Specs
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Joining Panasonic’s well regarded family of digital interchangeable lenses of LUMIX G based on the Micro Four Thirds standard, this model features a newly designed metallic profile, and sleek, sophisticated design elegantly finished in black and silver. Maintaining the stunning performance of LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH., the new LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH. is extremely compact and lightweight & its F1.7 brightness that enables beautiful soft focus on the background for the subject to stand out impressively.
Comprising seven lenses in five groups, the new lens system uses two aspherical lenses effectively to minimize both distortion and chromatic aberrations, achieving super high resolution from corner to corner. The versatile 20 mm focal distance (equivalent to 40 mm on a 35 mm film camera) is suitable for a wide variety of occasions from daily snapshots, to beautiful sceneries like sunsets, and dimly lit indoor shots taking advantage of its beautiful soft focus. The new lens supports Contrast AF system for high precision auto focusing.
Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. The new LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH. lens also features a highly reliable metal mount, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimize ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance. The new addition will be available from 29th July 2013.
http://panasonic.jp/dc/lens/lumix_g_20_2.html
This sounds like good old noisy motor. Bummer. Maybe Panasonic learned a trick from Sigma.
This sounds like good old noisy motor.
Why you think it is "old noisy motor"?
• AFC does not work for still image recording.
• The LUMIX G 20mm / F1.7 II ASPH. utilizes a lens drive system to realize a compact and bright F1.7 lens. As a result, sound and vibration may occur during focus operation, but this is not a malfunction.
• Operating sounds will be recorded when auto focus is performed during motion image recording. It is recommended to record with Continuous AF set to OFF, if the sound of operation bothers you. Also, it is not possible to set the focus mode to AFC.
Hmm. Just because it´s more noisy than the other AF lenses it doesn´t mean at all, that it´s as slow as the 1st edition. It´s also possible that it is way faster (but uses the same mechanical contruction for the AF drive). Let´s just wait for reviews. I still hope that the focusing IS faster (and also if it´s just a little bit faster it´s "nice to have") ...
Panasonic Lumix 20mm Vs 20mm II Lens Comparison Review
The Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II with a redesigned styling and metal parts, and this gives a very slight improvement in resistance to flare, as well as a slight improvement in contrast. The redesign has very slightly improved the position of the surrounding plastic closest to the lens, which results in a very slight improvement in shielding light from hitting the lens at oblique angles.
The improved build quality should make the lens last longer, although unfortunately there has not been an improvement in focus speeds with both the old and new lens giving the same focus speeds in our testing.
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/panasonic-lumix-20mm-vs-20mm-ii-lens-comparison-review-22686
Based on these sample videos, 20mm 1.7 II seems having tiny bit improvements on AF speed, noise, contrast, and smoothness of focus transition at least on GX7.
2nd video is old 20mm. The rest are from new 20mm.
DXOMark test. While having slightly worse numbers compared to first version, I think it is only for this one lens they had. Otherwise they are same optically.
Beautiful, clean & sharp pictures! And another lens which can be considered "Standard" -or "Normal*" (looks natural to the human eye); you can stick in on your Micro 4/3 and make it your only lens for a whole film or for point-and-shoot, with the auto-focus taking out all the hassle.
a lens with a focal length about equal to the diagonal size of the film or sensor format is considered to be a normal lens ..a lens that reproduces a field of view that generally looks "natural" to a human observer under normal viewing conditions -Wikipedia
Panasonic’s 20mm f1.7 II is a lens that is a well needed upgrade in some ways, but in other ways it is a step back. The lens could have added more saturation and also could have been sharper. But what you get in return is faster focusing and better build quality.
http://www.thephoblographer.com/2014/08/04/review-panasonic-20mm-f1-7-ii-micro-four-thirds/
On others reviews, it's said that there is no faster focusing on V2. Who's right?
the focus speed is the same, just on new panasonic cameras (GX7/GM1/GH4) it focus slightly faster, at least I am ok with the speed on GM1 now, on e-pm2 I am really not satisfied with speed.
Is there any of you using Lumix G6 + Lumix 20mm f1.7 II for video? Does the AFC work fast and silent compared to the first generation Lumix 20mm f1.7? Thanks
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