Panasonic Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 G Vario Aspherical MEGA OIS Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras

by Panasonic

• Front Lens Cap
• Rear Lens Cap
• Lens Hood
• Storage Bag

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.4 x 2.4 x 2.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0043VE28I
• Item model number: H-FS014042
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #84 in Camera & Photo > Lenses > Camera Lenses
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 22, 2010

Product Description

The Panasonic LUMIX G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5 MEGA O.I.S. Lens is constructed with 12 elements in 9 groups and 1 aspherical lens to produce extremely sharp images with minimal fringing and color distortion across the entire focal range. It incorporates Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. which employs gyro sensors built into the lens to suppress the blur caused by a shaky hand, and enables capturing clear and sharp images even in low-light situations.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Much Better Than I Expected January 19, 2011

By PiddlinRob

I bought a Panasonic G1 for the sole purpose of mounting Canon FD style lenses (totally manual operation requiring a custom adapter). I took an immediate liking to the G1 and photos it produced with the Canon FD lenses. I thought I might buy a Panasonic lens to investigate how the camera performed when used as it was designed to be used. Being heavily invested in an EOS system I didn't want to spend too much on another system so I bought the new cheaper 14-42 3.5-5.6 model. I was impressed. The lens is very small, light and yes, kind of cheap but not so much more so than most lenses under $500. It focuses quickly, silently and accurately. It produces photos which are very sharp and I particularly like the way the camera/lens combo renders colors. I understand Panasonic does some in camera image correction but the photos are top drawer and the camera is a pleasure to use both as old school manual and modern P&S. I absolutely like the lens and it stands up well against other lenses which I own that costs 3X as much. Generally I would agree, get a metal mount, more expensive build and expect better performance. I have purchased other lenses on the same criteria, but in reality I don't know that I would see any improvement having bought the older better build model. What I really would like is a faster lens, say 2.8 that didn't cost over a $1000. All that aside, I'm very impressed with the photographic capabilities of the Panasonic gear and this cheap little lens in general.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars light, small, inexpensive lens for daylight use January 23, 2011

By D. Brodsky

I have read that 14-45 might be a slightly sharper lens, but I have Panasonic GF1. I don't have any of the large G or GH models. So for me, size matters. Since I bought GF1, the idea was to go small. What is the point of getting a small m4/3 camera and then mount large heavy lenses on it? It defeats my purpose, I already have full-frame Nikon D700 with assortment of large and heavy lenses for it. So for GF1 I got 14-42, 20mm, and 45-200. These three lenses cover me from 28 to 400mm.

14-42 is a very small, very light lens. Yes unlike the other two m4/3 lenses in my arsenal, 14-42 is made in China (the others in Japan) and has plastic mount (the other two have metal mount). It also costs $199, comes with a hood, and focuses silently and instantly, in any light. It focuses quieter and faster than 20mm F/1.7 for sure. It has build-in Image Stabilizer. Unlike on 45-200, you cannot turn off the stabilization via a switch on the lens itself. But you can of course turn off stabilization in the camera menu itself so the option is still there, it is just in the camera menu, not on the lens body.

This lens is so light that you don't even notice the weight difference when you mount it on GF1. I plan on using it as a daylight walkaround lens. At night or in low light, I'll switch to 20mm F/1.7. Both lenses are so small that you can have the other in your jacket pocket and then switch them at any time.

My review and five stars is strictly for the use with small m4/3 bodies, like GF1 or Oly pens. For Panasonic G and GH models, well they are large already so perhaps paying twice as much for 14-45 for alleged increase in sharpness (if it truly is there) makes more sense for you, since 14-45 might balance well on such a large body. For GF1/2, the small and silent 14-42 (so no sound of the lens when shooting a movie) is a smarter choice in my opinion

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad February 22, 2012

By carolina2834

This lens gets way too much bad rap. I've owned and extensively used nearly every lens in the micro-four-thirds lineup since I've jumped into the system--from the Nokton, to the Leica, and even the wobbly first-generation Olympus kit-zoom--and, to be honest, this lens fares pretty well compared to the rest. I don't care if I'm chastised for this, but I can't even tell a difference in image-quality among most of the lenses at equal settings. Instead of using the lens like how most people use zooms, I tend to only switch between 14mm and 25mm. It might seem crazy, but that's just how I see and shoot. I've been shooting with primes forever, so I see focal-lenghts more as a personal choice for perspective rather than a way to pull an object in or out of the frame.

Overall, the Panansonic 14-42mm does an admirable job for a daytime or travel lens if I don't need the speed, thin depth-of-field or extra bagspace. It focuses almost instantly and is inexpensive, sharp, and well underated. The only thing limiting me from taking awesome pictures with this lens is my vision. If my pictures suck, as yours probably do on most days, it probably has more to do with my shoddy vision or subject rather than the lens. (Seriously, how many more slight photo variations of your feet, shoes, car, pets, or flowers can you take?) For what it is, which is a cheap and sharp standard zoom for everyday or travel shooting, the 14-42 is a bargain.