?! AWESOME. Very nice footage in general to support your personal take on the gear.

😍Nice video ! Beautiful models and some great mountain scenery

The Panny 25mm 1.7 is very affordable and I’m really happy with it. So is the Panny 42.5mm. Even the kit lenses are pretty good. Always happy with mine. I really like my micro four thirds kit and I use it regularly.

Sigma 56 is superb...both for portrait and landscape. The 56 is smaller than the other two!

Some great information, thanks for taking the time to put that together. I really like the 35-100mm f2.8 mkii paired up with my GH6, I find that a really nice combination for a lot of the work I do.

Thanks for this! Great stuff man!

Great video and thoughts. I've used mft since 2009

Sigma 30 is a great lens. Tiny Olympus 1.8 primes are excellent and tiny and easy to carry. MF3 is still a good platform for travel.

Enjoy the 12-35 2.8 outdoors (weatherproof and relatively light for hiking etc) and the Panny 15mm 1.7 for general uses. Would love to try the Panny 9mm and perhaps the Olympus 14-150 (small, light and inexpensive). Your proposed use of the Olympus 45mm even for landscapes makes it tempting too! Great video footage! Well done.

I took the 20:mm and the 45 mm on my gx9 for a citytrip to Santander last year. It was all I needed and I got some great shots with it, if I say so myself

Great video! One point about the 20mm f1.7 and focusing speed. It’s not the motor, it’s the fact that the lens uses unit focusing, meaning that the whole lens assembly (all the elements) move to achieve focus and a focus motor that fits in a pancake lens isn’t going to move things that quickly. This is common with pancake lenses. The Canon EF-S 24mm pancake, which I had in my Canon days, uses unit focusing and it was slow too. I think it’s the same for the Canon EF 40mm pancake too. So it’s the nature of these pancake lenses and I don’t think it’s solvable without bumping up the cost of the lens considerably and probably increasing the size as well.

Great video Alex. Thanks for the thoughts on each one. I have got a few of those prime lenses you mentioned. Mainy been using the kit lens so far on the GX80 but looking forward to using the 45mm f1.8 on my future content. My next lens to buy will likely be an ultra wide one so will check out those ones you mentioned

I decided that MFT was the best system for me (I still do) and got a Lumix G9 shortly after it hit the market. I wanted a "full-range," weatherproof system, so I got the Leica 8-18 f/2.8-4, Mitakon Speedmaster 25 f/0.95 (gotta have that "fast 50" although that razor-thin DoF wide open can be a bit overkill--it's also not weatherproof but has no electrical contacts), Lumix G-X 35-100 f/2.8, and Leica 100-400 f/4-6.3. I later added the Oly 60mm Macro f/2.8. I also got a GX85 with the "kit" pancake 12-32 and 45-150 (a great option if you want to travel very light as a couple of cargo pant or jacket pockets fit the kit). Every one of those lenses is more than good enough to produce stellar, large prints. One of the many advantages of MFT is that most any lens can be adapted, but that's really superfluous, as virtually all MFT lenses fit all MFT bodies and there are so many choices. I've thought about getting the Laowa 7.5, but it's not that much wider (or faster) than the 8-18. Obviously, which lenses you use depends on how you shoot, but I like having the full array available. If I had to pick one lens (a silly hypothetical), it would probably be the 35-100 as that 70-200 EFL works very well for the vast majority of the images I want to record. In the city, the 8-18's EFL of 16-36 covers most architectural/street situations. For macros, besides that great Oly lens, the Leica 100-400 has a minimum focusing distance of only 1.3m/4.27' which at 800mm EFL = 0.5 magnification, enough to fill the frame with many skittish bugs. Shorter focusing distances are another often unsung advantage of MFT. Interesting that you find 14mm to be a "boring" FL, as it's "35mm eq" FL of 28mm was Garry Winogrand's FL of choice (and even with his Leica gear, his images were often "soft" as he had little time to focus in many cases, which shows you that sharpness isn't everything). Obviously, preferred FLs are a very personal choice.

I have PL12-60mm f2.8-4, Lumix 20mm, PL45mm f2.8, Sigma 16mm & 56mm, and for Ultra Wide i have Meike 8mm T2.9. These are lenses i have right now. Other lenses i sold because i seldom use them are 45-200mm, 12-32mm, 7artisans 35mm f1.4. For me, i love those sigma lenses and i own a GH5ii. Both fits perfectly on the camera. I am keeping PL 12-60 and PL45mm for my run and gun type of news job.

Great video! I've enjoyed it, although im not that into cameras)) I'd like to see a personal intro placed to divide the beginning of the video where you explain yourself with all the experiences that you talk about. Just a thought, bro :)

LAOWA 10mm which can be wide or act 12mm and is such quality that cropping is no problem, also focus manually is very quick and accurate, no misses.

