I’m surprised at your evaluation of bokeh quality of the 15/1.7. I don’t find it objectionable. I think your CA issues may be due to the use of the Panasonic lens on an Olympus body, for both the 15/1.7 and 14/2.5. I think my LUMIX bodies correct for it. Funny story: The very first day I went out with my beautiful new silver 15/1.7 it got a direct hit from a dove on a wire above me! I was furious. But, after carefully cleaning it up it suffered no ill effects. So, you can also add bird poop resistance to your advantages column! Thanks for the video. 👍😁
@@robinwong interesting. Thanks for your reply. I do notice the ca with the Leica 25! I’ll try not to look too closely at images from the other two! 😂✌️
@@robinwong Thanks for you review. I have owned something like 4 samples of this great lens. It's somewhat prone to a sample variation. Anyways. On panasonic cameras it does suffer from a chromatic abberation but it's worse on olympus cameras. As for the bokeh. Well Olympus PRO primes are technically perfect though they are somewhat sterile. Pana/Leica lenses like 25mm 1.4 or this 15mm 1.7 are very different. Their rendering is organic. Sometimes I prefer Olympus rendering style sometimes Leica rendering. Cheers
Hi Robin. I have the 15mm 1.7 and think it is a great lens. I don't have the issues you have (purple / green fringing). I have used it on various Panasonic bodies with no issue. So I don't know if you are finding it because you have a bad copy or because Olympus body, or bit of both.
I had the same reaction about the bokeh, i don't find it busy or distracting in the slightest, even in the sample images shown. I've always found the bokeh to be of the most pleasant of all the MFT lenses I have.
I had this lens and it was my favourite Micro Four Thirds lens that I ever used (and I have owned 14 lenses over 11 years, budget and Pro grade). What I loved the most about the lens was the size, the AF, the minimum focus distance and the color rendition and bokeh. It was my favourite Street shooting lens because I have severe anxiety around strangers and I can never point a camera at other people (except in busy fairs where I am less noticed and even then only for a limited period of time) so I put the lens in Manual Focus (around 2 to 3 meters) hold my camera at the hip vertically and trigger the shutter with high burst when a subject of interest is within distance (not the most effective way to do this but it's the only thing that works for me). The nice thing about the lens is that the lens\camera holds memory of the minimum focus distance set and as soon as you switch to manual focus it jumps to the last distance set (even after turning the camera off) and very useful for Street shooting. Si love the lens for closeup of flowers, the colors it renders is TO DIE FOR, I don't know if it's the "Leica" branding or magic but I love the output even more then the Pro lenses. The CA was a huge annoyance for me because on E-M1 Mak III it's large enough to take a noticeable chuck of color in prints when corrected and the LoCA is pretty difficult to work with, I can tell if the lens missed focus by how much LoCA there is (not in focus) or there isn't (perfect focus). Unfortunately I moved away from Micro Four Thirds (I sold ALL my gear) to Sony a7C because indoors at home the IQ would not hold up for baby pictures and family documentation even at f 1.7 (I live in a pretty dark house and I can't do anything more because I the windows are facing east and west only). I will come back to Olympus and this little lens as soon as Olympus brings out better high ISO performance (yes I do us Noise Reduction AI but it's not enough to just hide noise) and gets their AF real time tracking to Sony level ... And put it in an E-M5 Mark Whatever (and not keep it to E-M1X only).
I'm a street photographer based in Tokyo and I use the EM5MIII with this 1.7 15mm Leica, Lumix lens. I love the fast focusing and the sharp details, as well as the wide aperture. For videos it's great! Thank you for reviewing this!
Good timing on this video. I've been giving this lens a good hard look. I had the 20mm/1.7 and found the FOV too narrow for my liking. 17mm would be better, but 15mm is ideal for my photography. Not too wide or narrow, just right.
I sold the 15mm 1.7 a while back, because it didn’t get as much use as some of my other lenses, THEN started looking through my Lightroom catalog, as part of a project I was doing. It was astonishing to me how many of my favorite images were from the 15mm. One of my biggest regrets (at least where photography is concerned) is having sold that lens.
Thank you for posting this, says everyone with buyer's anxiety, like me! It's so hard to know if you've made a decent purchase when going for price/ performance.
I use DJI 15mm f1.7 for about 4 years now (it's the same Panaleica with DJI label on it). Extremely happy with the lens! I also use 14mm f2.5 and 20mm f1.7 quite often, bokeh is indeed much better on 20mm pancake.
Great review again Robin. Been following you for years and have always very much appreciated your MFT content. Thanks for always sharing your honest opinion and findings🙏
Hi Robin, I purchased the Panasonic Leica 15mm F1.7 a few days ago and I love it. Its an expensive wee beastie but worth it. Thank you for reviewing this lens.
I have enjoyed using this lens for a few years. It usually lives on my GX8 body. I am happy that you can enjoy one too now. The combination of high quality and small size is a real winner for me.
The lens is not new to me, I just found a need to use it more recently, so I decided to get one. I have always preferred longer focal lengths for street, and I did not do video before.
Just for reference, do you notice a lot of purple fringing in the background lighted areas? I think Lumix corrects CA and distorsion in camera. I have a GX9 now but when I had the 15mm I was using it on a EM5mkll and I had to get rid of the lens due to the CA problems.
I just did a similar exercise for similar reasons and landed the Lumix Pancake 20mm mk2 f1.7 instead! This is specific for my Pen-fd and bags the 12-40mm pro workhorse, for now. Delightful lenses from Panasonic in this focal range! Nice video, Robin! Thx!
