Leica Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 -is it worth the price?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video I'm going to compare the Leica Nocticron 42,5mm f/1.2 and Lumix G 42,5mm f/1.7. Is the Leica bokeh superior? Which one is better lens and which one should you buy?
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My name is Matti Sulanto, I'm a Lumix photographer based in Helsinki Finland. I'll publish a new video every Tuesday and Friday.
My Instagram: / sulantoblog
I got the Lumix 42,5mm f/1.7 a couple of weeks ago, and have been blown away by its image quality. It is really great to take portraits, but also performs well in other contexts.
It is a great little lens.
and it can focus really close!
I have both lens.. Noct is way better in every way, especially colour, micro contrast, skin tone, character, built quality, and bokeh.. Both are justified by their price.. You get what you pay for..
Twice as much for subtle differences. Id expect to have been blown away for $400 more but meh.
How to set it to micro 4/3 camera?
So now, 5 yrs after this video, I own both. I added the really very small 1.7 to my GX9 arsenal. To me the size difference alone makes a huge difference in my usage. The 42.5/1.2 together with the 12/1.4 were my only two lenses with the GX8 for a long time. That was a perfect fit. So I used it not only for portraits. The Nocticron is still in my bag together with the G9ii, to fill the gap between the PL 10-25 and the PL 50-200, which is my choice when I go on a city trip. But for every day or situations I need it to be a small and light the P 42.5 1.7 makes a great job together with the PL 15 1.7 on my GX9. These are different systems to me and there are just a few lenses I‘d use on both cams. Maybe it‘s crazy to say this, but I‘d definitely see that even a 3rd camera in between, like the Gx8 was, would make sense for the bigger HQ prime lenses. But most other photographers have now a fullframe for this segment, some the Leica Q.
Nocticron is a wonderful lens, I love both the pictures I can get from it and it’s ergonomics. However, it’s almost impossible to justify the price for any non-professional photgrapher/videographer
Quite true. But me, I do in fact make my living at this goofy stuff and a lot of people want to compete with me, so I need every advantage. I have Voigts but I have a marathon shoot coming up, like seven interviews, and manual focus didn't seem to fit the scenario. I thought about the 1.7 Panny, which I'm sure would have been fine, but professionals use the best gear they can get. So I just ordered the damn thing. It's quite a lens and I'm sure I'll love it. And I can tell clients this is the best portrait lens you can buy for the system. A commitment to excellence rarely does you any harm.
An unbiased and useful video, thank you. I have the Panasonic 42.5mm, I use mainly on the GM1 (sometimes GF7 and G80) with touchscreen focus and shoot setting to catch my baby granddaughter. To allow for some movement I tend to use at circa f2 to 2.8. Very, very pleased with IQ.
just tested my gx85 with noticron vs a7ii with 85mm 1.8 today, for bokeh, 1.8 of FF still really better than 1.2 of mft. but for sharpness, hands down to noticron.
2:06 - They said you were a nice guy, Matti! 🤣 In all seriousness, though. Your archive of great videos is astounding. 😀
I know, there are some true gems in the archive😀
Still relevant. Thank you. ☮️💟
Nocticron is just to expensive for me plus it doesn’t have weather sealing. If I had a choice between it and the Olympus 45mm 1.2 pro I would get the Olympus.
Hi Matti! I use both lenses. I love and consider the "macro" ability of lumix to be useful. In some works, however, the Leica brand makes a miracle, which is useful :) Such is the real world. From an optical point of view, both are wonderful. I totally agree with your assessment.
Thanks for your comment.
I recently bought the Nocticron. It is an astonishingly sharp lens.
Sure is a great lens.
a nice video but for me there is a more appropriate comparison. I shoot with a Lumix M4/3 sometimes and love the Olympus 45mm f/1.8, so I was interested in this video. these lenses shine in ambient light portraits. In the studio I don't expect people to often shoot wide open, and pictures of still life are less interesting or don't often require a portrait lens like this.
I would have preferred more comparison shots, wide open of a model showing quality and background separation which is where I think many would have been looking to employ the lens. Also the hidden 3rd horse in this race is the f/1.8 Olympus. If you don't want to spend $1000 on the Leica and go for the lower priced lens, then the olympus is often in that shopping list too.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the video and lack of cheesy gimmicks that you often see on other videos.
Thanks for your feedback.
