Better focus with Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II

The original Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 was an affordable and basic long tele zoom lens, from the early days of Micro Four Thirds. It was generally considered a good value lens, albeit not optimally sharp in the long end, and with newer cameras, the continuous drive mode became slower in AF-C, due to a slow aperture mechanism.

Unexpectedly, since there is already the high end long tele zoom lens Leica 100-400mm, the 100-300mm lens has been upgraded to a Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II. The optical design, and, indeed, the lens body, is exactly the same, however, it gets a newer focus motor, aperture mechanism, and compatibility with newer IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization).

The lens is longer than most consumer tele zoom lenses, reaching a whopping 600mm (35mm equivalent) in the long end. For example, the Nikon Z 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 reaches 375mm in 35mm equivalents.

Lumix G 100-300mm Mk I (left) and Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II (right)

Also, it gains weather protection, with one consequence being the rubber gasket around the bayonet mount, seen to the right below:

Lumix G 100-300mm Mk I (left) and Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II (right)

I have put the lenses to the test, to see if there is any real reason to get the newer one.

Focus speed

First, the focus speed. This is a static test, with both lenses on the same camera (Lumix GX7), to see which focuses faster (Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II on the right hand side):

I triggered both cameras simultaneously using a Pixel RW-211 remote control. The video below shows the outcome of the test. First, I test them at 100mm f/4.5:

The focus delay is 0.57s for the Mk I version, and 0.55s using the Mk II version. This difference is barely worth noting, I would say they are equally fast in this test. It was done in somewhat dim indoor lightning.

In the second test at 100mm and 300mm, I test both lenses on a more modern Lumix GH5 camera:

At 100mm, the newer lens is clearly faster, with a focus delay of 0.20s (Mk II) vs 0.25s (Mk I).

At 300mm, though, I repeated the test twice with different lightning, and consistently got about about 30% slower focus with the Mk II version of the lens. This was an unexpected result. I could guess that the newer lens still has a less mature firmware, and that future firmware tweaks may improve this.

Real life use, birds in flight

One typical and challenging way to use a long tele lens, is to photograph birds in flight. This is demanding for the camera and lens, as you will typically leave the focus mode in AF-C, and trust that it gets you the bird in focus when you press the shutter fully to take the pictures.

I had the continuous drive mode enabled with the Lumix GH5 camera, and took the series of pictures under the same conditions.

I used 300mm, f/5.6, 1/640s. Note that when photographing birds in flight, you would normally use a somewhat faster shutter speed, typically around 1/1000s or more. Click for larger images:

Mk I version (focus is generally not good)	Mk II version (barring some motion blur, most are well in focus)

The first thing to note is that I get a faster framerate with the newer lens. This is due to the faster focus and aperture mechanisms. With the older lens, I'd say that the framerate drops to about half.

This is visible in the pictures above, in the sense that I get a longer stream of pictures to choose from with the newer lens. While this is certainly good, please note that the new lens still slows down the camera, meaning that the aperture mechanism of the newer lens is faster, but still not instantaneous.

As for the focus, the bird is much more consistently and accurately sharp with the newer lens. So with the same camera, and the same continuous focus mode, using the newer lens appears to nail the focus better. Again, this means a higher keeper rate.

Even if I was able to photograph birds in flight (BIF) using this combo, I'd say this is still a lot easier to achieve using a traditional DSLR system, at the same price point. So while the Lumix GH5 has taken continuous autofocus to a new level, it is still not nearly as good as a similarly priced DSLR camera, e.g., the Nikon D500.

Here are two more series:

Mk I version (1/4 in focus)	Mk II version (3/4 in focus)

Image quality

About the image quality, I have taken the same pictures using the Lumix GH5 camera at 300mm, f/5.6 and f/7.1. The full picture looks like this:

Here are 100% crops from the centre:

And 100% crops from a corner area:

I think this shows a somewhat better optical performance with Lumix G 100-300mm Mk II.

I only tested the lens at maximum extension, 300mm, since this tends to be the most challenging position for the lens, and it is also the way many will use it: At least I tend to use the lens almost exclusively at 300mm.

Conclusion

The Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 II is a nice upgrade from the first version. It adds weather protection, and the zoom ring is stiffer, meaning less zoom creep.

