Image courtesy: Lensrentals.
Roger Cicala from Lensrentals disassembled the two Panasonic pancakes to show us what’s inside. There are many technical differences between the two pancakes. But what impresses me is how many pieces you can find in these small lenses. Panasonic really did a great work on these lenses, making them so small but at the same time with a very decent image quality for a relatively low price.
The 14mm can be bought Open Box for $183 on [shoplink 34538 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
Price check of the 14mm at [shopcountry 16258].
Price check of the 20mm at [shopcountry 4796].
16 Responses
It says “Probably because only one group is moving, rather than the entire lens, the 14mm has the reputation of focusing more rapidly and being quieter during focus”. I hope that Pana makes a new version of 20mm with faster and silent AF like 14mm.
very interesting look inside. they are much more complex than i imagined! yes an updated 20mm would be very welcomed. it’s quite useless for AF video right now.
‘Naked pancake’ – too long and difficult to write down. You may use ‘pannake’ instead… 😀
Why not panaked?
Even better, LOL
Nice find, but ahum, “very decent image quality”? The 20/1.7 is a classic, it has rather more than “decent” image quality I’d say . I was in Berlin last weekend and if it had not been for the socialist building rage of building large blocks, I would not have needed my 7-14/4 as the 20/1.7 is a very nice companion.
I love the 20mm but like duncan said, a mk II with faster AF would be welcome.
Perhaps with metal construction and aperture ring that can be sold as an up-spec model.
Really cannot find the reason why such a pancake should have metal construction. High grade plastic (which is the case) would be more than enough – moreover, gives a much pleasant touch feeling and a lighter body.
Maybe I’m a traditionalist, i think metal is nice. Makes me feel like I’m getting what I pay for if I were to fork out $500.
Metal not needed, they are cheap pancakes. I have both – I’m very satisfied. IQ better than expected, more than decent. I prefer the 14mm ofer the 7-14 at the long end.
Yes: 20mm a little bit slowly on the OM-D, I have also pieces of sand in the distance ring – disturbs at MF al little bit – but it still works with AF normally.
Banding: Not a big problem for me.
people always go on about metal… i personaly feel metal has no advantages in camera or lens construction over good engeneering plastics apart from heat resistance!
Plastics are lighter, corosive resistant, shock absorbing, cheep, strong, easy to manufacture into the most intricate of shapes and can come in any colour, even transparent! I don’t see any compromise in the use of plastics as I feel they are actualy a better material for cameras and lenses…
+1
When I compare my old OM 35-105 3.5/4.5 (470 g) with the ZD 12-60 2.8/4.0 (575 g), I’m happy with plastic. Larger wide angle (I used an additional OM 24/2.8 185 g). Longer tele (so x5 instead of x3). Larger aperture at all focal lengths.
what is this banding problem?
there is a known (google it) problem with EM-5 and 20mm Pana. Color banding at ISO6400 and higher – they say it might be from some electrical interference.
But some ppl have experienced color banding below ISO6400 so one doesn’t know – some ppl do not have it. Glad Oly is coming with 17mm F1.8 and usualy Olympus produces much better glass than Pana (my 12-35 is purple (due to chromatic aberations)and 35-100 feels like £500 lens not like £1200 I paid for it, even if stepped down sharpness is not there, and bokeh is distracting to say it nicely)
It’s a computer with a bit of glass in the middle.
Erm… What exactly should we then understand by “can be bought open box”? 🙂