Sharpness comparison, PL45 vs ZD50

At the moment, there are two medium long prime lenses that can be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera: The Panasonic Leica DG 45mm f/2.8 1:1 macro lens (PL45) and the Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2 1:2 macro lens (ZD50).

They are somewhat different. As you can see from the specifications, the PL45 has a better close focusing distance, hence, is more suitable as a macro lens. The ZD50, on the other hand, has a larger maximum aperture. For that reason, it could be better to use as a portrait lens.

The lenses are compared below. As you can clearly see, the PL45, to the left, is the smallest lens. The ZD50 requires an adapter for use on a Micro Four Thirds lens.

But what about their performance? Quite obviously, the PL45 is much better in terms of autofocus speed. The ZD50 could not autofocus at all with the first generation of Panasonic G series cameras, and with newer cameras like the GH2, the focus speed is barely usable at all.

I have compared the bokeh of the two lenses. In my experience, the bokeh of the PL45 is more smooth. The ZD50 has somewhat sharper edges around the out of focus rendering of highlights.

Also, I've tried to compare their sharpness. My study, which focused most on closeup focus distances, is probably not the best. But I believe it shows that the sharpness of the PL45 is a bit better. But there is certainly room for interpretation of the results.

It is also a well known fact that the ZD50 has some Chromatic Aberration artifacts. I have explored that here.

I have also compared the PL45 with the Nikon Z 105mm f/2.8 for the Nikon Z system. It very apparent in this review that the Nikon lens is way better. Sharpness comparison

I've tried to do a second test of their sharpness. This time, I focused on a distant object. I put the camera, the Panasonic GH2 on a tripod, used the lowest sensitivity available, ISO 160, turned off image stabilization, and used a two second shutter delay to avoid camera shake.

Here are the full images, taken with maximum aperture with both lenses. The images have been rescaled and sharpened:

PL45, f/2.8	ZD50, f/2

To better compare the sharpness, I have cut out 100% crops from both images at similar apertures.

Here are 100% crops from the centre of the image frame. Click on the image for a larger view:

And these crops are from the lower left corner of the image:

And from the upper right corner:

Conclusion

First of all, we see again that the Olympus 50mm f/2 lens has more chromatic aberration artifacts. The artifacts persist until stopping down to f/5.6. This is three stops smaller than the maximum aperture.

You can see the artifacts as purple fringing around high contrast areas, e.g., around the scaffolding when there is a bright sky in the background.

The CA artifacts only appear when having a large contrast in the image. In a portrait photo, you're not very likely to experience high contrasts, and hence this is not likely to be a big problem.

Vignetting does not appear to be a problem with the ZD50. However, keep in mind that at f/2.8, it is already stopped down one stop from the maximum aperture. The PL45 gives some vignetting at f/2.8. We see this in the corner crops: They are darker at f/2.8 than f/4 and f/5.6.

When it comes to the general sharpness and contrast, I think that the 100% views show the PL45 to be slightly better. I think that the PL45 shows the most pleasing results. But both are certainly very capable. Unless you are going to print the images to very large sizes, I cannot see that any of the two lenses will displease you.

Some users of the Micro Four Thirds system are still waiting for the portrait prime lens. They could be unhappy with the Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 macro, since it does not have the sufficiently large aperture they expect.

According to the Olympus lens roadmap, they are going to release a 50mm macro lens for the m4/3 format soon. If it has a maximum aperture of f/2, like the Four Thirds counterpart, then it may perform better as a portrait lens than the PL45.

Rumors also say that Olympus will release a non-macro lens with a focal length of 40-50mm, and a maximum aperture larger than f/2. This has later been specified as an Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens. If so, this will be an even better candidate for the portrait prime. We shall see quite soon, as these lenses are announced.

Index of lens related articles

Here is an index of lens related articles on this blog, sorted by lens:

Panasonic Lumix X 12-35mm f/2.8



Review

Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro



Review

A study of the bokeh at various apertures

Bokeh comparison with Lumix G HD 14-140mm and Lumix G 45-200mm, all at 45mm

Bokeh comparison with the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2 1:2 Macro

A study of the diffraction effects when using smaller apertures

A verification that the enlargement is actually 1:1

Example use of the touch screen AF with Panasonic GH2

A sharpness comparison with the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2 1:2 Macro at a long focus distance

A very simple sharpness comparison with the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2 1:2 Macro at a close focus distance

Autofocus speed

Olymus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8



Review

Optical performance comparison with the Panasonic Leica 45mm f/2.8 macro

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 Pancake



Review

Autofocus speed comparison

Using a third party screw in 46mm metal hood, Leica Summicron type

Using a 46mm to 37mm step down ring as an alternative, low profile hood

An example video capture with the Panasonic Lumix GH1

Bokeh comparison with the Lumix G HD 14-140mm

Using the Lumix 20mm as a portrait lens

Distortion correction

Compared with the Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 pancake lens

A comparison with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens on an APS-C camera. This is a lens that, in my opinion, does more or less the same job, and has around the same price point.

Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Pancake



Review

Compared with the Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens

Comparison with the Lumix G 14-42mm and Lumix G HD 14-140mm zoom lenses at 14mm focal length

Autofocus speed comparison

Distortion correction

Measuring the field of view

Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6



Review

Sharpness comparison with the Lumix G 45-200mm and the Lumix G HD 14-140mm

Lumix G 45-200mm f/4-5.6



Review

Bokeh comparison with Lumix G HD 14-140mm and Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro, all at 45mm

A bokeh comparison with the Nikkor 200mm f/4 AIS, not conclusive

Autofocus speed comparison

A look at the relation between the focus distance and field of view

An example video capture

Lumix G X PZ 45-175mm f/4-5.6



Review

Sharpness comparison with Lumix G 45-200mm

Lumix G HD 14-140mm f/4-5.8



Review

Autofocus speed comparison

Bokeh comparison with Lumix G 45-200mm and Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro, all at 45mm

Bokeh comparison with the Lumix 20mm f/1.7, both at 20mm

Example use of the touch screen AF using Panasonic GH2

Lumix G 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye



Review

Autofocus speed

Using the fisheye lens as a macro lens

Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN



Autofocus speed comparison with the Lumix G 20mm f/1.7.

Sharpness comparison with the Lumix G 20mm f/1.7.

Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN



Review

Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye



Review

Field of view comparison with the Lumix G 7-14mm f/4 wide angle zoom

Projection comparison with the Lumix G 8mm f/3.5 fisheye lens

Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2 1:2 Macro (Four Thirds lens)



Review

Manual focus with the Panasonic Lumix GH1

Bokeh comparison with the Panasonic Leica Lumix 45mm f/2.8 Macro

A simple sharpness comparison with the Panasonic Leica Lumix 45mm f/2.8 Macro

Using a cheap and simple macro soft box

Lumix G 7-14mm f/4 wide angle zoom lens



Short review

Field of view comparison with the Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye lens

Sharpness comparison, PL45 and ZD50

It's easy to find a lot of opinions about the Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro lens and the Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm 1:2 Macro lens. Generally, I have seen people saying that the 45mm is less sharp, but has better bokeh.


I have already compared the bokeh of the lenses, and while they are both completely adequate, is is probably true that the Leica Lumix 45mm has more smooth bokeh.

So I decided to compare the sharpness as well. For this study, I took a picture of a woolen scarf with some texture using both lenses. Here are the whole pictures, scaled down and sharpened a bit. Click for larger images.

PL45mm, f/2.8	ZD50mm, f/2.8
PL45mm, f/5.6	ZD50mm, f/5.6

I focused on the centre of the image. This was done manually for both lenses.

These images are not very well suited for judging the sharpness, though. We need to study some closeups of parts of the image. Here is the centre of the images, shown in 100% view, meaning that each pixel off the sensor becomes one pixel on the image. These images were not sharpened. Click for larger images.

f/2.8

f/5.6

Comparing the f/2.8 images might pose some problems. The lenses could be focused slightly differently. With the narrow depth of field at this aperture setting, this could lead to areas being out of focus in different ways. However, looking at the areas that are in focus, I think we can see that the contrast is a bit higher in the Panasonic Lumix 45mm image.

For the f/5.6 image, all of the cropped images should pretty much be in focus, with the wider depth of field. Again, I think it looks like the sharpness and contrast is a bit higher in the Panasonic Lumix 45mm image. But people might judge these images subjectively in different ways.

Conclusion

I think it looks like the Panasonic Lumix 45mm macro is slightly more sharp in this example. We should keep in mind that the Panasonic Lumix 45mm is more of a dedicated macro lens than the Olympus 50mm. After all, the PL45 has got higher maximum magnification. Also the Olympus 50mm has got a larger aperture, suggesting that it is intended to be used as a portrait lens as well. Hence, it could be that the Olympus 50mm is optimized for focus somewhat further away than the Panasonic Lumix 45mm is.

It should be noted, however, that in this example, both lenses are producing images that are sharp enough for most conceivable uses. Judging their relative sharpness in this case is very close to nitpicking.

In addition to this test, I have also studied the sharpness of the lenses at a longer focus distance.

