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For Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 Aspherical (H-X025E), 45 customer reviews collected from 2 e-commerce sites, and the average score is 4.6.

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21.6.2012

Note that I also have the Panasonic 20mm and the Nokton 25mm so I'll mention some of their differences.It's pretty exciting to get hold of the first f/1.4 lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Thankfully, the Leica brand didn't add a whole lot more to the price tag, although I still think it's a bit pricey.This lens is like the big brother of the 20mm. It's twice the weight at 200g, and almost twice the height. The construction quality is good, mainly plastic, except for the metal mount. It has a 46mm filter thread - yeah, I can use my 2-stop ND filter from my 20mm lens.The focusing ring is nicely damp and turns smoothly.It comes with a carrying pouch and a relatively large plastic rectangular lens hood.You know that 46mm vented lens hood people are using for the 20mm lens? I'm actually using that instead, very little light fall-off and it's much smaller.Auto-focus is silent and quick. However, auto-focus during movie mode isn't that fast but it's not just this lens. Manual focus is focus-by-wire and it's a pleasure to focus with the responsive focus ring.The sharpness varies at different apertures. At f/1.4, the corners are slightly blur, centre sharpness is still alright. f/2.8 is tack sharp at centre, with the subjects at corners nearly in focus. The lens is tack sharp at f/4. I use it often at f/1.4 and the images are perfectly alright, provided you don't pixel-peep.The depth of field is wonderful. Bokeh is creamy. This lens has a shallower depth of field than the 20mm lens. Even if the subject is near to the background, it can still blur the background effectively (more than the 20mm lens). There's a 3D feel to the photos that are shot this way, together with the background blur is very pleasing. Shooting at f/1.4 during the day would require a ND filter (highly recommended).At f/1.4, chromatic aberration is barely noticeable, vignetting is slight.The minor downside is probably the minimum focus distance of 30cm, compared to the 20mm lens' 20cm or the Nokton's 17cm.Shooting with this lens under low light conditions is, of course, a pleasure. I'm using this outdoors primarily. For indoor shots with intention of capturing interiors, for me, it's 35mm and wider. After using the lens, it made me realise that my preferred focal length is actually 24-35mm.This lens is pricey. The image quality it delivers is great, thankfully. So it's still good value for money.------------------------------------------------------------- vs Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Pancake Lens for Micro 4/3 Mount -Should you get this lens if you already have the 20mm lens?f/1.4 vs f1/7 is about two thirds stop of a difference. That's minor difference but sometimes matters.The 20mm is smaller and lighter. The 20mm is wider and more flexible in the sense that you can get the 25mm field of view by just cropping (unless you follow the code of thou-shall-not-crop).Sure the 25mm lens is sharper, but you can't say that 20mm is far off. The main advantage, at least to me, is the 25mm lens' shallow depth of field, which is the main reason why I bought this.------------------------------------------------------------- vs Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95 Nokton Manual Focus Lens for Micro 4/3 Mount -The Nokton lens is two times heavier, 410g vs 200g. It's also longer, 70mm vs 54.5mm. The build is excellent and looking through all that glass can be mesmerizing (intangible).The Nokton is a manual focus lens which takes some time getting use to it. Auto-focus is more convenient I must say, seeing that I'm already spoiled by auto-focus.The aperture ring on this big guy which means you can change your aperture while shooting videos. Manual focus is useful for shooting videos. Using manual focus is generally faster (for video) and you can always be sure you're focusing on the right subject - there's not going to be any auto-focus hunting. Big advantage if you require that change of depth of field from shallow to deep.For bokeh, both are quite evenly matched.The Nokton has a 1 stop advantage which can mean the difference of getting or not getting a shot during low light. However, shooting at f/0.95 comes at a cost of a slightly hazy image (some prefer to call it a glow).I typically use the Nokton at f/1.4. Centre sharpness improves dramatically when stopped here. At deep focus, the corners aren't particularly sharp. This lens just isn't as good at corners. But for my purposes, which involves posting photos to the web, it's not a big issue. If you're printing, then, yes, you should check out more sample images.
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15.10.2012

