Good: Good wide angle focal length. I know 28mm (its 35mm equivalent) is not the widest but its absolutely perfect for groups and wide rooms. The f2.5 aperture is a touch faster than fast (as fast is considered F2.8). This lens does have a little chromatic abberation but its very negligible. My use is video so I guess my opinion is skewed anyway to some. LOL. This lens is being used for low light music videos. It performs great and its pancake size is absolutely perfect for keeping my glidecam lightweight and faster to balance since this only adds 1.4 ounces to my camera setup! (That's better for my arm to be able to hold for more stable shots! Nobody seems to consider this anymore.) Bad: I don't know if its my copy of the lens only or if its all of them... but the focusing ring seems a lot stiff to me. It turns and focuses just fine albeit with a bit of a hold to get it there. Non weather sealed (SUPER BAD) and plastic body (but you have to in order to have it so lightweight). Overall: This is probably one of the most highly underrated lens' ever produced. I only wish that since its is so small it was about 1 F-Stop faster say F1.7 . Other than these negotiable cons, I bought it knowing these drawback (minus the stiff focusing ring) and I don't regret it. Since I use it to shoot music videos in low light I think its a budget super sneaky way to get good low light images.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I used to sell foto gear back in the 70's & 80's...back then,most major manufacturers charged between $250-$350 for a top quality wide angle lens...and it would weigh one and a half POUNDS! Panasonic was around back then but only in the video portion of the foto market...little did anyone know that 2 decades later all of their video knowledge would become state of the art FOTO technology...I jumped on the M 4/3 system fairly early...primarily because I knew that Olympus and Panny had a long history of building world beating optics... This 14mm lens is no disappointment...it's tiny,it's sharp,it's built in Japan...did I mention it's tiny??? Great walk around focal length and with my GM-1 body it's a pocket sized wonder=^)) I travel with this 14mm,the 12-32mm and the 20mm 1.7...these 3 lenses stacked on top of each other are actually smaller than my 35-70mm Nikkor from the early 80's...SWEET!!!Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Nothing beats its compact size.. If you want the smallest lens on your m4/3 camera, this is the one. Fits well on my OM-D EM5, no rattling or other problem so far. Autofocus is fast and silence. The wider aperture f2.5 will give you higher speed than the kit lens (mine's Oly 12-50/3.5-6.3).. But to be honest, apart from size and more exposure speed, IMO the IQ is not spectacular, just on par with the kit lens. But since I got it cheap on eBay, the bang for the buck is great and the built quality is also great.
This is an excellent prime focal length wide angle lens. It is a 28mm equivalent (in 35mm photography) which makes it useful for general photography, landscapes and some interiors. I have the 14-45mm Panasonic lens and this lens is noticeably sharper (at F/5.6 and smaller apertures) than the zoom. I use it on my Lumix GF-1 and together it makes for a very light, flexible photo platform. The lens focuses rapidly and quietly. It does not have an Image Stabilization motor so you do have be aware that at slower shutter speeds you need to hold the camera very firmly. My biggest surprise with this lens was how well it worked for video. I made a five minute video, in very low light at 800 ISO, hand held, and the resulting video showed very little shake. I assume that besides my trying to hold the camera steady the balance of camera and lens helped keep the image stable. The lens is a stop and a fraction faster than the 14-45 zoom (F/2.5 instead of F/3.5) which also helps in low light situations. My only complaint is that the retail price for this lens is high for a single focus prime. That said it is still a good choice for Olympus and Panasonic camera owners.Read full review
as a studio photographer for 10 years I've bought this lens as to shoot as compact as possible ant it is a true compact Auto focus speed is good but if you record video with full auto focus you will get the focus sound in your videos You have to have UV filter for protection if you do lens size increase Focusing close objects and portraits are very good and F 2.5 diapram blurs things away but. As a general problem for micro 4/3 cameras I believe focusing infinity quality is not good if you compare SLR cameras when you get close youll get distortion in portraits like any wide angle lens. Focusing ring is easy to use not too smooth for general handling not too loose for focus just in right the spot. İf you consider Buying this lens and Olympus Pen PM1 or PM2 and considering to put it into your pocket with the lens its not easy its better you have to remove the lens and use them in seperate pockets Video quality in low light is very good with 2.5 diapram. Overall good lens for 4/3 system camera but be carefull its a prime and you have to walk arround İf you want to shoot casual and consantrate on portraits and macro photography consider Olympus Zuiko 45mm 1.8 Lens Dont waste your money to manual focus CCTV lenses because 4/3 cameras has 3" LCDs so you cant actually see the focus qualitiy with video shooting.Read full review
Picture quality - SAME as my 14-42 Olympus zoom. Did few tests - no difference. Price - not bad - what can you buy now for $170? 2 tanks of gas? I can put my Olympus in my pocket now (need BIG pocket). I will keep this lens, but I'm still waiting for TRUE pocket camera with "not bad" picture quality (not bad = same as $100 film camera). new Sony? yes, buy this lens if you want small photo recording device with "OK' quality.
Its an awesome lense, because its small, lightweight, yet durable, and the lense hood is metal, and does not accept a lense cap, yet is very deep, so you just always keep it open, its great for those off the cuff shots. I think it distorts less then the zooms at an equivalent focal length. The center is pretty sharp, stopping down will make the areas around the center sharp, but the corners never get sharp.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is a great micro four thirds prime lens. Bought it for my Olympus EPL-1 to increase speed to take first picture and to reduce physical size of camera. Now camera easily fits in my coat pocket and is ready to shoot in a second. Autofocus is lightning fast, especially compared with kit lens, and the images are sharp with nice colour tones. (I can't comment on AF speed on original firmware as I had upgraded mine prior to getting lens). Would have loved to buy the 20mm 1.7 but this one is a bargain at half the price. It now lives on my camera. Recommend this lens to all micro four thirds users.
I would give this a 5/5 if it were better than the 14-42mm Lens. But they are identically the same on picture quality. But, the GF3 lens's are magnificent to begin with so in reality and in comparison to some other equally priced lens's, they are really all 5/5's. This lens is for anyone traveling outside. The lens is almost useless indoors, but due to the GF3s intense auto focus ability that is crazy good, this lens makes outdoor shooting a breeze. Excellent all around. Highly recommended if you are going on vacation or take outdoor snaps without the need of a zoom. You NEED this lens if you are doing Macro, or intent to buy the Macro lens. The Macro twists onto this one. So, it is required if you are doing close up photography. Great lens. 4/5 Value for me only again because its the same quality as the larger 14-42. If it were better, it would be getting a perfect score.Read full review
I use it when I need a small camera (body + lens) for a social setting. It is small and light. The 14mm focal length translates into 28mm in 35mm equivalent, that's useful for group pictures. It does a decent job in low light (with f2.5) and the pictures are reasonably good. The black version of the lens goes nicely with the silver Olympus OM-D E-M5. The best thing is that ebay offers these lenses at a good price as some sellers break up a body + lens kit.
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