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

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:

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.

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

It will improve the lens.

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

@Rambo did you update the lens firmware to 1.1?

Rambo

Thanks Driftwood, that confirms it.

R

driftwood

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

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.

Rambo

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

Thanks.

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

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 · 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.

stoney

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

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 · 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.

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!!!

Rambo

Ok thanks again, i have both 14 - 140 and 45 - 200 so the speed with a GH1 is probably the same as the 45-200. That is fast enough for my requirements (20mm pancake was not) and the Power OIS will be a bonus.

There are some misinformed posts on the net about x lenses not working at all with any of the "1"Cams (GH1/GF1/ etc.) so i just wanted to make sure. Gunna grab one in Hong Kong this weekend.

R

stoney

I don't have 14-140G. Faster than 20G. About same as 14-45G. Hopefully new firmware improves it.

Rambo

How much slower AF, same as the 14 - 140kit? Better than the 20mm pancake?? Thanks

stoney

Slower AF. Power OIS worked fine. No focal distance displayed on power zooming.

Rambo

Can anyone confirm what features of the Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Power O.I.S. lens won't work on the GH1? It looks from Panasonic's website that the Light Speed AF might be missing and possibly the POWER O.I.S.

Panasonic state ...... The power zoom lenses can be used with DMC-GH2, DMC-G3, DMC-GF3 or DMC-GF2 if the firmware is not updated. However, Panasonic recommends all users to update it.

Anything else?? Thanks.

stoney

Never mind about the algebra. Hehe.

I don't have 14-42G. There was a video demo showing smooth exposure adjustment from 14-42G with firmware 1.1. But I just can't find the link.

In terms of image quality, I compared 14-42G vs 14-45G when I had them both. 14-45G had sharper corners. Surprisingly 14-42PZ has the sharpest corners. Better sell 14-45G fast on ebay. The list of used ones on ebay is getting longer.

Good news!

Panasonic has announced upcoming firmware updates for its Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Power O.I.S. pancake and Lumix G X Vario PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 Power O.I.S. Micro Four Thirds lenses. The latest firmware versions for both lenses enhance Touch Zoom operation with the recently released Lumix DMC-GX1, and improve AF performance while recording stills and videos. The update for the 45-175mm lens also improves its image stabilization function. Both will be available for download from Panasonic's website from 06:00 GMT on November 17th.

One dilemma. The PZ is a killer for the other pancakes.

I used to take 20G pancake instead of 14-45G. The zoom has decent AFC and lighting fast and quiet AF, but the pancake is so easy to carry around all day. Now I have the PZ lens. It was in my "man bag" over last weekend where 20G stayed home. It's time to say good bye to my beloved 20G. I'm getting 25mm 1.4 Leica DG soon. http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/gx1.html 25DG not video optimized lens, but I would like a set of 14G and 25DG. The 14G pancake... I don't really need it as the PZ is sharper and has Power OIS. It is one step faster, but I'm willing to trade it with 12mm 1.6 HyperPrime. The PZ is going to be my only pancake.

balazer

@stonebat, I'm not sure what you were trying to say with 1/3 * 1/3 = 1/9. Mathematically, of course it is true. :) But if your aperture size has 1/3 stop increments and your shutter speed has 1/3 stop increments, that doesn't give you 1/9 stop granularity in exposure adjustment. It's still just 1/3 stop granularity in exposure adjustment.

I have the Lumix G 14-42 lens, and it doesn't exhibit the same smooth exposure adjustment that the 14-140 does, even with the 1.1 firmware. I believe the "HD video support" mark is now for lenses that have fast focusing during video recording and quiet operation, and that "continuous auto exposure" is not a component of being HD. http://www.dpreview.com/news/2011/9/13/panasonicfw

Panasonic's web site is now showing the 14-45 G lens as being HD, though its last firmware update was in 2009. It seems like they have relaxed the standard for HD, because I'm pretty sure that when I was checking these a year ago, the 14-140 was the only HD lens. What are you thinking the other lenses gained in the latest round of firmware updates that the 14-45 G didn't?

stoney

@balazer yes something like that :)

This topic had been discussed before. Barry Green confirmed that 14-140 G is not stepless. I can't recall exact details, but your theory sounds familiar.

I tested it out in fluorescent lighting. I didn't see flickering. SS can be locked at 60 while aperture and ISO can change 1/3 steps respectively. 1/3 * 1/3 = 1/9.

The 14-42 PZ (formal naming for this X lens) seems exhibiting the same feature as 14-140. So did the 14mm G (pancake) and the 14-42 G after applying the latest lens firmwares!!! They deserve to have "HD" mark. But Panasonic didn't update 14-45 G's firmware. Really pissed me off. That's another reason I upgraded to 14-42 PZ. I wouldn't be surprised if they discontinue 14-45 G. You know... Panasonic really want GF1 & 14-45 G owners upgrade to GX1 & 14-42 PZ.

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