Good video. I bought the 15mm years ago to replace the 14mm Lumix lens. I've never regretted that decision - the contrast from the 15mm is far more pleasing. It also has a really nice lens hood with a rubber cap! Annoying that the aperture ring doesn't work on OM cameras though....
@@robinwong The GX85 was a steal. I bought it used with the 12-32 and 40-150 kit at less than $500 and it came packaged in the original box in mint condition looking absolutely unused.
Thanks for this review! I’m really glad to see you reaching out beyond Olympus brand lenses. Panasonic has some true gems in its lineup that work great with Olympus bodies. I too am a fan of this 15mm f/1.7 lens!
Thanks. Well, in case you are not aware, I have reviewed Fuji, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Sigma cameras and lenses over the years. I have reviewed at least a dozen lenses from Panasonic (14mm, 15mm, 20mm, 12-60mm, 12mm F1.4, 42.5mm F1.2, 8-18mm and more). I have reached out beyond Olympus for more than 10 years.
I use this lens quite frequently on both my EM1Mk3 and EM5Mk2. I replaced my Olympus 17 1.8 with this lens as I was always wanting something a tad wider and low light performance is great.
As I may have indicated earlier, I own this one and love it. On a GX9 body there is no visible C. A. as I think is typical because the Pana corrects internally. To bad this is not done across on Olympus. Good review, your shots are really good. I get much softer boque on the GX9 but that just mya be the nature of the subjects we shoot.
Hi Robin - Great video! Not sure how I missed it a couple months ago. I also just purchased a used PL15 to replace my Oly 17 1.8, primarily to use on my Pen F when out on bike rides. Looking forward to giving a try. Living in the Chicago area, I always enjoy the images you share from your side of the world!
I use this lens on Olympus M5 MkII body, I like it a lot, like the focal lenth, but it is a bit hard to change the lens, because only the aperture and focus ring are easy to grip, but the turn and the body of the lens is smooth. You can really feel the difference, when you change to the 45mm 1.8 Olympus lens, which has dedicated carvings to grab when you change lens.
Nice to see you review a non olympus lens Robin. I have recently bought this Leica 15mm for my GX9 and love it. I think I am right in saying that any CA/purple fringing is reduced on Panasonic bodies, I am certainly not aware of any issues.
@@robinwong My comment was a positive one and a fair point given that you have 3 videos that refer to Panasonic in any way and I gave up counting videos referring to Olympus after 120. This is the first time you have replied to a comment of mine and I must say for me it was a rather odd and cold comment which makes me mourn the likes of David Thorpe even more, a true gent.
I have this lens attached to my GX9 and never ever noticed CA. It is my favourite lens by far with the nocticron 42,5. But I must say that these reviews make me doubt about the M4/3 system...
@@JavierGutierrez-yl2fs I have the same GX9/Leica 15mm combo Javier amongst other Pana Leica lenses and love them, but maybe (I dont know) you get some CA on Oly bodies, take care
The problem is that the 14mm f2.5 is almost as slow as the 12-40 Pro zoom, so unless you need the small size, you might as well just use the f2.8 zoom. Olympus should have made a 14mm f/2 (or faster) years ago, and now it will probably never happen. Likewise Panasonic never made a 17mm. 15mm on m4/3 is a very odd choice.
Are you saying, Olympus should have 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm and 17mm? The only gap Olympus has, is 14mm in terms of classic 28mm equivalent focal length. I don't see that much gap at all!
For $100 USD less I prefer the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. It works flawlessly on either Olympus or Panasonic bodies. The AF is very very fast on my G95, and even the focus clutch works. 30mm is also an odd focal length, IMO. Nice photos you posted though!
I love my 15MM 1.7, I usually use it with my G9, but I also use it on my Olympus bodies. No purple fringing on any of my cameras, so maybe some variation within different lenses. My Olympus bodies have fewer issues with Panasonic lenses than Oly. ; lenses on my G9.
Hi Robin, another good option in between would be Sigma 16mm 1.4, however, it is much bigger, so it somehow reduces its appeal. The image quality is better though.
I got this lens a couple of years ago in exchange to the Olympus 17mm, which isn’t really sharp wide open. I love small 15mm very much, also the bokeh in most situations. Only background separation is not possible for anything further than 1m. For that I needed to get an extra lens (Mitakon Speedmaster), which I don’t have with me when shooting landscape. I‘m looking forward the the new OM 20mm lens, maybe it can close the gap (the Lumix 20mm can’t, unfortunately).
Great review Robin. This lens does have its share of flaws but renders the images very nice. A great focal length too. I feel the same way about the 35mm equivalent focal length. It is neither wide or telephoto enough. Thank for sharing the photos.
@@robinwong I think that 35mm is great if you carry just 1 lens. Then neither there or there is very useful. But once you wanna carry at least 2 lenses ... Cheers
Great video as usual. I had one of these until recently, when I replaced it with an Olympus 17 mm f/1.8! To be honest I prefer the Olympus, and find it very slightly sharper!
I traded this lens for a 17mm 1.8 shortly after I got into m43. The lens is razor sharp, certainly better then the 17, but I could not stand the purple fringing. I know Lumix camera correct it in camera, mostly, but there is no reason for such poor performances in an expensive lens.
@@robinwong It's there but mostly on Olympus cameras only. Panasonic do use a stronger UV filter on their sensors. That's why the purple fringing is much more visible on Olympus cameras. Cheers
Thanks for the video Roben. I also own the 15mm F/1.7 pl, I combine it with the 12-40 2.8 for a compact kit . Though the focal length is exactly like my phone camera 30mm so I don't use it enough.