I use the Noctricron on the G85 but have the additional battery grip - so it handles really nice - the slightly wider capture for video is also better than the Lumix I think - Love this lens
I would love to see a video about black and white with the Nocticron. Leica designs usually shine in black and white more than they do with color. This is probably due to corporate memory as they started in black and white film days. When comparisons with the Olympus 45 1.2 we see very typical Leica character in the Noct, especially in the way focus drops off so strongly from the in-focus point. Some peoplehave complained about that, but in interviews, Leica engineers describe this as an “ideal” that they strive for. And we should not forget that while Panasonic contributes things like IS motors and manufacturing, but the optical design comes from Leica, and they oversee manufacturing standards.
Thanks. I have to consider that in the future.
@@mattisulanto Excellent. Some of us love Black and white. It was the reason I first got into MFT when the GH-1 was first released (was it 2008 or 2009?) It was my first experience of an EVF, and I fell in love with the way the image in the viewfinder was in Black and White, so I got in the habit of shooting RAW + JPEG. Thus I could compose in B&W, yet could have the color RAW in addition to the B&W JPEG for editing in post and being able to see instantly which images work better in color, and which ones work better in B&W. It became my default workflow. Composing in B&W is really beneficial for the images, even the color ones.
I'm really thinking about to buy the 42.5 mm from leica; for my videography; I think the overall quality is best; and every single penny worth it.
@@Da_Man_1221 I still havent bought the 42.5 mm 🤣 to expensive.. but I am still doing my videos with the 12-60mm and the 25mm, and the results are good I think, yesterday I released a barbershop promotional video, with thoose lenses, you can find it on my channel :)
Have a Leica 42.5mm f1.2 asph for sale if u still want to buy:) 6000 skr.
Hallo, ich besitze die kleine Linse von Lumix 42,5mm mit f1.7 am MfT und bin sehr zufrieden damit, der Preis des Leica f1,2 ist mir viel zu teuer und so gewaltig ist der Unterschied nicht, habe es aber noch nicht selbst testen können. Kein gewaltiger Unterschied der den hohen Preis rechtfertigen könnte.
Good video. Nice to see both these lenses are still popular! I have the 42.5mm 1.7 and have shot portraits with it.
I'm on the fence with this one. I already have 85mm EFL covered by my Lumix G X 35-100 f/2.8 (a great lens albeit obviously a bit slower). In those rare cases where I want razor-thin DoF, I've got a 25mm f/0.95 but do I really want to carry a seventh MFT lens just to get that look at a slightly longer FL? I love my Leica lenses but wonder if the Nocticron would make that much of a difference...
I might of missed it Matti, but did you suggest that both are equally sharp wide open? if the Nocticron needs to be stopped down (say to 1.7) to achieve optimal sharpness, while the Lumix shows no increase (or very little) in sharpness when stopped down, then the Lumix would be a steal. Right now, I am using a vintage 50mm Minolta Rokkor PG 1. 4 as my short tele, but this glass when combined with the necessary adapter to MFT, is a little large and heavy, and needs to be stopped down to 2.8 to deal with the softness. Otherwise, it is known for being one of the sharpest of the Minolta lenses. i would be considering the Lumix as the replacement for my Minolta, as I want to go in the direction of a smaller form factor. Thank you for the clip. it's like a travel log of Finland.
Thanks! Both lenses are sharp wide open and there the Nocticron has an edge, but at the same aperture it's hard to tell the lenses apart. So, if you shoot a lot stopped down, for example at f/2.8, there's not much sense to get the Nocticron. Old vintage lenses tend to be a bit low contrast wide open.
@@mattisulanto Thanks, Matti, I appreciate the clarification! Your assessment is down-to-earth and practical. Looking forward to your obtaining and testing the 10-25mm 1.7.
I am not a pro and use the Leica 42.5 with a G9 for photos of the products that I build. All by available light and it isn't great lighting. Edit. I use it in aperture priority mode so the f stop ring on the lens is fantastic, just like my spotmatic f film camera.
What I really like is that straight off the camera, the images are more than good enough for me, no goofing around with software. That saves me a lot of time and justifies the value.
Thanks for sharing.
By the way thank you for the great information on photography. I have learned a lot from you and the other real photographers.
Mr. Sulanto: the first Lumix I got was the LX7 and I love how close I can get to flowers and insects with it - can you recomend a lens or an accessory I can use to take macro photos with my G9? Thanks!
You should buy a macro lens. One option is the Panasonic Leica 45mm F2.8.
Hi. I'm a beginner amateur photographer. Mine (new) just arrived. The AF is inaudible. But I always hear a short noise as soon as I move the camera. Only with activated stabilization. So my Panasonic H-HS043E makes stabilization noise. Is that normal ? Because the small shipping package was a bit crumpled and there was no paper inside. So it may be that it received small bumps during shipping....
Stabilizers tend to make tiny whizzing noise, barely audible. So, yours is probably just that, but impossible to say for sure without hearing it.
