GX85+14-45 vs E-P5+14-42(ii r) comparison

buratino wrote:

Tech Head wrote:

...Because different reviews give markedly (sometimes wildly) different results for these lenses and because sometimes people get bad copies, I looked first at Panasonic's theoretical MTF charts for the lenses. I also looked at the pro reviews and user opinions.

The top 3 lenses I gave are the ones Panasonic actually claims are the sharpest on the long end. I didn't feel the consensus of reviews refuted this ranking. And Panasonic rates the 12-60 (f/3.5 to f.5.6) as their sharpest of the slow kit lenses.

I am "bothered" with strong difference between M and S values in 12-60mm. I wonder if it could be a reason I did not like mine (I doubt it, though). 12-32 looks quite good! I expected better corners at 14mm in both 14-45 and 14-42 lenses.

Oly 12-40mm is below. For comparison, only S20/M20 values are common between the above and below. Oly has a very low difference between S20 and M20. And whatever values are there, I love my 12-40mm.

The 12-40 is clearly sharper than any of the above kit lenses. But the MTF values aren't comparable, mainly because you're comparing f/2.8 to f/5.6. You can fairly compare an f/2.8 lens to an f/2.8 lens, but not to an f/5.6 lens. The only way to be fair is to stop down the 12-40 to f/5.6, which may improve the MTF values.

Aside from that, I'm not sure manufacturer provided MTFs are generally comparable between brands, unless the comparisons were done by the same people.

I only use them to compare Panasonic lenses to other Panasonic lenses at the same aperture, or Olympus lenses to other Olympus lenses at the same aperture. In other words, which Panasonic lens is the sharpest, irrespective of other brand lenses.