DougVaughn wrote:
Pretty good article... gave it a quick read. He mentions that Camera Raw (and Lightroom) don't handle the Olympus files well. I hadn't read that before, and it was my single greatest disappointment with Fuji. The simple fact is I don't want to invest in and learn a different raw processor, especially since Lightroom is so good for my Canon stuff. I'm curious what others' experience has been with Camera Raw.
I'm looking at the Olympus for a fall trip to Cuba but haven't made a decision yet. I have a full Canon kit (too heavy) and a Sony A7RII but want to pack very light. The Sony is light, but the good lenses are not. I'm trying to figure out if I would be happy with only the 12-100 f/4 and the 25mm f/1.2. My main subject will be people, with cityscapes and cars thrown in for good measure. More than anything, I want to be sure the people pictures will look great, even in low light....Show more →
I gave up on Camera Raw some time ago as C1Pro gave me more pleasing results. In addition I also use Iridient Developer. It was an early option for hi-res Olympus files before Adobe supported them. I find that CS6 and Nik are well integrated with C1Pro and Iridient.
Coming from Nikon and Leica cameras - that I still own and hardly use, but I use their lenses - my main cameras are now the Sony A7rII and the A9, as well as the four Olympus OM-D cameras, in particular the E-M1II and E-M5II. My preferences are to use the A9 in particular for available light shots up to ISO 25,600. The PL Nocticron 42.5/1.2 is my favorite portrait lens on the OM-D cameras.
Downselecting to 2 cameras I would choose the A9 and E-M1II as both AF without focus hunting.. The E-M1II and the Nocticron 42.5/1.2 would be part of my minimal travel kit. But I would want to take along the A9 with the Batis 25/2 FE anyway. Thinking about it that actually would be a nice 2 cameras and 2 lenses travel kit.
I'm surprised that people say Lightroom doesn't handle the Olympus raw files well. I find that after I select the Camera Natural profile under Camera Calibration, that the image is extremely close to the in camera produced JPG. What are you all seeing that makes you say other programs do a better job?
I agree that using the camera natural (or vivid in my case) does come close to the JPEG rendering. However, I find that the .tif file that comes back to LR from the OV3 conversion has a little more detail.
Nocticron is a great lens, but on Olympus some of the nice features like the aperture ring and OIS aren't useable (well OIS if you turn off ibis but not both together) so essentially you've just got a very sharp and fast lenses, with a rather unique way of rendering and a characteristic "swirl". It's a no-brainier for Panny users but I could see an Olympus 45/1.2 making sense, especially if it's a weather resistant PRO build, and if it has the rendering of the 25/1.2. Price of course is a factor too. Nocticron is $1599, Olympus could price at $1299.....
As great as the Noctricron is, I sold mine recently and don't miss it in the slightest. I find the 25/1.2 and 75/1.8 cover my needs for indoor and outdoor shooting (sometimes use the 75mm indoors). I just find the 75/1.8 gives a nicer shot with more compression and suits my way of working.
Certainly can't hurt to have more options though for fast MFT glass
millsart wrote:
Nocticron is a great lens, but on Olympus some of the nice features like the aperture ring and OIS aren't useable (well OIS if you turn off ibis but not both together) so essentially you've just got a very sharp and fast lenses, with a rather unique way of rendering and a characteristic "swirl". It's a no-brainier for Panny users but I could see an Olympus 45/1.2 making sense, especially if it's a weather resistant PRO build, and if it has the rendering of the 25/1.2. Price of course is a factor too. Nocticron is $1599, Olympus could price at $1299.....
As great as the Noctricron is, I sold mine recently and don't miss it in the slightest. I find the 25/1.2 and 75/1.8 cover my needs for indoor and outdoor shooting (sometimes use the 75mm indoors). I just find the 75/1.8 gives a nicer shot with more compression and suits my way of working.
Certainly can't hurt to have more options though for fast MFT glass ...Show more →
Thanks. Well, all pretty well known stuff.
The Nocticron works just fine with IBIS on my OM-D cameras.
I don't intend to ever unload this favorite lens of mine.
If I didn't already was won over by the Nocticron, the new Olympus 45/1.2 might tempt me.
My thoughts exactly. It is unlikely that Olympus will be able to outclass the Nocticron in terms of rendering. Then again, I have tremendous respect for Olympus glass. So we'll see. I am disappointed that Olympus would put out a 45/1.2 when there is already a phenomenally good 42.5/1.2. I would love to see a 100/1.2, 100/1.4 or even 100/2 PRO instead.
k-h.a.w wrote:
Thanks Bobby. Interesting, I don't think the 45/1.2 will replace my Nocticron though.
bobbytan wrote:
My thoughts exactly. It is unlikely that Olympus will be able to outclass the Nocticron in terms of rendering. Then again, I have tremendous respect for Olympus glass. So we'll see. I am disappointed that Olympus would put out a 45/1.2 when there is already a phenomenally good 42.5/1.2. I would love to see a 100/1.2, 100/1.4 or even 100/2 PRO instead.
I don't know if outclass is the right term really, the Nocticron has the characterist swirl to its rendering, much like its Leica Noctilux namesake. Some like it, some don't.
Olympus, judging from the 25/1.2, will likely have a very smooth neutral rendering. The 25/1.2 has among the smoothest rendering and transition of any lenses I've owned, even with foreground OOF areas. It's "character" is that it lacks any character one could say lol
I think the Olympus will look very different, while both will be sharp and contrasty. Sometimes that Nocticron swirl really looks great, other times I find it distracting.
I think users will have clear preferences, but it will be more subjective opinions of taste, opposed to a clear cut technical performance difference. I would be shocked for example if Olympus puts out a premium PRO lenses and that its soft until f2.0 or something.
