Still in shock that you are not working for OM Systems - your passion for this equipment is remarkable and above all other reviewers. Another great job.
wow, I was all ready to go until I saw the chromatic aberration and the lack of a manual focus ring, which I use a LOT. Too bad...the 25 is often too tight, and the 17 too wide, for what I like to do. Thanks for the honest review!
You are a great photographer and a good communicator. I love your videos! Thank for so much! Independent that you quit, you are testing different products and that is ok and mft people must understand!
AS I said in commenting Sulanto's review, I sold my 17 mm F1.8 and my 25mm F1.8 to buy tis 20mm F1.4PRO. I do not regret my choice, because of the advantages you listed in your review (weather sealing, sharpness, good bokeh). So, when I do some street photography, I take the new 20 mm (with the 45 and 75 mm F1.8 in my bag just in case).. Thank you for your excellent video!
I agree it looks less professional and wouldn’t be difficult to fix at all. Actually would be easier for him to edit the duration same as the video clip of the photo. Not Sure why he does it this way.
A very useful and enthusiastic review Robin, supported with some wondeful portrait and treet images to illustrate the capabilities of this lens. I agree that we need more compact pro lenses to support the original aim of the light weight MFT system
Thanks for the review, Robin, excellent as always. I bought the 25mm 1.2 pro based on your recommendation two years ago and have loved it ever since. The 20mm 1.4 is attractive as a lighter weight, smaller, similar lens. However, it is clear from your comments that the 20mm is not the same quality as the 25mm. I would be interested in a direct comparison between them if you have time to do it as I know the 25mm is one of your favourite lenses.
40mm is my favourite standard lens, i had the old zuiko which was tiny. My biggest issue is the size as I currently have 17mm which is my travel lens on a Penf. It is tiny, this new 20mm seems quite big in comparison
purple fringe, no MFclutch no Fn-button... OMS perhaps cutting corners? assuming they can get away with sub-optimal gear? counting on loyalty of oly users? Im beginning to feel uncomfortable
I don't think it's bizarre. Inclusion of a clutch and a button would add to cost and weight. This lens seems to be part of a semi-pro line of 1.4 primes, well matched to the EM5 and OM5, just like the f/4 zooms are. Those don't have function buttons or manual clutches either.
If this lens had manual clutch focus and Fn button I would have had it number one on my M43 wishlist as I badly need a fast 40mm-equivalent perfect normal lens for video. This won't be on my wishlist at all as a result. Clearly this is NOT a professional lens. Its CA and purple fringing also render it unusable for video.
I was interested in this lens originally, but it's hard for me to get over the MF clutch because I use it a lot. I think it's interesting that we have the MF clutch on some some small and compact non pro lenses and not on this lens. I also really do like the L-Fn button, but I can live without it even though I use it a lot
Just bought one last week and so far its been awesome. Was worried that it was too close to the 17mm f1.2 in focal length but each will have their place and use in my kit.
That CA problem completely out of control bothers me: I HATE fixing weird shadows in post, and even being able to do that, it does not excuse the laziness of leaving it unattended on a pro lens costing which isn't certainly cheap. At least the 1.7 is very moderate in that area.
I hate it too. I bought this lens and I returned it to OM System shop due to CA. I hate the idea of expending money on a pro grade lens and having to fix defects that my other, cheaper lenses, don't suffer.
Thank you for your reports and opinions. I just noticed that the included lens hood is exactly the same as the hood that comes with the 12-45mm f4. So the included lenns hood is more like a lens hood for a 12mm lens? Bought the 20mm a couple of weeks ago and think I will be satisfied anyway but I feel it’s cheap manner not include a hood for the focal length.
I’m on the fence about this lens but this review was excellent. I may have to get one. Thanks again Robin. I want a weather sealed version of my 25mm 1.8
I'm working with 17 and 25 f/1.2 PRO lenses and I absolutely love them, but I was thinking for some time if I can swap both of these lenses for 20mm f/1.4 PRO for travel work, to have a minimal weight, I'm just not sure if 20mm will be tight for some environmental portraits, but maybe I need to rent it and make a test shoots to see how much will be the difference for me.