When using continuous autofocus on a Lumix GH5, the newer lens gives you a higher framerate, and, in my experience, better focus performance. Both are quite important for sports, birds and wildlife, which I think are key uses for a lens like this.

So, should you upgrade from your Mk I lens? If you are serious about long tele lenses, perhaps you'd rather look into the premium Leica 100-400mm.

On the other hand, the Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 II does give a real performance improvement compared with the original, and it is still smaller and lighter than the Leica 100-400mm.

While I personally wouldn't trust the weather proofing enough to take the lens outside in rain, the lens is good to bring along while travelling, as it is more likely to survive the dust, sand, and moisture issues you might encounter.

Røde VideoMicro Review

The very first M4/3 camera, the Lumix G1 in 2008, did not have video capability. That was a strange omission, since the camera obviously had live view feed for the viewfinder, which could have been recorded to video.

However, all subsequent M4/3 cameras have been video capable, and video has been a very important feature in this market segment. And with video, the sound recording is also important.

The M4/3 cameras have onboard microphones, which are usually seen as a pair of small holes in the body, with the text "L" and "R" (left/right), "mic", or something similar. The problem with these in-camera microphones is that they are not directional, i.e., they pick up sound from all around the camera. That can be a problem in some cases.

One product which aims to provide better audio quality for system camera users is the Røde VideoMicro:

It comes with a small shotgun style directional microphone unit, a connector cable (3.5mm jack). There is also a shock absorbing mount for placing the microphone in the camera's flash shoe, as well as a furry wind shield:

When connected to the Lumix GH4, you'll see that the microphone is rather small:

The microphone itself has a body which is made from a ceramics coated metal material, which does seem very solid and well made. It has a high quality feel to it. The microphone unit is 80mm long (3.5 inches).

Generally, you'll need the wind shield when using the camera outdoors. Otherwise, wind noise will be a huge problem. Note that wind can still be a problem even when you do use the wind shield, if there is strong enough wind.

Many M4/3 cameras do have a microphone input socket which can be used. But not smaller cameras like the Lumix GM1/GM5, and not the Lumix GF7. Also, the Lumix GX7 did not have a microphone input socket.

You can also use the microphone on many Olympus cameras. A problem with a camera like the Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, though, is that a microphone jack will limit the articulation of the LCD display. As using an articulated LCD display is very useful for video recording, this is a strange and unfortunate design choice. Panasonic Lumix cameras are generally better designed for video use.

Sound comparison

I have compared the video quality of the in-camera microphones on the Lumix GX7 with the Røde VideoMicro mounted on a Lumix GH4 in the video below.



For simplicity, here are direct links to where specific sections of the video start:

• Camera microphone
• Røde VideoMicro microphone
• Camera microphone in heavy wind
• Røde VideoMicro microphone in heavy wind
• Side by side comparison: Røde VideoMicro in the left channel, and GX7 in the right channel. Use earphones to compare.

When using the Røde VideoMicro, the background noise becomes less of a problem, but is not completely removed. But this is as expected, since this was not a studio test, but rather busy city scenes.

I think the sound from the camera microphone is more "boxy": With the external microphone, you better hear the sound you want to pick up, and not so much the background noise.

Alternative products

The Røde VideoMicro is a small and relatively inexpensive microphone. What do you get if you buy a larger and more expensive microphone? Here is a quick comparison:

	Røde VideoMicro	Røde VideoMic Pro
Length	80mm	150mm
Weight	43g	85g
Battery required	No	Yes
Stereo	No (mono)	Yes

So a more "serious" microphone will require a battery inside the unit, while the Røde VideoMicro gets the little power it needs from the camera.

Also, note that the VideoMicro is a mono microphone: It will output a stereo signal, but with the same sound in the left and right channel. A more serious microphone of course gives a real stereo output.

On the positive side, the VideoMicro is small and easy to use for "run and gun" video style, and it does not scream "professional videographer", which can be useful.

Conclusion

The Røde VideoMicro is very quick and easy to use. It does improve upon the sound recording, especially when you have ambient noise that you want to avoid.

Fisheye lenses compared

I like fisheye lenses: They can cram an impressively wide field of view into the image frame, and create perspectives that you would not be able to see with the human eye. Another aspect of fisheye lenses is that they create a lot of barrel distortion (rounded images), which you can remove through a defish process, or retain in the final image.