I'd for sure buy something like a 100/2 if they made one!
I'd actually like to see a native mft mount 150/2 rolled out, with Sync IS, as well. Really would fill a big hole for sports/action shooters
I'd even like a 150/2.8 prime, assuming the size was reasonable, and it rendered a lot smoother than the 40-150/2.8
Additionally, such a lens doesn't have a Panny version so it would surely appeal to GH5 owners as well, helping increase the market for what would admittedly be a fairly niche product
Could you post a sample of this characteristic "swirl" you are talking about?
millsart wrote:
I don't know if outclass is the right term really, the Nocticron has the characterist swirl to its rendering, much like its Leica Noctilux namesake. Some like it, some don't.
Olympus, judging from the 25/1.2, will likely have a very smooth neutral rendering. The 25/1.2 has among the smoothest rendering and transition of any lenses I've owned, even with foreground OOF areas. It's "character" is that it lacks any character one could say lol
I think the Olympus will look very different, while both will be sharp and contrasty. Sometimes that Nocticron swirl really looks great, other times I find it distracting.
I think users will have clear preferences, but it will be more subjective opinions of taste, opposed to a clear cut technical performance difference. I would be shocked for example if Olympus puts out a premium PRO lenses and that its soft until f2.0 or something. ...Show more →
I was actually thinking about the 150/2 when I said 100/2. mFT 150/2 would be amazing .... ala FT 150/2 - only smaller and lighter.
millsart wrote:
I'd for sure buy something like a 100/2 if they made one!
I'd actually like to see a native mft mount 150/2 rolled out, with Sync IS, as well. Really would fill a big hole for sports/action shooters
I'd even like a 150/2.8 prime, assuming the size was reasonable, and it rendered a lot smoother than the 40-150/2.8
Additionally, such a lens doesn't have a Panny version so it would surely appeal to GH5 owners as well, helping increase the market for what would admittedly be a fairly niche product
millsart wrote:
I tried the 12-100 and found it just a bit too big for a walk around type lens, I far preferred the 12-40/2.8 as a more reasonable size.
I like it paired with a 75/1.8, which is a pretty small lens, and that gives great speed/reach.
Again,not to knock the 12-100, but really 75mm, or even 100mm at f4, just doesn't give that much subject isolation, its equiv to f8 on a FF camera after all, and how often does one really shot a 70-200 type zoom stopped down like that ? I know I hardly did, usually preferring it more wide open for subject isolation.
The 75/1.8 obviously won't match a 70-200 on your Canon system, but its so much smaller/lighter, and gives a fair about of isolation, with great optics to boot. I think its the crown jewel of m4/3 glass
I think a 12-40, 25/1.2 and a 75/1.8 would be a near ideal travel kit covering landscapes, portraits, you name it really. The 12-100 covers that whole range with a single lens, which has its benefit, but again..... how does it render an image at 25mm f4 vs how does the 25mm f1.2 look at f1.2 Maybe some people don't like that type of look, but I personally am a big fan, and I like buying expensive fast glass and shooting it near exclusively wide open lol. If your mainly into doing portraits I'm sure your of a similar mindset.
One nice perk of the EM1.2 of course is the IBIS which on the wide end can let you get away with 1-2 second exposures handheld. Saving a tripod in the checked luggage is a HUGE benefit for travel.
Also don't discount the high rez mode. Doesn't work in a lot of situations that well, but for a scene such as a cityscape without things to blow in the wind like trees, it can give you some very nice resolution, approaching that of the A7rII. Again, doesn't work for everything, but it can allow the camera to punch well above its weight under the right conditions. ...Show more →
Totally agree for the usage scenario you describe.
For a landscape shooter a 7-14 and 12-100 might be a near perfect ultra light two lens kit (with a filter solution for the 7-14).
I'd be inclined to carry a 12-100 with a couple of specialist primes for travel and general use. Most of the time I'm happy with the deeper DOF. I'd probably add a 25mm and 42.5 for the shallow stuff.
I've been through a bunch of super zooms (Fuji and Sony E mount recently) and they's always been so disappointing. The Olympus is so good.
bobbytan wrote:
Could you post a sample of this characteristic "swirl" you are talking about?
Its essentially the radiating "cats eye" effect which can give a bit of a swirl look to specular highlights and OOF light sources in many images.
The Noctilux does this same thing, only to a much more pronounced degree. I think it was very much an intentional design choice on the Nocticron to render the same way.
It certainly can draw the eye towards the central subject in the frame, and is a very characteristic sign that an image was shot with the Nocticron
Okay, I know this as cat's eye bokeh. Looks more like a lemon bokeh to me.
millsart wrote:
Its essentially the radiating "cats eye" effect which can give a bit of a swirl look to specular highlights and OOF light sources in many images.
The Noctilux does this same thing, only to a much more pronounced degree. I think it was very much an intentional design choice on the Nocticron to render the same way.
It certainly can draw the eye towards the central subject in the frame, and is a very characteristic sign that an image was shot with the Nocticron
I just received my reconditioned E-M1 Mk II from Olympus. I've done maybe 15 or 20 shots so far, most recently a few with my EF 300mm F4L IS and Metabones adapter in dim evening light. The camera chose ISO 6400, and I'm startled at how good they look; I don't even use anything above 3200 on my 5D III. What a terrific surprise! I'm going to do some comparisons with my AA-filter-less 80D when I get time. I'm feeling pretty delighted and hopeful.
Maybe some people don't like that type of look, but I personally am a big fan, and I like buying expensive fast glass and shooting it near exclusively wide open lol. If your mainly into doing portraits I'm sure your of a similar mindset.