I have a 25mm Vespid series 1 lens coming to compliment my 40mm.
Same look, same strengths and weaknesses, same feel and handling and by all accounts, a close match in colour and lens performance.
My camera options give me a special feature using M or PL or any other adaptable mount lenses, in that I effectively have four lenses from each lens across my formats, so buying the 25 had to be balanced with what the 40mm offered on these formats and what the 25 added.
A normal wide
25mm (25 on full frame) is the wide angel. Not a crazy wide, just a true wide, something you can use for a natural look, just with a wider coverage, or you can exaggerate it by pushing in, adding angles etc. I looked at wider, but the reality is, apart from extreme sports and action (covered by other options), I have little use for a super wide in this space.
The “un-opinionated” standard
37mm (25 on APS-c crop) See below. This is particulalry handy for me right now as I cannot access full frame B-Raw on the S5 at smaller than 6k output, which is just really big, so it is in effect the lens I bought below in that situation and everything below counts.
40mm (40 on full frame) is the “perfect” one lens option, the not compressed, not wide angle distorted, ground zero lens that could, if needed, be the right choice for a one lens only project (you know something little like 1917).
45mm (25mm on 1.8x MFT). The GH5s and BMPCC4k use a larger than normal MFT sensor. This along with dual ISO performance give it near full frame low light performance with all the benefits of MFT format. The 45mm is close enough to the perfect standard, just pushing in to the very last of the neutral compression focal lengths. In reality it is not much different to 40mm, more in the mind than results, so another “one lens” lens, but this one is for the smaller format.
Mild compression standard
50mm (25mm on normal 2x MFT). The G9II and most other MFT cams turn the 25mm into the nifty fifty, the accepted standard lens, even if it is mathematically or practically not that at all. A little compression helps with interview setups, so the difference between 40 and 50 can be significant.
60mm (40mm in APS-c crop). The 60mm is fully in the mildly compressed portrait range. It is the perfect companion to 40mm , both straddling the normal 50mm. You could make a movie with any of these focal lengths and my kit will allow me to mix 40 + 60, 40 + 50 etc.
The portrait lens
70mm (40mm on 1.8x MFT). The 70mm is a curious lens. It is obviously more compressed than a 50mm or similar, but still very easy to use for most things. The ideal interview lens with a little included background, it can also be ideal for closeups and tight shots.
80mm (40mm on MFT). The longest this kit will give me, unless I crop 4 or 6k down to 2k, the 80mm is starting to get more telephoto looking. The 40mm has already proven itself here, taking some brilliant stills on a G9 Mk1, so I will be using this along with the wide.
Yeah, the sweet spot effect at work.
The four format-two lens kit is not all I have at hand, but if I choose to be consistent, I have all the focal lengths I would consider to be fully usable and within the range of normal looking. Any wider and the wide look takes over. Any longer starts to show also.
Full frame stresses the lens coverage the most, slightly soft corners being the price, but it also allows the lens to resolve more easily across the whole frame.
APS-c crop on a full frame is often derided, but the reality is, on Panasonic cameras, there is no inherent quality loss, just a closer look at image issues like grain, being a little bigger as the frame is cropped closer. I will use this Super 35 adjacent format a lot and the S5 forces it if I want C4k/B-Raw out.
MFT 1.8x is a rarity, only found on a couple of cameras, the GH5s being one of them. With acceptable low light performance, but MFT depth of field and the sweet spot advantage exaggerated, they have to resolve at their best as the smaller format uses less glass for more detail.
MFT 2x is the normal MFT crop, doubling the magnification, depth of field and often increasing light gathering potential through some lenses. The Vespid’s will act like 50 and 80mm lenses, making the G9II very “straight” in rendering, always natural looking with some or more compression.