Leica Built 42.5mm is One Fabulous M43 Lens

Photo enthusiasts all know that anything with "Leica" label does not come cheap, and they almost always built to the highest level of sophistication.  This spectacular lens with a long title, "Panasonic 42.5mm ƒ/1.2 ASPH POWER OIS Leica DG NOCTICRON" was announced earlier this year, and is expected to start shipping next week.

I have owned the predecessor to this one, 25mm version, which were also jointly built with Leica.  That lens has always been my favorite Micro Four Thirds lens from day one, among 5-6 other lenses I have in my collection.  There is something magical about the image it produces besides be super fast and super sharp.

Well, the 25mm f/1.4 has been labeled as one of the best lens ever tested by many professional reviewers at the time, and it only costed about $550.  That seemed somewhat pricey at the time, but I don't fee that way any more when I saw the price tag of this baby. $1,599!!

The 45mm version is a bit faster and features O.I.S. image stabilization.  If you own one of the latest Olympus camera, you probably won't need it however.

New reviews on this 45mm f/1.2 version claims that this new lens is the king of MFT prime lenses with over the top sharpness and zero distortion.

It's definitely a high-end lens squarely aimed at professional photographers or advanced amateurs in need of a pro-level portrait or low-light lens. The 42.5mm focal length equates to 85mm in 35mm world, making it an ideal portrait lens.

The Panasonic 42.5mm ƒ/1.2 ASPH POWER OIS Leica DG NOCTICRON lens is currently available for pre-order for $1,599 at Amazon and few other online retailers.

You can see a few sample images here: Link