If you think you have a use for this lens...

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

Agree with the 5 of 5 stars.

... me too. Its a must have !

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

How would you compare its performance to the 45/1.8--leaving aside the different FL for the moment?

traveler_101 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

How would you compare its performance to the 45/1.8--leaving aside the different FL for the moment?

The 45mm may be the best value in Micro Four Thirds today. I use it often for portraits. It's perspective is different enough to compliment the 75mm nicely. The 75mm is one of those lenses that is in a league of its own. The 45mm isn't quite at that level but should be seriously considered by portrait photographers for those times when the 75 is too tight for use in close quarters.

Dan

Agreed.  My black version (oh so sexy!) is excellent.  Just got a new black GX7 and have not had the chance to use the 75/1.8 on it yet.

UPS just delivered mine and my wife cooperated for the first shot with it. This was at the kitchen window, with just a bit of light still in the sky. SOOC.

I think this is going to be my headshot lens.

Lane

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

I went with a used Zeiss 85/1.4 for 2 bills less in cost and the ability to use it full frame on my new A7.

I used to grab the Canon 85 1.2 which I thought had the best quality of bokeh of any lens.  The 75 1.8 is just dreamlike in how smooth and undistracting the bokeh is.  It's a very fun lens!

45 1.8

75 1.8

Both are awesome lenses.  The 45 has to be one of the best values out there.  Is the 75 better enough to justify the cost?  I couldn't decide to added the 75 after having the 45 over a year.  I'm finding I use them both.  If I have the range to use the 75, I use it.  If not then the 45.

Joel Stern wrote:

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

I ended up so far with the Panasonic 20mm, the 45mm 1.8 was not working for me, I got 2 bad copies so I ordered the Sigma 60mm and it was perfect so I also ordered the 30mm which is also just wonderful... I have not used any Samyang lenses, can you add something about them? Are they all MF or are some AF? I will look to see what I can find out, thanks much.

I am expecting a package any day from my cousin who has decided to go Fuji and has may m43 Olympus made in Japan lenses, I will get to try them out and see what I want, the 9-18 is on the top of my list but the 12mm, 75mm and the 45mm are also there due to their speed even if the two latter are close to the Sigma 30 and 60mm lenses I already have. So much for a small system

You can buy it in 4/3 mount, as well as newly in Micro 4/3, which provide electronic focus confirmation, but otherwise, it's a manual lens, with manual aperture control and manual focusing.  For me, for what I use it for, that's not a critical issue.  Really, my only issue with this lens is it's size and weight, which tend to dwarf most Micro 4/3 bodies.

If I need AF and small size, I use the Sigma 60mm lens.

dougjgreen1 wrote:

Joel Stern wrote:

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

I ended up so far with the Panasonic 20mm, the 45mm 1.8 was not working for me, I got 2 bad copies so I ordered the Sigma 60mm and it was perfect so I also ordered the 30mm which is also just wonderful... I have not used any Samyang lenses, can you add something about them? Are they all MF or are some AF? I will look to see what I can find out, thanks much.

I am expecting a package any day from my cousin who has decided to go Fuji and has may m43 Olympus made in Japan lenses, I will get to try them out and see what I want, the 9-18 is on the top of my list but the 12mm, 75mm and the 45mm are also there due to their speed even if the two latter are close to the Sigma 30 and 60mm lenses I already have. So much for a small system

You can buy it in 4/3 mount, as well as newly in Micro 4/3, which provide electronic focus confirmation, but otherwise, it's a manual lens, with manual aperture control and manual focusing. For me, for what I use it for, that's not a critical issue. Really, my only issue with this lens is it's size and weight, which tend to dwarf most Micro 4/3 bodies.

If I need AF and small size, I use the Sigma 60mm lens.

Just curious...does exif info about aperture get reported to the cam?

KwhyChang wrote:

dougjgreen1 wrote:

Joel Stern wrote:

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

I ended up so far with the Panasonic 20mm, the 45mm 1.8 was not working for me, I got 2 bad copies so I ordered the Sigma 60mm and it was perfect so I also ordered the 30mm which is also just wonderful... I have not used any Samyang lenses, can you add something about them? Are they all MF or are some AF? I will look to see what I can find out, thanks much.