This is the nearest thing to having an autofocus Leica lens on your Panasonic G or Olympus micro four thirds camera. At twice the weight and price of the legendary Panasonic 20mm 1.7 lens, this is a serious investment and feels like it, being obviously well put together when you hold it in your hand. At 50mm equivalent field of view (to 35mm systems) this is the so-called "standard" lens, producing a field of view that is thought to feel very natural. I like it better than the 20mm, because with that lens the 40mm equivalent field of view can seem a bit odd - neither tele nor zoom, and not standard either. The 20mm also distorts faces if you shoot close-in portraits,which is often not flattering.This lens give you f1.4, meaning the ability to get shallow depth of field, nice bokeh, and shoot in low light without cranking up the ISO excessively. At f1.4 the centre is pretty sharp, with the edges being soft. From f2.8 everything is pretty damn sharp. MTF lab tests on camera and lens review web sites show that on paper, this lens is not as sharp at the centre as the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens, but in practice shots from this lens often seem better to the eye - I believe it is because there is something of that Leica look about them - to do with colour rendition of the lens coatings and contrast. I know this is not a 'true Leica' lens made in Germany by Leica A.G. but it does have a Leica quality to the contrast and bokeh.Is this THE micro four thirds portrait lens? Well, I'm not sure. Olympus have two fantastic lenses that excel at portraits - their very reasonably priced 45mm for micro four thirds and their stellar 75mm, but the latter is expensive. I have the Oly 45mm (see my review on this web site) - it's a lovely lens and I use it a lot for portraits - it gives you a bit more opportunity to get that DSLR-like shallow depth of field since it is a longer focal length. The Oly is sharper than this 25mm lens at the centre in my experience, but it does not have the lovely Leica-like colour or contrast of this 25mm lens.Note for Olympus users - some report "rattlesnaking" when using this lens on the OM-D and some E-P series cameras - this is where the aperture seems to be constantly opening and closing making a continual clicking noise. My advice is that if you are an Oly user try out the lens and see if this happens on your camera and if it annoys you.Overall, if within budget this is a worthy addition to your m 4/3 system and could be seen as an (albeit more expensive) alternative to what was once thought of as the 'must buy' lens for this system - the Panasonic 20mm f1.7I am dropping one star for the price - I think £100 lower would be a fair price. I own a Sony DSLR system for example, and my Sony 50mm f1.4 lens cost me under £200 and yet is sharper than this Panasonic lens ! OK, the Panasonic has "Leica" branding, but it is not a true Leica made in Germany, and as such, could do with being a bit more reasonably priced.
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27.5.2014

I truly love this lens. I am saying this as a professional wedding journalist, street and travel photographer. I have been a full frame pro Canon users for the past 10 years and a pro Leica shooter for two years. I have brought into the M4/3 system just over two years ago when I got the OM-D. But since then, I was only shooting with the equally amazing M-Zuiko 12mm 1:2.0 lens. While that's a quality and sharp wide angle lens, I always wanted something more NORMAL.At time of purchase, there were only few choices for the M4/3. The Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 or this the Penny Leica 25mm. While Olympus already announced the new 25mm 1.8 prime but it wasn't available as yet.While I didn't mind the manual focus Voigtlander nor the price, I think the Penny Leica has struck gold and offering fast enough aperture and auto focus. Having own the M Zuiko 12mm, I know that the new 25mm from Olympus will be great but at 1.8 aperture, I wasn't too sure. I need at least 1.4 for my work.Why? As a wedding guy, I shoot a lot of low light stuff, like Churches, reception and often they are poorly lit. Indeed the OM-D or the Panasonic system are already great at high ISO but there's no comparison still after ISO 1600 when compare to full frame DSLRs. While 1.4 also allows a little bit of subject isolation (depending on your shooting distance between you and the subject of course). It acts more like a 2.8 from a full frame in terms of depth of field. But careful framing and getting to your subject a little closer will get you great result.But boy this lens is sharp and when shot wide open, the bokeh is smooth like butter. You will not regret this purchase indeed. But I do want to complaint about the lens hood, while it looks good and retro with the rectangular front, it's too big and couldn't reverse fit into the lens for travel. So I never use it. The lens is pretty good at resisting flare anyway so the hood seems a little pointless. But it does get you the 'pro' look if you wish.All in all, for the price, it's a great lens and given the 'Leica' designation helps the resell value, though never expect the Leica quality because it's made of plastic and can never compete with the true Leica Summilux 50 ASPH, which I also own. But for OM-D or any M4/3 system, it's a must if you love fast standard prime with auto focus.I have written a full review on this lens on my blog at [...]Cheers!Jimmy
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21.5.2012

