Pana GF1 + Lumix G 20/1.7

[koji]

These were shot while we were in Japan last October. All were in AF and
program mode of GF1 with JPEG output. I just want to show the lens'
capability in many situations, and to show some unusual scenes.

All are 1200 x 800, so click the image to enlarge please.

@f6.3 inside light snack place in Tokyo

@f4 see the bokeh (not too bad)

@f4 clock smith inside of his shop (no flash)

@f6.4 at japanese cake shop in Hiroshima

@f7.1 the garden of an art museum in Sanin (facing Japan see) area

@f6.3 scenary in very rural area Sanin

@f5.6 an old big tree in Kyoto (emperor's garden place)

@f9 with a french tourist in the emperors garden in Kyoto

@f3.5 the main dish at french restaurant in Kyoto hotel (this restaurant has one star by michelin guide in Kyoto, was mucho expensivo!)

@f4.5 with a flash (tested) inside of very typical japanese house

[Attila]

Amazing country! I love your series always! I did learn Japanese for years I would visit your beautiful country. Now dream is over and I did forget almost everything in last 20 yrs what I did know.

[mo]

Was the food taken in Macro?? .....Is it true the more exclusive the restaurant the smaller the food?Nice photos,especially looking out to the garden.

[koji]

Generally speaking, yes it is in Japan.

All shots were made with the same camera +

It is hard to explain, this restaurant serves many dishes. We had at least
four or five dishes before the main, then two deserts one from a chef
and then the other from a patissier. In this order ....




After the main meal we were so stuffed, so asked them to make a doggy bug of cakes.

[mo]

It would be a doggy suitcase!

[LucisPictor]

The more of your pictures I see the more I need to go to Japan!

[koji]

Carsten

The more rural area you go, the more beautiful the scenery is in Japan.

(I am not talking here about very natural vista like Canadian rockies,
sceneries in Japan is often the deep collaboration of nature and human.
So the scene I admire always has human artifacts including rice paddy or
house, and well kept forest in the mountain side. )

Unfortunately it is harder to get to one or find the place in modernized
country these days and the most of cities look alike. But there still are
many places you can enjoy staying and photographing, and do not forget
eating is also fun in that islands. If you eat fish, that would be perfect.

[kds315*]

Excellent series of shots Koji - makes me also want to see Japan (again)!

[rbelyell]

so interesting seeing more and more m4/3 on this forum, both mf and af.

the shots are quite nice and interesting of course, but i wonder how do you like the lens? my understanding is it is quite expensive, $400usd--do you think it is worth the price? perhaps its how the pictures are downloaded, but at 20mm i would have thought the lens would have a more shallow depth of field--what are your thoughts?

tony

[koji]

Hi Tony

The Lumix G 20/1.7 lens is quite capable lens, and sharp enough for many
situation. It looks sharper in near field than far objects. I bought the lens
together with DMC-GF1 (actually other way around), and Pana is promoting
this kit, so I paid practically US$700~800 in Tokyo last month. This camera
and lens is for my wife, since her camera FUJI F10 is out of fashion(!?)

It has deep DoF even at F1.7 mainly because its focal length and m4/3's
frame size. But it has surprisingly deep DoF as you notice.
These photos are Jpeg output from the camera, nothing done in PP except
some fill light occasionally. Though the camera recognize human faces,
then its exposures are adjusted to the faces automatically, of course it fails
sometime.

If you can use some of F1.4 to F2 lenses with adapter, you can get healthy
bokeh too. See > http://forum.mflenses.com/gf1-and-g-planar-35-2-t22622.html

When I "borrow" the camera, I use RAW mode for shooting. In this case
I convert .rw2 (pana's raw file ext) files to .dng file by Adobe's DNG converter.
Then I develop them mostly with Capture one (v4) to get Jpeg files, not Tiff files.

[rbelyell]

thank you koji, i am sure both you and your wife will enjoy that camera/lens combination, especially at that price!
tony

[Rolf]

Hi,

only a short information I read few days ago in a magazine. The name of the magazine is ColorFoto, a famous one here on the German market.

They rated the available lenses for the pana´s. Here a short conclusion.

Lumix G Vario 4/7-14 83 points
Lumix G vario 3.5-5,6/14-45 87,5 points (the kit lens)
Lumix G Vario 4,5-5,8/14-140 73,5 points
Lumix G Vario 4-5,6/45-200 75 points
Lumix G 1.7/20 87,5 points

Olympus Zuiko 2.8/17 78,5 points

all lenses tested at GH1 with m4/3 mount.

I only own the kit lens but it seems that it has a good price/performance ratio.