PANASONIC LUMIX G II Lens, 20MM, F1.7 ASPH., MIRRORLESS Micro Four Thirds, H-H020AK (USA Black)

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Find more great lenses in our guide to the best Micro Four Thirds lenses, or have a look at the best Panasonic cameras, and the best Olympus cameras. I can actually confirm, the focus noise is still there. But it is definitely less noisy than before, I would say the noise has been reduced by half.

I deliberately choose my focal length, it's a part of the creative process. If I want to compress depth and maintain a stand off distance, I will shoot that way with a longer focal length - 'zooming with my feet' won't give me the look that I want. I’m all set up with my Olympus E-PL1 now. Using my old Nikkor primes on it. Works like a treat. I’m using it now more than my pro Nikon cameras as it’s just so damn good. It’s also a brilliant filmmakers camera. I’ve just completed some testing with it for a documentary film I’m making. Rather than use the SEMA-1 mic system, which is excellent by the way, I’d rather use the electronic viewfinder and so I’ve decided to gather audio separately and sync together in post. The VF-2 is such a gem to use for filming. Such a shame Olympus couldn’t blend the two devices together, the mic and the viewfinder. Perhaps that’ll come soon. I think the most prudent equivalence would be ISO, to stop using ISO numbers that are not equivalent performance in dynamic range and SNR. This would reveal the IQ advantage of larger sensors while stopping so many comparisons that don't make sense because there are not always equivalent lenses between formats, only hypothetical ones (e.g. there is no f/3.4 50mm prime this small and light for full frame--although this is more a problem for other focal lengths). I was worried of using Panny on Oly assuming it would lose out on many things that only come with close integration of hardware and software. From your review it seems like a non issue.

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Panasonic 20 mm f/1.7 is very attractive for street photography, wedding photography or other occasions where you want to be as unobtrusive as possible as a photographer. And it’s an ideal travel companion for your holidays. only real weakness (provided you've got decent CA removal software or dxo), is focus speed because it's good but not brilliant. Good review and makes me interested in Pana 20mm. I currently use E-PL3, do you think it will give similar result to your E-P2? I am afraid that even if I add up the Pana 20mm f1.7 but the result is not as good.

When compared with against rivals with similar focal lengths, the new lens ranks third, surprisingly, behind the original model and the Olympus M. Zuiko 17mm f1.8 although it outperforms the latter lens in overall image sharpness.Lens flare can cause some loss of contrast especially when shooting directly into bright light sources, while multiple ghosts of bright sources can manifest themselves as colored 'blobs' that get more defined the more you stop the lens down. I think I’m going to put budget for the lens for next month and should be very happy with the combo… Falling in love with this lens is inevitable. Highly recommended when looking for something like this! The 7-aperture blades mean that sun-stars have 14 points. 1/400s, f/14, ISO200, 20mm. Photo: Joshua Waller I’m absolutely convinced of the quality of this lens. But… what about the focal length? 35 mm is my favorite focal length landscape/context shooting. And I prefer to jump to 70-85 mm for portraits/details. The 40 mm Pana is, as you say, “in between the two great classic focal lengths, the 35 and 50.” But isn’t that a bit problematic? It is neither fish nor flesh. Neither a landscape lens nor a portrait lens. It falls in a “no man’s land” where some photographers may find difficult to work.