Panasonic Lumix H-H014 14 mm F/2.5 AF Aspherical Lens For Four Thirds

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.

The Panny 14mm pancake is a great lens to keep the GF3 in my pocket. Although the 14-42 X zoom is not much larger, one may appreciate the fact that the 14mm prime is 1 stop faster - some time this does save the day: think about the difference between 1/30s vs. 1/60s, or ISO 400 vs. ISO 800.

Image quality does not impress however; it is about as sharp as the X zoom wide open. Also, don't expect to get any real bokeh at this focal length at f2.5 - it's literally a 28mm f5.0 on FF after all. But for $170 new on ebay, it's a steal! The 20mm f1.7 is much more expensive in comparison (for almost the same price I would have got the Olympus 45mm f1.8 instead).

This lens will surprise you by its size and speed. The lens is pretty fast, and the images are very sharp. perfect for close up and group shots. For its price, it can't be beat

A good prime lens to have especially if you want to travel light and carry only the bare minimum, makes your micro 4/3 system very much like a point and shoot in size. Picture quality is fine to excellent. You will want to shoot more and carry your camera with you all the time because of the flexibility you get with this lens attached.

Excellent wide angle prime lens. Extremely compact. Faster at f/2.5 than the kit 14-42's f/3.5. Overall image quality from this lens is equal to the above kit zoom at 14mm setting. If you want small convenient wide angle lens - this is a very good choice.