I am expecting a package any day from my cousin who has decided to go Fuji and has may m43 Olympus made in Japan lenses, I will get to try them out and see what I want, the 9-18 is on the top of my list but the 12mm, 75mm and the 45mm are also there due to their speed even if the two latter are close to the Sigma 30 and 60mm lenses I already have. So much for a small system

You can buy it in 4/3 mount, as well as newly in Micro 4/3, which provide electronic focus confirmation, but otherwise, it's a manual lens, with manual aperture control and manual focusing. For me, for what I use it for, that's not a critical issue. Really, my only issue with this lens is it's size and weight, which tend to dwarf most Micro 4/3 bodies.

If I need AF and small size, I use the Sigma 60mm lens.

Just curious...does exif info about aperture get reported to the cam?

If you use either the Native Micro 4/3 mount version or the adapted 4/3 mount version, it should. It may also provide electronic aperture control as well, but I don't know for sure, because  I use the adapted Nikon-mount version, which definitely can not report it to a 4/3 or M4/3 camera across a passive adapter, but it does provide auto aperture control and exif data when used on a Nikon body.

The Nikon mount version (which would also be the case using the Canon-mount version or Pentax mount version) when adapted to Micro 4/3, would be a completely manual aperture lens, with no EXIF data reported.

Godfrey wrote:

I'm going to have to borrow one of the Oly 45/1.8 lenses and compare it to the Macro-Elmarit 45/2.8 ASPH. that extra 1.2 stops of lens speed doesn't change the DoF (blur) very much,

It's 1.3 stop and I think it makes significant difference. Otherwise people wouldn't pay 3 times more money for only 2/3 stop difference (Nikon 85mm F1.4 vs F1.8 for example).

I don't have Pana 45mm F2.8 but I recently compared bokeh of Olympus 45mm and 75mm with 12-40mm at 40mm and F2.8. To me the difference is clear. Can't say for sure but Pana 45mm F2.8 probably would have similar bokeh as 12-40mm lens since it's also aspherical.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/52669578

I very rarely use 45mm and 75mm lenses with smaller than F2.0 aperture. I think, photos with F2.8 just don't look as good as with F1.8.

As for topic, once I got 75mm F1.8 lens I use 45mm F1.8 only as a backup lens - for cases when 75mm is too long. Such cases don't occur very often to me, and otherwise 75mm is clearly a better lens, well deserved 5 stars. 45mm is just too different FL, and it's also a very good lens.

but I'll be interested to see how the rendering (bokeh) differs. 45mm is a very useful focal length on FourThirds format.

I've chosen Sigma 2.8/60: for FL that I prefer, for very special image rendering, and for the money it costs.

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

Each of us makes our own choices and money is often a deciding factor. I just wasn't going to make the compromise you did and give up the opportunity to own what has come to be known as arguably one of the finest camera lenses ever designed. You do have extra cash to use as you wish. You have to decide to either carry two lenses or leave one at home. If you carry just the 60, you have a slower lens with less ability to isolate subject matter if desired and minus the highly regarded bokeh of the 75. If you carry just the 85, you have a bulkier lens with an adapter and no auto aperture and no auto focus.

The 75 isn't for everyone. I am just suggesting that potential buyers think long and hard about just how amazing this lens truly is.

Dan

pinnacle wrote:

dougjgreen1 wrote:

pinnacle wrote:

Just buy it. I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said. The lens excels in everything you would want it to excel in. Razor sharp. very low in optical aberrations, coma, astigmatism, and distortion. Absolutely wonderful bokeh!

If you can justify the cost based on your style of photography, get one.

I went with the Sigma 60mm f2.8, as well as an adapted used Samyang 85mm f1.4, as well as $300 remaining in my pocket awaiting some other expenditure

Each of us makes our own choices and money is often a deciding factor. I just wasn't going to make the compromise you did and give up the opportunity to own what has come to be known as arguably one of the finest camera lenses ever designed. You do have extra cash to use as you wish. You have to decide to either carry two lenses or leave one at home. If you carry just the 60, you have a slower lens with less ability to isolate subject matter if desired and minus the highly regarded bokeh of the 75. If you carry just the 85, you have a bulkier lens with an adapter and no auto aperture and no auto focus.

The 75 isn't for everyone. I am just suggesting that potential buyers think long and hard about just how amazing this lens truly is.

Dan

Hey Dan,

Great to see you're still here enjoying the gear.

Have you had a chance to use your 75 in a very dark indoor, such as a nightclub musical type setting?