Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Pancake Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras

by Panasonic

• 20mm focal length; equivalent to 40mm on a 35mm film camera
• Compact and lightweight "pancake" lens
• F1.7 brightness for beautiful, soft focus
• Comprised of seven lenses arranged in five groups; uses two aspherical lenses to effectively minimize distortion
• Used with Lumix G Micro System Cameras, allows for use of the advanced contrast Auto Focus (AF) system

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 4 x 3.3 inches ; 3.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002IKLJVE
• Item model number: H-H020PP
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #49 in Camera & Photo > Lenses > Camera Lenses
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Panasonic H-H020 LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Pancake Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras

Photography Pros, Meet A Compact Pancake Lens with Outstanding Brightness

The versatile Panawsonic H-H020 lens's soft focus is suitable for dimly lit indoor shots
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The LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH features a dramatic compactness and light weight despite its F1.7 brightness allowing a beautiful soft focus for photos to be even more impressive. The versatile 20 mm of focal distance (Equivalent to 40 mm on a 35 mm film camera) is suitable for wide variety of occasions, from daily snapshots including scenery like sunsets and dimly lit indoor shots to the deliberately creative shots taking advantage of its beautiful soft focus. When the lens is mounted on the LUMIX G Micro System Cameras, the LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH allows use of the advanced contrast AF system, which includes a Face Recognition function, for more convenient, more enjoyable shooting. The LUMIX G 20mm / F1.7 ASPH utilizes a lens drive system to realize a compact and bright F1.7 lens. As a result, sound and vibration may occur during focus operation, but this is not a malfunction.

Compact, Reliable and Light Weight

The H-H020 pancake camera lens is comprized of seven elements in five groups with a circular apeture.
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The H-H020 pancake lens is comprised of seven elements in five groups. Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings Circular aperture diaphragm. The LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH camera lens also features a highly reliable metal mount.

Minimized Distortion

The H-H020 automatically minimizes distortion at distance.
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The new interchangeable lens system uses two aspherical lenses most effectively to minimize both distortion and chromatic aberrations, achieving super high resolution corner to corner, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimize ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance.

Lens Compatible with All Panasonic LUMIX G Series and Micro 4/3 Cameras

DMC-GH3K Body
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH3 16.05 MP Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera with 3-Inch OLED

DMC-G5K Body Only
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G5 16 MP Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera with 3-Inch LCD

DMC-GH2K Body Only
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH2 16.05 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera

DMC-GX1KK
Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX1 16 MP Micro 4/3 Compact System Camera with 3-Inch LCD Touch Screen; Black, 14-42mm Kit

DMC-G3KW, DMC-G3KBODY, DMC-G3KK, DMC-GH2HK, DMC-GX1KBODY, DMC-GX1SBODY,DMC-GX1XK,DMC-GX1KS,DMC-GX1XS,DMC-GF5XR,DMC-GF5XK,DMC-GF5XW,DMC-GF5KW,DMC-GF5KK,DMC-GF5KR,DMC-GF3CT,DMC-GF3KR,DMC-GF3KBODY,DMC-GF3XK,DMC-GF3CR,DMC-GF3KW,DMC-GF3KT,DMC-GF3CWDMC-GF3CK,DMC-GF3KK,DMC-GF2CS,DMC-GF2KK,DMC-GF2CK,DMC-GF2CW,DMC-GF2KS,DMC-GF2CR

