EdO's reviews

  • Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 ASPH LUMIX G

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    incredibly sharp and compact lens
    AF noise audible on video sound track

    Tested on my GF-1, this lens can match or beat the sharpness of any Nikon or Sigma lens I've ever tested on my Nikon D90, at comparable apertures. This lens is simply superlative.

    reviewed March 11th, 2010

  • Panasonic 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH MEGA OIS LUMIX G VARIO

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    versatile, compact
    none

    Excellent, versatile lens. Compares favourably with my Nikon and Sigma zooms in this focal range. OIS adds about 2 EV to the shutter speed that is "safe" in my hands. ("Safe" in my book is four of five test images as sharp as on a tripod)

    reviewed March 11th, 2010 (purchased for $342)

  • Panasonic 45-200mm f/4-5.6 MEGA OIS LUMIX G VARIO

    9 out of 10 points and recommended
    compact and light for focal range, silent AF operation
    somewhat soft in corners

    Very impressive focal range for so compact a lens. Image corners softer than what I can get with my Nikon 70-300 VR but this is mostly visible in test-chart photos, generally not noticeable in "real world" photos. (When using a 400mm-equivalent focal length, how often do you care about corner sharpness?) OIS is worth about 2 EV reduction in shutter speed to be safe in my hands (my criterion is 4/5 test shots as sharp hand-held as on tripod, viewed at 200% magnification)

    reviewed March 11th, 2010 (purchased for $390)

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

    10 out of 10 points and recommended
    f:4 constant aperture, fantastic wide-angle coverage
    none really

    On an M4/3 camera this produces 14-28mm 35mm-equivalent. This is a slightly wider coverage than a Sigma 10-20 f:4-5.6 DC lens, with up to 1 EV faster maximum aperture, lighter and more compact, and only slightly softer corners (noticeable only at 200% magnification). Perfect complement to the 14-45 and 45-200 lenses; those three lenses give you a fantastic focal coverage at a fraction of the bulk and weight of comparable DSLR lenses. Now if only Panasonic would come out with a fisheye lens in this format ... and maybe an f:2.8 constant-aperture tele zoom, say 50-150, and I'd seriously consider giving up my DSLR kit entirely.

    reviewed March 11th, 2010 (purchased for $1,170)