Over the past couple of years I’ve grown to love the micro four-thirds system for its compactness, superb range of lenses, fast autofocus and class-leading optical stabilisation. Yet approaching the system for the first time can be confusing. There is indeed a wide choice of equipment, not least in bodies from either Panasonic or Olympus. But after experimenting with both marques I’ve homed in on Panasonic cameras and their complementary range of Leica-designed DG lenses. Here’s why….
I have absolutely nothing against Olympus and it is easy to argue that the little PEN-F and the new, lightning-fast OM-D E-M1 Mark II bodies are both class leaders. Neither will disappoint. And the range of Olympus Pro lenses is superb for most purposes. With my love of Leica, though, I find myself more comfortable with the Lumix bodies, in particular with the simpler menu and control system which contrasts with the complex and peculiar approach of Olympus.
I stress, though, that this is a personal view and I know that Olympus owners are just as enthusiastic and soon get used to the operation and layout of their cameras. Leica owners will definitely feel more at home with Panasonic and will find the menu system much more familiar. If, on the other hand, you don’t have the Leica bug and can live with the menus, then by all means go for Olympus.
The Panasonic Lumix GX8, with its rangefinder styling and 20MP sensor, is currently my pick of the bunch. I’m not a videographer or I could be tempted to the bulkier GH5, but for my style of photography the GX8 is familiar territory and has superb ergonomics. I am also trying out the smaller GX80/85 body which offers improved in-body stabilisation and lower weight but retains the older 16MP sensor of previous Panasonic m4/3 cameras.
The GX80 loses some of the GX8 features such as weather sealing, fully articulating screen, tilting viewfinder, dedicated exposure control and the all-metal construction. It does have one party trick to itself, though: There is no anti-aliasing filter so that should be good for added sharpness. Despite its plastic body, the GX80 feels more solid that it ought to; the built quality, while a step down from the GX8, is very impressive. So far, I like it very much and I will be doing a full review soon.
If you are going with Panasonic Lumix as the basis of your micro four-thirds system then it pays to concentrate on Lumix or Leica DG lenses. Olympus lenses work, of course, but I feel that the Lumix optics are more in tune with the bodies and make a better team. The Leica DG Lumix lenses, in particular, work much better on Panasonic bodies than on Olympus. In many cases they can take advantage of Panasonic’s Dual IS system which combines in-camera and in-lens stabilisation to maximum effect. Focus is faster, I feel, and the dedicated aperture ring is a big plus. The Leica DG brand represents Panasonic’s “pro lens” lineup similar to the Olympus Pro lenses which are also sold at a premium.
The aperture ring is the one overriding reason why I choose the Leica DG lenses over their cheaper but still very competent Lumix brethren. This ring is standard on all the later primes, including the 12mm f/1.4 Summilux, the 15mm f/1.7 Summilux and the 42.5mm f/1.2 Nocticron (but not on the earlier-designed 25mm f/1.4 or on the zooms). This ring provides the same sort of direct aperture control we are used to with our Leica M lenses and I much prefer it to choosing the aperture by control dial. It provides full information at a glance and it is easy to pre-select the aperture (with 1/3 clock stops) before squinting into the viewfinder. It’s just all round more convenient.
Love of these lenses confirms my preference for Panasonic bodies because the aperture ring works only on Panasonic. If you mount these primes on an Olympus body the ring is a useless ornament and you have to resort to selecting the aperture with the control dial while looking at the screen or through the viewfinder. You may think it isn’t a big deal, but after a time that enticing but useless aperture ring makes you wish you were using Panasonic instead of Olympus. Equally, if you own Olympus bodies, it’s better to stick with the Olympus Pro lenses which have that useful auto/manual focus clutch at the front of the lens where you’d expect to find the aperture ring. In terms of optical performance I don’t see much difference between Olympus Pro and Leica DG.
In my opinion, however, if you are a Leica owner moving into m4/3 as a second system, go with Panasonic and choose one or more of the Leica DG lenses. This combination will tick all your boxes.
The ideal zoom
If you could choose just one lens to go with either the GX8 or GX80, and if you like the Leica DG ergonomics and optical performance, then look no further than the new 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Vario Elmarit zoom. It has become the lens I use most of the time when working with m4/3.
