Previous news story Next news story

Panasonic announces revised Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II ASPH lens

Jun 27, 2013 at 04:01:45 GMT

Print view

Panasonic has announced the Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II ASPH, a revised version of its classic fast pancake lens for Micro Four Thirds. The H-HS020A, as Panasonic likes to call it, features a metallic exterior and slightly reduced weight, and will come in a choice of silver or black finishes. The optical design appears to be unchanged, with 7 elements in 5 groups including 2 aspheric elements; not a bad thing as its predecessor is one of our favourite lenses. The 20mm F1.7 II will be available in late July at a price of $399/£349.

Jump to:

Press Release
Specifications
Additional Images

Press Release:

Panasonic Announces LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH - Fast Single Focal Length Digital Interchangeable Lens in Sophisticated Exterior Design

Panasonic is pleased to announce the addition of a new single focal length lens LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH. (H-H020A). Joining Panasonic’s well regarded family of digital interchangeable lenses of LUMIX G based on the Micro Four Thirds standard, this model features a newly designed metallic profile, and sleek, sophisticated design elegantly finished in black and silver. Maintaining the stunning performance of LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 ASPH., the new LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH. is extremely compact and lightweight & its F1.7 brightness that enables beautiful soft focus on the background for the subject to stand out impressively.

Comprising seven lenses in five groups, the new lens system uses two aspherical lenses effectively to minimize both distortion and chromatic aberrations, achieving super high resolution from corner to corner. The versatile 20 mm focal distance (equivalent to 40 mm on a 35 mm film camera) is suitable for a wide variety of occasions from daily snapshots, to beautiful sceneries like sunsets, and dimly lit indoor shots taking advantage of its beautiful soft focus. The new lens supports Contrast AF system for high precision auto focusing.

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. The new LUMIX G 20 mm / F1.7 II ASPH. lens also features a highly reliable metal mount, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimize ghosts and flare to further enhance its optical performance. The new addition will be available from 29th July 2013.

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II ASPH specifications

Principal specifications
Lens type	Prime lens
Max Format size	FourThirds
Focal length	20 mm
Image stabilisation	No
Lens mount	Micro Four Thirds
Aperture
Maximum aperture	F1.7
Minimum aperture	F16.0
Aperture ring	No
Number of diaphragm blades	7
Aperture notes	Circular aperture diaphragm
Optics
Elements	7
Groups	5
Special elements / coatings	2 aspherical elements
Focus
Minimum focus	0.20 m (7.87″)
Maximum magnification	0.13×
Autofocus	Yes
Motor type	Micromotor
Full time manual	Yes
Physical
Weight	87 g (0.19 lb)
Diameter	63 mm (2.48″)
Length	26 mm (1.00″)
Materials	Metal barrel, metal mount
Colour	Silver or Black
Filter thread	46 mm
Filter notes	does not rotate on focus
Hood supplied	No

Additional images

LENS NEWS LENS PANASONIC

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 II ASPH

Add to: Login to add this item to your gear lists.

GearShop

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH Lens, Black (Micro Four Thirds)●		Buy on GearShop
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F/1.7 II ASPH Lens, Silver (Micro Four Thirds)●		Buy on GearShop

Panasonic Lumix G H-H020AS 20mm F/1.7 II ASPH Lens for Panasonic/Olympus Micro Four Thirds Cameras (Silver)	$428.00
Panasonic Lumix G H-H020AK 20mm F/1.7 II ASPH Lens for Panasonic/Olympus Micro Four Thirds Cameras (Black)	$428.00
Panasonic Lumix G H-H020AS 20mm F/1.7 II ASPH Lens for Panasonic/Olympus Micro Four Thirds Cameras (Silver)	$428.00
Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 Aspherical Pancake Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras	$399.95
Panasonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 G Aspherical Lens for Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Cameras	$207.00
Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH. Pancake Lens \| H-H020 (Japanese Import)	$340.07
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm/f1.7 Ii Asph. H-h020a-k Lens	$375.00
Panasonic H-H020AK Lumix G 20mm / F1.7 II ASPH Lens (Black) + Panasonic Lens Pouch + Giotto's Blower + Lens Pen Cleaning System + Cleaning Kit	$458.00
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm/f1.7 Ii Asph. H-h020a-s Lens	$375.00
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH Lens (Black) with 3 UV/FLD/CPL Filters + Backpack Case + Accessory Kit for DMC-G3, G5, G6, GF5, GF6, GH3 & GX7 Digital Cameras	$434.95
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH Lens (Black) with 32GB Card + 3 UV/FLD/CPL Filters + Case + Tripod + Accessory Kit for G Series Digital Cameras	$439.95

Show all listings (11) ...