Very nice and interesting video! Thanks! I currently have 3 photo lenses with my Gx80. The 12-32mm, a 25mm f1.7 and the 35-100mm. The first and third are kit lenses but are pretty incredible and often underestimated! I find that I can cover any situation with these three lenses.

cool man, interesting video. Those sailing documentaries look great. Were you nervous about getting the camera soaked?

thank you for the effort and the sharing. another great vid. how about a vid of favorite M43 bodies? thumbs up.

Great video Alex. Greetings from Denmark 👍

Enjoyed the video. I love the Pany 42.5 but since I bought the Leica 25-50 I have been using it a bunch. I have also been testing the Canon 24-105 with speed booster to see how it performs. To be honest, it looks pretty good. Blessings and keep going?

Enjoyed your video. I have shot with Olympus for 17 years now. I had been on the fence about trying a FF system for awhile. But I just could not pull the trigger. I own 2 Olympus bodies and 5 pro Olympus lenses. I had never really given any Panasonic lenses any thought after a terrible experience with the 100-300. But seeing some of the smaller primes they have come out with, I may just give one or two a try. It's shame so many people don't give the system a chance due to the FF sheep that bash the hell out of it. If they did, they would see it really is a fantastic well rounded compact system. More affordable as well. Appreciate the video and seeing you sharing your positive experiences with m 4/3. ( edit) also, agree with the 45 1.8 being an amazing lens. I still own it and use it even though I have the 45 1.2 I pulled it out at a shoot and had a couple people chuckle and comment about tis size. Then they saw the results. One was Canon user and the other a big Nikon guy. Really made them wonder about my gear lol

I like using the TTArtisan manual focus lenses, especially on my Olympus Pen-F -- no adapters needed (they make a MFT mount version).

Definitely agree with your first point, for the first 10+ years of M43 I was always in the "prime or pro zoom only" camp. Kicking myself cause the 14-140ii is now one of my favorite lenses. The super compact 35-100 f/4-5.6 is really good as well. As far as pro lenses the 35-100 2.8 (left another reply to another comment) is a gem of an underrated lens. I agree with your assessment of the sigma lenses- lately been going back to the ~1.7 primes and smaller bodies. Really what M43 is all about.

I have my kit lens 12/32 and 42.5, 1.7 both from Panasonic for my olympus Pan f, and lumix Gf7. Since 5 years . Very satisfy.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts! Personally I don’t recognize the problem with the M42 to MFT mout adapter. The brand I use is Fusnid. Not expensive so maybe you can give it a try.

As a biologist that gets out into the field, my go to lens is the Olympus Zuiko Pro 12-40 f2.8. Has a manual focus clutch that I use for closeups. This can go from wide angle to moderate zoom, all with one lens, and fast throughout the range.

The 17mm 1.8 is a little banger of a lens!

class video bruv!

Would you recommend 12-60 3.5 for nature trips? I have 40-150 but many times i need wider and it's frustrating to switch to 12 f2, because in the next shot i need a long lens. Trying to keep a balance for my EP7. The problem with prime lenses is that you always feel you need the one that you don't have.

rre panasoic 12-32 .had om10mkii with one fitted went into olly software for firmware update on camera which also recognised lens could be done, did it which ended up with lens completely dead. due to health issues now back with M4/3rds (EM5ii) but will stick same make for both this time

Thanks for the honest negative review on the Oly 12mm and Pana 14mm. The 12-32mm really is a sharp lens. I love this lens. Set it to f5.6 and you'll have a light setup for hyperfocal distance shooting. The only thing I don't like about it is, in raw, at 12mm, distortion is quite apparent.

I travel full time in a van with an EM53.. the lenses I use are: 7ARTISANS 7.5mm fish-eye (but not circular!) F2.8 ..a remarkable sharp lens which converts to rectalinear easily. Use for small street and travel and Interior of buildings. SAMYANG 12mm T2.2(F1.7!!!) Cine lens... Landscape master! Olympus 17mm F1.7 for low light street and some interior church shots. 45mm F1.7 Olympus for portrait and detail in churches.. Panasonic Lumix 14-140 an all day lens.. sharp, fast enough and light! Just getting an Olympus 75-300 for use in Africa... 🙏

Agree on the 12-32 Pany, 45 f1.8 and the 20 f1.7 I also love the 14 f2.5, I find the 12-32 is just as sharp but not as contrasty (all purchased 2nd hand). Sold the 7-14 f2.8 too heavy & flair, went back to the 9-18mm. 17 f1.8 just doesn't do it for me so may sell on. 75 f1.8 special events lens and never disappoints. 12-40 f2.8 is very nice bad weather landscape lens. Not impressed with the 40-150 kit lens you have me interested in the 14-140. Had the mitakon 25mm f0.95, great colors contrast and sharpness but too much of a faff to use.

