This Panasonic 20mm is one of Micro Four Thirds best prime lens, much better than the Olympus 17mm.
You can get this lens from either Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)
I like this lens primarily because of its small dimension (hence the name pancake) and superior optical quality compared to Olympus 17mm.
On the center, this lens is sharp at tack, even at the maximum aperture of f/1.7. Yes, that’s right, did I also mention it has f/1.7 aperture?
By far, this lens is the fastest lens for the Micro Four Thirds format.
In terms of build quality, it also trumps the Olympus 17mm.
The primary use for this lens would be for moderate landscape photography and street photography.
If you are looking for the best prime lens for your Micro Four Thirds camera, then this is the one to get.
I would give this Panasonic 20mm two big thumbs up.
See the complete review below and find the best price online as well.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Panasonic 20mm Specs
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Official Name:
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7
Focal Length Markings:
20mm
Features:
Only compatible with Micro Four Thirds camera
Full Technical Specs (from Olympus’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 5 / 7 |
| Angle of View | 57 |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.2m |
| Filter Thread | 46mm |
| Weight | 100g |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 63 x 25.5mm |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 0.13X |
| Available at | Amazon, B&H Photo Video, Adorama |
Optical Performance
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Panasonic 20mm Sharpness
This lens is very sharp on the center. This is true at any aperture, including f/1.7.
On the border, it is a bit soft at f/1.7 and f/2. At f/2.8 and above it is very sharp.
The point of maximum aperture is f/2.8. Shoot at this aperture if you want maximum sharpness.
To see the full sharpness test, look at the tables below.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.7 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 20mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.7 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 20mm | Good | Good | Great | Great | Good | Good |
Distortion
Distortion is non-existent on this lens. You can safely ignore it.
See the distortion test result below.
Panasonic 20mm Distortion
Vignetting
Vignetting is this lens’s weakness, especially at f/1.7. The vignetting is very visible at f/1.7.
You will need to stop down to f/2.8 to reduce it significantly.
See the full vignetting test result below.
Panasonic 20mm Vignetting
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is extremely well controlled on this lens.
Honestly, I was quite surprised by the result that I got. It is much better than Olympus’s 17mm lens.
You can safely ignore chromatic aberration at any aperture.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/1.7 | f/2 | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 20mm | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
Build Quality
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Materials
High quality plastic, metal mount. Much better than any Olympus lens.
Focusing
Autofocus speed is very fast and accurate. The lens tube will extend slightly during autofocusing.
Image Stabilization
If you are using an Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera, the Image Stabilization is installed on the sensor, not on the lens.
On the other hand, Panasonic install the Image Stabilization on the lenses. If you are using this lens with Panasonic Micro Four Thirds, then you will not get Image Stabilization feature.
Compatibility
This lens is only compatible with Micro Four Thirds camera: both Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds can be used with this lens.
Note that this lens is not compatible with regular Four Thirds DSLR camera.
Sample Image
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Below are some sample images taken with this Panasonic 20mm lens. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge the images.
Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon
Conclusion
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In this section, I will summarize this Panasonic 20mm lens review.
If you’ve read the introduction, you know how I like this lens much better than the Olympus 17mm.
This is because it has superior optical quality and much better build quality. It does not experience the chromatic aberration problem that the Olympus lens is having and it is MUCH sharper in the center.
The only downsides on this lens will be the heavy vignetting on the borders, slightly soft borders at the first 2 apertures and more expensive price.
In conclusion, I would say that this is a must have lens for any Micro Four Thirds camera user looking for the perfect prime lens.
Below are my conclusions for this lens.
Drawbacks
- Heavy vignetting at f/1.7, stop down to f/2.8 to reduce it significantly
- Slightly soft borders at f/1.7 and f/2, shoot at f/2.8 to get the maximum sharpness
- A bit pricey
Positives
- Very sharp on the center at any aperture
- Perfect distortion control
- Perfect chromatic aberration control
- Excellent build quality compared to its peers
- Great autofocus performance
Good For
- Moderate landscape photography
- Street photography
- Stay-on-the-camera prime lens for Micro Four Thirds camera
Not So Good For
- Shooting ultra wide – 20mm might not be wide enough when used with a Micro Four Thirds camera
What Others Are Saying…
by “Bay Wiz”
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…
Click here to see the full review
by “Esaito”
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…
Click here to see the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Panasonic 20mm lens from these sites (best price online):
Amazon (Best Price + FREE Shipping)
See the following related lens reviews to see the available Micro four thirds lenses options.
Thanks reading my Panasonic 20mm review and I will catch you around!
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