If you already have both the 17mm and 25mm F1.2, it does not make sense to carry a very similar lens. I'd still choose to keep those, unless you are very sure of the 40mm equivalent focal length and it works for you.
@@robinwong of course it's redundant as a focal length, my only idea is for travel - saving weight and space. Now in my bag together with the primes are 12-40 and 40-150 f/2.8 PRO's and I'm thinking about switching to 12-100 f/4 PRO and 20mm f/1.4 PRO for travel as a way more compact kit.
It's a nice little lens. I am obviously out on a limb here because I've never used the clutch and l-fn button. I think leaving them out was absolutely the correct decision.
At least in some german interview an OMDS guy said they excluded the clutch and button for size reasons. To me it seems more like a decision to not include them in their "budget pro" series (i.e. the smaller F4 zooms, not the 12-100 and 8-25 since both are more chunky, and F1.4 primes). Maybe as a differentiation factor. Still bought this lens when it was announced since I wanted something weather sealed and more compact to go along with my em5mk2. Fringing can be annoying sometimes but I can live with it and so far I'm pretty happy with it. It does distort, but I guess most people don't see that because it is typically auto corrected. Had to set up my own correction data for darktable because it can't use the embedded correction data.
The 8mm Fisheye F1.8 is expensive and lacks these features to. I wouldnt but any lens without manual focus clutch. Switching to MF over the menus and switching back is really a pain.
Tempting. Awesome lens I guess. I use the 17/1.8 for most, just love it. (rugged, small) The 25/1.7 is great as well, but I can't handle that focal length as an everyday lens. I had a 40mm when I used Nikon DX format, and coudn't really get warm with it, always went back to my 35mm. So I am unsure if 20mm really fits me.
You look in good shape Robin. Generally I think people get happy and fat when they are in a relationship and thin and buff when they’re single. I hope OM SYSTEM didn’t break your heart…
I am totally on the fence about this lens. I absolutely love the idea of pairing a versatile compact and fast weather sealed prime with my weather sealed bodies (E-M5 III and E-M1 III) as a step up from my 17mm and 25mm F1.8 lenses. The lack of MF-clutch and an extra Fn-button are no biggie for me personally, rather 'nice-to-haves' but no deal breaker at all. Most of your sample pictures look fine indeed and represent in many ways what I would expect from an M.Zuiko Pro-grade lens, but the CA were pretty disturbing both in your pictures as well as in Matti Sulanto's. Makes me wonder wether the 25mm Pro would be better in the end, even though it's a lot bigger and heavier. Also, given the fact I mostly shoot 25mm rather then 17mm, I wonder wether the 20mm focal length would be too wide for me personally. What's your experience with this? I think you mentioned in multiple videos you favour the 25mm focal length over 17mm. Was it in any way difficult to find the shots with 20mm, when you're basically used to 25mm?
My findings on the lens, what I've also sent to Matti Sulanto, that: I've found out in a video (don't know which one, because I searched a lot to clarify what's happening with this lens) that sometime OM System might have made a firmware change. Also this theory is strengthened by the sticker with the date code inside the box and a mysterous text in the manual of the lens about source code, firmware, open-platform and intellectual property (which I've never ever seen with any of my other lenses). 🤔 Even more interesting there is no Firmware update link or Downloadable instruction manual on the website of the lens!?!?! ALL the other lenses have, like the 17, 25, 12-45, 45 1.2 PRO. And because I mostly shoot in JPEG would also explain why I don't see that CA problem. RAW could be different, but I don't know. My findings are also in line with customer reviews on webshops and amazon, that 37 out of 40 reviewers rated the lens to 5 out of 5 stars. So my take on the lens what could happened: - First OM or Olympus or whatever company released a batch or more of this lens with a first firmware, then the sales got hit by the negative reviews on the obvious LoCA problem. - In the meanwhile they updated the firmware in the newer, most recent batches, but didn't released it for downloading or updating previous owners due to the firmware intellectual property blattering in the manual. - And considering the high price tag, I guess not a alot of people wanted to risk there money. If you look there are only just a few available on eBay, so the lens is becoming quite rare now. Although I think this is a shame, because this is one of those situations when an otherwise IMPRESSIVE product got hit by initial sales and support problems.
