Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH Review

The Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH was declared recently as the organic associate to the lightweight Lumix DMC-GF1 Small Four Thirds electronic camera, together with a Leica-branded 45mm F2.8 Macro (the electronic camera is also available with a 14-45mm kit zoom). The H-H020, as Panasonic surprisingly prefers to contact it, is a huge highest possible aperture 'normal' primary in a very lightweight 'pancake'-type body. It accumulates a quit and a 50 percent more mild than Olympus's M. Zuiko Digital 17mm F2.8 hot cake (which is only partially smaller), and is therefore sure to be of attention to E-P1 entrepreneurs who want to capture in low mild using a contacts well-matched to that electronic camera's dimension.

The F1.7 aperture is remarkably quick for a hot cake contacts, and to accomplish this Panasonic has handled to press a 7 factor, 5 team style into that lightweight gun barrel, such as two aspheric components to help decrease frame distortions and chromatic aberration. There's a 7-bladed aperture program, using rounded knives developed to provide an eye-catching, sleek impact to out of concentrate features. Rounding off the specifications is a lowest concentrate range of just 20cm. However it's important to note, that as opposed to many of Pansonic's contacts, this doesn't have built-in visual picture stabilisation.

The 40mm-equivalent position of perspective may originally appear uncommon, but this is actually a 'perfect normal' contacts, with a central duration similar to the indicator angled. This implies that it provides pictures in a very fairly neutral style, free of the 'perspective distortion' associated with wideangle or telephoto contacts. While this central duration was traditionally less typical than the popular 50mm primary on Negatives electronic cameras, it still filled an respectable market as the conventional contacts for a number of high-quality compacts, such as the Leica / Minolta CL. Indeed with that 45mm F2.8 macro and an future 14mm F2.8, Panasonic seems to be ranking the GF1 as the religious heir to companies the CL and the Contax G sequence - as a top excellent convenient electronic camera program for serious photography lovers. Let's see if the pancake's picture excellent can stay up to such substantial dreams.

Headline features

• 20mm 'perfect normal' fixed focal length; fast F1.7 maximum aperture
• Ultra-thin, lightweight design 
• 'Focus by wire' manual focus system
• Micro Four Thirds mount for Panasonic Lumix G and Olympus Pen systems

Angle of view

The picture below illustrates the lens's angle of view (taken from our standard position):

20mm (40mm equivalent)

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH (H-H020) specifications

Price	• US: $400 • UK: £300
Manufacturer's product code	H-H020
Date introduced	September 2009
Maximum format size	Micro Four Thirds
Focal length	20mm
35mm equivalent focal length	40mm
Diagonal angle of view	57°
Maximum aperture	F1.7
Minimum aperture	F16
Lens Construction	• 7 elements/ 5 groups • 2 Aspherical elements
Number of diaphragm blades	7, rounded
Minimum focus	0.2m / 0.66ft
Maximum magnification	Approx 0.13x
AF motor type	DC Micro motor
Focus method	Unit focus
Image stabilization	No
Filter thread	• 46mm • Does not rotate on focus
Supplied accessories*	• Front and rear caps • Lens case
Weight	100g (3.5 oz)
Dimensions	63mm diameter x 25.5mm length (2.5 x 1.0 in)
Lens Mount	Micro Four Thirds

* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area

Original Article:www.dpreview.com

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