CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
Yes, nice review.
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News New Panasonic S 100mm 2.8 Macro Lens
- Thread starter Ortziomenaka
- Start date
robin0112358
Active Member
Nice tutorial with good production values. But it's not a review. No aspect of the lens was critiqued.
I wouldn't even point this out except it's becoming a commonplace. I can easily find people talking about lenses, with great production values. But almost nowhere (a limit approaching zero) where I can learn anything... as someone who is already a photographer. Back in the days of magazines, there were different titles with different approaches. Some reviewers were even quite critical. Manufacturers themselves published useful white papers. There was far more useful information for a research-based artist like myself. But where do I go for this now?
OK, that aside...
The more I see of this lens (and the images shot with it) the more I like it.
I wouldn't even point this out except it's becoming a commonplace. I can easily find people talking about lenses, with great production values. But almost nowhere (a limit approaching zero) where I can learn anything... as someone who is already a photographer. Back in the days of magazines, there were different titles with different approaches. Some reviewers were even quite critical. Manufacturers themselves published useful white papers. There was far more useful information for a research-based artist like myself. But where do I go for this now?
OK, that aside...
The more I see of this lens (and the images shot with it) the more I like it.
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
I agree with that. I did take it for what it was, more a features piece, not an optical review. The features are very interesting. I get my lens on Monday and will try to post a few shots later in the week. I do not have a test setup to for any kind of formal review, so it will be whatever macro and normal shots I feel useful to me. And we have heavy rain in the forecast all week, so there probably won’t be much outdoor shooting. Given all those limitations, if there is something you would like to see let me know.
Richard Wong
Well-Known Member
Joseph is a Lumix ambassador.
I believe he never calls any of his Lumix videos a "review". He is very honest and careful about his ambassador role and he understands it would be a complete conflict of interest if he "review" any of the Lumix products.
It is extremely difficult to create good quality video for the brand you represent as you want to create video that is great for both the brand you represent, and also for your viewers, but I'm always very impressed by the quality, the amount of information in Joseph's videos, and his approach as well.
btw Charles, I'm looking forward to hear what you think about this lens. Hopefully your view will be similar to what I said in my review, but even if not, I would love to hear what your thoughts are.
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
I got the lens and worked with it a little today. In terms of macro it seems very sharp, but I have never done much macro and may not be a good judge. I've mostly been learning how to set up, and how to do reasonable focus stacking with Lightroom/Photoshop. I still have lots to learn.
In terms of longer focal distance I have compared it to my 24-105mm f/4 S lens set to 100mm, and to my 70-300mm f/4.5-6.6 S lens set to 100mm. This may not be a fair test, comparing a prime lens to zoom lenses, but I don't have a better method right now. I shot the 100mm macro and the 24-105mm at f/4, and the 70-300mm at f/5. For the same shot with the three lenses I looked at fine features in Lightroom, near the center of the shot, at 200% magnification. The result from a very small sample size is that the 100mm macro is the sharpest. It is quite a bit sharper than the 24-205mm, and just lightly sharper than the 70-300mm. Be careful about conclusions here, but the initial test is encouraging.
Here is one macro image from the small globe of the Earth in the corner of my office. It is a 1:1 shot around Tahiti in French Polynesia. Since this is a globe the distance to the lens is not constant, so it required focus bracketing. I used 30 images with a step of +10, and probably could have used less images and a larger step size, as the final image is not quite in focus at the left. And there a couple of artifacts in the word "Duke" at the right, where my guess is I gave Photoshop too much data to sort out. For reference the small dots in the lines around the word "Tahiti" are about the diameter of a human hair.
- Panasonic - DC-S5M2
- LUMIX S 100/F2.8 MACRO
- 100.0 mm
- ƒ/2.8
- 1/200 sec
- Pattern
- Manual exposure
- ISO 3200
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
Here are two more macros, from the US Two Dollar Federal Reserve Note. This rarely used currency has the image of Thomas Jefferson on its front, and again in a mural on the back. First the front, at the lower right corner with the Two Dollar marking. And then the mural, which is the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. Jefferson was the primary writer of the declaration. He is shown holding the document, and the person sitting is John Hancock, who was the first to sign the declaration.