It looks like a great lens Robin, despite the purple fringing. However, I shoot black and white, so that may not be an issue. I too have the Panasonic 20mm f /1.7 , and have been pleased with it. Since my subject matter is usually stationary and doesn't talk back, I can work around the focusing speed.😸 Thanks for sharing Robin and all the best.
Great video as always Robin. Have to ask and forgive me if you have mentioned it before. What strap is that on your camera? I love it. Looks nice and solid.
My current favorite lens on the OM-1. It nails every shot with its autofocus. The absence of the Fn button and clutch is disappointing to me, but these omissions make the lens more compact and lighter. I've not been aware of the purple's fringing problem; Photolab has a correction available for this aberration; how well does it work?
I like the way this lens looks and I like the focal length, but what I don't like and that really disappointed me is how this lens generates purple fringing. If the manufacturer marks something as PRO, it must be top level and not this. Maybe a beginner's question, will using a UV protection filter fix this? Or a polarizing filter?
This lens is overpriced by at least 20%. In Canada, the list price is $1000. Ouch!! Fortunately, OMD does not appear to be fixing their prices the way Olympus did, because I picked it up for $300 off on Amazon the other day. I like that it's small, light-weight and weather sealed. Too bad OMD is cheaping out with their pro line now and not including the pro features.
Here I was, thinking I had a bad copy with, in certain circumstances, serious chromatic aberrations. I'm sort of relieved. Kind of... OK, I'd rather it wasn't there, but at least I feel less lonely!
@@robinwong Thank you for your reply and rating of the OM System 20mm 1.4. It's not in my budget at the moment. I'm not sad about it though as I'm still happy with the Lumix 20mm 1.7. I'm happy about every sign of life from "Olympus". Long live MFT!......and Robin!
Still in shock that you are not working for OM Systems - your passion for this equipment is remarkable and above all other reviewers. Another great job.
11:04 I love that the guy is walking to the right when all the huge arrows are pointng in the other direction!🤣👍
great review, great pictures - i will bring this lens with me on my trip to malasyia in july!
love your reviews! Thanks a lot Robin!
wow, I was all ready to go until I saw the chromatic aberration and the lack of a manual focus ring, which I use a LOT. Too bad...the 25 is often too tight, and the 17 too wide, for what I like to do. Thanks for the honest review!
You'd better believe me when I say something😅 Great review bro, thanks for sharing😀
Trust, but verify.
What a wonderful review. Informative, precise, and very nice energy to your presentation. One of your best so far. Cheers
Thanks, appreciate that
Excellent video and review Robin, with some great images, thank you.
Thanks Tony, appreciate the kind words
You are a great photographer and a good communicator. I love your videos! Thank for so much! Independent that you quit, you are testing different products and that is ok and mft people must understand!
AS I said in commenting Sulanto's review, I sold my 17 mm F1.8 and my 25mm F1.8 to buy tis 20mm F1.4PRO. I do not regret my choice, because of the advantages you listed in your review (weather sealing, sharpness, good bokeh). So, when I do some street photography, I take the new 20 mm (with the 45 and 75 mm F1.8 in my bag just in case).. Thank you for your excellent video!
I agree it looks less professional and wouldn’t be difficult to fix at all. Actually would be easier for him to edit the duration same as the video clip of the photo. Not Sure why he does it this way.
@@brianwhiteside what are you taking about?
Thanks, Jean and yeah the 20mm fits nicely into your lens line-up!
A very useful and enthusiastic review Robin, supported with some wondeful portrait and treet images to illustrate the capabilities of this lens. I agree that we need more compact pro lenses to support the original aim of the light weight MFT system
Yes, we need more of similar lenses! Thanks Vincent
Excellent Review Video. Thank You Robin.
Thanks Doug, appreciate that
Thanks for the review, Robin, excellent as always. I bought the 25mm 1.2 pro based on your recommendation two years ago and have loved it ever since. The 20mm 1.4 is attractive as a lighter weight, smaller, similar lens. However, it is clear from your comments that the 20mm is not the same quality as the 25mm. I would be interested in a direct comparison between them if you have time to do it as I know the 25mm is one of your favourite lenses.
Not in the market for a new lens, but I love watching your videos Robin. Very well done, as usual.
