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Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph., Lens Review

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.
A look at the Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph., the world's lightest, vintage wide-angle lens for Micro 4/3 digital cameras.
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Had a nice leisurely Sunday morning walk recently, with the age-old Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph. a compact pancake prime lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras, equivalent to a wide-angle 28mm lens on a full-frame camera.

Though released as far back as 2010, the lens remains popular among enthusiasts for its portability and wide-angle performance in landscapes, street, and indoor shooting.

This lens features 6 elements in 5 groups, including 3 aspherical lenses for sharp, low-distortion optics. It offers a maximum aperture of f/2.5, a minimum focus distance of 0.18m, a 46mm filter thread, and weighs just 55 grams, with a slim length of only 20.5mm.

Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph., A Retro Review

While it has a focusing ring for use in manual mode, autofocusing and aperture controls are by wire; the front element of the lens is non-rotating.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

The lens was mounted on an Olympus Pen 'Mini' Olympus E-PM2, a follow-up of the E-PM1, one of the smallest mirrorless digital cameras on the market when it was first launched in 2011. Introduced in 2013, the E-PM2 measures 110 x 64 x 34 mm, and weighs only 269 grams.

The camera features a 460,000 dots 3-inch fixed touchscreen LCD, sensor-shift image stabilization, and contrast-detection AF with 35 points. Designed for entry-level interchangeable-lens users, the E-PM2 includes 12 Art Filters (like Pop Art and Grainy Film), Live Bulb/Time modes, and HDR backlighting.



Square Cuts

A wide-angle 28mm lens, which can be occasionally found with a wide 1.8 maximum aperture, is one of the most popular focal lengths for city and landscape photography. The focal length is capable of capturing images without introducing obvious distortions.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.
Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

A 28mm lens is also a good focal length for maintaining a balanced perspective between close subjects and the background. The lens is almost as versatile as a 35mm lens and is also often used for architectural photography and group portraiture.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.
Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

The lens is extremely fast. Mounted on the Olympus E-PM2, the lens took less than a second to traverse its range of focus. As there is little to move inside the lens when focusing, minor focal length changes are equally fast.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.
Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.
Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

Giving the images the square cuts, or in the 1:1 image aspect ratio, helps accentuate the balance and dynamic of the composition.

Olympus E-PM2, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 Asph.

The feature of the walk was to document images of the Saloma Link, a 69-meter pedestrian bridge linking the vicinity of the Petronas Twin Towers, in Kuala Lumpur City Center, to the residential district of Kampung Bharu across the Klang River. The city-side access to the bridge is also accessible to bicyclists and terminates at a free-standing view platform on the other side of the river.



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