Here is a collection of fisheye lenses for Micro Four Thirds and other systems:

From the left: Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 (my review), Lumix G 8mm f/3.5 (my review), Yasuhara Madoka 180 7.3mm f/4 (my review), Olympus 9mm f/8 (white) (my review), Lensbaby 5.8mm f/3.5 (the biggest) (my review)

There are basically two types of fisheye lenses: A circular fisheye lens renders a circle in the centre of the image frame, which usually extends to 180° all around. A full frame/diagonal fisheye, on the other hand, renders the full imaging sensors, and usually extends to 180° from corner to corner.

Lumix tele lenses compared

Panasonic makes an impressive number of tele zoom lenses. This is not a stupid choice, after all, the interchangeable system camera market relies on the consumer actually buying the extra lenses. So there needs to be some lenses to choose from. And a tele zoom lens is a popular aftermarket choice, probably the most popular together with a fast prime lens.

In this article, I will be comparing six of them:

Sigma 60mm long portrait lens

Both lenses used here are designed for a larger sensor than in the cameras pictured:

The Sigma 60mm f/2.8 DN used on the Olympus E-M5 II (left) is designed for mirrorless cameras with an APS-C sized sensor, e.g., Sony E, where it becomes equivalent to 90mm, a classic portrait lens. However, it also comes with a Micro Four Thirds mount, where it becomes a 120mm equivalent lens, i.e., a long portrait lens.

Can you make money off your photos with Foap?

There is a demand for pictures for use as illustrations, both online and in the real world. This market is capitalized upon by a number of marketplace services, aiming to be a middleman between the photographer and the publisher.

One such middleman is Foap. From the point of view of the photographer, Foap is an app, where you can upload your photos, and sell them for US$5.

Now, this doesn't sound like a lot, you may say, but let me add that this is the sum you get for a single use of the picture, you retain the copyright, and you can resell it a number of times.

The buyer pays US$10 for each image use, and Foap cashes in on the difference, that is their business idea.

So how does this work? Essentially, Foap tries to be two different things:

• A marketplace for selling your photos
  
• A community for photo interested people
  

Uploading a photo is much like on social media like Instagram: You will be asked to provide a name, an "story" behind the photo, and tags. Filling out this, especially the tags, is very important, as this is how the buyers find their pictures.

Lumix kit zoom lenses compared

Fans have been puzzled over the large number of kit zoom lenses released by Panasonic. Why reiterate this formula so many times, when the original Lumix G 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 was so good, many will ask.

The answer is probably three-fold: To cut costs, to make the lens smaller, and to improve the quality. Here are the lenses sold in kits after the original zoom lens:

In the front, I have the Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 and the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN, which I will use as reference lenses. After all there are plenty of those who think that a prime lens is always better than a zoom lens, and we shall see if it is true.

Lumix 14-140mm OIS jitter?

I really like the Lumix G 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 superzoom lens (click for my review). Compared with the older version of the lens, I find that it is better in every way: Smaller, lighter, cheaper, better image quality. So what is not to like?

There are some who say that the new version of the lens causes "micro jitters" when recording video handheld, which makes it impossible for use with video. As the lens is advertized for video use especially, this sounds like a very bad thing.

To test if there is merit to the claim, I have tried to put both lenses (the new and old version) on the same camera, Lumix GX7, and recorded video at 1080p, 50FPS. To avoid motion blur, which might hide the micro jitters, I set a fast shutter speed at 1/200s.

Both cameras were connected to a Desmond mini stereo bracket. The new version of the lens to the left.

Samyang 12mm f/2 review: Compact, inexpensive and well performing

Samyang is a third party manufacturer which tries to fill the gaps in system camera lineups with manual focus lenses. One common gap is affordable wide angle prime lenses, which they have filled with lenses like Rokinon 10mm f/2.8 and Rokinon 14mm f/2.8. What these lenses have in common, though, is that they are quite large, and relatively slow.

Now, a new lens has popped up, the Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2, which is fast, and quite compact in size:

From left: Samyang/Rokinon 12mm f/2, Lumix X 12-35mm f/2.8 (my review) and Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 (my review) set to 12mm.

Lensbaby 5.8mm f/3.5 circular fisheye

There is a new, expotic, and reasonanbly priced lens available, the Lensbaby 5.8mm f/3.5 circular fisheye. It was announced in April for DSLR mounts like Nikon F and Canon EF. In November, it was further announced in Micro Four Thirds mount and Sony E mount.