Get more prices from Amazon

Comments

Total comments: 76

I have had very good results with the old version- I did, however, go to the 25mm Summilux and find it more than a tad better in contrast. You do, however, give up some of the wide angle properties of the 20. What could have prompted them to release THIS lens? The older version seems identical.

0 upvotes

the black one looks better and lighter than the original version.
though I'd like to see a larger aperture lens (f/1 or larger)
it's 4/3" gang's strategy not make any, so no choice.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

The only thing that is improved seems to be the looks.

Maybe there is also an improvement in cost, if this one is made in China instead of Japan.

0 upvotes

my favorite lens at my oly pen.

0 upvotes

If I wanted to replace my 20mm 1.7 with anything better, I would ask for a 17mm 1.8 with image stabilization.

0 upvotes

20/0.7 sounds a good alternative of 50/1.4.

0 upvotes

Wow, and they had a chance to give us a 35mm equivalent lens like the Olympus 17mm but instead just gave us a silver version of a lens that doesn't need replacing. The 20mm 1.7 is on my camera permanently but this announcement looks so uninspiring and lazy on the part of Panasonic especially without focus speed improvement or manual focus ring dampening improvement.
Will we see an AF100 video camera in red next instead of updating it with 4:2:2 codec or replacing it all together to at least keep up with the competition?
Cynical marketing? The buyer has the last say.

0 upvotes

m4/3" mount has a flange-back of 20mm so it's easier to make lenses >= 20mm. 20/1.7 is really cheap glass to make.

0 upvotes

@Yabokkie - You are an ignorant dick! Why do you keep embarrassing yourself with these stupid posts?

0 upvotes

I don't get it. What is changed?

0 upvotes

Also, while it may not exactly be pocketable, the portability of the pancake makes a big difference. You might get it into a jacket or big pants pocket, and having it as another lens stored in your bag is super easy. It's very unlikely you'll notice a difference in weight when carry it with you, unlike the bulker and heavier 25mm and 17mm 1.8, although the 17 is still pretty small.

0 upvotes

The article doesn't say whether or not the AF and loudness of the lens are improved, but it would be absolutely ridiculous to release an upgrade if it weren't. The original was a great lens at the time, but now the AF seems painfully slow and loud, which can especially hamper video (although you should probably be using MF anyway video wise). Bokeh, color, and sharpness really don't need improvement at all. Changing the focal length would be pointless since there are so many other lenses available if you want something different. I've grown to like 35mm better, but 40mm certainly has it's virtues. It was my primary lens for a long time and I loved it. If they fix the AF of the old lens, then this is a worthy upgrade. No one can really say until it's actually released and tested. If there's no AF improvement, then it will be just laughable, and if there will be, they really should have mentioned it in the press release.

1 upvote

FUNNY! go to amazon.com or click the link above the comments (for the 20mmf/1.7 ...first model...price 'too low to display') and the price at amazon says "its too low to display...place in cart to see price"...

when you check the cart it shows LIST PRICE 399.95 crossed out NEW PRICE 399.00!!!

the 'old' model is 95 cents cheaper than the new model!! Indeed crazy to display!

Comment edited 50 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

People think this gives the same Bokeh at f/1.7, as an equivalent length, f/1.8, on APS-C covering lenses, and it does not. Plus, they think the AF is that faster, "light-speed", and it is not.

Why isn't this half price; instead of double its competition? Small is good; but is it worth it? No. Is it pocket-able when mounted? No. Then what difference does it make? ...accept worse.

I'm aware; stupid demand is in play. I'm just not, with stupid. ;) Are you? Sometimes popular is just plain wrong(worse), you know? We need better lenses. Not bragging rights.

It is smaller(good); but how big is an APS-C prime, really? ...or even some, FF? (50mm AF D).

I think the makers best work on tiny(er) "full frame" cameras, and stop messing about. The D600 is a step, that way. We need much better steps!