I don't have the Lecia version, but I owned a DJI OEM version, with a good deal. I used that lens esp pair with my GM5 and it is a handy setup for street photography,
It is indeed frustrating that m43 is not a proper open standard, with cross-brand support for things like lens control rings and buttons, and in-body chromatic aberration correction. I think the manufacturers have missed a trick. Yes, there would be more competition, but the total market would likely to be larger with a more open approach. One could go further - imagine a world with after-market or community supported firmware…
I have never seen a bad review of the 15mm f1.7. I have the Oly 17mm f1.8, I like the focal length. There is another alternative you didn't mention, what about the Oly 12mm f2? M43 has a lot of great options 🙂
Thanks for the information on these lenses. I am looking into buying a mirrorless 4-3 camera, and am looking for a good street photography lens. This Leica 15mm looks ideal. The sample photos you showed were absolutely stunning.
Nice review enthusiastically delivered :). I have this lens on a GM1 and an Pen-F and not yet really put it through its paces. Have a look at the Oly 2/12 which is truly stunning.
Thanks, Robin. I guess I don't pay enough attention to the out of focus stuff, but for in-focus, the 15 is quite sharp and unlike Panasonic 20, the 15mm is not only fast, but silent. The only drawback from my point of view is the price, but as you point out, there are plenty of used 15mm lenses available. The 15mm seems to work really well with high res mode too. I wish the Olympus and Panasonic 12mm lenses were as good as the 15mm. BTW, if you're no longer obligated to stick to Olympus lenses, the Panasonic 35-100/2.8 is terrific and smaller than anything equivalent from Olympus.
This is my go to wide prime. I love the build and the rendering is very nice. I really like the 30mm equivalent angle of view. The only down side is the fringing is pretty noticeable and it also flares quite badly which is a shame.
I like using this on my Lumix GX9 for street photography, I hang it round my neck, flip the screen up and fire with my thumb. I've had a lot of fun using just that body and lens. I wouldn't say the image quality is stunning but it's always good, I don't see any CA but I process my RAW files in DXO and perhaps it's dealing with it.
I’m interested in this lens as a light weight, wider aperture option to my Panasonic 12-60. I find myself rarely using the wonderful little Panasonic 25mm and want a wider option.
My first m43 cam was the G9 with PL1260. I then bought the 15. Bougjt and sold the 35mm 1.7. Bought and sold Sigma 30mm 1.4 and Olympus 45mm 1.8. I kept the Sigma 56mm. 15mm is a gem of a lens. Wish it eas weathee sealed and and apeeture workee on my Olymous bodies. As for being odd. I dknt buy that. It's almost 28mm which is a street amd landscape classic.
@@emerywd if they came out with a 19mm lens, and said “well it’s almost 35mm…” 🤷🏼♂️ Yeah, ok, but it’s still weird, and there’s no technical or photographic reason for it. My guess is it was to simply not have to compete with the Olympus 17/1.8.
Bit embarrassing, but I had no clue there was a PanaLeica wide angle prime lens. The images are very pleasing too, I couldn't disagree on your sample. I also agreed on the fringing, but it really looks like its rather one of the other quirks of mixing and matching lenses, the camera not performing the abberation corrections. Also, I am surprised again on the olympus 45mm f/1.8. I thought this was shot on the 75mm until you mentioned it. I own a silver copy and love it when I can use it!
Great review and fantastic photos. Robin. I have the Oly 17 f 1.8 so I have no need for it. Or I could get it for my gx9. The fringing is probably only on Oly bodies.
It may be an advantage that the aperture ring is disable with Olympus body, i have this lens with my Panasonic G9, and i often inadvertently hit that ring and change aperture without noticing.
Purchased used for my G9, largely as looking for a wider relatively fast lens. Have been pleased. I have found the G9 a bit too large of camera for my primary use of videos while out hiking and have been considering moving to a EM5Miii that you use. Was wondering if this lens would work well (as well as my 12-35 2.8 Panasonic) so timing of your video helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for the great images. The only downside of watching it vs the videos about the PL 12mm f1.4 is that I am still struggling with the decision. It does seem like the background separation and is improved with the more expensive lens but I am not sure. Mostly looking at product photography. Thank
Wow! Just seen your review and pics. I’m really impressed by the colours in your sample images and have subscribed to your channel. I have Fuji and Nikon z systems but haven’t produced anything as rich and pleasingly rendered. Is that simply the lens/camera combination you use or are you doing some magic in post? I’m considering this lens and the GX 9 as a cheap Leica Q alternative.
I own this lens and really like it have not noticed any CA used on both lumix (G80) which why I bought as could use the f stop ring like on old film cameras and also used on my OMD 1 I have also used the 17mm which I feels better works better on Olympus
Salut Robin, I think it is a good idea to test Pana.lenses also. I think it is one reason why the MFT-format is so beautyfull: You can use and change al the lenses from Olympus and Pana. also ! ;)) I m also I user of the little beautyfull Pna. Leica 15/1,7 lens and I like it.
In my Pen-F I used two lens principally, the m.zuiko 45 f/1.8 and this lumix-leica 15 f/1.7 for street photography for two years. Then I saw your fuji xf 10 video and motívate me to bought in a very good price a Fuji X70 with the same lens, 18.5 (28mm ff equivalent ) and I found a very competitive compact Aps-c camera. the lumix-leica 15mm experience take me to the Fuji X70. I found that 28mm is a good focal lenght for street photography (also the Ricoh GRII have 28mm equivalent lens, another camera I want to try).