So, should you buy this lens, and if so, in what mount? That's what I will be trying to answer in this article.

To help the review of the lens, I will be comparing it with a similar lens for Sony E mount, the Yasuhara Madoka 180 7.3mm f/4 (my review). Both lenses are shown below:

Left: Yasuhara Madoka 180 7.3mm f/4 circular fisheye lens. On the right, is the Lensbaby 5.8mm f/3.5 with an adapter for Sony E-mount.

Old bag, new bag

Camera bags are very personal things. A bag that works well for me, might be totally wrong for someone else.

For the last seven years, I have used the Tamrac Velocity 6x sling bag. I have used it extensively, so much that I needed to replace it with a new bag. And what better bag to buy than exactly the same model? Here they are, the new to the left, and the old to the right:

Normal lens shootout

Some decades ago, when film SLR cameras became popular, the 50mm lens was abundant. Due to the long register distance of SLR cameras, the 50mm lens was the shortest which could be designed cheaply with a large aperture, which is why it became so popular. It became the standard lens people bought with an SLR camera, the normal lens.

Nowadays, the kit zoom lens has become the normal lens, but the field of view corresponding to a traditional 50mm lens is still popular. So most manufacturers release a fast "normal lens" when they invest into a new lens mount. In this article, I will compare two normal lenses for two different systems, the Nikon 18.5mm f/1.8 for Nikon 1, and the Leica 25mm f/1.4 for Micro Four Thirds:

Lens	Nikon 18.5mm f/1.8	Leica 25mm f/1.4
Announced	Sep 13th, 2012	Jun 13th, 2011
System crop factor	2.7	2
Equivalent focal length	50mm	50mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.8	f/1.4
Equivalent max aperture, in terms of DoF	f/4.8	f/2.8
Weight	70g	200g
Diameter	56mm	63mm
Length	36mm	55mm
Filter thread	40.5mm	46mm
Minimum focus	0.20m	0.30m
Lens elements/groups	8/6	9/7
Hood included	No, HB-N104	Yes
Focus ring	No	Yes

Both correspond to 50mm field of view on a 135 film camera, and both are quite fast, with large maximum apertures:

Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8: Expensive, but fantastic

The long f/2.8 zoom is a standard part in a pro photographer's lineup. Back in the time of the film SLRs, these lenses were typically around 70-200mm f/2.8. With the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds format, the corresponding focal length range becomes 35-100mm, and Panasonic have conformed to the tradition here.

Here is the Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8 (left) seen together with the Pentax version of the same lens type, the Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 (right):

As you can see, the Lumix lens is much smaller, due to the larger crop factor of the Four Thirds sensor, compared with the APS-C sensor size the Pentax lens is designed for. The Lumix lens is also remarkably light for a lens of this type.

Lumix 100-300mm vs Nikon 70-300mm

When Nikon launched their Nikon 1 mirrorless format, it was hard to understand why anyone should buy into it. The cameras were pricey, relatively large for a 1'' sensor, and did not have a good ergonomics.

With the launch of the Nikon 1 CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, I think the format finally makes sense. This is the only 800mm equivalent lens which is truly portable and which can be handheld. It is a very good birders lens.

In my review of the Nikon 1 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, I was testing it with the Nikon 1 J1 camera, with a 10MP sensor. Since this time, I have acquired the Nikon 1 V3, which is a more suitable camera for a long lens, with the extra hand grip, and the EVF. The V3 also has 80% higher resolution, at 18MP.

With the V3 camera, I have re-run the sharpness tests. For the rest of the lens review, see my previous article.

I'm not sure if the image quality is better with the 18MP sensor in the Nikon 1 V3 camera. But the resolution is higher, which should make it better for an evaluation of the sharpness.

For a point of reference, I have compared the images from the 70-300mm lens with the Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6 on the Lumix GH4.

Both cameras with lenses are pictured below:

As you can see, the Nikon system is much smaller, and should be easier to bring along for trekking.

Lumix GH4 Review

The big news from Panasonic this year is the Lumix GH4. There is a tradition that the version number four is dropped when incrementing a camera model name. For example, there was never a Lumix G4 or GF4. The reason for this is that the word for "four" rhymes with the word for "death" or "disease" in some Asian languages.

