DxOmark (Click here) and also ePhotozine (Click here) tested the 14-42mm II (non X!) lens. And the DxO result shows that the 14-42mm II lens beats the X power zoom (and compact) version. ePhotozine “Highly Recommends” the lens and writes: “The Panasonic Lumix G VARIO 14-42mm II Lens has excellent sharpness throughout the zoom range.”
DxO also underlines one problem, none of the existing cheap MFT zoom kit lenses is really a high quality performer. It’s my opinion that Panasonic and Olympus should try to produce a lens with the characteristics of the Fuji 18-55mm f/2.8-4.0 lens.
Reminder: The new GF6 will come with an updated new 14-42mm lens that is a little bit shorter. Stay tuned on 43rumors on Tuesday 6 am London time! We will follow live the Panasonic announcement.
21 Responses
Aka the v fine 14-54 43 2.8-3.5 lens; if only they could put that in a small body.
Let them come up with a 2.8-3.5/14-54 OIS ASPH and let the debate rage over the price/IQ/size compromise.
its like the Panasonic 7-14 versus the Olympus 9-18 : I don’t mind having the choice!
I’ve got the 12/45/75 primes, but the 14-54 II is my go-to lens on my E-M5, for general walk around shooting.
Even with the MMF-3 I don’t mind the size, so a native m43 version, shorter sans MMF-3, I’d love to see. The focusing speed doesn’t bother me so much either, I can live with it for the quality it produces.
A native m43 12-60 would rock, but I’d also pony up the cash for a native m43 14-54.
I say if you need a good general zoom then save you pennies and pick up the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 and be done with it. $979 eBay.
I thought the X lenses are premier or best , just below Leica branded lenses .
How could it beaten by a G Vario lens ???
I agree with admin , a F2.8 to F4 with similar focal length should be the one to come out , and surely light up the ingredients more this one .
The X branding appears to mean “premium”, but not necessarily optically superior. The power zoom lenses are branded X but are clearly not up to the standard of the f/2.8 zooms which are also X. I don’t even know if the X in GX-1 was meant to have anything to do with anything. All the letters in the panasonic naming system seem completely arbitrary! We are all confused.
The 14-42 II is a nice update for the “big” 14-42, but for cameras like GF and GX 14-42 PZ was simply more suitable. And Oly would do well to create something like this for PENs. Only it should start with 12mm, or at most 13 if they could get a MAR sensor.
If it starts at 12mm instead of 14mm, it has to be much bigger to maintain that current image quality, low as it is.
Kit zooms are not supposed to be good, but this one seems to defy the norm just like the 14-45 before it. Pity it’s hard to convince customers that a quality lens is just as important as a quality sensor.
Very valid point as often the cameras with their std kits lenses the sensor is out resolving the lens. As a result unless one uses a better IQ lens then the standard kit lens, one is unlikely to experience the greater resolving power of the better sensors. Since this improved kit lens from Panosonic is outresolving the typical kit zoom lenses by a factor of 40% chances are this would more than compensate for the difference compared to using a better sensor such as that in the EM5 or GH3 with previous kit lens. This is a good move by Pany improving not only the IQ of the kit lens but also higher grade construction as well with metal mount.
Very valid point as often the cameras with their std kits lenses the sensor is out resolving the lens. As a result unless one uses a better IQ lens then the standard kit lens, one is unlikely to experience the greater resolving power of the better sensors. Since this improved kit lens from Panosonic is outresolving the typical kit zoom lenses by a factor of 40% chances are this would more than compensate for the difference compared to using a better sensor such as that in the EM5 or GH3 with previous kit lens. This is a good move by Pany improving not only the IQ of the kit lens but also higher grade construction as well with metal mount especially at no increase in cost.
ok.i know your toungue isnt truly english.so i am glad to say that no such thing like ‘less longer’. shorter.
@ Admin:
“The new GF6 will come with an updated new 14-42mm lens that is a little bit less longer.”
“…a little bit less longer.”
Do you mean shorter then? If that’s the case, say so 😉
It’s his second language, jackwad.
Thirds or four language, or maybe (Four Thirds languarge) so many of us. LOL
Thanks for your help! Much appreciated! 🙂
More to the point, I think he is saying that it is coming with *this* lens, right? that’s always been my assumption. But the way he put it, it’s ambiguous …
dxomark should change their name to nikonmark. They say that there isnt a kit lens that is a true performer but then when you compare it to just about every other kit lens the new panasonic spanks them. look for yourself.
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Compare-Camera-Lenses/Compare-lenses/%28lens1%29/160/%28lens2%29/1105/%28lens3%29/367/%28brand1%29/Nikkor/%28camera1%29/587/%28brand2%29/Panasonic/%28camera2%29/0/%28brand3%29/Canon/%28camera3%29/272
dxomark should change their name to nikonmark. They complain that no existing kit lens is a top performer but when you compare the panny to just about every other kit lens the panny beats them.
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Lenses/Compare-Camera-Lenses/Compare-lenses/%28lens1%29/160/%28lens2%29/1105/%28lens3%29/367/%28brand1%29/Nikkor/%28camera1%29/587/%28brand2%29/Panasonic/%28camera2%29/0/%28brand3%29/Canon/%28camera3%29/272
Lens tests in isolation tell us little about the overall system performance lens plus sensor = output. With regards to sensor tech either with their versions of Sony supplied sensors such as the D800 or their own designs { fabricated by Toshiba} in the D5200/D7100 there is little doubt that Nikon cameras lead the field.
Lens tests in isolation tell a lot when you keep resolution requirements of your system of choice in mind. Most serious photographers buy lenses for the somewhat longer term, and will typically use a lens with more then one body. Testing with only current bodies will not tell you much about what you can expect once the next generation of bodies comes around.