@@mattisulanto Thank you very much
The lack of weather sealing with the noctricin is why i want the olympus 45mm 1.2 pro lense instead
You saved me some money, Sir. Thanks!!!
Glad I could help!
On gx9 Lumix is a must have
This is more of a photography question. I have this exact combination of the G9 and Pl 42.5 lens. I was attempting to take a picture of the partial lunar eclipse in A mode using roughly f 1.4 to f 5 and manual focus. For some reason I just couldn't get it to cleanly focus on the sliver to make a sharp image. It kept making more of a spherical image. There were some clouds but I could see the image that I wanted with my eyes.
Is this the wrong lens for this? I was able to take photos of clouds and stars. Thanks Harry
Without seeing your photos it's hard to say what exactly went wrong. Most lenses focus beyond infinity, so is it possible that your focus was not right?
Thank you. It was my first attempt at taking a photo of the moon with a digital camera and it turns out that I did pretty much everything incorrectly. I guess this means that it is a good opportunity to learn. There might be an non desired interaction when using silent shutter mode. Thanks for the help.
I want to buy the sharpest MFT prime lens, unfortunately I can't allow myself to spend more than 1000 dollars as some of the best lens cost, so what would be the sharpest MFT prime lens value for money? thank you.
That depends on your budget and what is your opinion on sharpness. I think you can take sharp pictures on almost any lens.
Thank you for review.It will be nice to see night shots made with both lenses,while one of purposes Leica 1.2 stop is photography under low light conditions.
Thanks for your comment. Maybe I'll make another video😀
Any suggestions on which would be best for photos of a seated musician in poor bluish spotlight and flash not allowed in the building? Not a pro, just want some nice memories.
☮️💟
The Nocticron is the better of these two, but the Lumix can also work. It all depends on the situation and the photographer.
@@mattisulanto You said that the Leica autofocus was a bit noisier than the Lumix. Depending on the type of music, that could be a factor.
@@marksieving7925 Sure it could, but I doubt anyone else but the photographer can hear the AF. But of course it is possible that in some situation if could be a problem. I guess any sound could be a problem, like the photographer breathing or the shutter sound or the camera bag rubbing against the photographer's jeans etc.
The Lumix 42.5 f1.7 is a performer, esp for the $. I wouldn’t mind trying the Leica though :).
It would be great to have this quality and wide opening in a smaller size. Such a big and expesive lense makes no sense for the amateur photograph I am. Great video as usual Matti!
Thanks! Fast high quality lenses tend to be big, and expensive.
I put a short review of these 2 lenses and the sigma 56mm on dpreview micro four thirds forum. I think they are really close but I agree with your assessment.
Thanks for your comment. I have a video of the Sigma too, please take a look: th-cam.com/video/_JYmQNtijMo/w-d-xo.html
Sigma 56mm vs panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7,
Which one would you choose? (Panasonic G9 body)
Olympus users should consider the olympus version in an afordable price range.
I like the look of your video more than the photos taken from the lens. on which camera you have shot this video? is it G9? and what lens? it looks very cinematic.
I don't remember the lens any more, but my camera was the GH5s.
@@mattisulanto Thank you for the reply. I am planning to buy my first Lumix camera. can I buy G85 in 2020? I am tight on budget and I can get it for around 650$ with kit lens. I will eventually plan to invest in primes in future.
or if you can suggest any other camera? thanks
@@InvertLogic There are many happy G85 users, so I see no reason why you should not buy it. With that kind of money the G85 offers quite a lot for video.
@@mattisulanto thank you It will help me in my final decision.. I was actually planning to buy GH5. But was waiting for GH6 for the price drop. Do you know tentative launch dates for GH6?
@@InvertLogic I have no idea of the GH6 launch and even if had, I could not tell😀
nice video thanks for the informations, "but" the main thing i would have loved to see is the difference in low light
Thanks! I'm not sure what you mean, the difference is similar in low light.
@@mattisulanto even with the big difference in aperture ? i 've seen some night video comparison, and the 1.2 is sharper
@@toufikmekbel1136 Sharpness is sharpness, day or night. Of course you can use lower ISO or faster shutter speed with a faster lens. If you shoot a lot handheld in low light, then the Nocticron is probably a better choice.
what was THIS video shot with? I really like the look of it
We used the same Lumix GH5s that I use for almost all my videos and the lens was the Lumix G 25mm f/1.7.
Was the whole video shot at 1.7?
Yes, as far as I can remember.
The 1.2 doesn't make sense to me. I shoot M4/3 because of the compact size. If I want big, heavy and expensive I'll go full frame - no thanks.