Thanks, appreciate that
Thank you somuch again Robin, great great !
Thanks Gustavo, appreciate that
Very inspiring video Robin!
Thanks Ben! Now I wonder how the lens fares in astro shooting haha
40mm is my favourite standard lens, i had the old zuiko which was tiny. My biggest issue is the size as I currently have 17mm which is my travel lens on a Penf. It is tiny, this new 20mm seems quite big in comparison
Bizarre decision by OMS to exclude the manual clutch ring and lens function button! These should be standard and present on all Pro lenses!
Agreed
purple fringe, no MFclutch no Fn-button... OMS perhaps cutting corners? assuming they can get away with sub-optimal gear? counting on loyalty of oly users? Im beginning to feel uncomfortable
I don't think it's bizarre. Inclusion of a clutch and a button would add to cost and weight. This lens seems to be part of a semi-pro line of 1.4 primes, well matched to the EM5 and OM5, just like the f/4 zooms are. Those don't have function buttons or manual clutches either.
@@c0ldc0ne Good point. Maybe it should. Or maybe OMDS should revive the “premium” label.
If this lens had manual clutch focus and Fn button I would have had it number one on my M43 wishlist as I badly need a fast 40mm-equivalent perfect normal lens for video. This won't be on my wishlist at all as a result. Clearly this is NOT a professional lens. Its CA and purple fringing also render it unusable for video.
I was interested in this lens originally, but it's hard for me to get over the MF clutch because I use it a lot. I think it's interesting that we have the MF clutch on some some small and compact non pro lenses and not on this lens. I also really do like the L-Fn button, but I can live without it even though I use it a lot
Just bought one last week and so far its been awesome. Was worried that it was too close to the 17mm f1.2 in focal length but each will have their place and use in my kit.
I am sure the 40mm equivalent focal length has its place
That CA problem completely out of control bothers me: I HATE fixing weird shadows in post, and even being able to do that, it does not excuse the laziness of leaving it unattended on a pro lens costing which isn't certainly cheap.
At least the 1.7 is very moderate in that area.
It bothers me too!
yeah wow. it 'should' be an easy fix in lens firmware to be corrected in camera. if only we could tell them
My only issue with the Panasonic 20 is CA…. Pity that a lens multiple times it’s price has the same problem…
I hate it too. I bought this lens and I returned it to OM System shop due to CA. I hate the idea of expending money on a pro grade lens and having to fix defects that my other, cheaper lenses, don't suffer.
Looks like i will keep waiting users to jump ship, until this lens become making sense compare to Panny20
Thanks for another great product review.
My pleasure sharing what I can.
Thank you :)
Thank you for your reports and opinions. I just noticed that the included lens hood is exactly the same as the hood that comes with the 12-45mm f4.
So the included lenns hood is more like a lens hood for a 12mm lens?
Bought the 20mm a couple of weeks ago and think I will be satisfied anyway but I feel it’s cheap manner not include a hood for the focal length.
I was getting very excited about this lens until we got to the fringing problem. Fringing is my personal deal breaker
It's my new favourite lens.
Awesome
I’m on the fence about this lens but this review was excellent. I may have to get one. Thanks again Robin. I want a weather sealed version of my 25mm 1.8
A weather sealed 25mm F1.8 would be perfect!
I'm working with 17 and 25 f/1.2 PRO lenses and I absolutely love them, but I was thinking for some time if I can swap both of these lenses for 20mm f/1.4 PRO for travel work, to have a minimal weight, I'm just not sure if 20mm will be tight for some environmental portraits, but maybe I need to rent it and make a test shoots to see how much will be the difference for me.
If you already have both the 17mm and 25mm F1.2, it does not make sense to carry a very similar lens. I'd still choose to keep those, unless you are very sure of the 40mm equivalent focal length and it works for you.
@@robinwong of course it's redundant as a focal length, my only idea is for travel - saving weight and space. Now in my bag together with the primes are 12-40 and 40-150 f/2.8 PRO's and I'm thinking about switching to 12-100 f/4 PRO and 20mm f/1.4 PRO for travel as a way more compact kit.