Bokeh comparison, ZD50 and PL45

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2 macro and the Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 macro lenses are somewhat similar. The 50mm is a Four Thirds lens, and requires an adapter to be used on Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras. The Lumix Leica 45mm, on the other hand is a native MFT lens.

The Olympus 50mm is not optimized for Contrast Detection Autofocus (CDAF), and will autofocus slowly on MFT cameras, and not at all on the first series of Panasonic MFT cameras (G1, GH1, GF1). The Olympus has an edge when it comes to maximum aperture, one full stop faster than the Lumix Leica. On the other hand, the Lumix Leica has optical image stabilization built in.

Both lenses are useful both for macro photography and portrait photography.

This study looks into the bokeh (out of focus rendering) for a typical portrait setup. In the comparison, the subject, which is not a face in this case, is about one meter away from the camera. This corresponds to a headshot distance. The background foliage is about five meters from the camera. When taking a portrait under these conditions, it is important that the background is nicely blurred, and does not stand out to distract from the main subject.

I have previously compared the bokeh of the 45mm f/2.8 macro with two zoom lenses at 45mm, and looked at the bokeh for the 45mm f/2.8 macro at various apertures.

Here is the full image, taken at maximum aperture with both lenses. The images were taken within less than five minutes, so the lightning is mostly similar. I used a tripod, and ISO 100 in all the images. I used the P exposure mode, and auto white balance. The camera used was Panasonic Lumix GH1.

For both lenses I focused manually using the maximum enlargement. The images were rescaled and sharpened. Click on the image to view it larger.

Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8

Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2

What's more interesting in terms of bokeh, though, is to compare 100% views of various regions at the same aperture.

Here is the centre at f/2.8 (click to enlarge):

The centre at f/4 (click to enlarge):

The centre at f/5.6 (click to enlarge):

Here's also 100% crops from the lower left corner. Since the field of view is not exactly the same for the two lenses, the crop might not be from exactly the same area.

The corner at f/2.8 (click to enlarge):
The corner at f/4 (click to enlarge):
The corner at f/5.6 (click to enlarge):
Conclusion

Honestly, I was expecting the Olympus 50mm lens to perform best in terms of bokeh. This study, however, shows that the bokeh is somewhat smoother with the Lumix Leica 45mm. The highlight circles have harder edges with the Olympus 50mm.

Both lenses are certainly very capable, though.

Manual focus with Lumix GH1

Here is a video that illustrates how manual focusing is done with the Panasonic Lumix GH1 camera. The Olympus 50mm f/2 macro lens is attached to the camera through the Panasonic DMW-MA1 adapter. The adapter is needed since the lens is a Four Thirds standard lens. No autofocus is possible with this combination.



When powering on the camera, it prompts you to switch to manual focus mode. This is not needed. You can leave the camera in autofocus mode, however, no autofocus is possible, of course.

Turning the focus dial will enable the zoomed view. What you see now is a 5x magnification of the centre of the image.

Tapping the shutter release gently brings up the normal full view again.

In the magnified focus assist view, you can use the front dial to switch between 5x and 10x magnification. You can also use the arrow buttons to move the magnified area around, in case you do not want to focus on the centre of the frame.

When you power down the camera, the lens will retract to infinity focus.

It would have been good to have a dedicated button to alter between the magnified focus assist view, and the normal view. While you can bring up the normal view by tapping the shutter release, turning the focus dial, which you may not always want to do. You could also use the focus area button on the rear, and then press OK, which brings up the zoomed view.

Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm 1:2 Macro

This is an unusual lens. Not only is it a macro lens capable of photographing subjects as small as 2x the sensor size (hence the 1:2 designation), but it is also a fast short tele suitable for portraits, with a maximum aperture of f/2. The focal length is 50mm, however, with the 2x crop factor associated with Four Thirds, it will have the same field of view as a 100mm lens on a traditional 35mm camera.

Since this is a Four Thirds standard lens, it cannot be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera without an adapter. It is shown here with the Panasonic DMW-MA1 adapter attached. The Olympus MMF1/MMF2 adapter would have done the same job, as it is functionally the same, albeit usually somewhat more expensive at retail.

Focus

Unfortunately, you cannot use autofocus with this lens together with the first series of Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera bodies (G1, GH1, GF1). The Olympus cameras, and newer Panasonic cameras, on the other hand, can do autofocus with this lens, albeit operating at a slow speed. Here is a demonstration of the autofocus using Panasonic GH2, which takes five seconds to focus down to 45 cm distance:



Here is a demonstration of manual focusing with this lens on a Panasonic Lumix GH1.

Some Four Thirds lenses can autofocus on Panasonic Micro Four Thirds bodies.