Apart from the superb optics, this lens gives a near-ideal standard focal length range of 24-120mm in full-frame equivalence. This covers most situations that I find myself in. It is truly a zoom that can replace a bagful of primes. It leaves you feeling not at all short changed, wishing that you’d packed those primes in the bag. The Vario Elmarit is light (only 320g) and small (smaller in fact than the Olympus 12-40mm Pro which extends to only 80mm compared with the Leica’s 120mm). When used on the GX8 it creates a weather-proof combination and utilises Panasonic’s dual-stabilisation function which combines the in-camera with in-lens systems. (Note that the 12-60mm doesn’t feature the aperture ring as found on the prime Leica DG lenses).
Check out my review of the 12-60 and you will also enjoy DPReview’s samples gallery featuring this lens.
Find a useful specification comparison between the Olympus 12-40mm and the Leica DG 12-60mm here.
The ideal second lens, a prime
There are times, though, when you need something a little smaller and more discreet, perhaps for those evenings out when on vacation. My choice out of all the Leica DG lenses is the compact 15mm f/1.7 Summilux. It features the delightful physical aperture ring and is a great performer, especially in low-light conditions. It is also unique in its focal length of 15mm which equates to 30mm on full-frame.
For those of us who like both 28mm and 35mm, perhaps this is the perfect compromise. Again, as with the 12-60mm Vario Elmarit, this is my most-used lens for m4/3. As a travel package, these two lenses combined with either the GX80 or GX8 take some beating.
Read this review of the Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 here at DPReview.
Caveat
What is ideal for one photographer is not ideal for the other, so take my recommendations with that caveat. If, however, you are a Leica M owner and are looking for a lightweight system camera that will be familiar and will give you the feeling you have a mini SL in your hands, then choose Panasonic and the Leica DG system lenses over Olympus. I’m pretty sure you will be delighted.
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Hi Mike – looking forward to your GX80 review. I have the GX85 with the PanaLeica 15/1.7 and the Oly 75/1.8. I would appreciate if your GX80 review included settings that you found improved B&W and colour images. I have been following your site on daily basis for about a year now. Keep up the good work. Your writing style reminds me of Ken Follett.
Hi James,
Both those lenses are exceptional, especially the 75mm Olympus (which I also own but don’t use that much because of the rather odd 150mm focal length. But it’s a stunner in the right circumstances. I’ll bear in mind your comments about jpeg settings although, generally speaking, I tend to shoot raw and ignore the in-camera processing. The GX80/85 (I do wish they’d stop this confusing double naming system) has had excellent reviews and so far I like it very much.
Ah, Pillars of the Earth….. I had a Follett phase and when through the lexicon but your comment (for which thanks) reminds me to go back for more. Only this week one reader, Jason, said I write like a late-century motorcycle journalist (which I was, of course, well spotted) but I had never thought of myself as a Follett!
I found myself wondering, Mike, how you think the Leica DG Vario Elmarit on the GX 8 compares with the X Vario and its (fixed) lens? Would be very interested to hear your view on this. At the moment Sony NEX + Zeiss glass is my "system" – begun as my preference some years back when MFT hadn’t got to where it is now. I’ll have to do some comparison of weights and dimensions, but would like to know how you view the two vario lenses.
John,
All the current zoom lenses from Leica are good. I see the GX8 with the 12-60 as a mini SL. I love the 24-90SL but just compare it with the 12-60 in terms of size and then realise that the 12-60 offers another 30mm of long-end reach. Quite remarkable, even taking into account the difference in sensor size. I also like the TL lenses, such as the 18-56 and 55-135; it’s a pity, though, that there’s no 24mm equivalent at the wide end of the first lens. Undoubtedly the XV lens was outstanding but I find the 12-60 to be very similar in many respects. I can thoroughly recommend it if you are prepared to step down from APS-C to m4/3. That’s really the only decision.
All very true, and a good tour d’horizon – but looking at systems on a holistic basis will send bird photographers like me who need (i) a 600mm equivalent lenses and (ii) a 24-200 (in full frame terms) for weddings and events to Olympus.
The 600/4 (in full frame terms) weighs 1/5th of the equivalent Nikon and Canon lenses and is about 1/5th of the price. I can carry this OM-D E-M1 Mk II outfit all day.
The system’s marginal differences from e.g. Leica glass are far outweighed (so to speak) by the carry-ability factor, to say nothing of 60 fps for a stationary subject – and both lens and body IS, which means I’ve been able to film in 4k for 20 minutes hand-held! Can’t be bad…
I think you make the point eloquently and, of course, we did discuss your choice of system when you chopped in the SL. For your purposes the Olympus set up is ideal. It’s good, though, that we have the choice — the Panasonic approach is different but it doesn’t suit everyone.