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 8 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

And Canon gets slammed for lame updates! This is lamer than the 650D -> 700D, by a large margin. What a waste of effort and frankly an insult to the market. Lens clearly needed improvements to the AF at a minimum and we get cosmetics.

0 upvotes

The original draft of the press release read, "This refresh of our classic lens features a different model number and release date."

I don't like marketing-tactics masquerading as technical improvements. Let's hope it doesn't become like the auto industry with a "new" model of the same thing every year.

0 upvotes

While the update seems to be mainly cosmetic (pending reviews), I like the tidier size and the availability of a silver version (both would look better on my brown epm1 than my current 20mm).

I wonder, though, if the smaller size would mean a smaller/less robust focus motor is used. The current version of the lens is as reliable as a wood-burning stove(at least based on my experience) and I hope that aspect of it hasn't been compromised in the redesign.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

m4/3 seems to like to refresh similar lenses on the exteriors.

0 upvotes

Here comes the new boss. Same as the old boss.

2 upvotes

sleek, sophisticated design elegantly finished in black and silver. NUF SAID. Except 7 aperture blades isn't necessarily round. Should look at lenses from earlier eras.

0 upvotes

I certainly hope the AF and noise are improved. But if they are not mentioned, normally they are not. If improved, even if they are not shouting about it, they are suppose to be in the first few sentences, right? I like the OP though.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

2 upvotes

WANT!!

The slow, loud focusing speed of the existing 20 is its only real drawback. I'll probably keep it and use the other one on dual GH3's to do 3D video.

Awesome!

1 upvote

Did you read the article? The AF is unchanged. Only cosmetic changes.

0 upvotes

DON'T WANT
because the AF is not changed. For video it is not usable because of noisy and pumping AF. And what a nice lens it would be without that!
Instead of changing the exterior design (which is good enough on the old version), they should have made an inner focusing (IF) like on the 2,5/14.
And OIS stabilisation would be helpful too!

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

How much autofocus do people really use in video? I rarely if ever.

4 upvotes

IS would have increased the size.

0 upvotes

Where have You red "AF is unchanged"?
AF has changed! Cause of new "in lens" instead "frontfocus" design.

0 upvotes

The old version moves the whole lens tube for focusing.

The 2,5/14 has IF which means only some inner lenses are moving, not the whole tube. Like all zooms.

Where did you read about IF?

Beside this I really want an IS in this lens!

0 upvotes

I thought I would be compelled to replace my Mk1. Good thing I don't have to, phew. Or is it a good thing? Panasonic updated the 14-140mm, and the new one is smaller, lighter, brighter and cheaper! Olympus updated the kit 14-42mm so it's smaller, lighter, faster and quieter. Did Panasonic get lazy with this one?

The 20/1.7 MkII is still a good lens though, but I'd get the Mk1 for the lower price if I hadn't already.

4 upvotes

Had the old 1.7 with my GF1 and I loved it. I eventually moved on to the 25mm 1.4 which had much better AF. Now I have an OMD with the Olympus 17mm 1.8, and I've really grown to appreciate the 35mm equivalent. I toyed around with my old 20mm to compare the two, and I just found myself having a harder time getting the composition I wanted with it's 40mm equivalent. My 17mm has mostly replaced my 25mm and even my 12. It's become my new default lens. It's just a very versatile focal length. I think this new 20mm will be fantastic if they fix the noise and AF, but I'll stick with what I have, minus my beloved old 20, which I'll get around to selling one of these days!

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

4 upvotes

34-36 mm is a great focal length.

3 upvotes

And it is going to be kitted with ...

1 upvote

... the panasonic GX7.

1 upvote

Right - cosmetic refresh so that it seems less odd being paired with a newer camera.

Comment edited 13 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

The focus speed on the old version is not an issue for me, but the grinding noises is, I think it is the worst among all M4/3 lenses. If panasonic can make improvement on that area, I'm in. Keeping my finger crossed, waiting for real world test result...

3 upvotes

Not an issue for me too, but if they improve the AF speed will be good.

2 upvotes

No performance increase? Oh, well. I guess the 25 1.4 is looking better and better.

0 upvotes

25/1.4 may look less worse if the price goes below 1/4,
and the shame Leica brand is removed.