- Panasonic - DC-S5M2
- LUMIX S 100/F2.8 MACRO
- 100.0 mm
- ƒ/6.3
- 1/125 sec
- Pattern
- Manual exposure
- ISO 2500
- Panasonic - DC-S5M2
- LUMIX S 100/F2.8 MACRO
- 100.0 mm
- ƒ/6.3
- 1/125 sec
- Pattern
- Manual exposure
- ISO 2500
Quentinquirelino
Active Member
I just saw the review on the german youtube channel "Traumflieger". Stefan from Traumflieger measured the macro and came to more positive measurements, unlike to the measurements of digital camera world. He is more in line with other reviews and first opinions form buyers so far:
Quentinquirelino
Active Member
He only measured his studio test chart. He doesn't say anything about sharpness an longer distances.
Quentinquirelino
Active Member
Ephotozine have just shared there test results for the Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f2.8 Macro and the results were outstanding:
Jonathan-Mac
Well-Known Member
Wow, impressive results. It really doesn't get any sharper stopping down. I don't think I've ever seen a lens review in which, under the "Cons" section it just says "nothing" 
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
From this review it is essentially a perfect lens. That it rarefied air.
This reviewer also used Imatest. Imatest is not just one thing. One can buty various test setups depending on your application and needs. Or you can contract with Imatest to perform the testing for you, or have the testing done by a third party that has Imatest charts and software. Reviewers don't tend to say what Imatest approach they used. But nevertheless this reviewer got excellent results.
In my case we had extended heavy rain here, and then I went on a business trip, so I've not had a chance to use the 100mm outdoors where I normally shoot. I'm looking forward to this, and will do both handheld, and then tripod with High Resolution (Mode 1).
Ephotozine describe using the 24MP full frame Lumix S5 IIX camera body as for testing.
Hope somebody is testing the more high demanding 47 MP Lumix S1R.
By all these difference tests, there is to much variation within the test results.
Hope this is not the case as by the products itself, that do have a big variation within one lens copy versus another lens copy.
Hope somebody is testing the more high demanding 47 MP Lumix S1R.
By all these difference tests, there is to much variation within the test results.
Hope this is not the case as by the products itself, that do have a big variation within one lens copy versus another lens copy.
CharlesH
LMF-Patron Gold
I agree. I don't have a S1R; but that's why I want to shoot the 100mm lens with the S5II in High Resolution (Mode 1), to try to get a practical feel for its capability beyond 24MP.
Quentinquirelino
Active Member
Actually there is only the test from digital camera world, that differs from the others. Most other tests are fitting good together.
Quite different tools to an extent, however it would be interesting to compare both for portraiture, the 100mm is 'only' f2.8 and the 85mm is no macro. I remember other macros being described as too flat with no 3d pop hence a comparison will soon show any such traits. They certainly didn't pop like a Pentax FA 77mm f1.8 Limited.
Oh BTW I'm waiting for the 85mm 1.8 also and from experience I'm more than happy with 1:2 macro in the 24-105. I've still got extension tubes and reversing rings for playing with 1:1 and super macro if I want but it's never going to be a regular thing.
But what a superb looking 1:1 achieved here for the size and weight. However don't expect it to be world beating in all other areas too, it is a macro lens and I'd only buy it for needing 1:1 magnification but lets see lots of images first.
No that is not true.
- Digital camera world test, results are bad
- Test of Ephotozine seems to good to be truth as there seems no difference in quality as from full wide opening F2.8 to just under about F8
and no difference as from centre to corners. - Where as most other other tests, at least do find some differences centre vs. corner, (specially wide open).
And general sharpness (and contrast) is becoming better when closing aperture values. Best sharpness at F 5.6
Quentinquirelino
Active Member
Digital camera world results are very, very bad wide open.
Yes, ephotozine results are more even across the frame and more constant throughout f-stops than others. But also others measurements I have seen haven't shown much falloff to the edges and are also very good across the frame, even wide open and gain only a little by stopping down to f4 or f5.6. I would say, within expected divination for such measurements, the results of ephotozine are in line with others measurements I have seen. And also reflect what most reviewers and first users have shown.