Disclaimer: This is not a technical review, but rather more impressions from the perspective of a m43 shooter.
A little background first. I'm mainly a stills shooter who's been with m43 since the start. I had a G1, then GH1, then EM5, then GH4 before GH5 now. I dabble in video but not alot. Over the years, I've gotten more or less a full kit of lenses including the 12-35, 35-100 f2.8s, 25mm and 45mm leicas and 45mm prime. My travel combo is always the 12-35 and 35-100 since they are light and go from wide to tele. But I always found the 12-35 to be abit less wide than I need for landscapes. So when the 10-25mm was announced, I was set on it.
Handling
This is huge! Its larger than a 17-40mm f4l and smaller than a 24-70 f2.8l. Even on a larger m43 body like the GH5 is a bit front heavy, a grip would be better for larger hands (supporting the pinky). But its a solid metal body that makes even the 12-35/35-100mm zooms feel like toys. Its better finished than the older leica primes and similar to the 12-60mm.
Image Quality
In short, yes its sharp. But so are the 12-35/12-40mm lenses. Whats interesting to me is the rendering of images which is very organic. The 12-35 is a typical modern lens, sharp and contrasty. The 10-25mm on the other hand deliver smoother gradations and tones, and seem to pick up micro detail especially in shadow areas.
Of course at f1.7 the bokeh is still not full frame levels, but its still easy to have points out of focus if not careful. For general shooting, its more than acceptable. Background blur is smooth with little 'crunchiness'. The stepless clickless aperture is actually great, since I can do minute adjustments even lower than 1/3 stops. Its a matter of monitoring the f-stop in the viewfinder. I accidentally switched from photo to video mode, and am extremely pleased to see the aperture adjust smoothly (I was on shutter priority) and silently by itself.
Range and Distortion
As far as I can see, quite little even at 10mm. Most of the distortion (barrel?) seem to be at the edge of the frame. The additional 4mm at wide end is great for me, as I could squeeze a little more in. I do miss the loss of 20mm at the tele end so if you're familar with the 24-70mm range please note.
Conclusion
This lens is a remarkable achievement for Panasonic. Yes its heavy, yes its expensive and yes you will miss the tele range. My friends say that tis lens defeats the purpose of a m43 system (light and small). But it gives you a wider perspective and wide aperture that replaces several primes.
So yes, its a keeper. My 12-35 and 25mm PanaLeica is now put up for sale
A little background first. I'm mainly a stills shooter who's been with m43 since the start. I had a G1, then GH1, then EM5, then GH4 before GH5 now. I dabble in video but not alot. Over the years, I've gotten more or less a full kit of lenses including the 12-35, 35-100 f2.8s, 25mm and 45mm leicas and 45mm prime. My travel combo is always the 12-35 and 35-100 since they are light and go from wide to tele. But I always found the 12-35 to be abit less wide than I need for landscapes. So when the 10-25mm was announced, I was set on it.
Handling
This is huge! Its larger than a 17-40mm f4l and smaller than a 24-70 f2.8l. Even on a larger m43 body like the GH5 is a bit front heavy, a grip would be better for larger hands (supporting the pinky). But its a solid metal body that makes even the 12-35/35-100mm zooms feel like toys. Its better finished than the older leica primes and similar to the 12-60mm.
Image Quality
In short, yes its sharp. But so are the 12-35/12-40mm lenses. Whats interesting to me is the rendering of images which is very organic. The 12-35 is a typical modern lens, sharp and contrasty. The 10-25mm on the other hand deliver smoother gradations and tones, and seem to pick up micro detail especially in shadow areas.
Of course at f1.7 the bokeh is still not full frame levels, but its still easy to have points out of focus if not careful. For general shooting, its more than acceptable. Background blur is smooth with little 'crunchiness'. The stepless clickless aperture is actually great, since I can do minute adjustments even lower than 1/3 stops. Its a matter of monitoring the f-stop in the viewfinder. I accidentally switched from photo to video mode, and am extremely pleased to see the aperture adjust smoothly (I was on shutter priority) and silently by itself.
Range and Distortion
As far as I can see, quite little even at 10mm. Most of the distortion (barrel?) seem to be at the edge of the frame. The additional 4mm at wide end is great for me, as I could squeeze a little more in. I do miss the loss of 20mm at the tele end so if you're familar with the 24-70mm range please note.
Conclusion
This lens is a remarkable achievement for Panasonic. Yes its heavy, yes its expensive and yes you will miss the tele range. My friends say that tis lens defeats the purpose of a m43 system (light and small). But it gives you a wider perspective and wide aperture that replaces several primes.
So yes, its a keeper. My 12-35 and 25mm PanaLeica is now put up for sale