It's a nice little lens. I am obviously out on a limb here because I've never used the clutch and l-fn button. I think leaving them out was absolutely the correct decision.
I see it’s great for portraits but how do you think it does for landscapes/nature photography?
I'd be interested in seeing a head to head between this and the Laowa 18mm 0.95
At least in some german interview an OMDS guy said they excluded the clutch and button for size reasons. To me it seems more like a decision to not include them in their "budget pro" series (i.e. the smaller F4 zooms, not the 12-100 and 8-25 since both are more chunky, and F1.4 primes). Maybe as a differentiation factor.
Still bought this lens when it was announced since I wanted something weather sealed and more compact to go along with my em5mk2. Fringing can be annoying sometimes but I can live with it and so far I'm pretty happy with it. It does distort, but I guess most people don't see that because it is typically auto corrected. Had to set up my own correction data for darktable because it can't use the embedded correction data.
The 8mm Fisheye F1.8 is expensive and lacks these features to.
I wouldnt but any lens without manual focus clutch. Switching to MF over the menus and switching back is really a pain.
Great review as always Robin, thank you! What would you think about this lens on a Pen-F? Also, how would you compare it to the 17mm f1.8?
Tempting. Awesome lens I guess.
I use the 17/1.8 for most, just love it. (rugged, small)
The 25/1.7 is great as well, but I can't handle that focal length as an everyday lens.
I had a 40mm when I used Nikon DX format, and coudn't really get warm with it, always went back to my 35mm.
So I am unsure if 20mm really fits me.
If you have always loved 35mm, then stay with it. I think the 17mm F1.8 will serve you well
You look in good shape Robin. Generally I think people get happy and fat when they are in a relationship and thin and buff when they’re single. I hope OM SYSTEM didn’t break your heart…
Thanks for noticing! Still work in progress
Due to the slow focus of the 20mm 1.7 the firmware of your camera refuse to be set in AFC mode.
I am totally on the fence about this lens. I absolutely love the idea of pairing a versatile compact and fast weather sealed prime with my weather sealed bodies (E-M5 III and E-M1 III) as a step up from my 17mm and 25mm F1.8 lenses. The lack of MF-clutch and an extra Fn-button are no biggie for me personally, rather 'nice-to-haves' but no deal breaker at all. Most of your sample pictures look fine indeed and represent in many ways what I would expect from an M.Zuiko Pro-grade lens, but the CA were pretty disturbing both in your pictures as well as in Matti Sulanto's. Makes me wonder wether the 25mm Pro would be better in the end, even though it's a lot bigger and heavier.
Also, given the fact I mostly shoot 25mm rather then 17mm, I wonder wether the 20mm focal length would be too wide for me personally. What's your experience with this? I think you mentioned in multiple videos you favour the 25mm focal length over 17mm. Was it in any way difficult to find the shots with 20mm, when you're basically used to 25mm?
I had this lens and I returned it to OM System due to the CA.
A m43 20mm 1.4! I hope the AF isn't so bad.
My findings on the lens, what I've also sent to Matti Sulanto, that:
I've found out in a video (don't know which one, because I searched a lot to clarify what's happening with this lens) that sometime OM System might have made a firmware change.
Also this theory is strengthened by the sticker with the date code inside the box and a mysterous text in the manual of the lens about source code, firmware, open-platform and intellectual property (which I've never ever seen with any of my other lenses). 🤔
Even more interesting there is no Firmware update link or Downloadable instruction manual on the website of the lens!?!?! ALL the other lenses have, like the 17, 25, 12-45, 45 1.2 PRO.
And because I mostly shoot in JPEG would also explain why I don't see that CA problem. RAW could be different, but I don't know.
My findings are also in line with customer reviews on webshops and amazon, that 37 out of 40 reviewers rated the lens to 5 out of 5 stars.
So my take on the lens what could happened:
- First OM or Olympus or whatever company released a batch or more of this lens with a first firmware, then the sales got hit by the negative reviews on the obvious LoCA problem.
- In the meanwhile they updated the firmware in the newer, most recent batches, but didn't released it for downloading or updating previous owners due to the firmware intellectual property blattering in the manual.
- And considering the high price tag, I guess not a alot of people wanted to risk there money. If you look there are only just a few available on eBay, so the lens is becoming quite rare now.