OK Really nice pic on Laica but this lens is too big, too heavy and too expensive.
also for videographer is it good?
I suppose it depends on what you are filming.
@@mattisulanto I like to shoot outside capture beautiful things whether natural or manmade. I also do electronics videos and model railways so i can also do videos of that. so its all mixed.
not $1000 diference...You can buy a lot of glass for that money
Random question. When using manual focus on a lens does the little focus box on the screen matter? Or is that just for autofocus? I'm thinking in manual it doesn't matter just how much you turn the focus ring
That box on the screen shows the focus area also on manual focus.
Nice review :)
What camera and lens did you use to shoot this video?
The GH5s and Lumix 25mm F1.7, if I remember correctly.
@@mattisulanto Did you use any gimbal or strobes?
We used a tripod and an ND filter on the lens.
@@mattisulanto thanks for the info! I have a Sony A7ii. Your videos make me want to buy Panasonic gear more :)
TBH, I was very much expecting side by side shots, where we could actually see differences between them both. Ie same shot.
I had some shots there. What kind of shots were you expecting?
@@mattisulanto I appreciate the video, I've seen this and another you've done - both very good quality. I think she/he was expecting split screen comparisons of the exact same shot, with perhaps some magnifications. I, personally am not requesting this - as I appreciate what you've already done. But perhaps something to consider for future videos.
This guy is very weird with his "comparisons" , he takes a shot in one place at f1.2 and next one at f.8 in a different place with the other lens , and call it comparison, for sure the weirdest person on Yt
Which camera do you use to film yourself?
Usually the GH5s.
which lens do you use to record the video?
I think it was the Lumix G 25mm F1.7.
Would you recommend these lenses for shooting videos?
I haven't used it much for video, but based on my limited experience it works really well. The shallow DOF gives you that cinematic look. But you need to use it wide open or almost wide open to get that special look.
I think the 42.5 can also be used for cinematic b-roll and product photography/videography (close up shots)
It's wider, has the AF/MF button on the lens, MANUAL aperture ring so you can set the bastard to F1.2 all the time ... basically when you are out in the field shooting say for example a busy wedding. Your mind can go blank some times so having those features ON the lens is absolutely essential. So for me THAT alone is worth the extra money. But as a bonus the image quality is superior if you are pixel peeping.
Thanks for sharing.
Would Leica OIS work with Olympus??
I have to say, that I'm not sure how it works with Olympus, but I think it works. However, you'll not get the dual IS or whatever that is on Olympus. I'm sorry I can't give you a better answer.
Are they both weather sealed?
@@kevinrodrigues5974 According to video none of them
By the way, you speak like Frank Klausz, I mean, your accent and Frank's accent sound the same to me 😮
I don't know who Mr. Klausz is and I'm sure many have similar accent.
I think that 1.2 is 1 stop faster than 1.7: Log2( (1.7/1.2)^2) =1
You could be right, I just turned the wheel and from 1.2 to 1.8 was three clicks, which is one stop. The camera probably uses the nearest number available. Thanks for the equation.
hi, is that the equivalent of 2.4 a full-frame?
reference:
th-cam.com/video/DtDotqLx6nA/w-d-xo.html
thank you.
Yes, the 42,5mm F1.2 is equivalent to an 85mm F2.4 FF lens.
only in depth of field@@mattisulanto
the idea of having a great lens with great bokeh is to try it on a portrait with details behind the subject, with lights maybe to really show that bokeh. The moment you talked about portraits and then showed portraits taken in a studio made for official photos with a white backround you just defeated the purpose of this review and i, for one, stoped watching it.
Sorry but this is not a good review.
Osum video ! 1 cent 1 more quality anyway
$1600 that's insane, on the full frame cameras you can get a much cheaper 85mm lens with a shallower bokeh.
Well, it's not insane for all. Isn't it great that we have so many choices, everybody can find the right gear.
@@mattisulanto i didn't say that this lense is bad or something, maybe you misunderstand me, i just think that FF cameras are going to be the better value overall, if we're comparing equivalent gears.
I did not misunderstand, I'm just saying that the "value" depends on who is looking at the product. Some like m43, some like FF and that's all good.
@@mattisulanto i didn't said that ist bad (!), cmon man, now it looks like you're trying to convince me for no reason, i like the both worlds, and my comparison depends only on the price and equivalence, anyway it's all subjective, so I don't think that we have to continue this topic.
$1200 for a pro portrait lens is fair
For mft I won't spend that kind of money. It is back up gear, travel gear, film video and mft is all about compactness! exception 40~150/2.8
What about 600$ second hand?