Heather Broster, Author at Mirrorless Comparison

Author's Bio and Articles

Heather Broster

Heather Broster co-founded Mirrorless Comparison and has produced several reviews and comparisons for the website as well as our YouTube channel. A passionate photographer since her 14th birthday, she loves macro, butterflies, instant cameras and taking pictures of people at events.

Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 vs. FE 55mm f/1.8 – The complete comparison

One of the most recent additions to Sony’s full-frame range of optics is the FE 50mm f/1.8. It becomes the fifth full-frame lens with a standard field of view, and priced at just shy of $200, it is currently the company’s most affordable offering by a mile.

In this comparison, we’re going to be investigating how this “cheap and cheerful” option stacks up against the very first standard lens ever released for the system, the Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA. The latter has been a mainstay in our collection for nearly three years now, so we were eager to see whether the 50mm – which is around 1/5th of the price – can keep up with its premium sibling.

Updated on July 17th, 2017

Lens manufacturer Venus Optics turned some heads at Photokina 2016 when it announced the widest rectilinear prime for the Micro Four Thirds system, the Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0.

It differs from the other ultra wide-angle offerings for the system in that it is small, fast and happens to be a manual focus prime instead of an autofocus zoom. Its compact design make it the perfect companion for aerial photography, travel or any situation that requires the lightest set-up possible.

leica 8-18mm vs olympus 9-18mm product shots-1

The most natural point of comparison for the recently released Panasonic Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 is the only other high-end wide angle zoom for Micro Four Thirds, the Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO. (In fact, it was the very first comparison we published after receiving the Panasonic zoom to test.)

However, those drawn to the Leica’s versatile zoom range may also find themselves wondering how it compares to another wide angle zoom for the system with an almost identical range of focal lengths: the Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6.

Announced in June 2011, the Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 was the first Micro Four Thirds lens to have an equivalent focal length of 50mm (full-frame) and was the second Leica-branded prime from Panasonic. Today, there are a six different 25mm lenses for the system including the recent Lumix 25mm f/1.7, the “cheap and cheerful” alternative to its elitely-named cousin.

For many years, the Lumix G 7-14mm f/4 was the sole wide-angle zoom in Panasonic’s range of Micro Four Thirds lenses. This changed, however, when the premium Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4.0 was announced at last year’s Photokina.

Despite their slightly different zoom range, both lenses are suitable for a similar range of genres including landscapes, architecture and events.

Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 vs. FE 55mm f/1.8 – The complete comparison

Laowa 7.5mm f/2 vs the MFT Wide-Angle Zooms – Quick comparison

Panasonic Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 vs Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 – The complete comparison

Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 vs Lumix 25mm f/1.7 – The complete comparison

Panasonic Leica 8-18mm f/2.8-4 vs Lumix 7-14mm f/4 – The complete comparison