Panasonic 14-42mm PZ review
Panasonic 14-42 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH POWER OIS LUMIX G X VARIO PZ & Panasonic Lumix GX1Size and weight make the Panasonic 14-42 mm X zoom lens, introduced at the end of 2011, an unique interchangeable zoom lens with a viewing angle which equals a 28-84 mm zoom lens on a full frame camera. The Panasonic 14-42 mm X powerzoom is, combined with the Panasonic GX1 just as compact as a high-end compact camera like Powershot G; it easily fits in a large pocket. But is the Panasonic 14-42 mm X better than its cheaper and larger predecessor, the Panasonic 14-42 mm? |
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Construction and autofocus |
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The Panasonic 14-42 mm PZ X zoom lens is well built. The advantage of smaller lenses for micro-43 camera's with respect to APS-C or full frame cameras is very large here. During transport the Panasonic 14-42 mm X is even smaller. Focusing and zooming takes place through levers on the lens. Those who are used to using a compact or video camera might find this familiar. When you're used to a SLR type camera, you will need some time to get accustomed. |
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The autofocus is fast, silent and accurate. Micro-43 camera's gfocus using the sensor signal, and therefore don't have any front focus or back focus. |
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Image stabilization |
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| This lens has built-in image stabilization which has to be operated from the camera menu in stead of a switch on the lens itself. We haven't tested the Image stabilization. |
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Vignetting Panasonic 14-42mm PowerzoomStarting at a focal length of 17 mm, vignetting is acceptable even at fully opened aperture. When stopped down two stops, there is no more visible vignetting left at a focal length of 14 mm. Vignetting is easily corrected by software, so it surprised us that Panasonic didn't correct for vignetting in-camera. |
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Distortion Panasonic 14-42 mm XFor a zoom lens distortion is very well corrected for in the design of the Panasonic 14-42 mm PZ. Barrel shaped distortion is visible at focal length of 14 mm and 42 mm, but at other focal lengths absent. Distortion can be corrected afterwards by photo editing software. |
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Bokeh |
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Bokeh is not too well with this lens, as expected, since this lens doesn't have a wide aperture and micro-43 sensors are small compared to full frame sensors. |
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Flare |
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| The Panasonic 14-42 mm PZ X has a special multi-coating in order to minimize flare and ghosting. Nevertheless you can experience flare when there's a light source just outside the image. |  |
Resolution Panasonic 14-42mm Powerzoom |
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The resolution of Panasonic 14-42 mm X jpg files is high over the entire zoom range. Sharpness in the extreme corners lags behind at all apertures, as can be seen from Imatest measurements. |
 Panasonic 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH POWER OIS LUMIX G X VARIO PZ @ 19 mm f/5.6 |
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The resolution of the Panasonic 14-42 mm X equals or outperforms the resolution of the regular Panasonic 14-42 mm. At a focal length of 35 mm the overall optical quality of the Panasonic 14-42 mm X is almost equal to the performance of the famous Panasonic 20 mm lens. See our overview of tested micro-43 lenses to compare this lens with other micro-43 lenses. |
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Chromatic aberration Panasonic 14-42 X |
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| Panasonic corrects in-camera for chromatic aberration. This delivers jpg files where there's no visible chromatic aberration. Here the Panasonic 14-42 mm X outperforms the old Panasonic 14-42 mm. |  |
| Even a 100% crop from the extreme corners doesn't show any visible chromatic aberration, as you can see in this image. |
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Conclusion Panasonic 14-42mm review
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Panasonic 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH POWER OIS LUMIX G X VARIO PZ
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| See our list of tested lenses or our list of tested micro-43 lenses to compare the performance of this lens to other lenses. | |
Pros
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Cons
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The Panasonic 14-42 mm X powerzoom is, given its size and weight, an unique interchangeable zoom lens. Focusing and zooming takes place through levers on the lens. Those who are used to using a compact or video camera might find this familiar. When you're used to a SLR type camera, you will need some time to get accustomed. When you compare the performance of the Panasonic 14-42 mm X with the cheaper Panasonic 14-42 mm, the Panasonic 14-42 mm X scores a little bit higher. This is mainly because of the low chromatic aberration of the Panasonic 14-42 mm . When you add the optical performance to the compact size and the powerzoom, you will forget the higher price completely within a few weeks.
