Jan 7, 2021

Panasonic Lumix 14mm F2.5 - I Want More Pancake Lenses

I have owned the Panasonic Lumix 14mm F2.5 pancake lens before, many years ago, and I decided not to keep it because it is quite similar in size to the Olympus 14-42mm pancake kit lens, which offers a versatile zoom range. I admit the Panasonic 14mm is still smaller, being a prime lens it offers sharper optics and overall better image quality and the F2.5 brighter aperture is beneficial in low light environment. However, the Panasonic 14mm is also slower to AF and it does suffer severe purple fringing (chromatic aberration) issues when used on Olympus bodies. I loaned one from a friend recently and brought the Panasonic 14mm mounted on my own Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III for some street photography sessions. I got to say, I do enjoy using it, being so small, light and slim in design, and I am very happy with the image output that it delivers. 

I have made a video sharing my experience using the Panasonic 14mm F2.5 lens, watch it here (click).


I have blogged about the Panasonic 14mm F2.5 before, several years ago, and I shall not repeat myself writing my thoughts on the lens all over again. Instead, I shall share my fresh photographs taken from my recent street photography outings. I personally am starting to love the wider angle coverage for my street shooting, and I am slowly improving my use of wide angle photography. That was the main reason I got the Fujifilm XF10, to force myself to use wide angle, being a fixed lens on the camera with no zoom options, or interchangeable lens capability. I can totally see the Panasonic 14mm F2.5 being the perfect alternative for Micro Four Thirds shooters who want a truly compact 28mm equivalent prime lens. It should be quite cheap on the used market now and won't put a dent to your wallet, yet it does offer a significant upgrade over the kit lens when it comes to image quality. 





















I hope you guys enjoy the photographs! If you have the Panasonic 14mm F2.5, or owned one before, please share your experience with the lens. 


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7 comments:

  1. I have one that I have ‘glued’ to my e-pm2. I also have an optical finder (sigma) on that setup. Programmed one of the top buttons to switch off the display. Makes for a lovely compact walk-around camera. I wish Olympus would have a small m43 compact with fixed focal length lens to rival the fuji and ricoh compacts. Like the XA of long ago, but digital.

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    1. I wish Olympus had such a camera too! I'd certainly nab one.

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  2. I have one that I have ‘glued’ to my e-pm2. I also have an optical finder (sigma) on that setup. Programmed one of the top buttons to switch off the display. Makes for a lovely compact walk-around camera. I wish Olympus would have a small m43 compact with fixed focal length lens to rival the fuji and ricoh compacts. Like the XA of long ago, but digital.

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  3. I fell in love wit this lens. Sharp from edge to edge, very nice contrast and so compact that makes it the perfect lens for street and travel photography. https://www.flickr.com/photos/regiscorbet/40096219285/in/dateposted-public/

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  4. So you got him back with your OM-D EM-1 mk iii?

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  5. Dear Robin, do you think it's useful to use higher ISO for strong highlights like the skies in some of these very nice pictures? Cf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8hHFt3ChZ8, the idea being that strong highlights are better preserved in higher ISO.

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