I really like your style. Talking and showing the real good works. Not just talking left and right. You shows! Great. Many thanks 🙏🏻

I feel the same about the sigmas, they are lovely but if I’m shooting mft, I want small and light.

I no longer have any native MFT glass. And I don't have a MFT body (except for a BMPCC4K). I made a move to Fuji, then to Panasonic FF. I kept one MFT lens through it all -- the Oly 45 f1.8. Tells you all you need to know about that lens. I got silver too from eBay, and I'd much rather have black lol. Looking for a compact travel body has led me right back to MFT, so I'll be reacquiring a lot of these lenses.

As a Nikon owner, and now just got myself Panasonic G9, I am really amazed how good and cheap m4/3 lenses are.

I didn't like the Olympus lenses that needed a switch to extend and retract - 14-42mm & 9-18mm. Also the 9-18mm focus breathing bothered me (it zoomed in & out before finding focus) that I got Panasonic 8-18mm instead. Glad I rented them before buying. The 7-14mm was too wide. I looked at pictures again a month afterwards and 7mm looked too bent inwards compared to 8-9mm. Also 18mm gets near normal for me vs 14mm still wide view. The 12-60mm gets used most and the telephoto 60mm end is good, so don't have to switch to 45-150mm lens much.

Olympus 12-45mm f4 and 20mm f1.4 are my current go to and favorites.

Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 is my favorite lens... for the sharpness and color. It's good for both photography and videography! Least favorite... I'm not sure maybe the Kamlan 50 f/1.1 which I ended up selling. Too soft and produced some color cast and flaring.

I agree with everything you've said here. I've also enjoyed the Olympus 75mm f1.8, which i usually find gets the same level of adoration as the 45mm. Nice video. What's the song/music playing int he background?

Favorite lenses right now Lumix 20mm f1.7, 12-35mm f2.8, 35-100mm f2.8

What are your thoughts on 12-60 f2.8-4 Lumix g vario by panasonic.

@justalexhimself fotga m42 adapters are cheap and don't have the wobble you mention

I just came back from a holiday in Europe. I shoot Olympus, and I took my 40-150 F2.8 Lens with me. I barely used it I also had my 12-40 F2.8 lens as well, but in the end I found myself using my 3 small primes 17mm, 25mm and 45m F1.8's for most of my shoots. Even when I used the 12-40 I was still mostly shooting at 17mm focal length. Lesson learned I guess - just take the primes unless I really need the weather sealing ...

The Panasonic 14-45 f3.5 seems to be little known. Metal mount, image stabilisation on a switch, twist zoom and very close in performance to the primes. Usually around £60 second hand and an absolute bargain.

MFT Kit lenses in general are good, whether Panasonic or Olympus. One lens I was disappointed with was the Olympus mzuiko 17mm 2.8. other than that, I have not found a brand name MFT lens that was not very good or better. On the non-OEM brands, I had a Sigma 60mm 2.8 DN that was incredibly sharp and a manual focus 7 Artisans 7.5mm 2.8 that was really good also.

I got the S5 and simply cant let my GH5 go. I love that camera and will use it until it breaks.

45 1.8 is my all time favorite so far

I got the 7,5 cinema version.... expensive. But is great. I really use a lot this lens. When in feel that is too much i just crop in camera, whith the one to to one option.

Is this Bono under cover ?

Well, I don’t do video. So spank me. I majored in it in college. Analog. Not digital. So, I used my OM1 and OM 4t to shoot film. The micro 4/3 came as an off shoot. The Mk 2 and Pen F gave me two different bodies and different ways of doing the same thing. I had a Canon F1 but hardly ever used it. As a “pro” I did use medium format a lot. Now, “retired” the 4/3’s are all I use. Easy, fewer lenses, sharp images and light weight. Pro lenses are wonderful. Do all I need.

I haven't heard many users of the 12mm f/2 find it to be not sharp, not sure what was up with your copy. I'd also watch out for getting a bad copy of the 60mm f/2.8. I got the lens for cheap so I can't complain, but the contrast isn't great wide open and I feel like not many people have said as much about the lens. So I'm guessing I got unlucky there. All my other Olympus lenses, from the f/1.2's to the kit lenses to the 300mm f/4, are as amazing as they're reputed.

Well I own the panasonic 20 1,7, the panasonic 42,5 1,7, the leica 12-60 and the lumix 12-32. I use the lumix gx9 and we own the GM1 too. I only use the system for travels and some street, but I like it, it have it's use. Anyway, I'm not a big fan of m43.

