Make sure this fitsby entering your model number. 20mm focal length, equivalent to 40mm on a 35mm film camera F1.7 brightness for beautiful, soft focus Comprised of seven lenses in five groups, closest Focusing Distance:0.2m / 0.66 feet Used with Lumix G Micro System Cameras, allows for use of the advanced contrast Auto Focus (AF) system Lens not Zoomable
I bought this prime lens to go with my Panasonic GH5 because it was relatively affordable and seemed very compact. My main lens is a more expensive Leica 12-60mm, but this 20mm is much more compact and takes better photos in low-light, which is great for indoors. Having previously used that more expensive zoom lens I was slightly disappointed that the manual-focus ring wasnt very sensitive and didnt accelerate based on how fast I turned it. The auto-focus motor definitely isnt silent, but its still quite usable and doesnt bother me. The attached photo was taken in a dimly lit room on my Panasonic GH5, F-stop 1.7, Shutter speed 1/60 sec, ISO-1000, with lossless compression (from raw to png).
Isaac
4
As I was traveling, I noticed that throwing a camera in a bag wasnt really possible with my GH5 because the lenses were either heavy or just stuck out too much to take quick casual photos. I decided to get the 20mm low cost pancake lens because I already had a manual 25mm lens and I felt that the Panasonic brand would have a little better auto focus. It turns out that this lens is very sharp, fast, and has great bokeh capabilities for it super lightweight and small package. The only cons are typical for a low cost Panasonic lens, the focus lens is sticky and crunchy sounding over time, the autofocus for photos is slow and noisy, and you CANNOT use AFC for some reason. However, when using autofocus in video, the motor noise in the lens is reduced significantly probably because it does more smoother slower focus.
Jeremy
4
When I read that Panasonic was working on a successor to its Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens (which Ive owned almost since its release), I was excited. After all, the original was exceptional; how do you improve on such a solid product? Initial reviews implied that, well, they *didnt* improve on it. This refresh was cosmetic, and the lens was identical optically. I decided to take a pass. That was, of course, until my E-PM1 (with the original lens attached) went for an unexpected journey on the roof of my car. Suffice it to say it ended well for neither camera nor lens, and when I went to replace the 20mm I discovered that the new version was cheaper than the old. An easy enough decision! What follows is by and large my original review. Really, the only things that have changed are appearance and the weight, and those only in vanishingly small ways. The lenses are otherwise, as near as I can tell, functionally identical. Ive tested this lens on a GF3 and on the E-M5. **** First off, this lens really is wonderfully compact - its physically a perfect match for small bodies. There are smaller pancake lenses of similar focal lengths (the Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 and the Olympus 17mm f/2.8 ), but neither are as bright; I think the 20mm hits the sweet spot. The lens has a massive manual focus ring (which is a control for the M43 "focus by wire" electronic focusing system) which is easy enough to use once you get the hang of it. The updated version now ships with smaller lens caps. Its otherwise basically the same size as the original. As for the results... well, you can read the charts, but suffice it to say that this is a very good performer. Its sharp wide open, with some very slight softness towards the corners which can be improved by stopping down. The lens does rely on software correction to deal with some fairly strong light falloff towards the corners at wide apertures. If you dont want to use software correction, note that the vignetting can be resolved by stopping down to around f/4. Autofocus is as accurate as any other lens Ive tried, and low light AF hit ratio is good (thanks, no doubt, to the large aperture). AF speed is adequate but not exceptional, and its a bit louder than would be ideal for video if you intend to use the internal mic. Oh, and dont be scared off by the "odd" 40mm equivalent focal length. If youre used to 50mm as "normal" from the film era, I think youll find 20mm quite pleasant. The little extra width can be nice to have at times. No discussion of this lens would be complete without mentioning its larger, brighter cousin, the Panasonic Micro 4/3 25mm f/1.4 . I own both lenses, and the 25mm f/1.4 is arguably better in several respects; in addition to its faster aperture, the 25mm boasts improved autofocus performance, which is somewhat quieter and faster than the 20mm (primarily when "hunting," which is when the 20mm slows down). The minor aperture advantage of the 25mm is on its own not very significant, but the combination with a longer focal length does provide it with a noticeably narrower perceived depth of field. So why, then, would I go back and buy the "worse" 20mm all over again? It comes down to size. While the 25mm f/1.4 is great, its also twice as big, which is why I consider the 20mm f/1.7 a must have for use on smaller bodies (which might be placed in a jacket pocket or purse). It strikes the perfect balance between brightness and size when paired with a "rangefinder" style body (e.g. the Panasonic GM1, Olympus E-PM2, etc). Its a great all around performer and the cost, although high, is not totally unreasonable for something of this quality. **** Bottom line: this is a must own for anybody with a small M43 body. And if you find yourself torn between the "new" and "old" versions, or contemplating an upgrade? Theres really basically no difference of note. Stick with whats cheaper (or what you already have!)
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