Lens Comparison Chart

	LUMIX G X VARIO H-HS35100	LUMIX G X VARIO H-HS12035	LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR L-RS014150	LUMIX G VARIO HD H-VS014140	LUMIX G H-H020
Lens Construction	18 elements in 13 groups (2 ED lenses,1 UED lens)	14 elements in 9 groups (4 aspherical lenses, 1 UED lens, 1 UHR lens)	15 elements in 11 groups (4 aspherical Lenses, 1 ED Lens)	17 elements in 13 groups (4 aspherical lenses, 2 ED lenses)	7 elements in 5 groups (2 aspherical lenses)
Nano Surface Coating	Yes	Yes	n/a	No (Multi-coated)	No (Multi-coated)
Mount	Micro Four Thirds Mount	Micro Four Thirds Mount	Full Four Thirds Mount	Micro Four Thirds Mount	Micro Four Thirds Mount
Optical Image Stabilizer	POWER O.I.S.	POWER O.I.S.	MEGA O.I.S.	MEGA O.I.S.	No
Focal Length	f=35-100mm (35mm camera equivalent 70-200mm)	f=12-35mm (35mm camera equivalent 24-70mm)	f=14-150mm (35mm camera equivalent 28-300mm)	f=14-140mm (35mm camera equivalent 28-280mm)	f=20mm (35mm camera equivalent 40mm)
Aperture Type	7 Diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm	7 Diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm	7 Diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm	7 Diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm	7 Diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
Maximum Aperture	F2.8	F2.8	F3.5-5.6	F4.0-5.8	F1.7
Minimum Aperture	F22	F22	F22	F22	F16
Closest Focusing Distance	0.85m / 2.8 ft	0.25m / 0.82 ft	0.50m / 19.7 in at all Focal Lengths	0.50m / 1.64 ft at all focal lengths	0.2m / 0.66 ft
Diagonal Angle of View	34°(W) to 12°(T)	84°(W) to 34°(T)	75°(W) ~ 8.2°(T)	75°(W) ~ 8.8°(T)	57°
Filter Size	58mm / 2.3 in	58mm / 2.3 in	72mm	70mm / 2.76 in	46mm / 1.81 in
Max. Diameter	Approx. 67.4mm / 2.7 in	67.6mm / 2.7 in	78.5mm / 3.09 in	70mm / 2.76 in	63mm / 2.48 in
Overall Length	Approx. 99.9mm / 3.9 in (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)	Approx. 73.8mm / 2.9 in (from the top of the lens hood to the base side of the lens mount)	3.56 in	Approx. 84mm / 3.31 in (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)	Approx. 25.5mm / 1.00 in (from the tip of the lens to the base side of the lens mount)
Weight	Approx. 360g / 12.7 oz (excluding lens cap, lens rear cap, lens hood)	Approx. 305g / 10.8 oz (excluding lens cap and lens rear cap)	1.18 lbs	Approx. 460g / 16.23 oz	3.53 oz
Standard Accessories	Lens front cap, Lens rear cap, Lens hood, Lens storage bag	Lens cap, Lens hood, Lens rear cap, Lens storage bag	Lens Cap, Lens Hood, Lens Rear Cap, Lens Storage Bag	Lens Cap, Lens Hood, Lens Rear Cap, Lens Storage Bag	Lens Cap, Lens Hood, Lens Rear Cap, Lens Storage Bag

Product Description

The Lumix G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH, a compact and lightweight "pancake" lens, is dramatically compact and lightweight, featuring an outstanding F1.7 brightness which allows consumers to create stunning photos with beautiful, soft focus. Comprised of seven lenses arranged in five groups, the Lumix G 20mm lens actually uses two aspherical lenses to effectively minimize distortion and achieve super high resolution. The versatile 20mm focal length (equivalent to 40mm on a 35mm film camera) is suitable for all applications--from scenery shots to dimly-lit indoor environments.

When mounted on Lumix G Micro System Cameras, the Lumix G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH lens allows for use of the advanced contrast Auto Focus (AF) system, which includes Panasonic's Face Recognition functions. It's comprised of seven blades, which produce an attractive and smooth background blur effect when shooting at larger aperture settings. The lens also features a highly-reliable metal mount, and use multi-coated lens elements to minimize glare and further enhance optical performance.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

300 of 303 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid performer; shows the potential of M4/3 May 6, 2010

By Jeremy Thornhill

Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently purchased an E-P2 as a portable option to complement my DSLR setup. I've been very happy with its performance in most respects, however it has no flash and the kit lens is slow; this means that indoor usage results in painfully high ISO and noise that is impossible to clean. That lead me to purchase this lens, which is the fastest thing going for M4/3 currently.

First off, this thing is wonderfully compact. Much thinner than the M.Zuiko 14-42mm kit lens, although a bit bigger in diameter, and it makes the E-P2 even more low profile when it's mounted. It balances well on the E-P2 and it looks right at home to me, even though it lacks the signature PEN silver accents. It has a massive manual focus ring which is a pleasure to use (once you get the hang of the micromotor manual focus mechanism, which it shares with the 14-42).

Unlike the newer, smaller Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 pancake, this guy has some very large lens caps that make it more bulky than it should be. A lens this size begs to be slipped into a pocket, but the huge caps just get in the way; you might want to look for aftermarket replacements.

As for IQ... well, you can read the charts, but suffice it to say that this is a very good performer. Unlike the M.Zuiko kit lens, this guy is sharp wide open, with perhaps only minor improvements by stopping down. This lens can really show what M4/3 is capable of from an IQ perspective in a way that the kit zooms just can't.

Autofocus is at least as accurate as any other lens I've tried on this body, and low light AF accuracy especially is quite good (thanks, no doubt, to the large aperture).... AF speed though is mediocre at best, and it's also a good bit louder than would be ideal. The aperture also makes a very noticeable clicking sound, which is a little obnoxious with the E-P2 (which constantly fiddles with the aperture when you're using live view). Neither focus noise nor aperture noise is a real issue for stills, but they might cause some problems if shooting video with the internal mic.

