olympus now have a nifty fifty

Sebzy

For any of you who don't know the Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:2.8 PANCAKE lens is now on sale and the price looks right.

€168 form HK
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150248184789&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:IE:1123

It's not on my list at the moment as the 30mm f1.4 works just fine.

Borderfox

Pity its an f2.8, 30mm f1.4 would buy and sell it in low light..:)

Sebzy

Borderfox wrote: »

Pity its an f2.8, 30mm f1.4 would buy and sell it in low light..:)

well if you want the f1.4 version it's made my leica

LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. @~€;600
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0703/07030703leica50mmsumm.asp

Borderfox

Price is not too bad for what you are getting..

magicbastarder

Sebzy wrote: »

It's not on my list at the moment as the 30mm f1.4 works just fine.

bastard importers are not being helpful in getting this to the camera exchange for me.

Sebzy

magicbastarder wrote: »

bastard importers are not being helpful in getting this to the camera exchange for me.

Just buy it online it will get to you faster than camera exchange can source it

magicbastarder

seems hahnel, the sigma importers for ireland, are just rude and unhelpful.

now, my dilemma is - 30mm f1.4 or 24mm f1.8 macro?
latter is cheaper, and has macro, but smaller max aperture. choices.

Fajitas!

I loved my Sigma, and it still focuses pretty close, especially with the 2x crop on Oly's

magicbastarder

the annoying thing is a friend is in NY at the moment, for the next three days. so i have to decide soon; the 30mm is $399 and the 24mm $329 in adorama. no shipping or customs to worry about.

duffarama

That's a no brainer, the 30mm is a much better quality lens with a HSM motor and the 24 looks much cheaper (from viewing them on the B&H website) the 30mm F1.4 gets decent reviews by user on the DPR Olympus forum too.

duffarama

Sebzy wrote: »

well if you want the f1.4 version it's made my leica

LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. @~€;600
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0703/07030703leica50mmsumm.asp

Sebzy, where can you get this lens for about €600, I was under the impression it would cost much more than that. Although, that is still expensive, I could buy another body for the rice of the lens!

magicbastarder

duffarama wrote: »

That's a no brainer, the 30mm is a much better quality lens with a HSM motor and the 24 looks much cheaper (from viewing them on the B&H website) the 30mm F1.4 gets decent reviews by user on the DPR Olympus forum too.

i went for the 24mm - they're both EX lenses, and i reckon the macro (1:2.7 vs. 1:10.4) will come in handy more than the extra third of a stop. seventy bucks cheaper, too.
that's assuming my friend has time to pop in.

duffarama

If your friend doesn't I have the Olympus 35mm Macro getting no use since I got the 12-60 and you'd be welcome to it if you'd find a use for it, otherwise it's getting sold/traded in for something. It's a wonderful lens but I don't use the Macro setting and would prefer a prime to be wider.

magicbastarder

balls, i've just been reading user reviews; the 24mm is getting poorer reviews on optical quality.

duffarama

Hope you can change your mind back again...

magicbastarder

she's out on the piss, i think - so no worries there.

magicbastarder

duffarama wrote: »

If your friend doesn't I have the Olympus 35mm Macro getting no use

how much would you be asking?

duffarama

Isn't such hawking frowned upon... I'll Pm you!

magicbastarder

ah, whoops.

duffarama

No worries, PM sent, I've seen some great Macro shots taken with this lens, it can magnify to 2:1 I think but Macro isn't my thing and I've a lens which can get pretty close now with some decent depth of field.

The 35mm Macro is highly regarded even though it's one of the standard grade lenses.

Best of luck getting the 30mm F1.4 though, it's a great lens.

Flickr searches for both lenses should give you an idea of what can be achieved with them.

magicbastarder

one camera shop - i won't say which - just rang me back, after having been on to hahnel, the irish distributors for sigma. they claimed the lenses i was interested in are not available in four thirds mounts, which contradicts the sigma website. another shop was told that they simply weren't interested in importing the lens i wanted. another shop told me that getting non canon or nikon mount lenses from them was probably a lost cause, and another told me they'd simply stopped stocking sigma because they found the distributors to be impossible.

so i've fired off a mail to sigma UK enquiring as to how to go about making a complaint.

duffarama

It not only contradicts the Sigma website but also users on the DPreview Olympus SLR forum! Also there is a Sigma 18-50 F2.8 macro in Conns second hand at the moment if you want tangible proof that they make 4/3's lenses.

Do complain and maybe look into getting what you want from a German based eBay store or something.

It must be mighty frustrating after waiting so long for the lens though

magicbastarder

any recommendations on german stores? i'm over in dusseldorf every so often on business, and i could get it delivered there.

duffarama

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&q=kamera+dusseldorf&meta=

I don't know Dusseldorf but the internets are your friend

magicbastarder

response from sigma, copied to the irish distributor:

Thank you for your e-mail dated July 27th 2008.

Distributor must handle all Sigma products for their market.
We think "Distributor in Ireland" has no problem to import Sigma lenses
for Olympus mount (FT) any time.
So we wish you will contact "Hahnel" once again.

Best Regards,
Sigma Corporation

Fajitas!

Ever so helpful

Including some wonderful grammar.

magicbastarder

i'm going to wait a bit to see if hahnel respond to the mail, and if not, i'll respond, and copy sigma on my response.

magicbastarder

the lens has been ordered for me.

interestingly, i've heard that the husband of a friend had hassle trying to get non-stock lenses too.