Panasonics collapsible X lenses (14-42mm pancake and 45-175mm tele)

stoney

Hope u guys had a nice dinner.

A test shots of 14-42 PZ on GH2 at low shutter speed.

There is something addictive about pancakes. I love this lens!!!

stoney · Screen shot 2011-11-17 at 2.46.16 PM.png

I did another round of pixel peeping.

14-42 PZ vs 14mm 2.5 on GF3. On a focus plane, both showed about same sharpness at 14mm f/3.5. But the X lens showed slightly deeper DOF. Also better and brighter color rendition. Benefit of the nano coating? Whatever they did, I like the X. 14mm 2.5 shows the old Panasonic color tone. This X shows new Panasonic color tone closer to true red. Obviously Panasonic did something special about lens coating.

Bye 14mm 2.5. It's going to ebay, too.

Dazza

@stonebat

a firmware update just got released for the 14-42 PZ

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/dl/ps14042.html

Changelog:
1). Optimized operation when using Touch Zoom with DMC-GX1
2). Improved AF (Auto Focus) performance in photo / video recording

stoney

Thanks. I already did :). It seems working better. Less focus hunting.

stoney · Screen shot 2011-11-18 at 12.32.00 AM.png

Shipping my 20mm 1.7 tomorrow. I just had to do pixel peeping... otherwise nostalgic memory might make me buy the lens again.

14-42 PZ vs 20mm 1.7 G at 20mm and f/3.5.

The X zoom has better color rendition more pleasant to my eyes, but it's slightly less sharp than the 20mm 1.7 although some people might like less sharpening. I guess there is no clear winner here. A better comparison would be 20mm 1.7 and 25mm 1.4.

Edit: my opinion is based on my copy. there might be wide sample variation.

Rambo

Tried the new 14 to 42 X lens on my GH1, agree with Stonebat very nice colors, acceptable fast auto focus for my needs on a GH1. Awesome quality, but so light feels like a toy. Out of focus areas look great, tad less sharp than 20mm f1.7.

Has a Canon "L" lens quality look without the harshness of some of the other Lumix lenses, love it, will probably stay on one of my GH cams permanently.

Control of the zoom would be neat if it could be done with a button on the body.

R

stoney

Told ya. JPEG photos out of camera look great. Definitely less bluish and less greenish. Good red and yellow.

I have no idea why this lens is being bashed by many people. Who knows... We might have been lucky to get a good copy.

GF3 got a new setting after FW 1.1 update. Custom -> Power Zoom Lens has 4 options.
DISP FOCAL LENGTH
STEP ZOOM: step zooming through 14/18/25/35/42. I like it a lot. This applies to photo only.
ZOOM RESUME: remembers the last focal length
ZOOM SPEED: controls zooming speed

GH2 FW1.1 will enable the feature, too.

Rambo

Were are you reading the "bashing" Stonebat, what website?

Thanks.

stoney

Google 14-42X double image. You will find a bunch.

I tried 42mm, 1/100 SS, OIS on. I'm not getting the double image problem.

Try it at low SS like 1/8. The power OIS is very good at low SS.

driftwood

New lens info released at Panny. http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/ps_lens.html

Rambo

Thanks Driftwood, that confirms it.

R

stoney

@Rambo did you update the lens firmware to 1.1?

Rambo

No, don't think it will offer anything extra for GH1. May do it at a later date if there are any benefits.

stoney

It will improve the lens.

JRainey

@stonebat

I know you had posted a video of the 14-42, but I can't seem to find it anymore. Would it be possible to post a small test of the lens in situations with a little movement, panning etc. I just want to see how the power ois handles it. In your previous video it looked good, but there wasn't much movement.

stoney

I can't. It's in my wife's bag mounted on GF3 all the time. My gut feeling was Power OIS handled it nicely at 1/60 SS. Better than my previously owned 14-42 and 14-45. But I try to use a shoulder rig even with Power OIS. OIS is for supressing "micro" jitters that lower the overall sharpness. No OIS can replace a shoulder rig or a tripod. Also GH2 need a new firmware. We don't know how it will change the lens behavior.

Hope that helps.

weomck

I made a little video on the 14-42 x lens showing size and how the power zoom options work in the menu of the GH2. enjoy:

weomck

Another 14-42x video for you all. Showing the NANO flare at 14mm. (that's what I'm calling it) My take: zoomed out to 14mm in this example the NANO flare was annoying, but as soon as I zoomed in it disappeared. the fact that I was shivering from the cold didn't help it either... bouncing around.. 0:25-0:40 show the annoying part. also note right at 1:29 when I zoom all the way out the annoying flare magically appears. Then at 2:15 I zoom in and it disappears again. Anyway, have a look for yourself

weomck

here's a short video showing zooming in and out of 14-42 & 45-175 panny x lenses......

chauncy

Anybody know when on earth the 14-42x is coming out in US. It's still nowhere

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@chauncy

I am sure it is present on ebay.

weomck

i live in the US and I got it off ebay for $488 shipped to my door...

Brian202020

In case anyone is wondering, when you put these lenses on an AF100 you can control the power zoom on the lenses with a standard zoom controller like the Varizoom when it's plugged into the S/S port on the back.

I haven't tried it myself, but read the fine print on this page. http://pro-av.panasonic.net/en/af100/lens_compatibility.html

stoney

Hmmm... when the dust settles, 14-42X should be worth around $300.

It has 2 EDs and 4 aspherical elements. Ain't cheap to make it.

The minimum distortion at 25mm.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH OIS + Gh2

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

Tags in Topic

Top Posters