Comment edited 36 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

Panny is not trying to make old 20/1.7 owner buy the new one; they just want to change the "year" label from 2009 to 2013 so it sounds good on the new GX2 package. (And almost every m4/3 owner who did some research would have bought the old one already.)

4 upvotes

I agree. Panny to me is fundamentally an electronics company, that whole industry is built around the whole shiny shiny this is new concept. Perhaps I'm being overly cynical? But I doubt a traditional camera/lens company would be making a new mk2 version of a well received lens after only 3/4 years?

1 upvote

You mean the GX7.

0 upvotes

The metal body should at least shield the electronic noise which produces banding on the Sony 4/3 sensor at high amplification. Maybe.
But did they make the motor more powerful and silent?

1 upvote

I'd prefer new lenses at around 14mm f/1.4 (24-35m f/2.8 equiv.) with
"backward retract" that the rear element gets closer to the sensor
when the lens is mounted.

0 upvotes

The reasons for current 20/1.7 owners to upgrade include...

* Metal finish
* Slightly less weight
* ?

The press release does not even claim AF speed improvement, which it would do if they found a way to make it even a hair faster. Sounds like an announcement that passed me in the night.

2 upvotes

LOL fail, really still considered one of the best lenses for M43 sells used for almost the same price as new, anything in the same performance class is hundreds more.

0 upvotes

This was a perfect opportunity for Panasonic to weather-seal this puppy (which they should have done for the first version, actually) and once again, they missed it.

7 upvotes

It is not easy to weather-seal a lens which has to move its front element to focus.

3 upvotes

cameras/lenses are quite water resistant without any seal

0 upvotes

If the AF motor is not upgraded, then it is fail IMO.

7 upvotes

If no AF improvement= fail, but I simply cannot believe it! lets see the first reviews first

7 upvotes

This is not a rear-element focusing lens and remains the same as the old 20mm f/1.7 (i.e. front-element focusing). It's sad they did not take the trouble to improve on that aspect from the old lens. I suppose changing the AF method to REF would have required a radical change to the lens design and it would no longer be the same lens... But so what?

4 upvotes

I agree, they failed.

2 upvotes

Fail's a little strong, if it ends up selling for the same as the old one I think a lot of people (that don't already have it obviously) would gladly welcome the metal build... B&H has it up for pre-order for $425, original one's MSRP was $400 no?

3 upvotes

BTW the original isn't a front-element focusing lens, it's a whole assembly focusing lens.

0 upvotes

"lot of people (that don't already have it obviously) would gladly welcome the metal build"
If only... metallic is not metal build. Just looks a bit like it, but it's plastic. Like Oly's 45mm.

0 upvotes

"...features a metallic exterior and slightly reduced weight, and will come in a choice of silver or black finishes. The optical design appears to be unchanged..."

W. C. Fields strikes again: " Never give a sucker an even break"

1 upvote

399€ in Germany

0 upvotes

Oh man, I had already been planning on getting one by the end of this year... It'll be my first MFT lens. Hopefully they don't jack the price up (specially if there's no improvements on AF speed or propensity to focus hunt), otherwise I guess I'll be on the lookout for good deals on the old model.

0 upvotes

I'd say it's perfect timing. You might get a slight price reduction on the old lens. It's a classic either way.

0 upvotes

hmm what? Just a cosmetic change. How sad. Now time to cancel my pre-order.

12 upvotes

The AF apparently hasn't been improved. Still not an IF lens. Just a repackaging, it appears (although perhaps they've fixed the banding issue). See this site:
http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/systemcamera/gms/lens/g_20_a.html

Excerpts:
• AFC does not work for still image recording.
• The LUMIX G 20mm / F1.7 II 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.
• Operating sounds will be recorded when auto focus is performed during motion image recording. It is recommended to record with Continuous AF set to OFF, if the sound of operation bothers you. Also, it is not possible to set the focus mode to AFC.

7 upvotes

I dont understand it, what a fail on there part. How hard would it have been to replace the motor in it and made it so it focused faster and silently. I was excited to hear that they re did this lens(one of the only lenses that really needed updated. turns out they didnt really update it!!!!!!!!

6 upvotes

panasonic, i am disappoint.

