Quote:Hi all.
Does anyone have an idea why (M)FT lenses are much more expensive than their Full Format equivalents, and why most of the time there isn't any equivalent at all?
For instance, you can buy a Nikon 300mm f4 for 1500 Euro, while dealers demand 2500 Euro for the equivalent Four Thirds Zuiko 150mm f2.0.
A Full Format 70-200 f4 can be bought for 1000 Euros new, its Four Thirds equivalent 35-100mm f2.0 costs more than double that amount: 2400 Euros, while a 35-100mm f1.4 isn't offered at all. A 35-100mm f1.4 would be the equivalent of the ubiquitous FF offering 70-200mm f2.8 that is usually priced around some 2000 Euros, i.e. significantly less than its weaker FT sibling.
I wonder why that is. Is it physically impossible to make a 35-100mm f1.4 (M)FT lens that would behave like a 70-200mm f2.8 FF, or much more expensive?
Cheers
(M)FT lenses are not slower than their FF counterparts!
A f/2 lens is a f/2 lens, regardless of the sensor you put behind.
FT lenses were (and probably still are) built to the highest standard, higher than any Canon or Nikon lenses. The quality control was much better which is costly.
As far as MFT goes, the concept is to provide smaller gear overall.
A lens such as a Panasonic 100-300 f4-5.6 mounted on a MFT body is equivalent, in terms of focal length and aperture, to a 200-600 f8-11.2 lens mounted on a full frame body. Note that I'm not talking about lenses only, but systems. The 100-300 lens remains a f4-5.6 lens.
However, such a combination simply doesn't exist in FF land. This is the strength of MFT: you can get a very small package at the cost of DOF control and IQ. The last point, IQ, doesn't matter all that much these days since we reached good-enough IQ for quite some time now and unless you need to print very big, it should be enough for the vast majority.
Then, it's just a matter of what you shoot. For instance, I'm strongly considering (re)buying into MFT for the long lenses options, especially when Oly will release their 300mm f4. Nothing in the market can give you that reach in such a small form factor. Also, with such long lenses, I don't find the lack of DOF control to be an issue at all.