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02-05-2012, 03:13 AM   #31
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QuoteOriginally posted by kswier Quote

I am wondering if anybody can provide a qualitative comparison between both high quality Pentax lenses and high quality micro 4/3 lenses (I am particularly interested in prime lenses). My dad has a 40" printer, so I do make large prints on occasion. Thus quality of lens and sensors (particularly at low ISO) is key.
I should leave the answer to the pro's. But I do use a K-5 next to an Oly E-p3. K-5 with ltd's and *zooms and e-p3 with zuiko m 12mm and 45mm and pana leica 25mm.
On their respective systems those lenses provide you with top quality. And also with top satisfaction. However, there are differences. Of course. It is especially the K-5 dr which provides more, what I call, translucency in pictures. Which with viewing on calibrated screens plays an important role for me. I have always preferred slides to prints. Resolution wise differences in smaller prints will be less obvious, but I honestly cann't tell for 40". That's pro, I only have a small printer. But printing that large I figure you could do with all the resolution you can get. But what is the problem in running two systems? Money is the worst issue, I guess. As for the ltd's, I wonder where Pentax is heading. Will there all be new ltd's for their new mirrorless system. The thing with mirrored aps is bothering me. So, before buying more ltd's, I figure you should think that one through also. Since using mirrorless I feel hesitant in investing in mirrored stuff. I know, downward compatibility, but drawbacks? I really am looking forward to hearing about the af performance on the new K-01. Also about its focus peaking. Would be heaven with my takumars.
Oly is fun, playful, very good quality, with good primes nice resolution. With those good primes, you can stay longer on low iso values. Very profitable.
Other: this week out in the freezing cold (temp. far below 0 celsius - wind at: 5 and 6) my Samsung frooze and my e-p3 faltered. K-5 keeps running under those circumstances. I am out then for over 2 to 3 hours. That's when I start to freeze (fingers). The K-5 is a joy to handle in this cold, due to its fantastic buttons.
You see, performance and handling are also very important. Maybe the new om-d body with the new layout will be equally good. I hope so. Plus maybe 2 stops advantage over e-p3. Wow.
Good luck deciding. You can always start with a cheap body and see if you like the system.

02-05-2012, 05:13 AM   #32
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxMom Felua Quote
The K-5 is a joy to handle in this cold,
Believe me, it sucks because of its stupid LV button. Always was pressing it with my warm glove (it was about -20°C)
02-05-2012, 07:34 AM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by Emacs Quote
Believe me, it sucks because of its stupid LV button. Always was pressing it with my warm glove (it was about -20°C)


I don't use lv with K-5 ...
Nor do I use thick gloves ...
The ones I use are thin and hang from my sleeves on ropes when changing batteries and lenses.
At least I can push the shutter button and ... it works!
And change my settings with the wheels. With gloves.
It is the humid wind that kills me, not the cold.
My Samsung nx100 didn't af anymore, nor would it fire. My Samsung nx200 fits in my armpit with 30mm, so I can keep that one going for a while longer. Ah , the joys of machinery. But in wind and rain and cold only my K-5 keeps going.
02-05-2012, 08:34 PM   #34
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I posted this on that other "new" forum but figure it's worth posting here.

E-P1, M.Zuiko 17/2.8


02-05-2012, 08:41 PM   #35
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02-05-2012, 08:50 PM   #36
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QuoteOriginally posted by kswier Quote
I am thinking about getting the new Olympus camera when it comes out (weather-sealing and small size, sign me up). If I do not end up going this route, I will probably end up getting da limited lenses for my k200d (already have the da40).