This lens is optically very good. However there are two points not usually mentioned in published reviews. Firstly, the camera (any M4/3 camera) in P mode would tend to set a wide aperture and a fast speed. It would stick to F1.4 until the speed is well over 1/1000s. I suppose this is what most users want as we are reluctant to stop down such a fast lens. Still this should be kept in mind in use and if you actually want to stop down you need to monitor the aperture closely. Secondly, this lens can be noisy (a kind of buzzing sound). Especially in bright sunlight, it does an "aperture dance" whereby the camera keeps altering the aperture very rapidly to obtain a sensible and somewhat stable viewfinder/LCD brightness.This is common to all wide aperture M4/3 lenses, but some of them have more noisy aperture and aperture motors than others and this one is very loud. It's easily audible and even conspicuous when I used the lens near a dual carriage way with cars and trucks passing 10 metres behind my back. Fortunately indoors in relatively dark conditions the aperture does not dance and the lens becomes very quiet. Another side effect of this aperture dance is when shooting a bright scene, the aperture is kept small for viewing, then when you focus it's opened up fully, then when focus is locked it shuts down to very narrow again, and then finally when you commit to shoot it opens up to the shooting aperture before the shutter action. All of this adds delays, mechanical vibrations, and noise too the various stages of operation. It is slower and feels clumsier in bright sunlight than indoors, a bit counter-intuitive. If you are accustomed to the virtually silent zooms this noise could be unsettling at first, and this is not just on Olympus cameras. I am using this on a Lumix G3 mostly and the statements above relate to this camera.
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11.7.2013

A lens is not just a lens. There is something about certain lenses which impart a magical feel to images. This is the first lens I have owned on the mFT mount that gives images a beautiful feel and vibrancy. While the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 is sharp and pretty much flawless, this lens adds some pixie dust to the images - they sparkle. In a straight comparison with my 20mm f1.7, the 25mm f1.4 seems sharper still and with much punchier colours and smoother bokeh. The Leica also focuses noticeably faster on my Olympus OM-D. While the Leica is by no measure "cheap", Panasonic has, at least, included a flare guard and bag along with the front and rear caps. You don't always get those,even with high-end lenses.I know this is sounding like hyperbole, but I genuinely feel this way. I also have a Canon kit and this lens imparts a similar quality to Canon's L lenses. Leica will probably laugh at that as they were there first in terms great lenses. However, in this case, you do get what you pay for. The problem is, it's hard to quantify in words what that extra magic is.What I can quantify is that the 35mm equivalent FoV of 50mm and fast max aperture of f1.4 make this a very flexible lens, suitable for most conditions. While we are used to zoom lenses to cover all angles, a 50mm prime remains a great all-purpose perspective. And Leica 50mms are legendary. This example keeps the reputation alive.This lens has taken my OM-D from perfectly competent to outright fantastic. Well worth the money.
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24.2.2013