There is one issue with using this lens specific to Olympus bodies: they don't do the software distortion compensation that Panasonic bodies do with Panasonic lenses. This means that, on Olympus bodies only, light falloff is visible towards the corners when shooting wide open (it goes away by around f/4). In practice it's not much of a problem, and the corners aren't that big a deal in most shots anyway, but if you're a PEN shooter you should be aware of it and stop down accordingly if/when the corners do matter.

I should mention that I also own the Olympus 17mm f/2.8, which many would consider an alternative to this lens. If you're new to photography and you're considering owning only one, I highly recommend the Panasonic, whose aperture advantage and longer focal length combine to give you much better options for DOF control. I still enjoy the Olympus (and indeed, it's even *smaller* than this lens), but I think for most people in most situations this is a better choice.

Bottom line: if you own a m4/3 body without a flash and care at all about low light shooting, stop reading and buy this lens right now. For everybody else, you're presumably here for IQ, f/1.7's narrower DOF, and portability, and on all counts this lens delivers. It's a great all around performer and the cost, although high, is not totally unreasonable for something of this quality.

As a side note, if you're used to 50mm as "normal" from the film era, I think you'll find 20mm quite pleasant; I've shot a lot with my 28mm prime on APS-C, and the Panny 20mm here provides a similar FOV to that.

** Update, 5/21/2010 **

My initial thoughts on this lens have proven to be spot on. This little guy spends much, much more time on my camera than the kit lens; the faster aperture is a godsend, and the smaller size is wonderful for portability. Image quality is impeccable and the light falloff is almost never a problem in real world scenarios. If you only buy one lens for your M4/3 body, make it this one.

** Update, 8/7/2011 **

Panasonic has announced a µ4/3 native version of the Leica-branded Panasonic 25mm f/1.4, which should clock in at about twice the price of this lens. I own (and reviewed) the regular Four Thirds version of that lens, and early accounts imply that the µ4/3 version should be nearly the same optically as its full sized cousin.

The 25mm f/1.4 is certainly better, but not by much; only half a stop faster, barely any sharper, and still suffering from corner softness and vignetting wide open. The focal length is a more traditional normal, which (combined with the aperture advantage) makes it more suitable for isolating your subject, but... at twice the cost and twice the size? Those advantages seem difficult to justify.

As far as I'm concerned, the 20mm f/1.7 here remains the first lens you should buy for a µ4/3 body. It plays to the strengths of the system without breaking the bank.

** Update, 1/23/2013 **

I've finally taken the plunge and purchased both the Olympus OM-D E-M5 and the Panasonic Micro 4/3 25mm f/1.4 to go with it. I can now directly compare this lens to the native 25mm f/1.4.

I can honestly say the 20mm f/1.7 holds up incredibly well. The biggest advantage of the 25mm is probably its autofocus performance, which is both much quieter and somewhat faster than the 20mm (primarily when "hunting," which is when the 20mm slows down). The minor aperture advantage of the 25mm is really not very significant (especially with the E-M5, which has impressive high ISO performance).

Oddly, perhaps, I still end up preferring the 20mm simply due to how much smaller it is. The 25mm is superior, but it's relatively large, which means I'm just less inclined to carry it with me. So if you're considering these two lenses for yourself, you really must decide how much you value portability. The 25mm f/1.4 is "better," but the size difference is real. Read more ›

139 of 142 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars E-P1 owners, your dream lens has arrived - UPDATED October 18, 2009

By Wat

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you own an E-P1, you absolutely owe it to yourself to get this lens right now. I used to own the 17mm and loved its size, but found the image quality lacking. There are plenty of detailed reviews of this 20mm lens out there so I'll spare the tech details.

I've had this for a little over a week and the performance is just amazing. Auto focus speed is very good, not super speedy, but definitely not slow. Images look sharp even wide open with lovely bokeh. It's not quite as nice as the Panasonic/Leica 25mm 1.4 for 4/3, but it is half the price and 1/4 of the size.

I have some good glass like the Olympus 50mm f2 and Olympus 14-52 mark II 2.8-3.5 via the adapter, but those will probably stay on my E-620 since this Panasonic 20mm fits the E-P1 like a glove.

It's amazing how this lens makes the E-P1 come alive like no other lens I've used on it before.

UPDATE 7/12/2010
It's getting close to one year of full use and this lens is still unmatched for native micro four thirds. I now use it on an E-PL1 and it's still working it's magic. With the latest Olympus firmware update for the E-PL1 (available for E-P1 and EP2 as well) the autofocus speed of the 20mm is even faster! As my photographic skill have increased over the month, I've been able to get even better results.

113 of 117 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for narrow depth-of-field effect in a compact set October 16, 2009

By Esaito

Amazon Verified Purchase

I originally bought the Panasonic Lumix GF1 with the 14-45mm kit lens, and then bought this 20mm pancake.