I am wondering if anybody can provide a qualitative comparison between both high quality Pentax lenses and high quality micro 4/3 lenses (I am particularly interested in prime lenses). My dad has a 40" printer, so I do make large prints on occasion. Thus quality of lens and sensors (particularly at low ISO) is key.
I have the following DA Limiteds
21/3.2
35/2.8
40/2.8
70/2.4

I also have the following M43 Primes
14/2.5
20/1.7
45/1.8

I'd rate them as follows:

Pentax 35/2.8
Pentax 70/2.4
Olympus 45/1.8
Panasonic 20/1.7 and Pentax 21/3.2
Pentax 40/2.8
Panasonic 14/2.5

What i will say about Micro Four-Thirds is that CDAF is consistently more accurate than Pentax PDAF. When M43 is sharp, which is very often, it's very very sharp. When Pentax DA is sharp, which takes a little more work, it's very very sharp as well. Plus the DA35 and DA70 have an extra something that's hard to put into words.

And while the M43 sensor in the GH2 is very good at base ISO, it has less dynamic range and is more "brittle" when post-processing; they fall apart quicker than files from my K-5. I haven't printed as big as you plan though, so please let us know how you move forward.
02-06-2012, 02:49 AM   #37
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Last edited by PentaxMom Felua; 02-12-2012 at 02:34 AM.
02-06-2012, 02:50 AM   #38
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Oh no. Sharpness goes lost in posting. What is it I do wrong.
02-07-2012, 04:21 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by johnmflores Quote
I have the following DA Limiteds
21/3.2
35/2.8
40/2.8
70/2.4

I also have the following M43 Primes
14/2.5
20/1.7
45/1.8

I'd rate them as follows:

Pentax 35/2.8
Pentax 70/2.4
Olympus 45/1.8
Panasonic 20/1.7 and Pentax 21/3.2
Pentax 40/2.8
Panasonic 14/2.5

What i will say about Micro Four-Thirds is that CDAF is consistently more accurate than Pentax PDAF. When M43 is sharp, which is very often, it's very very sharp. When Pentax DA is sharp, which takes a little more work, it's very very sharp as well. Plus the DA35 and DA70 have an extra something that's hard to put into words.

And while the M43 sensor in the GH2 is very good at base ISO, it has less dynamic range and is more "brittle" when post-processing; they fall apart quicker than files from my K-5. I haven't printed as big as you plan though, so please let us know how you move forward.
Thank you for the reply. If the Olympus 45/1.8 and Panasonic 20/1.7 are equal to or better than the Pentax Da40 (my best lens), I don't think I have anything to worry about. I was also looking a the new 12mm, which I have always heard good things about. I will have to munch on this one for a while. I think the system would suite me well, but I might have to wait until the OM-D comes down in price a bit.

Even though my dad can print at 40", I don't think I plan to print that large until I get a house, or another living situation that is more stable. I did just make a 16x22 from my k200D, and it came out very nicely. Also, my dad has made prints that large with his Nikon D80 though, and the came out pretty decent. I suspect your k-5 would have no trouble going this large.
02-07-2012, 04:29 PM   #40
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I have owned or currently own all the lenses johnmflores listed. I would agree with his ratings. I might rate the Panasonic 20 a little higher. On a budget you can't do much worse than the Panasonic 20 and the Olympus 45. I also have the Panasonic 25. It's a very good lens but more expensive than the 20 or 45.
02-08-2012, 02:44 AM   #41
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Olympus to come with new fast tele and macro lens. Very nice.

My ratings of my af prime lenses:
nx85 f1.4
nx60 f2.8 (macro)
nx30 f2
m zuiko 12 f2
da 70 ltd f2.4
da*55 f1.4
pl 25 f1.4
da 15 f4 (bummer it is only f4)
nx 20 f2.8
dfa 100 f2.8 (macro)
m zuiko 45 f1.8
fa 31ltd f1.8

Most loved lenses: and has nothing to do with ultimate quality: super takumar 24mm, auto takumar 35 2.3, super takumar 50 1.4, smc tak 85 1.8, preset takumar 105 2.8.

Haven't adapted them yet to m43 or nx. Still waiting waiting waiting for my sp II replacement (ff). The savings in my account for that one grow steadily. The nice thing about that is, that if ff never comes, it graduallly grows into mf.
02-08-2012, 07:44 PM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by PentaxMom Felua Quote
Olympus to come with new fast tele and macro lens. Very nice.

