Im Kaffeehaus

00000018-2Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/2.5, 1/60 sec, ISO1000)

The posting that shouldn’t be there. Not that I did not like a good Kaffeehaus ( coffeehouse, and no I’m not talking about Starbucks here! ) but I lost all the pictures.

For the first time ever I accidentally deleted the images in camera. Usually I avoid to blame the tool but in that case it was the camera. It was close a couple of times already. I mentioned it in my review of the GM 1.

The camera is very small ( surprise! ) and because of that and the very sensitive touch screen it’s easy to get an accidental delete all images message. This time I think I managed to really do it. I was able to retrieve it by using some software but the size was only 1920 pixel on the long side. Just good enough for my blog.

00000032-2Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/2, 1/60 sec, ISO1250)
00000056Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/1.8, 1/40 sec, ISO640)

But this post was supposed to celebrate the truly great 1.8/17mm from Olympus. The last lens I bought for the GM 1 and I think the one that fits the camera best. I also love the other prime I got: the cheap but very good 1.8/45mm ( also Olympus ). The 45 is fast and sharp too but the 17 is much more flexible.

It’s a f3.6/35mm on a full frame camera so it allows some DOF control but the subject needs to be close to allow some subject isolation. But image quality is excellent even wide open and AF is blazing fast and silent.

00000058Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO400)

Just don’t expect creamy out of focus areas if you take a portrait. The lens isn’t fast enough and the sensor isn’t big enough for that. Still it is almost exactly what I get with my Fuji X100 and that is good enough to make a difference compared to the typical compact camera look. It is vastly better than what you get from a Sony RX100 where the effect is hardly recognizable. And Bokeh is very good.

00000060Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/2.2, 1/60 sec, ISO400)
00000074Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO1600)

Though a completely different shooting experience to my beloved Fuji’s it is also great. It’s more smartphone style but in a positive way. The touch shutter combined with the extremely fast AF is fun.

I assume it’s what the younger photographers would clearly prefer. I’m a viewfinder person, a focus and recompose guy but the effortless way of talking pictures is addictive. But the best thing is that while it shoots like a smartphone the results are truly impressive especially if you attach something like the 1.8/17mm lens.

00000084Panasonic DMC-GM1 (17mm, f/2, 1/100 sec, ISO200)