The closest focus distance is 0.23 m. Be aware, though, that the focus distance is measured from the focal plane (the sensor), and so the distance between the front lens and the subject at closest focus is about 0.1 m.

The lens is also special in that it is one of the few Four Thirds lenses that feature a focus scale.

Size

Compared with the Lumix G 20mm pancake lens, the Olympus 50mm macro, including adapter and hood, is enormous. However, it is of course more natural to compare it with other 100mm equivalent macro lenses, in which case it is remarkably compact.



It is somewhat smaller than the Lumix G HD 14-140mm kit lens.

Macro lens

Most macro lenses have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or slower, e.g., Sigma 105mm f/2.8 and Tamron 90mm f/2.8, both in the same focal length range. Hence, a f/2 macro lens is unusual, and some might say this speed is not needed. You would rarely photograph small subjects with such a large aperture, since the depth of field (DOF) becomes very narrow. Unless the subject is more or less flat, only a small part of it will be in focus at f/2. Stopping down to at least f/5.6 may be needed to have a sensible depth of field at close focus.

Here is a series of photos that illustrate the depth of field at 25cm distance, and various aperture sizes. The focus is set to the centre face. The distance in the axis of the lens between the three heads is one LEGO unit, or 8mm, if your not familiar with this measure. You must stop down to f/16 to get a depth of field that covers this distance.









At such a small aperture as f/16, you are going to see some lack of sharpness at the pixel level due to diffraction. You may still choose a small aperture like this, however, if you need a wide depth of field, and can live with some dullness at pixel level. For web use, for example, where you will normally scale down the image, this should not be any problem.

In macro photography, it is uncommon to use autofocus, since you will need to fine tune the focus anyway to get the desired effect. So the lack of autofocus on Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras is not a problem for macro photography.

Bokeh

I've made a study of the bokeh of the lens. My conclusion is that the bokeh is very pleasing, although the out of focus highlights have a somewhat hard edge. But in general, you're unlikely to be dissatisfied with the bokeh using this lens.

Portrait lens

When taking headshots, it is common to keep some distance to the subject. This is done to avoid perspective distortion. Taking a picture of someones face from a short distance will usually give unwanted distortions, e.g., showing an unnaturally large nose or a large chin. Traditionally, an 85mm lens has been used on a 35mm camera to be able to fill the head and shoulders of a person in a picture frame, and still keep enough distance to the person to avoid perspective distortion. The Olympus 50mm macro lens corresponds to 100mm focal length on a 35mm camera, and so it is useful for portraits.

A traditional portrait lens will be around 85mm f/1.4. The Olympus 50mm macro has one stop slower aperture at f/2, but it is still large enough to isolate the background when taking portraits.

In studio photography, the lack of autofocus is not likely to be a problem. If you're photographing people in a more dynamic environment, you may see the need for autofocus.

Other uses

You could also use this lens for concert photography, given that you're placed not too close to the stage, and the people on the stage are not moving around too much. If you've got something to rest the lens against, you may be able to use longer shutter speeds.

Sharpness

This lens is generally considered to be among the best in the Olympus Four Thirds lineup. It is remarkably sharp from f/2, but close it down a bit for even better sharpness. At f/5.6 it is probably around the sharpest.

Chromatic aberrations

I have made a study of the chromatic aberration (CA) artifacts of this lens, and some other prime lenses. It shows that there are quite some red/green fringing artifacts even in the centre of the image. You will note this if you photograph high contrast images.

Image stabilization

Using this lens with a Panasonic Micro Four Thirds camera, there is no image stabilization available at all. You'll normally want to use a fairly short shutter speed, e.g., 1/60 second or faster, to avoid camera shake affecting the image when handholding the camera.

Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras have image stabilization built into the bodies, which will work with this lens.

It is perfectly possible to use this lens when recording videos. However, you can only focus manually on Panasonic cameras. With the lack of image stabilization, and a pretty long focal length, it is more or less impossible to handhold the camera stably while recording movies. Using the electronic viewfinder and pressing the camera against your face may help you to stabilize it a bit. But using a tripod is preferred when filming with this lens.

Hood

The lens comes with a bayonet hood, to protect against stray light. I found the hood to be a tad bit long, making it difficult to fit the camera with lens and hood inside my small camera bag, so I chose to use a 52mm screw-in hood from B+W. The hood also protects the front lens element from objects touching it accidentally.



Example picture

Here is an example picture of a broken Leatherman tool taken at maximum magnification (closest focus distance), f/10, 1/5 s, ISO 100.



Other macro options

It is also possible to achieve macro close up photos by using macro extension rings.

Another, more expensive, option is to use the Panasonic Leica Lumix 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro lens, which is a native Micro Four Thirds lens.