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Do we need a fast weathersealed prime?

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Macx

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Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (17–25 mm focal length)?

I think we do, but I don't know if I'm the minority. First of all, we already have access to that field of view in weathersealed zoom lenses, albeit with smaller apertures and a larger package than what would be reasonable to expect from a prime lens. Secondly, I think they would probably be significantly more expensive than the current non-weathersealed primes in this range.

I guess the question is: What kind of premium would you be willing to pay for a weathersealed version of your favourite normal/wide-ish prime if we presume the quality is otherwise the same?

Personally, I think I'd be willing to give up 200 to 300 €/$ more.
 
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Macx said:
Macx wrote:

Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (equivalent to 17–25 mm focal length for 4:3)?

I think we do, but I don't know if I'm the minority. First of all, we already have access to that field of view in weathersealed zoom lenses, albeit with smaller apertures and a larger package than what would be reasonable to expect from a prime lens. Secondly, I think they would probably be significantly more expensive than the current non-weathersealed primes in this range.

I guess the question is: What kind of premium would you be willing to pay for a weathersealed version of your favourite normal/wide-ish prime if we presume the quality is otherwise the same?

Personally, I think I'd be willing to give up 200 to 300 €/$ more.
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I don't see a huge need for it tbh, mainly because I don't like being stuck with just one standard focal length, and if I'm in an environment where I'm likely to need weather sealing I don't really want to be changing lenses. I can see the use for something like the upcoming 150mm being weather sealed because it is clearly meant for outdoor sports and wildlife where you are focused on getting one type of shot.

For a general walk around lens though I don't see quite as much point though. I guess it couldn't hurt to have but I don't think I'd spend $300 extra for it at a normal focal length.
 
I agree; I don't want to be doing lens swaps in in-climate weather so went with the P12-35. It fits my needs perfectly and I've been using it in some pretty bad weather with no adverse effects.
 
I could put my Nikkor 24mm f1.4 on the GH3 with an adaptor but it weighs and costs more than my entire GH3 kit almost!

It is a superlative piece of glass on the D3s etc on which I usually use it but have no idea how it would perform on a small sensor like M43.
 
Dheorl said:
Dheorl wrote:

I don't see a huge need for it tbh, mainly because I don't like being stuck with just one standard focal length, and if I'm in an environment where I'm likely to need weather sealing I don't really want to be changing lenses.
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That is a good point.
Dheorl said:
I can see the use for something like the upcoming 150mm being weather sealed because it is clearly meant for outdoor sports and wildlife where you are focused on getting one type of shot.

For a general walk around lens though I don't see quite as much point though. I guess it couldn't hurt to have but I don't think I'd spend $300 extra for it at a normal focal length.
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Aye, I would use such a lens as a "walk around" lens when hiking, skiing or in general when I'm in situations where I want a smaller package yet a lot of utility. For me, the convenience of a smaller and lighter lens often out-weighs the advantages of a zoom. And the larger maximum aperture of a prime is also sometimes useful.
 
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For sure, with more weatherproof M43 cameras becoming available, we should have more weatherproof lenses. Maybe a 9mm, 14mm, 17mm, ... :-D

17mm because we still have not got one that has everything for this important FL - speed, top IQ, fast AF, and build). The 17mms, 20mm and 12-35mm are very good but not great and definitely not what one should be able to expect with a high quality prime, edge-. to-edge sharpness, negligible distortion, excellent bokeh, fast in terms of aperture and AF locking speed. I agree, a take anywhere weatherproof high-performance 17mm is a nice addition for places like the beach or snowy mountain, but I am not holding my breath. Olympus screwed up big time with its recent more-form-than-substance 17mm.
 
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Macx said:
Macx wrote:
Macx said:
Dheorl wrote:

I don't see a huge need for it tbh, mainly because I don't like being stuck with just one standard focal length, and if I'm in an environment where I'm likely to need weather sealing I don't really want to be changing lenses.
Click to expand...
That is a good point.
Macx said:
I can see the use for something like the upcoming 150mm being weather sealed because it is clearly meant for outdoor sports and wildlife where you are focused on getting one type of shot.

For a general walk around lens though I don't see quite as much point though. I guess it couldn't hurt to have but I don't think I'd spend $300 extra for it at a normal focal length.
Click to expand...
Aye, I would use such a lens as a "walk around" lens when hiking, skiing or in general when I'm in situations where I want a smaller package yet a lot of utility. For me, the convenience of a smaller and lighter lens often out-weighs the advantages of a zoom. And the larger maximum aperture of a prime is also sometimes useful.
Click to expand...
It would be nice, but I don't find the smaller primes to be as prone to being the weak point in normal use. At the very least if just letting it hang gives concern I'd use a dry bag to cover the camera draped around my neck or torso when not actively using it. When in use a little care is all it takes to keep the lens down and more protected than the top or back of the body. If it's too wet to keep a rag in the pocket to wipe the lens down periodically, it's too wet for me [g].

Granted, I don't walk around in a downpour, but I will get soaked in rain/snow. I do wonder why there's no weathersealed primes, but then shrug and click shutter. I also wonder how long these little seals will hold up (then shrug. . . [g])
 
Macx said:
Macx wrote:

Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (17–25 mm focal length)?

I think we do, but I don't know if I'm the minority. First of all, we already have access to that field of view in weathersealed zoom lenses, albeit with smaller apertures and a larger package than what would be reasonable to expect from a prime lens. Secondly, I think they would probably be significantly more expensive than the current non-weathersealed primes in this range.