I have a lot of Micro-Four Thirds (MFT) lenses, but this is currently my favourite. I didn't buy this when it first came out, because I already had the 20mm F1.7 on my GF1. Since upgrading to an E-M5, I wanted something with a faster auto-focus spead. I knew from all the reviews that the image quality of this lens would be fantastic, but I was nervous about the focus speed. I can confirm that it is good. The image quality and focusing speed is very similar to the olympus 45mm lens, which I also like. The 50mm equivalent focal length is very polyvolent, and the 1.4 aperture combined with the stabilized E-M5 body makes low light photography very easy.A bonus when your camera doesn't have a built in flash.If you bought a MFT camera because you wanted something small and light, then you might find this lens a bit big and heavy. It is also expensive when compared to other 50mm evivalent focal length lenses, although perhaps with good reason, as it has 2 aspherical elements. A 400 pound lens that is always on your camera is sill better value than a 300 pound lens that you don't use (like the E-M5 kit lens!). It rightly deserves its place as 1 of the 3 must have MFT prime lenses. I regret not buying this sooner
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7.10.2013

I bought this lens for my OM-D as I have a 12mm & 45mm Olympus lens to compliment it, Olympus don't make a 25mm and the 17mm gets so so reviews. Furthermore the 25mm sits rather well in between my kit and shooting recently in London I found there was a notable gap in my equipment.I only use primes on my OM-D so I have been used to the stunning quality of images, the Olympus 12mm & 45mm are amazing but nothing prepared me for how good this little beauty would be! It addes a beautiful tone/colour cast to all the images, maybe I am imagining it? At the price it could be so?? But this is without doubt a quality piece of kit and saying that I have been using professional Olympus glass on my E5 for a couple of years yet the 25mm has blown me away!The only drawback is its going to be stuck on your OM-D and its not a zoom so you are going to wear out even more shoe leather walking backwards and forwards framing your images!It does rattle a bit on the OM-D but its not loud or intrusive and the Olympus 45mm is also prone to the same problem, both only make the noise in bright sunlight, after a while you never notice it!Worth the money, not been off the camera since I got it!
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20.9.2013

I am one of those people who found it difficult to embrace Micro Four Thirds (MFT), having had several Four Thirds cameras and some standard and pro lenses. What can I say. The Panasonic Leica Summilux 25mm lens was for me the reason for trying MFT.I use the lens on my Olympus Pen camera and certainly have not regretted buying it. For me it is not a lens I use everyday, since I do mainly landscape and architecture shots. But it certainly is THE lens for indoor shooting when a flash would just destroy the atmosphere. And it is also great for low-light outside shots. Since it is so light sensitive, it is of course excellent for producing shallow depth of field images. I can certainly confirm that it has a wonderful,smooth bokeh.Some people have reported here and elsewhere that the lens makes clicking noises on an Olympus camera. I can confirm this - only happens in bright light situations. To be honest, it does not worry me, because I know it does not have an effect on the images.I do not own the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens, so cannot really compare which one is sharper. But I can certainly say that I am very happy with the shots I produce with the Summilux.
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15.1.2016

I have yet to explore the full capability of this lens, but from initial experience and results, I endorse the many positive comments made by others. As an amateur, I can't provide technical analysis, but I can say that the quality of photographs taken using my Panasonic G5 in terms of sharpness and less definable but obvious results such as colour rendering are clearly in a different league from the two zooms I have previously used (and they were both carefully chosen for their relative quality). It is also excellent in low light situations given the wide maximum aperture which also has the advantage that you can manage depth of field to isolate subjects. Overall,I can say that this lens is likely to be on the camera a great deal in future and used in the way those of us of a certain age would have used a classic 35mm standard lens, which of course this emulates. Yes it is relatively expensive, but you really do get what you pay for, and you don't have to be an expert to appreciate this.
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23.10.2017