@@robinwong I hope you try the GR someday. I'm having a blast with the first GR from 2013 I got for cheap, it's crazy sharp. And the GR III is even better.
I love the sharpness of this lens but prefer the rendering of the 17/1.8 because of the bokeh. I did find a good UV filter improved the contrast in some outdoors situation. (Panasonic puts the a UV coating on the bayer filter and originally the lens did not have a UV coating). I used it as my indoors wide angle because everyone's face will be sharp at events. Now I tend towards the 10/2 more for indoor events although this is always in my lens pouch.
UV filter (or the absence of it) does not cause chromatic aberration. CA happens when the light disperses at different speed, and the only effective way to correct it is using ED (extra low dispersion) element.
Hi, may I ask you opinion on what would be the best investment, especially for taking some portrait photography: An used Olympus 17mm f1.2 in great condition or a brand new Panasonic 15mm f1.7 ? Thanks, regards
hi Robin, thanks for your review, do you know if the aperture ring is still not working with Olympus/OM system bodies or it has been fixed since ? thanks
I’m trying to decide whether to keep this …. problem is it doesn’t seem to communicate with my olympus epl9 … but there is some charisma about the images even tho they’re not the sharpest . How to make it communicate with olympus? Weird as my 14mm pani lens communicates fine…..
Hi Robin, I am new to OM-D system and enjoyed your videos and reviews. I recently bought the OM-D em5 mk3. As for lenses I have the Olympus 14-150 f4-5.6 and the Olympus prime 25 f1.8. I do more street photography and wondering where did you capture these street shots in this video. In the past I have several systems and brands like Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, LeicaQ, Sony even Olympus EP-3 (Full frame, APS-C, MFT, 1 Inch). I would like to thank you for your insights to the MFT system that made me decide to go for this Olympus OM-D system. Any tips and advice for me?
Robin I have a problem with this Lumix 15 f1.7 lens. I use it on an OM5 M3 body and the C-AF or C-AF tracking with this lens does not work for me. With other Lumix and Olympus lenses it works perfect. Do you know if it is a problem of incompatibility of this lens with Olympus? Thank you very much
Hi Robin! I have Panasonic25 mm f 1,7 for my Olympus m1markII and as a complement to my Olympus 12-40 mm f2,8. What’s the point of a Wide? Isn`t better with a Bright short tele for my dayly use? For landscapphotography, it does very well with my 12-40 mm Olympus.
The point of wide, is wide. You cannot get the same look with other lenses. There is no better or worse, just whether the lens fits what you want to do with your photography.
The 15mm doesn't have that purple fringing on Panasonic cameras. And that is why i don't purchase used lenses! Buy it new and stop being cheap, now you can't send it back for a replacement or refund.
I’m surprised at your evaluation of bokeh quality of the 15/1.7. I don’t find it objectionable. I think your CA issues may be due to the use of the Panasonic lens on an Olympus body, for both the 15/1.7 and 14/2.5. I think my LUMIX bodies correct for it. Funny story: The very first day I went out with my beautiful new silver 15/1.7 it got a direct hit from a dove on a wire above me! I was furious. But, after carefully cleaning it up it suffered no ill effects. So, you can also add bird poop resistance to your advantages column! Thanks for the video. 👍😁
I have tested both 14mm F2.5 and 15mm F1.7 on Panasonic GM5, GH4 and G9 before. The purple fringing problem is real.
@@robinwong interesting. Thanks for your reply. I do notice the ca with the Leica 25! I’ll try not to look too closely at images from the other two! 😂✌️
@@robinwong Thanks for you review. I have owned something like 4 samples of this great lens. It's somewhat prone to a sample variation. Anyways. On panasonic cameras it does suffer from a chromatic abberation but it's worse on olympus cameras. As for the bokeh. Well Olympus PRO primes are technically perfect though they are somewhat sterile. Pana/Leica lenses like 25mm 1.4 or this 15mm 1.7 are very different. Their rendering is organic. Sometimes I prefer Olympus rendering style sometimes Leica rendering. Cheers
Hi Robin. I have the 15mm 1.7 and think it is a great lens. I don't have the issues you have (purple / green fringing). I have used it on various Panasonic bodies with no issue. So I don't know if you are finding it because you have a bad copy or because Olympus body, or bit of both.
I had the same reaction about the bokeh, i don't find it busy or distracting in the slightest, even in the sample images shown. I've always found the bokeh to be of the most pleasant of all the MFT lenses I have.
I had this lens and it was my favourite Micro Four Thirds lens that I ever used (and I have owned 14 lenses over 11 years, budget and Pro grade). What I loved the most about the lens was the size, the AF, the minimum focus distance and the color rendition and bokeh. It was my favourite Street shooting lens because I have severe anxiety around strangers and I can never point a camera at other people (except in busy fairs where I am less noticed and even then only for a limited period of time) so I put the lens in Manual Focus (around 2 to 3 meters) hold my camera at the hip vertically and trigger the shutter with high burst when a subject of interest is within distance (not the most effective way to do this but it's the only thing that works for me). The nice thing about the lens is that the lens\camera holds memory of the minimum focus distance set and as soon as you switch to manual focus it jumps to the last distance set (even after turning the camera off) and very useful for Street shooting. Si love the lens for closeup of flowers, the colors it renders is TO DIE FOR, I don't know if it's the "Leica" branding or magic but I love the output even more then the Pro lenses. The CA was a huge annoyance for me because on E-M1 Mak III it's large enough to take a noticeable chuck of color in prints when corrected and the LoCA is pretty difficult to work with, I can tell if the lens missed focus by how much LoCA there is (not in focus) or there isn't (perfect focus). Unfortunately I moved away from Micro Four Thirds (I sold ALL my gear) to Sony a7C because indoors at home the IQ would not hold up for baby pictures and family documentation even at f 1.7 (I live in a pretty dark house and I can't do anything more because I the windows are facing east and west only). I will come back to Olympus and this little lens as soon as Olympus brings out better high ISO performance (yes I do us Noise Reduction AI but it's not enough to just hide noise) and gets their AF real time tracking to Sony level ... And put it in an E-M5 Mark Whatever (and not keep it to E-M1X only).
