Panasonic 14 42mm F3 5 5 6 G Series Digital
Bought this on the price drop to replace the 14-42mm Kit lens that came with my G3 and G5.
There is defintely a noticeable difference with regards to picture qiality, color and sharpness. I like it better than the 20mm and 14mm fixed lenses as it has zoom and the 20mm had purple fringing under certain lighting situations - the 14mm was not as sharp as even the Kit lens.
I tested this compact zoom both inside and outside for pics and at different zoom levels, wide open, its much sharper than the kit lens and fully zoomed it is still much clearer also - I am not seeing the distorion at the bottom of the frame like I did with the kit lens. I also tested it for video on my G5 and it looks great. Was waiting for the new 14-42mm kit lens that Pamasonic announced but think this lens is probably still going to beat that one too.
After much research, I decided to get this lens since on paper it seemed perfect for me. I had heard all about the many complaints regarding this lens which are well documented in many of the online reviews. I am happy to report that I have none of those problems. The output is very consistent, and the quality of the images is significantly better than the 14-42 kit lens that I was using previously. I shoot with the GH2, and it is so much more portable with this lens, and much more fun to use for both stills and video use. I would highly recommend this lens even though it is pricey. I would however recommend buying from a dealer who has a 30 return policy since there may be bad copies of this lens, as reported online.
BalasHapusI have always wanted the convenience of a zoom with the size of a pancake, but I have also read many poor reviews on this lens. I finally took the plunge and mine is perfect. The blurry image problem that some have reported is supposed to occur at longer focal lengths with shutter speeds between 1/160 to 1/200 and handheld. I cannot duplicate the problem on my G3. This little gem is very sharp, can focus faster than any lens I own (P20, PL25, P45-200), and the power zoom is really nice. This is now my favorite walk-around lens.
BalasHapusIt's very small and weighs very little. It's my first lens and works fine in my Panasonic GH3, clear and smooth images, fast autofocus.
BalasHapusI tried (hand held) it with 1/30, 1/60, /80, 1/100, 1/150, /1/200, 1/400 shutters in all widest, middle and 42mm focal lengths. Both with IS turned on and off and couldn't get a blurry picture that people are talking about. BUT I am using the new Olympus OMD camera.
BalasHapusIt is the best deal for the price and size. I think it is money better spent than my 12-35 f/2.8 lens which is maaaaarginally sharper but way bigger and 3.5 times more expensive.
A pancake-sized zoom lens with nano coating and optical stabilization makes this lens a modern day marvel. Panasonic removed the zoom ring and replaced it with a zoom and focus rocker that makes movie capture really smooth. I haven't noticed any softness when I compared it with my Sony NEX-5 and Nikon D200 set at similar settings and kit lenses mounted. I'm hoping Sony and Nikon follow Panasonic's lead and create a similar lens. Only CON is that Panasonic did NOT include a back lens cap or camera body cap with my kit.
BalasHapusJust bought this bundled with the GF-3. Did extensive testing on it at 35mm and 42mm from 1/60 to 1/200 shutter speed (this is the range when it is supposed to have problems). It looks very sharp -- haven't seen any problems. I updated the firmware as soon as I got it, so I don't know if it made any difference.
BalasHapusLens definitely seems to be hit-or-miss. So I got lucky. But I think more recent copies of the lens are better. (Though mine came with firmware 1.0, so it might have been an older batch, too). Anyway with Amazon's return policy, I wouldn't be afraid to roll the dice.
I have a more extensive review of the GF3 with this lens posted over at the GF-3 with the PZ 14-42X kit lens.
This is a great lens, if you are looking for a really compact standard M43 zoom, don't hesitate to pick one of these up!
BalasHapusThere have been lots of bad reviews about this lens. It seems that when it was first released (ca. late 2011), there were some quality problems, especially with the firmware. So the lens seems to have gotten a bad rap. But there have been at least some good reviews as well. I was looking for a more compact walk-around standard zoom, and this seemed like an interesting option, so I picked up a cheap one that had been de-kitted from a package deal GX1. I can't be more pleased!
I've already got the Olympus 14:42 IIR lens -- which has mediocre image quality and isn't really all that small. I'd upgraded from that to the Panasonic 14-45 (better image quality, but fairly bulky). I have done quite a few test shots over the past week in different subjects, focal lengths, exposure, etc. and I am safely convinced that the GX 14-42 is the optical equal of the 14-45. I tested at focal lengths 14/20/25/35/42, and apertures 5.6/6.7/8.0. In about 75% of the cases, I judged the X14-42 as equal to the 14-45. In almost all the remaining cases, the X14-42 actually looked better. At both "whole image" and pixel peeping levels. (Caveat -- all shot on an Olympus EP3, with the older 12 MP sensor, so perhaps there is a bigger difference between the 14-42 and 14-45 with a higher-resolution sensor).
Build quality is good. Size of the lens when collapsed is same as the Panasonic 20mm pancake, so the whole camera + lens now easily fits into a coat pocket.
Now, this is still a kit zoom, with a minimum aperture of F3.5 on the wide side and F5.6 on the telephoto side. So don't think it's going to replace your favorite primes for "when it counts." But, as a standard walk-around zoom, this one has earned a place in my bag, and the previous favorite 14-45 is going into the closet.
Given the initial quality control issues, make sure you get a new one or freshly de-kitted one from a reputable seller, don't take a chance on provenance of a used one.