Live Science Verdict
The Panasonic 15 mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH is a great little crystalline lens for nature topic — including astrophotography — thanks to a 30 mm equivalent focal length and great paradigm quality .
Fast f/1.7 max aperture
little minimum focusing space
The build quality of the 15mm f/1.7 is excellent.
first-class build lineament
Small and lightweight
No optical Image Stabilization
The manual aperture ring can be used manually or set to A for camera control.(Image credit: James Abbott)
ocular overrefinement is present
Vignetting at f/1.7
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A manual / AF switch can be found on the side of the lens.(Image credit: James Abbott)
case : MFT meridian lensFocal length:15 mm ( 30 mm equivalent)Maximum aperture : f/1.7Lens setting : Micro Four ThirdsWeight:4.06 oz / 115 gDimensions:1.42 x 2.26 in / 36 x 57.5 mmFilter thread:46mmRelease date : March 2014
Standard prime lenses are well known for their image calibre and fast maximal apertures , which makes them perfect for nature , landscape and astrophotography , alongside many other subjects . The Panasonic 15 mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH is a 10 - year - old Micro Four Thirds ( MFT ) electron lens that continues to redeem great carrying out alongside an equivalent focal length of 30 mm .
Not only is this lens system extremely compact and well made , it ’s compatible with both Panasonic Lumix G - series and OM System ( Olympus ) MFT cameras , as OM System lenses are with Lumix G - series photographic camera . This versatility — with the two systems using the same genus Lens climb and detector sizing — means MFT users have a generous range of lenses useable to them .
The 15mm f/1.7 is compact and lightweight.(Image credit: James Abbott)
In terms of features , this lens offers a fast f/1.7 maximal aperture , a manual aperture ring , a compact size of it and lightweight , telling build quality , a minimum sharpen distance of just 7.92 in / 20 curium and most importantly , great image quality . Not to refer , it ’s jolly price for a lens of this type .
The Panasonic 15 millimetre costs just $ 498 / £ 499 which — on top of the durable alloy design , excellent build caliber and aforementioned features — throw it an attractive option for Micro Four Thirds users capturing natural world subjects .
Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH: Design
The Panasonic 15 mm is fantastically minor and lightweight , and it ’s not even a flapcake lens , which are eff for their compact and lightweight designs . At just 1.42 x 2.26 in / 36 x 57.5 millimetre with a weight of 4.06 oz / 115 GB , you ’ll hardly notice it tie to a camera ; and for MFT cameras with a adhesive friction , it scarcely protrudes any further than the grip , making the overall camera and lens package incredibly compact .
Build timber is fantabulous and the metallic element pattern provides an unmistakably quality face and feel . This stocky lens is made up of nine elements in seven group , which include three aspherical lenses , while the aperture constitute seven diaphragm blade . These work well to produce impressive image caliber for such a little lens and the fast f/1.7 utmost aperture open up creative opening when shooting multiple issue .
Moving back to the outside of the lens , the overall design is fairly simple-minded with just a few significant controls . This is a lense that ’s design for both photography and video , so there ’s a manual aperture annulus that can be used manually or arrange to A for camera control of the aperture .
The 15mm f/1.7 is basic but has all the features you need in a prime lens.
Then there ’s a tranquil manual stress ring with a well-off amount of resistor and a manual / autofocus switch on the side . large prime lenses often boast more controls , but for a lens of such small-scale size what ’s usable is perfect .
Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH: Functionality
Most prime lenses do n’t include Image Stabilization because the degraded level best aperture let in more igniter than the maximum aperture of a zoom lens of the eye . This is no problem for the 15 millimetre for three reason : Image Stabilization would increase size and weight , it would increase monetary value , and most Panasonic Lumix cameras have in - dead body Image Stabilization which can be used with any lens .
quality lens are , most often , fairly canonic in terms of feature although , some more expensive , larger prime quantity often have extra features . The 15 mm f/1.7 only declare oneself the manual aperture ring , focus switch and the manual focus hoop — which is ultimately all that you need for unruffled and successful performance .