picturing people without asking their permission is always a frustrating issue for me. for that reasonn I can not try street photography :)
I'm a street photographer based in Tokyo and I use the EM5MIII with this 1.7 15mm Leica, Lumix lens. I love the fast focusing and the sharp details, as well as the wide aperture. For videos it's great! Thank you for reviewing this!
A very capable street shootinfg lens indeed!
Can the diaphragm ring be used on the OM5 III ?
Is the distortion high ?
I have been using this len for a long time. It's always in my bag no matter where I go. It is an excellent lens.
Good timing on this video. I've been giving this lens a good hard look. I had the 20mm/1.7 and found the FOV too narrow for my liking. 17mm would be better, but 15mm is ideal for my photography. Not too wide or narrow, just right.
I sold the 15mm 1.7 a while back, because it didn’t get as much use as some of my other lenses, THEN started looking through my Lightroom catalog, as part of a project I was doing. It was astonishing to me how many of my favorite images were from the 15mm. One of my biggest regrets (at least where photography is concerned) is having sold that lens.
Thank you for posting this, says everyone with buyer's anxiety, like me! It's so hard to know if you've made a decent purchase when going for price/ performance.
@@YamanoteSensei yeah I am debating to get this or sigma 16mm f1.4 rn
I use DJI 15mm f1.7 for about 4 years now (it's the same Panaleica with DJI label on it). Extremely happy with the lens! I also use 14mm f2.5 and 20mm f1.7 quite often, bokeh is indeed much better on 20mm pancake.
Great review again Robin. Been following you for years and have always very much appreciated your MFT content. Thanks for always sharing your honest opinion and findings🙏
Hi Robin, I purchased the Panasonic Leica 15mm F1.7 a few days ago and I love it. Its an expensive wee beastie but worth it. Thank you for reviewing this lens.
I have enjoyed using this lens for a few years. It usually lives on my GX8 body. I am happy that you can enjoy one too now. The combination of high quality and small size is a real winner for me.
The lens is not new to me, I just found a need to use it more recently, so I decided to get one. I have always preferred longer focal lengths for street, and I did not do video before.
I love this lens on my GX9. Very good image quality in a compact package! Very versatile focal length for hiking, ravel, citytrips, etc.
Just for reference, do you notice a lot of purple fringing in the background lighted areas? I think Lumix corrects CA and distorsion in camera. I have a GX9 now but when I had the 15mm I was using it on a EM5mkll and I had to get rid of the lens due to the CA problems.
I just did a similar exercise for similar reasons and landed the Lumix Pancake 20mm mk2 f1.7 instead! This is specific for my Pen-fd and bags the 12-40mm pro workhorse, for now. Delightful lenses from Panasonic in this focal range! Nice video, Robin! Thx!
Hi Jeff, do you have pictures with your Pen F + lens? How do you find that 20mm vs the 17mm from Oly? Cheers
The 15mm doesn't have those bokeh issues on a gx9 body, just for those wanting to know.
I have the same GX9 and Leica 15/1,7 combo and I love it for street photo. Haven't noticed any bokeh problems either.
15mm is my go to and favorite lens. I’m considering the 9mm for vlogging with my G100.
Good video. I bought the 15mm years ago to replace the 14mm Lumix lens. I've never regretted that decision - the contrast from the 15mm is far more pleasing. It also has a really nice lens hood with a rubber cap! Annoying that the aperture ring doesn't work on OM cameras though....
The Pana Leica 15mm f/1.7 is my favorite prime lens as well! Great review Robin, cheers! 😊
I bought that lens last year. I use it on a GX85 which I bought specifically to pair with that lens. Great combination.
A very good combo
@@robinwong The GX85 was a steal. I bought it used with the 12-32 and 40-150 kit at less than $500 and it came packaged in the original box in mint condition looking absolutely unused.
I bought my GX85 just so I could use this lens. No regrets.
Thanks for this review! I’m really glad to see you reaching out beyond Olympus brand lenses. Panasonic has some true gems in its lineup that work great with Olympus bodies. I too am a fan of this 15mm f/1.7 lens!
Thanks. Well, in case you are not aware, I have reviewed Fuji, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Sigma cameras and lenses over the years. I have reviewed at least a dozen lenses from Panasonic (14mm, 15mm, 20mm, 12-60mm, 12mm F1.4, 42.5mm F1.2, 8-18mm and more). I have reached out beyond Olympus for more than 10 years.
I use this lens quite frequently on both my EM1Mk3 and EM5Mk2. I replaced my Olympus 17 1.8 with this lens as I was always wanting something a tad wider and low light performance is great.
As I may have indicated earlier, I own this one and love it. On a GX9 body there is no visible C. A. as I think is typical because the Pana corrects internally. To bad this is not done across on Olympus. Good review, your shots are really good. I get much softer boque on the GX9 but that just mya be the nature of the subjects we shoot.
That is awesome little lens and the black version looks really good.
I don't mind a silver version too. The used unit was black, so I nabbed it.
