Hi everyone,

Hope you’re all keeping safe and well. This morning I decided to update my blog design a bit to hopefully showcase my work a bit better. I have quite an extensive body of work which I’d like to attempt to present on my blog in addition to my website, particularly for those that are new to my blog and may not be familiar with my landscape work.

I’ m hoping to get out again soon and get some new shots. I’m keen to continue my experiments with long-exposure HDR. I made a start the other day with my brief visit to the seafront, it’s a learning curve. It was very sunny with a very cold wind on the seafront. I couldn’t really see in the LCD even with my LCD shade fitted and the camera position made the EVF too low down. The wind was so strong it was blowing the tripod around so it’s a miracle than anything was sharp!. 🙂 I also didn’t have a strong enough ND filter with me, it needed a 10 stop ND in such strong direct sunlight and the variable one I had with me only went to a maximum of 7 stops.

As I guess you all know, I absolutely hate tripods and lumping them around on foot. Even with the relatively lightweight one that I took with me my left shoulder and neck were pretty painful the following day. Next time I’ll take my Gorillapod which I’ve had for some years now and hardly used, and try and find something to rest it on or attach it to. At least it’s very light and compact and if I don’t end up using it then I’m not carrying something heavier around all day just on the off chance I’ll end up using it 🙂 . As my camera gear is small and lightweight then it’s well suited for the Gorillapod. I’ve also just taken delivery of a K&F concept combined variable ND + CPL filter which I’m keen to try out ASAP.

Kind regards

Leigh

Hi everyone,

If you haven’t seen my previous post then the title will not make any sense at all. 🙂 . I’ve found a better solution for attaching one of my 58mm variable ND filters to my Lumix 12-32mm lens without vignetting. I attached a 37-58mm step up ring onto which the 58mm filter fits and then my 62mm metal wide-angle lens hood fits on the end of the filter. Simply unscrew my normal hood and screw on this arrangement instead, very quick and easy. 🙂 . The hood takes an 86mm lens cap and I can still leave on the 37mm protection filter on the lens if I choose so less fiddling about. Another advantage is that I can rotate the hood to rotate the filter which make adjustment quicker and easier.

I hope that I’m not boring too many of you with these kind of posts but, as we’re still in lockdown and I cannot get out I don’t have many new pictures to work with. I like passing on my finds as someone out there might find them of interest. After nearly four and a half months virtually confined to home, I’m chewing the carpet in desperation to get out, anywhere, preferably scenic, will do!. 🙂

Kind regards,

Leigh

Hi everyone,

When I have one of my K&F Concept 58mm variable ND filters on the front of my regular lens hood then it doesn’t have a hood of its own, well it does now!. The filters both have a 62mm thread on the end of them so I fitted a metal 62mm screw-on wide angle hood to this so that I still have a hood fitted whilst using the filter. It does vignette at 12-13mm F.O.V but doesn’t if I remove the clear glass protection filter that I have fitted to the lens, in this case, my Lumix 12-32mm and I can use this arrangement on several of my other lenses fitted with hoods which accept a 58mm filter on the end. I also have a 62mm three-stage collapsible rubber lens hood which might prove a better all-round solution.

Kind regards

Leigh

Hi everyone,

Continuing this morning where I left off yesterday. I thought I’d conduct a few more lens comparisons between my Lumix 12-32mm “kit” lens and some more prime lenses. This time I’m comparing it with my Lumix 14mm f/2.5, Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 and Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lenses. All shots taken at ISO 200 f/5.6, electronic shutter and tripod mounted with a shutter release. As per my previous comparisons the tiny little 12-32mm stacks up extremely well. At 14mm there’s very little in it, perhaps the 14mm prime lens is a tad sharper but it’s very close. The 17mm results surprised me as, at this focal length the 12-32mm is a bit sharper overall but both lenses are very soft in the corners. Lastly at 20mm there’s very little to tell between them but perhaps the 12-32mm is a tad sharper but it’s splitting hairs. Where there is a difference in sharpness one way or the other between any of the primes and the 12-32mm it is minor in all cases and not what one might be led to expect of a kit lens.

For a revised comparison at the 17mm focal length see this post : https://leighkempphotoblog.co.uk/2021/02/16/repeat-lens-comparison-lumix-12-32mm-17mm-and-olympus-m-zuiko-17mm-f-1-8/

So, in conclusion, the little pancake 12-32mm zoom stacks up extremely well against all five of the prime lenses that I’ve compared it to and, in quite a few cases it is sharper. I might repeat the 17mm test as the results, especially in the corners are disappointing. I’m not claiming that these comparisons are carried out under laboratory conditions, I don’t have a laboratory 🙂 but they are interesting nether-the-less. Apart from the poor corner performance of both lenses at 17mm I’d be pretty happy with all of the lenses I’ve “tested” but, I feel more than justified in my choice of the 12-32mm as my favourite every day lens especially when one takes size, weight (70g) and of course cost into the equation. At full price it’s a good bet, if one can pick up a good used copy then it’s an absolute bargain! and it punches well above its weight both literally and metaphorically. 🙂 . When one uses a lens as much as I have used this little lens then one instinctively gets a pretty good feel for how good or bad it is and the 12-32mm has never disappointed me so I’m not that surprised by my findings.

Lumix 12-32mm @ 14mm

Lumix 14mm

Lumix 12-32mm @ 17mm

Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm

Lumix 12-32mm @ 20mm

Lumix 20mm

Lumix 12-32mm @ 14mm corner

Lumix 14mm corner

Lumix 12-17mm @ 17mm corner

Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm corner

Lumix 12-32mm @ 20mm corner

Lumix 20mm corner

Hope it’s of interest to someone,

Kind regards and stay safe folks,

Leigh

Hi everyone,

Just for fun I decided to compare my Panasonic Lumix 12-32mm “kit” lens set at 25mm with my Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm. I took two shots with the camera tripod mounted and a cable release fitted at ISO 200 f/5.6. Here are two 100% crops, I think they compare very favourably and I’d be happy with both, I think that the Olympus is perhaps a tad softer but there’s very little in it and nothing that a little sharpening couldn’t sort out. Of course the prime lens has a faster maximum aperture of f/1.8 compared with the slower zoom. But as someone who primarily shoots landscapes and stops down then that difference is largely irrelevant.

Lumix 12-32 @ 25mm.

Olympus 25mm.

Olympus Corner crop

Lumix corner crop.

Where the Olympus does win out is in the corners but again nothing that I can’t live with and nothing that a little sharpening can’t fix. Actually I don’t think that difference is purely softness it’s more to do with a slight difference in depth of field as the two images have a little different field of view as the zoom is set to be 25mm and they don’t line up exactly. If you look at the writing on the microphone cable in the foreground for example then the Lumix is noticeably sharper. Perhaps worth noting that, at the time of writing, Amazon are listing both lenses new within a few pounds of each other with the Olympus being sold at £90 below its list price. I paid £89 for my Lumix, used in great condition and full-price for my Olympus new. I might repeat this comparison tomorrow with the Lumix set at 12mm and my Olympus 12mm f/2 lens which, for me, might be a more interesting comparison because I often shoot my landscapes at this focal length.

Kind regards,

Leigh