Biogon44

What have been the photographic results using Leica lenses on Panasonic digital camera bodies? Do these lenses perform as well as interchan geable Leica lenses on Leica camera bodies? I'm curious...

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

You tell me...this is my Panasonic 25mm f1.4 on my backup body (EPM2) shot wide open at f1.4.

It would have been better on my em1 and stopped down a couple of notches, let's say at f2.8 or f4. Not sure why you specify a panasonic body. Which specific body are you referring to? GH4, Gx-7, or some other.

http://douthittfamily.smugmug.com/2014/July-2014/i-8tFBP5X/0/X2/PM210176-20140701-X2.jpg

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Found one taken with the em1...25mm @ f/2

http://douthittfamily.smugmug.com/2014/July-2014/i-XDC8HRd/0/X2/EM125029-20140702-X2.jpg

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

FYI, the P25mm is my third favorite lens...it sits behind my 12-40 and just barely behind my 75mm f1.8

The Panasonic 42.5mm f1.2 sits at the top of the chart for the sharpest m4/3 lens. I'd love to own it...but it's damn expensive.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

The "Leica" lenses on Panasonic M4/3 bodies are not 'really' Leica lenses. They are made by Panasonic under licence from Leica, Leica has a hand in the design and the quality control to ensure that they are worth of having the "Leica" on the lens. Leica does likewise for a number of camera manufacturers. So you can't compare their performance on a Panasonic body to a Leica body because they don't fit a Leica body.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

:thumbup:

Never used a Panasonic.
I will stay with my Leica's and lenses.

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Hi the photos in this forum are beautiful. Congrats.

I think it is time for the Pepsi challenge. Show photos but do not reveal what camera they were shot with. It could be multiple choice. I have talked some in forum's about firmware design.
A manufacturer can make a camera overly sharp. Nikon's software made the D800 with a slightly green/blue look which needed an adjustment. And Sony is a master of making pictures have great color and good sharpness.
So the camera and lens have an effect but the software rules.
Just like different films in the past had different looks.
Pepsi challenge was a blind taste test. We can't do that so we will have to look at the photo's and appreciate the work of the photography.

jro1010

Some people are purist and hate the fact that they might had been over charged regarding their leica equipment. I am sorry... but I would like to analyzed the comment about the leica-pana relationship and why a Pana-leica lens is not a leica lens etc... I mean, think about it... leica design, leica supervised the quality control process, and leica put their well known brand name on it. Even when the cameras and lenses are being manufactured somewhere else... so... if the difference is the manufacturing facility, is it enough not to call it "leica"? Is like saying that the bmws and mercedes benzs that are manufactured in US shouldn't be called that... Also, Leica had rebranded panasonic's cameras and sold them as Leica... Just saying... didn't want to change the subject. If I am out of topic, I apologized.
Now in relation to the subject, I had shoot the 25mm and it is... well you can see the pictures already so, you can see. All those pana-leica lenses works that way. I had even shoot leica branded lenses on my pana camera with excellent results manually. But this is a matter of preferences and what is optically appealing for you. jro

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

No, it's not the same thing. BMWs assembled in the U.S.A. (all SUVs I believe) are assembled in a BMW factory. 'Leica' lenses on Panasonic cameras are manufactured by Panasonic in a Panasonic factory. And Leica does not make a camera that they would fit onto.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

and this interesting article.

http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/interview/20140224_633945.html

WereWolf1967 Loc: Knoxville, TN

:thumbup: :thumbup:

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Very nice shot.

alfeng Loc: Out where the West commences ...

Think about it ...

Ignoring the material selection (polycarbonate vs. glass & nickel-plated brass) AND that one is for a full frame format vs. a half-frame (4/3) sensor AND that one lens costs several times more than the other despite NOT having any electronics ...

Few lenses compare with Leitz/(Leica) lenses, new or vintage ...

I had a pre-War Summarit (50mm 1.5, uncoated) which was excellent (i.e.,better than their apparent reputation suggests) & probably as sharp as a Summar (50mm 2.0, uncoated) which I still have ...

The vintage Canon Serenar lenses are sharp when mounted on a digital camera body ...

.....I have been meaning to test a couple of Russian lenses to see how well they compare ...

Some of how sharp the rangefinder lenses are when mounted on a digital camera body may be due to the fact that I was manually focusing the lens.

That isn't to say that there is a problem with auto-focusing lenses, but even if you "spot" focus, I've got to believe that there may be some compromise when you allow the camera's firmware to focus the lens for you ...

But, maybe not.

If you are currently using an M-series Leica digital camera body + Leitz/(Leica) lenses, then it is probably pointless to use something else unless you want a "field" camera which may become abused or lost/stolen.

If you are currently, only using 35mm Leica cameras & lenses and are asking about getting a digital camera body, then you will be happy to know that you can put-your-toe-in-the-water by using your Leitz/(Leica) lens(es) on many mirrorless camera bodies (both "Full" & "Half" frame) ... included the ones which Leica offers ...

And, you will be able to create B&W images as readily as you can create color images.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Yeah, Clint. That was fascinating, especially the part about the price of chop suey in Shanghai.