@@robinwong Yeah, when you buy used you get what you can.
Hi Robin - Great video! Not sure how I missed it a couple months ago. I also just purchased a used PL15 to replace my Oly 17 1.8, primarily to use on my Pen F when out on bike rides. Looking forward to giving a try. Living in the Chicago area, I always enjoy the images you share from your side of the world!
Amazing photos, as always, Robin!
I’m inspired by those images - thank you Robin
I use this lens on Olympus M5 MkII body, I like it a lot, like the focal lenth, but it is a bit hard to change the lens, because only the aperture and focus ring are easy to grip, but the turn and the body of the lens is smooth. You can really feel the difference, when you change to the 45mm 1.8 Olympus lens, which has dedicated carvings to grab when you change lens.
Really liked your pictures and
particularly their colors. Very enjoyable.
Nice to see you review a non olympus lens Robin. I have recently bought this Leica 15mm for my GX9 and love it. I think I am right in saying that any CA/purple fringing is reduced on Panasonic bodies, I am certainly not aware of any issues.
I have been reviewing non Olympus products for years.
@@robinwong My comment was a positive one and a fair point given that you have 3 videos that refer to Panasonic in any way and I gave up counting videos referring to Olympus after 120. This is the first time you have replied to a comment of mine and I must say for me it was a rather odd and cold comment which makes me mourn the likes of David Thorpe even more, a true gent.
I have this lens attached to my GX9 and never ever noticed CA. It is my favourite lens by far with the nocticron 42,5.
But I must say that these reviews make me doubt about the M4/3 system...
@@JavierGutierrez-yl2fs I have the same GX9/Leica 15mm combo Javier amongst other Pana Leica lenses and love them, but maybe (I dont know) you get some CA on Oly bodies, take care
Olympus has a huge gap between 12mm to 17mm, this is where Lumix lenses shine with the 14mm f2.5 and the 15mm f1.7.
The problem is that the 14mm f2.5 is almost as slow as the 12-40 Pro zoom, so unless you need the small size, you might as well just use the f2.8 zoom.
Olympus should have made a 14mm f/2 (or faster) years ago, and now it will probably never happen. Likewise Panasonic never made a 17mm. 15mm on m4/3 is a very odd choice.
Are you saying, Olympus should have 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 16mm and 17mm? The only gap Olympus has, is 14mm in terms of classic 28mm equivalent focal length. I don't see that much gap at all!
As a Panasonic shooter I had the oly 17mm last time. Recently back into m43 and getting the 15mm. I mainly shoot street
For $100 USD less I prefer the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. It works flawlessly on either Olympus or Panasonic bodies. The AF is very very fast on my G95, and even the focus clutch works.
30mm is also an odd focal length, IMO.
Nice photos you posted though!
Looks like I bought the Olympus 17mm f1.8 for the same reasons you bought this PanaLeica lens. I use Lumix G bodies btw.
Good choice on your part :)
Great Review Robin. Thank you.
I love my 15MM 1.7, I usually use it with my G9, but I also use it on my Olympus bodies. No purple fringing on any of my cameras, so maybe some variation within different lenses. My Olympus bodies have fewer issues with Panasonic lenses than Oly. ; lenses on my G9.
What issues did you have with Olympus lenses on G9? I am curious
Hi Robin, another good option in between would be Sigma 16mm 1.4, however, it is much bigger, so it somehow reduces its appeal. The image quality is better though.
I got this lens a couple of years ago in exchange to the Olympus 17mm, which isn’t really sharp wide open. I love small 15mm very much, also the bokeh in most situations. Only background separation is not possible for anything further than 1m. For that I needed to get an extra lens (Mitakon Speedmaster), which I don’t have with me when shooting landscape. I‘m looking forward the the new OM 20mm lens, maybe it can close the gap (the Lumix 20mm can’t, unfortunately).
Great review Robin. This lens does have its share of flaws but renders the images very nice. A great focal length too. I feel the same way about the 35mm equivalent focal length. It is neither wide or telephoto enough. Thank for sharing the photos.
Thanks Paul, I am glad I am not alone on 35mm.
@@robinwong I think that 35mm is great if you carry just 1 lens. Then neither there or there is very useful. But once you wanna carry at least 2 lenses ... Cheers
Thank you.
Great review! This is a lens let me stay in m43 & prefect match with penf.
Great video as usual. I had one of these until recently, when I replaced it with an Olympus 17 mm f/1.8! To be honest I prefer the Olympus, and find it very slightly sharper!
I should perhaps add that I do have a panasonic 7-14 f/4 zoom, so I have the extreme wide end 'covered' 🙂
beautiful photos!
I love your reviews, Robin. Thank you! 🙂
Paul 😎
I traded this lens for a 17mm 1.8 shortly after I got into m43. The lens is razor sharp, certainly better then the 17, but I could not stand the purple fringing. I know Lumix camera correct it in camera, mostly, but there is no reason for such poor performances in an expensive lens.
Yeah, the purple fringing is annoying. Tell that to those who commented that they don't see it!
@@robinwong It's there but mostly on Olympus cameras only. Panasonic do use a stronger UV filter on their sensors. That's why the purple fringing is much more visible on Olympus cameras. Cheers
my go to lens
still my favorite compact m43 lens in 2022!
Thanks for the video Roben. I also own the 15mm F/1.7 pl, I combine it with the 12-40 2.8 for a compact kit . Though the focal length is exactly like my phone camera 30mm so I don't use it enough.
Sure Maria. Thanks.
