LowTEC's reviews

  • Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH POWER OIS LUMIX G X VARIO

    8 out of 10 points and recommended
    Versatile, fast focus, decent sharpness in full zoom range
    body scratched and dinged easily, corner sharpness could be better at wide end wide open, flare

    I must say this lens does meet my expectations. Relatively light weight, small size, and fantastic image quality out of this lens. Samples of my favourite shots out of this lens:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/14304921646/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/8559458789/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/9045744370/

    Smooth operation and superb build quality and although the body will dinged and scratched easily with mild use, I much prefer a quality plastic exterior, my Oly 45mm 1.8 looks brand new after 2 years of heavy usage, this lens does perform really well in low distortion (with correction), great corner to corner sharpness at f4 and above, and excellent control over CA overall. It is an expensive lens for this category of camera, but it does put the E-M5 into a professional level with this and the 45mm F/1.8. I've already begun using this lens professionally in my work and very satisfied with the results.

    OIS is a plus over 12-40 2.8, although I don't need it now with E-M5, but you never know when you will be moving on to GH4 :).

    reviewed June 7th, 2014 (purchased for $1,160)

  • Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6 ED M.Zuiko Digital

    7 out of 10 points and recommended
    Extremely light weight, ultracompact
    Excellent sharpness only at narrow range and aperture, so so construction

    Extremely light weight, small size, and decent image quality out of this lens. Samples of my favourite shots out of this lens:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/9069614224/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/13535551174/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/8429376520/


    Smooth operation and the extension action doesn't bother me, although I find the lens a bit wobbly when extended but that doesn't affect the IQ. I like light weight plastic body with metal mount, decent corner to corner sharpness at 9mm f5.6-f8 and the benefit of able to mount a ND filter when need. It was a no brainer for me to carry it to anywhere since it is so compact.

    Since then I have replaced it with an used Panny 7-14, which is much sharper corner to corner, but I am doomed by the purple blob issue with my E-M5 and E-PL5, and lack of filter mount bothered me when i shoot day time long expsoure

    reviewed June 7th, 2014 (purchased for $600)

  • Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 ASPH LUMIX G VARIO

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    SHARP, corner to corner sharp
    lack of filter mount, purple blob issue with E-M5, E-PL5, GH3

    Simply say, I love this lens. This lens is one of the sharpest UWA lens I have ever used, and I have used Nikon 14-24mm, Canon's, Tokina, and Oly M.zuiko 9-18

    It is compact but relatively front heavy for smaller M4/3 cameras, it is decently sharp wide open, and corner to corner sharpness at 7mm f5.6. Build quality is excellent with nicely damped zoom ring (although I only use 7mm range). Sharpness level is comparable to Nikon 14-24 f2.8, which is the best UWA in FF system. I wouldn't go travel without it, the 7mm does give breath taking dramatic POV if used properly. The only down side is not the price (good lens costs a lot as we all know), but the SERIOUS purple blob issue when mated with my E-M5, E-PL5, GH3, which they are all use the same sony sensor, which can totally ruin the image when it happens, but for the rest of the time, the IQ is breath taking good, tack sharp corner to corner at 7mm. Although I wish for a filter mount for day time long exposure.

    Here are couple samples.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/13108951383/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/14182278315/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/13292857844/

    reviewed June 7th, 2014 (purchased for $800)

  • Olympus 75mm f/1.8 ED M.Zuiko Digital

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    Tack sharp corner to corner in all aperture, supreme build quality, fast focus
    zero

    One word to describe this lens, Perfection.

    This is one beautiful lens, full metal construction with silk smooth focus ring, all in a tightly assembled body. The optic is perfect, tack sharp wide open all the way to f16, this lens is so sharp that I can consistently crop my wide open shot bird image to 1:1 and still able to see every individual feather; the sharpness, micro contrast, color rendition, nice starburst and creamy bokeh is simply surreal. It is so sharp at f1.8, I don't think I ever step it down to shoot. There is simply no sharper lens ( in full range of aperture) on the market regardless of system, only Canon 135 f/2, sigma 70mm macro can come close.

    The extreme sharpness makes it so versatile (cropped like a 150mm-600mm in FF equiv., despite what ppl think of the focal length), I use it for portrait, close range birding, concert, sports and even landscape shooting, it is my most used lens of my whole M4/3 lens collection.

    Get it!

    A few samples to show how it's like in real use, some shots are 100% cropped

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/11434029673/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/9251152980/

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtec/8502258303/

    reviewed June 7th, 2014 (purchased for $950)