The portrait lenses now. These are not a perfect match, the Oly being a 90mm equivalent, but I chose to leave the tripod where it was.
Colours are consistent again.
The difference in the effective focal lengths is evident, the depth of field also stronger in effect to the full frame also, but once again, I am responding positively to the less dramatic drop off of the MFT lens, its ability to invisibly transition.
I guess what I am discovering personally is, f1.8 on a full frame lens has its uses, but at some time in the past, I just grew tired of the look and if I do want that look, I probably want it even more powerfully, like a 150 at f2.8 maximising compression and shallow depth.
This one is interesting. At the same aperture, I assumed there would be a massive difference, but the 45mm still has enough of the good stuff, plenty of gorgeous blurring, again with that harmonious transition.
Photography means a lot of different things to different people.
Tests like this help us understand not only a pair of similar but different lens trios in a (semi) controlled space, but also shines a light on our own likes and awarenesses.
My tolerance of gimmicks, forced looks based on exaggerated lens perspective, compression or shallow depth of field is waning. My need these days is for the process to become invisible, for it to be a supporting process for me to capture the life I see, not the excuse in itself, nor the creative driver alone.
I would once take images driven purely by the excitement of learning new gear and techniques, but now I just need it to be my eyes and my memory without an obvious opinion added. I will admit video is for me more in that past space, which may explain why I keep going with it.
I have three excellent full frame primes that do several jobs more than well enough, but their main trick, using their format and maximum lens speed are rarely appealing. They are problem solvers, they can remove ugly backgrounds, shoot in the scarcest of light, separate a nearly impossible to separate subject from a back or foreground. Sometimes they are even exemplars of their craft.
The Olympus lenses like most lenses in the MFT format, are more than that. They are always useable without panicky mental DOF math, always harmonious with my way of seeing and photographing the world (and the same with video capture?).
I find myself less impressed with super fast aperture lenses these days, unless they have the benefit of the MFT or APS-c format. In video in particular, I find f4 on a full frame (2.8 APS-c/Super 35 or f2 MFT) is about perfect.
MFT to me is not a choice of size or price as much as a preference for it’s way of seeing. It makes me feel safe, it throws few moments of technical fear in my face and just gets the job done without tell tale signs of process.
For fun I did a couple of closeups below, the Magenta adjusted Oly file on the left.