Although I think this is a shame, because this is one of those situations when an otherwise IMPRESSIVE product got hit by initial sales and support problems.
Nice! Are these OOC JPG photos ?
It looks like a great lens Robin, despite the purple fringing. However, I shoot black and white, so that may not be an issue.
I too have the Panasonic 20mm f /1.7 , and have been pleased with it. Since my subject matter is usually stationary and doesn't talk back, I can work around the focusing speed.😸
Thanks for sharing Robin and all the best.
Thanks Victor, I share what I can!
Great video as always Robin. Have to ask and forgive me if you have mentioned it before. What strap is that on your camera? I love it. Looks nice and solid.
Not worth mentioning, the strap is a cheap China made one bought from local online retailer, there are better ones out there
@@robinwong really? It's a nice looking strap. Any you would recommend?
That was a wonderful review Robin. Do you know how well it would work if coupled with a LUMIX/Panasonic Camera body?
I have not tested it but like all Olympus lenses they work perfectly fine on Panasonic bodies.
My current favorite lens on the OM-1. It nails every shot with its autofocus. The absence of the Fn button and clutch is disappointing to me, but these omissions make the lens more compact and lighter. I've not been aware of the purple's fringing problem; Photolab has a correction available for this aberration; how well does it work?
为什么我在用的20Pro在光圈全开的情况下画质劣化得很严重？特别是在微距模式下会特别严重，画面会特别模糊…我也不懂是我的镜头问题还是这款镜头都有这问题了。
That CA amount reminds me of old lenses in film era🤣🤣
Yeah it is that bad
loving my 12-45 f4 pro. Can’t see myself buying non F4 pros
Because F4 is not enough for low light work. And I shoot a lot in low light. I find F1.8 is just nice.
Nice video, although I think the smallest pro lens title should go to Panasonic’s 20mm f1.7.
Panasonic 20mm is NOT a pro lens.
I want a 17mm f1.4 pro as the f1.2 is a MONSTER!…
If you already have the F1.2, does not make sense to get a F1.4 17mm?
well they can't produce a 20mm f1.2 to protect the sales of the other two . have to flaw this new small f1.4 pro line a little bit.
I’m surprised they allowed that lens out with that bad of purple fringing
Same here
I like the way this lens looks and I like the focal length, but what I don't like and that really disappointed me is how this lens generates purple fringing. If the manufacturer marks something as PRO, it must be top level and not this. Maybe a beginner's question, will using a UV protection filter fix this? Or a polarizing filter?
👍🏾🙏🏾
This lens is overpriced by at least 20%. In Canada, the list price is $1000. Ouch!! Fortunately, OMD does not appear to be fixing their prices the way Olympus did, because I picked it up for $300 off on Amazon the other day. I like that it's small, light-weight and weather sealed. Too bad OMD is cheaping out with their pro line now and not including the pro features.
Here I was, thinking I had a bad copy with, in certain circumstances, serious chromatic aberrations. I'm sort of relieved. Kind of... OK, I'd rather it wasn't there, but at least I feel less lonely!
Does it come with a lens hood?
Mine did.
Twice the price and twice the size of the Lumix Pancake 20mm 1.7. Is it twice as good? 😀
It is5 times better.
1. Faster AF
2. Weather-sealed
3. Better bokeh (smoother, not nervous)
4. F1.4 - brighter
5. More rugged build
@@robinwong Thank you for your reply and rating of the OM System 20mm 1.4. It's not in my budget at the moment. I'm not sad about it though as I'm still happy with the Lumix 20mm 1.7. I'm happy about every sign of life from "Olympus". Long live MFT!......and Robin!
Pro lenses should all have the manual clutch and Lfn button. OMS loses sales without them. Very shortsighted.
ABSOLUTELY!
Ill stick with my tiny 1.7. None of the benefits are worth it if its purple city at 1.4
I'd love for someone to compare this lens with the Panasonic Leica 25 1.4 mark 2.
No comparison. People just want to hear what they want to hear, you tell them otherwise there will be bloodshed
@@robinwong what an odd thing to say
That CA, thanks but no thanks😂
Why no pancake..
i like your voic
Thanks!