My ratings of my af prime lenses:
nx85 f1.4
nx60 f2.8 (macro)
nx30 f2
m zuiko 12 f2
da 70 ltd f2.4
da*55 f1.4
pl 25 f1.4
da 15 f4 (bummer it is only f4)
nx 20 f2.8
dfa 100 f2.8 (macro)
m zuiko 45 f1.8
fa 31ltd f1.8
I like your list because I am also an NX shooter and I love the NX60 and NX30. I'd like to get the NX85, but that's just a ton of $$$ to spend on a focal length I don't use often. I was also wondering if you've shot the PL 45/f2.8 on m43? I own and shoot it on a Panny G2, and I feel as though it picks up slightly finer details than the NX60. On the other hand, it gives less DOF control and its bokeh is not as nice as the NX60 bokeh. My opinion is that color rendition between the two lenses is dead even.

Cheers,

TTC
02-09-2012, 02:22 AM   #43
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QuoteOriginally posted by thethirdcoast Quote
I like your list because I am also an NX shooter and I love the NX60 and NX30. I'd like to get the NX85, but that's just a ton of $$$ to spend on a focal length I don't use often. I was also wondering if you've shot the PL 45/f2.8 on m43? I own and shoot it on a Panny G2, and I feel as though it picks up slightly finer details than the NX60. On the other hand, it gives less DOF control and its bokeh is not as nice as the NX60 bokeh. My opinion is that color rendition between the two lenses is dead even.

Cheers,

TTC
I have been extremely lucky with the nx85mm, I paid a "mere" euro 537 for it. But somehow I have been very lucky with all the other nx lenses aswell. What I paid for it is worth every penny. I love this length, always have. It is enourmously sharp and has incredible detailing and colour/rendition.

Yes, I shot the pl45 macro aswell, on pana gh2 and on oly epl2. All sold. Though the panasonics are truly good camera's, I felt better at home with the oly e-pl 2, which I sold in favour for the e-p3 (more controls and extra features). The best possible sensor is not the all and everything for me, though I do wish the oly had a better iso 1600 - 2000 performance, because simply I need that often in our very dark woods.
The pl45 is indeed sharp, but I did not like its overall caracteristics. It left me with a cold feeling. Now, the nx60 has a multipersoncharacter. At least I think so. Not too sharp wide open, which is absolutely perfect for portraiture of grasses and weeds floating in the wind, also because it has such lovely bokeh. Despite the movement it catches sharp details everywhere and then enchants them with soft rounded edges, so beautiful. Good colours too. And using it for landscapes it is good too, because it is really really sharp stopped down. Very convenient for dof. But you know that. I also love the large hood.
The pl45 rattled like hell .... kept switching the camera off, and restarting it always takes up time ... I must say though, the pl 25 rattles too, but a bit less and softer. That is on my e-p3. I don't think it does that on a pana. No, I did not love the pl45, not for its handling and not for its image rendering and not for its rattling. It is of course an extremely good lens, but not for me.
I also had strange adventures with the dfa 100mm macro, I so wished for the wr one, but all three copies I tried wheren't as good as my older non wr one, which I kept and still use. Maybe because of sample variation, I got a very good non wr one. I love that lens, secretely I call it my Ruysdael lens because of its detailing and colourrendition.

Well, Oly is to give us a 60mm macro lens. And a 75mm one. The 75mm one I am really looking forward to.
02-09-2012, 06:08 PM - 1 Like   #44
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Here's a bunch more shots from the mountains with the GH2 and Nokton 25mm. It's been quite the challenge shooting landscape/travel with a single prime























02-10-2012, 05:37 AM   #45
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Yes, it is challenging. But also very light. You miss some, but also gain some, because you work harder with what you brought.
Love the plants.

Can't bring myself to buy the nokton. I have always been manual focussing until just 2 yrs ago. I kept and keep doing it with K5, out of necissity because af always needs checking.
Is the new upcoming nokton tempting you?

How do you manage your time with mf when with friends? I know I can't keep up with them if I bring my takumars. Everybody races along and I fall back. But I still love it, when I don't need to hurry.
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