I guess the question is: What kind of premium would you be willing to pay for a weathersealed version of your favourite normal/wide-ish prime if we presume the quality is otherwise the same?

Personally, I think I'd be willing to give up 200 to 300 €/$ more.
Click to expand...
I really can`t see any need for them, not with lenses like the Panasonic 12-35mm available.
 
I think that there is room for a weather-sealed prime.

I would also love to see a weather-selaed wide angle zoom.

Its worth notign that m4/3 is still in the early days, with lots of room for new lenses in the lineup.
 
This. If you require weather sealing, then you can't change lenses. A prime might be great for general-purpose photography, but when you're on assignment, you can't afford to miss a shot because you didn't have the right focal length for it.
 
Macx said:
Macx wrote:

Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (17–25 mm focal length)?

I think we do, but I don't know if I'm the minority. First of all, we already have access to that field of view in weathersealed zoom lenses, albeit with smaller apertures and a larger package than what would be reasonable to expect from a prime lens. Secondly, I think they would probably be significantly more expensive than the current non-weathersealed primes in this range.

I guess the question is: What kind of premium would you be willing to pay for a weathersealed version of your favourite normal/wide-ish prime if we presume the quality is otherwise the same?

Personally, I think I'd be willing to give up 200 to 300 €/$ more.
Click to expand...
I'd like to this weather sealed prime with different AOF - 9-11. I want it to be long tele lens. It is difficult to conceal long lens from bad weather, that is why she needs weather seal. Also it is important to have her fast because everybody knows inportance of high shutter speed while focusing on distant subjects
 
I see many people not convinced here and prefer a zoom instead. Obviously not everybody wants such a prime lens, but numerous people have bought a fixed focus lens camera like the Fuji X100. They bought it for the quality of the picture they can get and a convenient size, even though they could not change lenses and even when there is no weather proofing. So, what's wrong with something that lets you change lenses, get top IQ, take it to the snowy mountains, while also providing 5-axis IBIS, a tilting touchscreen, ... ? The only critical criteria is this. It must have top IQ.

OK, this lens is not for those using Panasonic M43. The GH3 is the only weatherproof camera and it is a little too big to take full advantage of such a lens. I think there is also a case for both Panasonic and Olympus to make more compact weatherproof M43 cameras to go with future weatherproof lenses, e.g. a weatherproof version of the GX1 or PM2.
 
Sergey Borachev said:
Sergey Borachev wrote:

I see many people not convinced here and prefer a zoom instead. Obviously not everybody wants such a prime lens, but numerous people have bought a fixed focus lens camera like the Fuji X100. They bought it for the quality of the picture they can get and a convenient size, even though they could not change lenses and even when there is no weather proofing. So, what's wrong with something that lets you change lenses, get top IQ, take it to the snowy mountains, while also providing 5-axis IBIS, a tilting touchscreen, ... ? The only critical criteria is this. It must have top IQ.

OK, this lens is not for those using Panasonic M43. The GH3 is the only weatherproof camera and it is a little too big to take full advantage of such a lens. I think there is also a case for both Panasonic and Olympus to make more compact weatherproof M43 cameras to go with future weatherproof lenses, e.g. a weatherproof version of the GX1 or PM2.
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I would have thought camera`s like the EPM1/EPM2 would be the easiest/simplist to weather seal, but who would be prepared to pay the extra cost.

The OMD has weather sealing, but most lenses I use with it are not, not that it bothers me.
 
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s_grins said:
s_grins wrote:
s_grins said:
Macx wrote:

Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (17–25 mm focal length)?

I think we do, but I don't know if I'm the minority. First of all, we already have access to that field of view in weathersealed zoom lenses, albeit with smaller apertures and a larger package than what would be reasonable to expect from a prime lens. Secondly, I think they would probably be significantly more expensive than the current non-weathersealed primes in this range.

I guess the question is: What kind of premium would you be willing to pay for a weathersealed version of your favourite normal/wide-ish prime if we presume the quality is otherwise the same?

Personally, I think I'd be willing to give up 200 to 300 €/$ more.
Click to expand...
I'd like to this weather sealed prime with different AOF - 9-11. I want it to be long tele lens. It is difficult to conceal long lens from bad weather, that is why she needs weather seal. Also it is important to have her fast because everybody knows inportance of high shutter speed while focusing on distant subjects
Click to expand...
 
A very-sharp-corner-to-corner weather-sealed 25mm f/2.0 0.5x macro lens could be nice. A 10mm f/2.8 pancake would not be wrong either. Or a 250mm f/3.5 (also with 0.5x macro, naturally).
 
Macx said:
Macx wrote:

Do we need a large aperture, auto-focus, weathersealed prime in the range of a 65°–47° field of view (17–25 mm focal length)?
Click to expand...
I think we do, but then I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority where I'm both a prime-only shooter, and also have a genuine need for weather-sealing (anyone who's hiked in the Tasmanian highlands will understand why).

How much extra would I pay? Difficult to answer that - to be honest probably nothing, because for the price I payed for the m.ZD 12mm and m.ZD 75mm I expect them to be premium lenses (they're advertised as such). And when Olympus' premium body is sealed, I would expect their premium lenses to match.

I can't for the life of me figure out why Olympus felt that the 12-50mm and 60mm Macro should be sealed but the arguably higher-range 12mm, 17mm and 75mm shouldn't :/
 
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