There's something about the colours & contrast of this Pana 25mm f1.4 that makesreally lovely images. I'm talking about a clearly visible difference. Not pixel peeping.A higher quality, a richness that I cant quite put my finger onSubjects seem really well defined, colours are rich, and I'm not talking about depth of field effectsBetter tham my other m4/3 primes.I'm comparing this to the Olympus 45mm 1.8, the Pana 20 1.7 mk2, the Pana 14 f2.5 mk1, the Sigma 60mm 2.8all of which are good to excellent primes that I like and use.I have owned this Pana 25mm f1.4 since 2012 and from old basic 12mp bodies like the Oly EPL-1to the advanced 20mp Pana GX8 the same special image quality is still there.Is it the Leica coating or Glass?I don't know but i like it.The focus ring is really nice too use too if you like to manually focus.The hood is solid and deep but sqaure so does not reverse.I won't be selling it.
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30.4.2020

I bought this lens sometime back and after using it for both photos and video on my Lumix cameras I have to say for portrait photography this is a fantastic lens. Edge to edge sharpness even at F1.4 this has so much detail with excellent contrast and colour. For video if you want a slick sharp look to your work then this is fantastic to do that and great for film makers looking for bokeh and shooting in low light as most mft cameras are not that great in those situations. This lens is more best for interviews and documentaries. For those looking for more classic cinematic look you can achieve this with this lens but I recommend a manual lens or vintage lens with 'character'but overall this lens is designed for photography and produces excellent results overall and great for a modern video look.
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5.9.2018

I've worked as a professional photographer for 25 years, and have been used to some pretty sharp lenses, and I can honestly say that this lens is as sharp as my Hassleblad 80mm CF. However, I purchased mine in 2011 as part of the first ever batch, and because I knew the retailer, I was able to test all 10 or so he had in stock, and yes EACH ONE WAS DIFFERENT! I'm not a huge fan on micro 4/3, but have used them constantly just because of this lens, which has surpassed anything in the DSLR range! So, I would strongly recommend trying this lens, taking it for a massive test drive, and return it if you're one of the unlucky ones! My own complaint is that there isn't a camera out there to do this lens justice; but only last week,I took pictures of a gig in low light with amazing results!
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5.1.2014

I bought this for my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and wanted a high quality lens with a native fit. The body seems very well made and solid with a nice weight to it. The glass of course is top notch and the lens is reported to give an excellent depth of field and bokeh compared to the inferior 20mm pancake lens.It's quite big compared to other MFT lens, about the size of my 50mm f/2.8 canon lens, however the f/1.4 is worth the money - bare in mind that Canon's equivalent f/1.4 offering is significantly cheaper.With such an expensive lens, baring the leica brand, I would recommend getting a good filter to protect your well invested glass.This lens is pure quality and will most likely be my main goto lens while filming.It's a must have for any MFT owner.
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21.11.2016

I'm reviewing this as i have bought this to replace my standard 20mm pancake. I am absolutely thrilled with this lens. The main thing that I have noticed is how fast it is, the auto focus is rapid, even on moving objects. It will pick up and focus speedily which the standard 20mm seemed to struggle on heavily. Also the focusing motor is very silent compared to the 20mm pankcake which you would be able to hear on film but you won't have that problem with this 25mm lens.I am only a light user so cannot go as indepth as other reviews on here, but can say that you cannot go wrong with this lens, albeit may be on the expensive side,you will own a high quality lens that won't depreciate on value much so can sell on if your needs grow.
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28.10.2013

In a nutshell: this lens is one of a rare breed of products that is better than expected - despite my expectations being very high.I already owned the well-regarded Panasonic 20/1.7 but it is lens I never grew to love, or even like, despite its hype. I can't put my finger on why the 25/1.4 is better (*much* better) for my tastes, the images have a completely different "look" which has nothing to do with "sharpness"; both are more than adequate in that respect. Perhaps it's the "pixie dust" mentioned by another reviewer :-)Not a lot to add, really. The lens is not as silent as claimed but much quieter (and faster) to focus than the 20/1.7, but that doesn't bother me anyway as I don't do video.Bear this in mind if you do.
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