The pancake turns the GF1 into a really compact set, that I enjoy taking together anywhere. I keep the 20mm lens in the camera most of the times, and only when I know I'll need some telephoto I replace it by the 14-45mm lens.

I owned previously only point-and-shoot and superzooms, so I wanted to try some DSLR, but I was afraid I wouldn't take together because of the bulk. With the GF1 + this pancake lens I have a small camera that I don't mind carrying and that takes DSLR-quality photos.

It lacks OIS, but I don't really feel the need as this is a very fast lens. With the f/1.7 aperture, you can also create nice narrow depth-of-field effects, which are impossible on point-and-shoot cameras.

I just wanted it be a bit wider... notice that this pancake is actually a 40mm in a 35-mm equivalent focal length. Probably in the future Panasonic will release a wide pancake. They currently sell a wide zoom Panasonic 7-14mm f/4.0 Micro Four Thirds Lens for Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras, but that's too expensive.

Panasonic has other few lenses, but I believe this pancake 20mm is what makes more sense to use with the GF1 to have a real compact set.

I found this camera bag Lowepro Apex 60 AW (Black) is the smallest to fit only the GF1 + the 20mm pancake lens, if you're trying to have a real portable set like me, and I also recommend to protect your lens with a filter like this com/HOYA-46mm-UV-Filter-Camera/dp/B00006HOAJ">HOYA 46mm UV Filter for Camera Use.

Pros:
- fast f/1.7 lens, great for narrow depth-of-field pictures and low light shots
- fast autofocus
- very compact lens. It makes a lot of sense with the GF1 - as a compact set you'll carry with you all the time, as it fits your coat pocket.
- compact set = less obtrusive camera = more natural, candid photos

Cons:
- well, it's not as flexible as a zoom lens. It's fixed 20mm (40mm equivalent). But the pros outweigh the cons, so you'll end up using it more than the larger zoom lens. Read more ›

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This little pancake lens is life changing! July 22, 2011

By swedishchef

Amazon Verified Purchase

A few months ago I decided to purchase the Panasonic Lumix 20mm 1.7 pancake lens. I had read the countless reviews about its image quality, depth of field and portable size. When I finally ordered the lens, I realized that this little lens outshines all of those reviews!

When I first unboxed the 20mm, I was surprised by how little it was...not just its pancake body, but it weighed almost nothing. How can a lens this small live up to all of those reviews? Well, I am about three months in and I haven't taken the lens off yet...and I don't plan to. Here's why:

1) Image quality: Are there better prime lenses out there? Maybe. Can you fit them in your pants pocket and have them cost under $400? I doubt it. For the money, the 20mm is the best lens I have ever owned. The addition of this lens to my GF1 has resulted in consistently sharper photos and far fewer deleted shots.

2) Shooting in low light: With aperture wide open at 1.7, this thing is amazing. I almost totally avoid using a flash with the 20mm. I can shoot indoors, in museums, at evening parties and never have to use my flash. In my opinion, this makes the lens worth the money in itself. At a BBQ on the 4th of July, my friend had his Olympus EP-1 and the kit 14-45 lens, while I brought by GF1 and the 20mm. We decided that we would run a little informal comparison of the two setups and compare notes. For the first few hours, we were both more than satisfied with what we were shooting. Decent shots all around, as expected. But then came dusk. This was clearly the 20mm's time to shine. My friend couldn't keep up and was resorting to flash, which left him less than satisfied with his shots.... He could not capture any shots of the kids running around in the backyard with sparklers or the dads trying to shoot off bottle rockets...he was left with motion blurs or incorrect focus. The 20mm had no problem at all. When the light really started to go, I raised ISO to 400 and kept on going. What a great little lens.

3)Portability: For the past several years, whenever I am preparing for a vacation, I have to run through the same routine: which lenses do I bring? How many can I fit in my bag? How many lenses do I really want to lug around? It gets old. I made the switch to micro-four thirds for this very reason. I want to take great shots with a camera that is easy to transport, that is not too bulky, and doesn't feel like carrying a sack of potatoes at the end of a long day of touring. For me, the GF1 and the 20mm is the perfect package. After making this switch and accepting that with the 20mm the zoom was located in my feet (prime lenses have no zoom), I have never looked back.

I will say that, in reality, the 20mm has made me a better photographer. Without a zoom I think more about my shot now before I take it. I think more about composition and balance in a shot. I find myself with far fewer deleted shots. Which is not to say that the 20mm is incapable of capturing those unexpected moments that often make the best photos. The 20mm is fast. Dead fast. It is more than capable of catching those amazing shots on the fly as well. I am thrilled with my Panasonic 20mm 1.7, and I am confident that you will be too. Read more ›