I don't have the Lecia version, but I owned a DJI OEM version, with a good deal. I used that lens esp pair with my GM5 and it is a handy setup for street photography,
It is indeed frustrating that m43 is not a proper open standard, with cross-brand support for things like lens control rings and buttons, and in-body chromatic aberration correction. I think the manufacturers have missed a trick. Yes, there would be more competition, but the total market would likely to be larger with a more open approach. One could go further - imagine a world with after-market or community supported firmware…
I have never seen a bad review of the 15mm f1.7. I have the Oly 17mm f1.8, I like the focal length.
There is another alternative you didn't mention, what about the Oly 12mm f2?
M43 has a lot of great options 🙂
Yes, i was thinking that too. Why not the 12mm f2. I'm looking at that option myself at the moment
Or the Pan Leica 12mm (but I think that is pretty big?).
Nervous bokeh? The bokeh with this lens is just gorgeous and smooth
Thanks for the information on these lenses. I am looking into buying a mirrorless 4-3 camera, and am looking for a good street photography lens. This Leica 15mm looks ideal. The sample photos you showed were absolutely stunning.
Mu choose is exactly this lens, and also 25mm f1. 8 Panasonic
Nice review enthusiastically delivered :). I have this lens on a GM1 and an Pen-F and not yet really put it through its paces. Have a look at the Oly 2/12 which is truly stunning.
Thanks, Robin. I guess I don't pay enough attention to the out of focus stuff, but for in-focus, the 15 is quite sharp and unlike Panasonic 20, the 15mm is not only fast, but silent. The only drawback from my point of view is the price, but as you point out, there are plenty of used 15mm lenses available. The 15mm seems to work really well with high res mode too. I wish the Olympus and Panasonic 12mm lenses were as good as the 15mm. BTW, if you're no longer obligated to stick to Olympus lenses, the Panasonic 35-100/2.8 is terrific and smaller than anything equivalent from Olympus.
Thanks Randy. As good as the 35-100mm is, 100mm is just not enough reach.
This is my go to wide prime. I love the build and the rendering is very nice. I really like the 30mm equivalent angle of view. The only down side is the fringing is pretty noticeable and it also flares quite badly which is a shame.
I like using this on my Lumix GX9 for street photography, I hang it round my neck, flip the screen up and fire with my thumb. I've had a lot of fun using just that body and lens. I wouldn't say the image quality is stunning but it's always good, I don't see any CA but I process my RAW files in DXO and perhaps it's dealing with it.
I’m interested in this lens as a light weight, wider aperture option to my Panasonic 12-60. I find myself rarely using the wonderful little Panasonic 25mm and want a wider option.
I, too, seldom use the Panny 25mm f1.7 and with primes use the PL 15mm f1.7 and the Panny 42.5mm f1.7 and then my feet to zoom.
The Olympus 17mm f/1.8 works great on Panasonic bodies.
@@joeltunnah Yeah, that lens is better on Panasonic bodies than Olympus due to the problem with focus clutch. It works perfectly on Panasonic.
My first m43 cam was the G9 with PL1260. I then bought the 15. Bougjt and sold the 35mm 1.7. Bought and sold Sigma 30mm 1.4 and Olympus 45mm 1.8. I kept the Sigma 56mm.
15mm is a gem of a lens. Wish it eas weathee sealed and and apeeture workee on my Olymous bodies.
As for being odd. I dknt buy that. It's almost 28mm which is a street amd landscape classic.
@@emerywd if they came out with a 19mm lens, and said “well it’s almost 35mm…” 🤷🏼♂️
Yeah, ok, but it’s still weird, and there’s no technical or photographic reason for it. My guess is it was to simply not have to compete with the Olympus 17/1.8.
Bit embarrassing, but I had no clue there was a PanaLeica wide angle prime lens. The images are very pleasing too, I couldn't disagree on your sample. I also agreed on the fringing, but it really looks like its rather one of the other quirks of mixing and matching lenses, the camera not performing the abberation corrections.
Also, I am surprised again on the olympus 45mm f/1.8. I thought this was shot on the 75mm until you mentioned it. I own a silver copy and love it when I can use it!
Great review and fantastic photos. Robin. I have the Oly 17 f 1.8 so I have no need for it. Or I could get it for my gx9. The fringing is probably only on Oly bodies.
It may be an advantage that the aperture ring is disable with Olympus body, i have this lens with my Panasonic G9, and i often inadvertently hit that ring and change aperture without noticing.
I still think an option to have it turned on and off, is not too difficult to implement.
I like calling this lens the budget version of the Leica q haha.
Purchased used for my G9, largely as looking for a wider relatively fast lens. Have been pleased. I have found the G9 a bit too large of camera for my primary use of videos while out hiking and have been considering moving to a EM5Miii that you use. Was wondering if this lens would work well (as well as my 12-35 2.8 Panasonic) so timing of your video helpful. Thank you.
Thank you for the great images. The only downside of watching it vs the videos about the PL 12mm f1.4 is that I am still struggling with the decision. It does seem like the background separation and is improved with the more expensive lens but I am not sure. Mostly looking at product photography. Thank
Wow! Just seen your review and pics. I’m really impressed by the colours in your sample images and have subscribed to your channel. I have Fuji and Nikon z systems but haven’t produced anything as rich and pleasingly rendered. Is that simply the lens/camera combination you use or are you doing some magic in post? I’m considering this lens and the GX 9 as a cheap Leica Q alternative.