The manual aperture hoop covers all apertures from f/1.7 to f/16 , including increment , and provides a more tactual approach to exposure if involve . The minimum focussing distance is just 7.92 in / 20 cm , which means that you could take even smaller study , including fungus , fairly close up .
Autofocus is immobile and silent , which works with the fact that the lense is designed for both photography and video , although most videographers typically habituate manual nidus most often . This is a camera feature article , but by nonpayment when manually focusing , the viewfinder and LCD preview screen show a zoomed - in area that can be moved and zoomed further to add precision to manual focussing .
Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH: Performance
Image lineament is excellent overall , with the best performance between f/2.8 and f/4 . f/1.7 is n’t as sharp , but overall results at this aperture ca n’t be faulted and make it a nifty lens for capturing the night sky , thanks to especially impressive cardinal keenness when bourgeon at the maximum aperture .
Shooting wide open also allows for sanely scurvy ISO options to be used when capturing the Nox sky . For example , when shooting the aurora borealis only ISO 800 was required , and shooting night scenes under the light of a full moon only require ISO 400 .
What ’s more , since Micro Four Thirds scheme cameras produce a larger profoundness of field than data formatting with magnanimous sensing element , when you shoot at f/1.7 you may catch both a precipitous foreground and stars when capturing the dark sky . This , of course , calculate on the length of the foreground interest from the camera and requires exact focusing , but raciness throughout is possible in many situations .
Aperture f/1.7, shutter speed 13 secs, ISO 800. Shot with the 15mm f/1.7 lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod.(Image credit: James Abbott)
Corner sharpness bit by bit ameliorate as you quit down from f/1.7 to f/4 where overall image sharpness is at its greatest — the sweet spot of the electron lens — while stopping down further reintroduces a exit of sharpness as diffraction comes into play . Ideally , with this lens and photographic camera system , you would n’t want to stop down further than f/5.6 , and this aperture does produce a large depth of field due to the little sensor size .
Should you buy the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH?
If you ’re shooting with a Panasonic Lumix G - serial or OM System Micro Four Thirds camera and require a degraded prime with a 30 millimeter equivalent focal length and f/1.7 maximum aperture , this is a capital option .
trope quality is great overall but it ’s not stark , although the ocular aberration can be well and successfully corrected in software such as Adobe Lightroom .
The compact , lightweight innovation , alongside all of the subject it can be used to catch , makes this genus Lens a great addition to your kit grip . You ’ll only need to consider a different prime lense if you require a flush with a shorter or longer focal length .
Aperture f/1.7, shutter speed 13secs, ISO 400. Shot with the 15mm f/1.7 lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod.(Image credit: James Abbott)
If the Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH isn’t for you
The profligate choice lens that ’s best for you and your picture taking will most often come down to cost , focal distance and maximum aperture . So , if the Panasonic 15 mm f/1.7 Leica Summilux DG ASPH is n’t for you , here are three alternative to befit all budget .
The Panasonic 12 millimeter f1.4 ASPH LEICA DG Summilux has an ultra - fast f/1.4 upper limit aperture and 24 mm tantamount focal duration , making it hone for landscape painting and astrophotography .
More budget - orient alternative admit the Panasonic 25 mm f/1.4 II Leica DG Summilux ASPH , with a 50 millimeter equivalent focal length , and the Panasonic 9 millimeter f/1.7 Leica DG Summilux ASPH , with an imposingly full 18 mm equivalent focal length .
Aperture f/1.7, shutter speed 1/250sec, ISO 100. Shot with the 15mm f/1.7 lens on a Three Legged Thing PUNKS Brian 2.0 tripod.(Image credit: James Abbott)
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Aperture f/4, shutter speed 1/60sec, ISO 100. Shot with the 15mm f/1.7 lens handheld.(Image credit: James Abbott)
Aperture f/5.6, shutter speed 1/40sec, ISO 400. Shot with the 15mm f/1.7 lens handheld.(Image credit: James Abbott)