My #1 lens -- BY FAR -- for my Panasonic G9 is a Tamron 70-210 f4 for Canon EF, on a Viltrox .71 focal reducer. Super fast and accurate auto focus, 98-300mm FF equivalent, with f 2.8 in the full range. My Laowa 10mm f2 is always in my bag -- tiny, fast, wide without distortion, great DoF. If I had to carry only one lens, it would be the utility Pan 14-140 you mentioned first: huge range, slow but IS+IBIS makes up for some of it.

I don't know how you can like the Jupiter and Helios yet not the Sigma 30/1.4. It's lighter, sharper, and has great bokeh... and the 16 and 56 lenses are also great lenses, very close in image quality to the Oly 17 and 45 1.4 lenses. All of these are great for video or photography. The Oly 75/1.8 is a fantastic lens, likely the sharpest M4/3 lens on the market, with great bokeh.

There’s only one lens for run and gun, video in particular, it’s 12-35 f2.8 and i guess 20mm f1.7 pancake is good fast and small

Just wait for the GH6M2 with PDAF.

I got the 15mm f1.7 but I wish it would of zoomed in to 35mm aswell

What about pana/leica lenses?

Hi Alex I would like to share with you that I own all theses lenses: Lumix 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 Lumix 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Leica 25mm F1.4 Lumix 14mm F2.5

What I have: Panasonic 12-35mm MkII f2.8 - versatile Panasonic 25mm f1.7 - Light, cheap... why not have it? Olympus 9mm f8.0 - Fun, tiny lens, but sometimes you miss to be faster or to have different apertures to work with. If you find it on sale, why not have it? Sigma 16mm f1.4 - Sharp, a little bulky and heavy, but the size is the worst part. Sigma 56mm f1.4 - I love this lens. In the studio for portraits, sometimes it's a little too long. I'd love to switch to the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2. What I had: Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster II 17mm F0.95 - Sharp, manual, beautiful bokeh, but heavy as hell. I'm new to having presbyopia, so I switched from the Mitakon to the Sigma which has AF... not much difference size, but a little lighter. In the future: Panasonic 9mm f1.7 - I like the Laowa 7.5mm f2.0 too. Both are "linear-wide angles" (no distortion or minimized), but for me, autofocus is a must. Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 - I thought about getting the Olympus 40-150mm for a bigger reach, but it's a lot bigger.

Panasonic 15 mm 1,7. And panny 9 mm. You should try those.

yes, the olympus 60 mm macro lens is the king of macro in the m43 system.

The actual lens talk starts at 2:43

My Helios 44-2 is rock solid on a Beschoi adapter.

I got the Sigma 16mm and 56mm, and it's way better than the 30mm.

Your Olympus 12/2 was probably an inferior copy. Mine is very sharp at f2. And I bought it used for 250 euros! And I do have the Sigma 30/1.4. Very sharp, but the bigest problem with it are longitudinal chromatic aberrations. They are huge.

Excellent video, I greatly enjoyed your journey with µ4/3, and love hearing about other’s experiences with the format… I picked up the Leica zooms in the beginning of the Pandemic. The 10-25mm/1.7 appealed to me for wide FOV, as I contemplated the Laowa 7.5/2. I find when I take it with me, I tend to pair it with the M.Zuiko Pro 45mm/1.2 (chosen over the Nocticron due to weather-sealing), as they complement each other nicely. I was so impressed with the lens, I decided to complete the set. Ultimately, I found that I liked the 25-50mm even more. Though I do not own it yet, I believe pairing it with Leica 9mm/1.7 would be an even better dynamic duo. The Leica 15mm/1.7 will have to do for now… The zooms are big, but not cumbersome methinks, surprisingly light and well balanced compared to the M.Zuiko Pro 45-150mm/2.8, which I had become somewhat use to enough for the size to not matter… I tend to use the battery grips with the GH5, now the GH5II. Started with the GH4. Bought the Mark II the week prior to the GH6 release. Zero regrets, in fact more than likely to buy another, and at least one more, as the price drops, hopefully around 1K, because the lemmings are clamouring for PDAF models. As you well know the GH5 is an incredibly capable camera. The GH5II simply a bit more amazing. Yes, better low light and sharper IQ… 😏

Nice hair

Do you not like Olympus cameras??

"I really do need my systems to be as small as possible" - said after holding up a camera wayyy fatter than an X-T5

Sigma are very sloppy in their designs of Lenses, too big and too heavy. the best Lens designers at the moment are Sony and Voigtländer !

When you were a student attending lectures did your lecturer start his lecture by turning on a crappy muzak track?

Thumb rings. Really?

Pointless muzak.