I own this lens and really like it have not noticed any CA used on both lumix (G80) which why I bought as could use the f stop ring like on old film cameras and also used on my OMD 1 I have also used the 17mm which I feels better works better on Olympus
Salut Robin, I think it is a good idea to test Pana.lenses also. I think it is one reason why the MFT-format is so beautyfull: You can use and change al the lenses from Olympus and Pana. also ! ;))
I m also I user of the little beautyfull Pna. Leica 15/1,7 lens and I like it.
In my Pen-F I used two lens principally, the m.zuiko 45 f/1.8 and this lumix-leica 15 f/1.7 for street photography for two years. Then I saw your fuji xf 10 video and motívate me to bought in a very good price a Fuji X70 with the same lens, 18.5 (28mm ff equivalent ) and I found a very competitive compact Aps-c camera. the lumix-leica 15mm experience take me to the Fuji X70. I found that 28mm is a good focal lenght for street photography (also the Ricoh GRII have 28mm equivalent lens, another camera I want to try).
Glad you found the Fuji, I think it is a great camera. I just wish the AF is faster
@@robinwong I hope you try the GR someday. I'm having a blast with the first GR from 2013 I got for cheap, it's crazy sharp. And the GR III is even better.
I love the sharpness of this lens but prefer the rendering of the 17/1.8 because of the bokeh. I did find a good UV filter improved the contrast in some outdoors situation. (Panasonic puts the a UV coating on the bayer filter and originally the lens did not have a UV coating). I used it as my indoors wide angle because everyone's face will be sharp at events. Now I tend towards the 10/2 more for indoor events although this is always in my lens pouch.
UV filter (or the absence of it) does not cause chromatic aberration. CA happens when the light disperses at different speed, and the only effective way to correct it is using ED (extra low dispersion) element.
Not going to lie, I liked this video because there was an EM10 MKII on the thumbnail
I’m going to try using mine on EM1iii for talking head CZcams vids. TBD how I would like it.
Hi, may I ask you opinion on what would be the best investment, especially for taking some portrait photography: An used Olympus 17mm f1.2 in great condition or a brand new Panasonic 15mm f1.7 ? Thanks, regards
hi Robin, thanks for your review, do you know if the aperture ring is still not working with Olympus/OM system bodies or it has been fixed since ? thanks
I have this lens... it is a great lens. Please full review.
how much fuller do you need?
I’m trying to decide whether to keep this …. problem is it doesn’t seem to communicate with my olympus epl9 … but there is some charisma about the images even tho they’re not the sharpest . How to make it communicate with olympus? Weird as my 14mm pani lens communicates fine…..
Hi Robin, I am new to OM-D system and enjoyed your videos and reviews. I recently bought the OM-D em5 mk3. As for lenses I have the Olympus 14-150 f4-5.6 and the Olympus prime 25 f1.8. I do more street photography and wondering where did you capture these street shots in this video. In the past I have several systems and brands like Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, LeicaQ, Sony even Olympus EP-3 (Full frame, APS-C, MFT, 1 Inch). I would like to thank you for your insights to the MFT system that made me decide to go for this Olympus OM-D system. Any tips and advice for me?
Robin I have a problem with this Lumix 15 f1.7 lens. I use it on an OM5 M3 body and the C-AF or C-AF tracking with this lens does not work for me. With other Lumix and Olympus lenses it works perfect. Do you know if it is a problem of incompatibility of this lens with Olympus? Thank you very much
Hi. Thank you very much for your review. I have a question. Does your Olympus 12-40 f2.8 have a significant softening at 40mm f2.8?
pleaseee you need to make a video with editing advices 🥺
Good lens, but at US$600, a bit pricey for what it is.
Price goes down by half on the used market.
Hallo Robin!
Which lens do you suggest for Fuji S-X10 video/general usage?
Thanks for any answer..
Best regards from Holland!
Compared to Sigma 16mm 1.4?
A LOT smaller ;)
Great video, will Panasonic lenses still allow for Live COMP
Need this
I paid about 300$ like new -secondhand and am very happy for 2 yrs already !
Can the diaphragm ring be used on the OM5 III ?
Is the distortion high ?
10:22 That's what she said =)
Does anyone know if the aperture ring works on the newer OM cameras such as the Pen e P-7?
Why, dear god why, isn't this lens weather sealed?! SO tempted by I'm paranoid about not having at least some basic seals on my gear
Robin, have you considered the Sigma 16mm f1.4?
What do you think of sigma 16mm f1.4?
I have it and I love it. Its only flaw, for me, is its size.
It's excellent but quite large for m43. Much better than the 17 and in the same league as the 15mm. I love the Sigma but often leave it at home!
Good lens, Big and heavy
Hi Robin! I have Panasonic25 mm f 1,7 for my Olympus m1markII and as a complement to my Olympus 12-40 mm f2,8. What’s the point of a Wide? Isn`t better with a Bright short tele for my dayly use? For landscapphotography, it does very well with my 12-40 mm Olympus.
The point of wide, is wide. You cannot get the same look with other lenses. There is no better or worse, just whether the lens fits what you want to do with your photography.
What about the Olympus 12mm f2?
What about?
If you have 14-150 Oly which lens do choose between 25/1.4 leica or 15/1.7 leica
I love this lens, but i’m annoyed at how easily the lens hood comes off.
What do you think about de Panasonic 20 mm f1.7?
Still hey my pens with it
The 15mm doesn't have that purple fringing on Panasonic cameras. And that is why i don't purchase used lenses! Buy it new and stop being cheap, now you can't send it back for a replacement or refund.
Please put a Spanish translation in your videos. Thanks and greetings from Peru.
Nice bokeh
No, the bokeh is harsh.
Bokeh look bad for a Leica lens, 25mm f1.4...