However, there are two reasons why Panasonic still used the model name "GH4": One is that professional cameras often still carry the number four. We have the professional Nikon D4, for example. The manufacturer probably reasons that the users of a professional camera is less likely to be superstitious.

The other reason is that the main new feature of the GH4 is 4K video. So it makes good sense to use the model name GH4.

From the outside, the GH4 looks very much like the predecessor GH3:

The body is molded slightly differently over the flash, but other than that, the shape of the camera bodies is pretty much identical. The button layout is also the same. However, there are some small, but important differences.

Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 review: Small and brilliant!

The most remade lenses within Micro Four Thirds are the kit zoom lenses. Panasonic now have five kit zoom lenses, and so do Olympus, and this is not even counting the colour variations. While this has upset some fans - why don't they spend the effort designing high end lenses? - this makes perfect sense.

Most people who buy a Micro Four Thirds camera, get one with a kit lens supplied. Hence, the production volume of these lenses is big, and constantly improving them is a good idea. Also, to sell camera kits, they need to follow the trends. For example, the Lumix G 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 did not match the current trends, with a matte plastic exterior. The market now wants shiny metal-like materials on consumer electronic products, and in comes the Lumix G 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II.

And the newest Lumix kit zoom lens is all about following trends. It is like the existing Lumix X PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 in the sense that it is a collapsible pancake lens. However, the new Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 also keeps in line with market trends by having a smooth aluminium body, with a simple shape. Both lenses are seen below:

Comparison @ 60mm

These are two of the most highly regarded lenses in the Micro Four Thirds lineup: The Sigma 60mm f/2.8 DN (left) and Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8 (right):

The Sigma 60mm f/2.8 DN is a quite recent lens in their "Art line". Corresponding to a field of view of 120mm on a traditional film camera, it is a fairly long lens, slightly longer than the typical portrait lens. People often use it to take portraits, and for images of people from about 2-4 meter distance.

Comparison @ 12mm

The launch of the Lumix GM1 compact M4/3 camera also brought the collapsible wide zoom lens, the Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Mega O.I.S. It is seen below to the left in the extended position, together with the Lumix X 12-35mm f/2.8 and Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6 (Four Thirds lens with adapter):

 

The Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 is designed with a form factor to fit the new Lumix GM1 compact camera. It has a clean, smooth look, and is one of the few lenses which is small enough to go flush with the very low GM1 camera body.

Lumix Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 Review Part 2

In the first instalment of my review, I talked about the basic stuff, like the focus speed, sharpness and bokeh. Here, I take a closer look at other aspects of the lens.

Focus breathing

The Leica 25mm f/1.4 features internal focusing, like most other autofocus Micro Four Thirds lenses. This makes the focus fast and virtually noiseless. However, there is a downside: The field of view changes as the focus is shifted. This gives rise to the focus breathing problem: As the focus moves, objects in the frame appear to change size, to be breathing.

Lumix Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 Review Part 1

Back in the 1960's, when SLR cameras started to become available to the general public, one could essentially only buy prime (non-zoom) lenses. The cheapest lenses were the ones which were short, but still long enough, in terms of focal length, to be constructed without a complicated retrofocal design.

The cameras generally had a register distance of around 45mm, which means that any lens shorter than this will be more expensive to make. Hence, a popular segment became lenses around 50mm. These could be made fast, i.e., with a large maximum aperture, fairly inexpensively. For this reason, many bought their camera with a 50mm lens lens, which became known as the normal lens. It was the kit lens half a decade ago.

Wide angle lenses would require a retrofocal design, which was expensive. And longer lenses would require larger lens elements, again keeping the price high. So the 50mm lens was the most common (normal) lens to use on SLR cameras, simply because it was inexpensive.

At that time, to have a zoom lens which covers a range of focal lengths would be an unbelievable luxury. Today, it is the other way around. It is the zoom lens which has become the normal lens, the lens people buy in kits with their camera. While the 50mm (equivalent) prime lens has become the luxury item.

That is the case with Panasonic Lumix G Micro 4/3 LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm f/1.4 Leica Aspherical Lens. With the 2x crop factor of the Four Thirds sensor size, this lens corresponds to 50mm on a traditional film SLR camera, in terms of field of view. It has been co-branded with Leica, to underline the luxury, premium value of the lens.



Lumix 20mm f/1.7, Lumix Leica 25mm f/1.4, and Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN