Panasonic LUMIX H-PS14042E-K Powerzoom 14-42 mm GX Vario Lens - Black

It's pretty close to a standard lens, representing the 35mm equivalent of 28-84mm so it is great to find this in such a small lightweight lens. I bought this to save weight and bulk while travelling, but it seems to have the additional advantage of power zoom on my G6 body and even on my old G1, I can use power zoom on the G1 with the lever on the lens itself. I marvel how such a small and lightweight lens can contain motors for zoom, focus and power OIS, but it does. If you use your Lumix G for video, then this is ideal as the motors are quiet, and the power zoom and focus are best for reducing shake that seems inevitable when struggling with lens rings.You can't fit a lens hood to it, but the nano coating is reported to reduce flare even directly into the sun. It's great after carrying heavy lenses to have a combination (G6 and this) that is light and can virtually fit into a pocket. I haven't had it long, but I can see this becoming one of my favourite lenses.

This is a very compact replacement for the standard zoom - ideal for the compact M43 bodies. When stowed it's only the size of the Panasonic pancake lenses and when you switch on the camera it bursts into life really quickly. At first it's odd using the electronic zoom, but you soon get used to it. If you like shooting video it's far smoother than the manual-zoom lenses you typically get as kit on the M43 range in general. When focusing on my wife's G2 this 'x lens' is snappy and acquires a lock on the subject faster than the original kit lens. In terms of optical quality I personally think it's a little better than the G2's kit lens - it seems to have more contrast and is slightly sharper through the range, more so at the wide end. Some reviews say it's no better than the Panasonic kit zoom, so it could be I have a good copy. Despite my wife choosing the G2 instead of the more compact bodied camera she always found the kit lens protruded rather a lot and this really very compact alternative means she can transport it much more readily, so she uses the camera more. One thing to note is that if you have an Olympus body there is no ability to shut off the OIS Image Stabilisation; there isn't a switch and Panasonic control it from the camera menu. If you never use a tripod it may not be an issue and you can turn off the Olympus body's own IBIS - Olympus users should do this as having lens OIS and camera IBIS both on can affect the image quality. Any lens that encourages you to use your camera more is a good thing, and this is the case with this neat little zoom. I gave it 4* and not five for two reasons - the lack of a physical OIS switch (I've got an Olympus body...) and as an X lens I'd have hoped for a bigger jump in quality over the kit lens. All in all though, if you want a compact standard zoom this is a great option.

I was a little unsure about this as I already had the standard kit lens but really wanted something that was more compact. The standard lens was okay but left my G3 a little bit unbalanced. Initially I was looking at the 20mm but feel that in the real world this would give me more flexibility. Really could not believe how small this lens really is, when it arrived I thoght the box was empty. The quality of construction is really good and the picture quality is spot on. Its important to update both the firmware of both the G3 and that of the lens to get the best results as I was initially a bit disappointed. After using this lens for a bit I am really pleased with it. Still might buy the 20mm for indoor use, but if you want an alround compact zoom, then I would recommend this over the standard kit lens. Only downside is the price that is a bit steep, although I did manage to get the £60 cash back and I will put the kit lens on ebay.

Very compact & ideal for travel. The x3 zoom is good enough for most purposes, & the zoom is very smooth. I like using it for video...

Not as sharp as expected, OK for prints up to 7x5 inches. Well made with a nice smooth zoom action.

I needed a GF3 body with motorised zoom lens for video, and the total size had to be small enough to go in a trouser pocket. This lens was the only candidate and it *just about* qualifies as far as size is concerned. No complaints really about the video quality, although I am unable to find the supposedly-existing "low-light" scene mode in the GF3 but that's another story. The video is noticeably better than that from the TZ7 which I used previously. The only problem with this lens is that the shroud covering the focus and zoom buttons is made from the nastiest flimsiest thinnest piece of plastic you have ever seen. When I got the lens I was a bit dubious how well it would stand up to knocks and bumps and sure enough when I dropped the camera from about two feet onto a wooden floor the plastic piece snapped off. The impact was not that great and the lens and camera still work perfectly. The lens cosmetically now looks pretty dreadful with visible wires and solder tags. A nice lens for photographic purposes but for the money it should have far better build quality. If you buy this lens you can almost be certain you are going to lose that piece the first time it takes even the smallest knock. Editing this review to add this last paragraph in August 2014 a year after purchase. The image quality from the lens continues to be very good but now the power zoom control button has fallen off. Do not buy this lens!

Wasn't sure about buying this for my G9, I have a 14-140mm lens so arguably didn't need it. Really glad I have it, it is so small - when the camera is off it doesn't protrude beyond the grip - and the picture quality is good. I have found that 3x zoom is all I need most of the time, I had a day in London and didn't need to change lenses.

This lens reduces the size of any of the Pentax cameras and makes them nearly pocketable. As this lens is power driven it's great for zooming in and out when filming.

Muy práctico para video, pequeño y muy manejable, gran cálida de imagen, casa perfectamente con las Lumix G de última generación .

Habe das Objektiv gebraucht bei dem Händler Tigicams gekauft im super Zustand ! Danke nochmal dafür! Das Teil ist vom Feinsten kaum hörbarer Zoom manueller Fokushebel geht kaum besser der Bildstabi läuft super habe die Panasonic GM 1 die hat leider keinen Stabilisator drin deswegen musste ich ein Obejektiv mit Stabi haben . Wer für das Teil weniger als 3 Sterne gibt hat keine Ahnung von der Materie ! Will jetzt auch gar nicht mehr viel schreiben aber die Bildqualität ist auch sehr gut Fokus ist sehr schnell alles super will es nicht mehr hergeben .Klare Kaufemfehlung kann 5 Sterne geben! :-)

Ottimo obbiettivo robusto molto compatto con ottima resa fotografica

J' ai acheté cet objectif alors que je possédais déjà le 14/42 Olumpus M.ZUICO Digital 1:3,5-5,6 fourni en kit sur mon EPL-5. Le Panasonic lui est supérieur en tout point, le piqué est très bon sur le modèle que j' ai reçu et la stabilisation fait des merveilles. Je gagne environ 2 stops par rapport à mon objectif Olympus( avec la stabilisation de mon appareil), la stabilisation optique est bien meilleure et bien plus pratique en visée manuelle car l' effet est visible sur l' écran. En plus de sa compacité et de son prix(je l' ai eu à 260 euros et il est repassé à 400 euro après mon achat), c' est mon meilleur objectif(pour le moment) et celui que j' utilise le plus. Dommage qu' il n' ouvre pas plus, mais pour son cousin (12/35X vario je crois) il faut compter plus de 1000 euros.

This zoom pancake lens is remarkably compact for its capabilities. Its performance is exceptional, and if positioned competitively, it offers outstanding value. The image quality delivered by this lens is commendable, and it integrates seamlessly with Lumix cameras, particularly the G97 model, as I have experienced.