2 upvotes

How hard? Well, rear-group focusing requires a redesigned optical formula, and compared to the near-perfect original, it was almost certainly a step-down in IQ... so I suspect they let it go and stuck to the original.

Better the moaning over focus speed than mass derision over optical performance.

3 upvotes

my disappointment comes from the possibility that the same motor will be used. i would have liked the silent motor from the 14mm pancake, so that the lens would have been good for video as well as stills. if focusing speed cannot be improved without altering the image quality, that's fine. but the motor shouldn't be that hard to replace.

4 upvotes

Well, if the metal body is just an excuse to raise their price, then there is always Oly 17/1.8, $400 now, metal body, fast and quiet AF, snap MF etc.

1 upvote

When did the Oly 14 drop to $400? I don't think they raised the price on this one regardless, and it's still sharper, so even if they're now priced the same it comes down to quiet/quicker AF vs smallersharper.

1 upvote

yep, the million dollar question if, did they fixed the AF to make it like 14/2.5 which is very fast and silent. I don't see why not, if they can do 14/2.5 that way, they surely can do 20/1.7. If AF is fast, I am buying it 100%, it is a no-brainer.

6 upvotes

it's a good lens!(old one) http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/2005536539/photos/1124754/master-painter

0 upvotes

Strange that they would only do a cosmetic change; Panasonic normally remodels its lenses to a greater degree. I was expecting improved autofocus, but to see no mention of it in the press release likely means little if anything was changed on that front.

On the other hand, a subtle fix that the marketing team would probably want to avoid mentioning would be removing the banding issues that occured with this lens on the new Sony sensors at high ISOs; indeed the banding was the main issue prompting me to sell mine and get the 25mm. Unlike many, I actually prefer the pancake for focal length and sharpness(not to mention size).

2 upvotes

What about a lens could have caused banding?

Comment edited 9 seconds after posting

1 upvote

rbach44: it's some weird electromagnetic interference, only happens at some shutter speeds.

1 upvote

"Weird" is certainly right. I hear it gets worse if the lens OR the camera has been turned on for a while before the lens is used.

It has been acknowledged by the manufacturers, too. For some forum users, at least, fixing the problem would be a big deal.

2 upvotes

"What about a lens could have caused banding?"

Modern lenses have plenty of electronics and electrical motors inside, and the parts if not properly designed can emit electromagnetic noise which can be detected by the more sensitive Sony sensor (in 2012+ Oly cameras and in GH3 too).

1 upvote

Panasonic 20 1.7, first revision, my favorite lens so far :)
Nice new jacket, sure more quiet too.
If it is so, definitely, the new winner is arriving.

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 6 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Did they improve the AF motor(faster, silent operation?)? I dont see a mention of that.

5 upvotes

Total comments: 76

Editorial content

Product database

Community


Leica announces Elmarit-S 45 mm f/2.8 ASPH wide-angle lens Oct 1, 2013	Roger Cicala investigates accuracy of lens adapters Sep 30, 2013	Fast and wide: Fujifilm releases XF23mm F1.4 R for X system Sep 5, 2013	Canon reveals EF-S 55-250 F4-5.6 IS STM kit-friendly zoom lens Aug 22, 2013

	Nikon 1 AW1 Sep 19, 2013
	Fujifilm X-A1 Sep 17, 2013
	Olympus OM-D E-M1 Sep 10, 2013
	Leica C (Typ112) Sep 8, 2013
	Nikon Coolpix P7800 Sep 5, 2013
	Nikon Coolpix S02 Sep 5, 2013
	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX10 Sep 4, 2013
	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-QX100 Sep 4, 2013
	Sony Alpha A3000 Aug 27, 2013
	Sony Alpha NEX-5T Aug 27, 2013

Okay Fuji, so now that the experiment is over....	107
D610 to be announced within 48 hours (as of 10/5)	89
How many shots do you take to get a shot?	83
While everyone ooohs and aaaahs over the ...	78
More leaks about K3 specifications	76
Anyone for Sunday Scapes (2013-10-06) ?	66
After 3 weeks & thousands of shots: NEX-6 + ...	58
E-M1 Trouble focusing on moving objects	55
The Sunday BIRD Volume 9, Issue 15 October 6, 2013	49
GX7: Extended ISO125 Image Degradation?	47
Counterfeit lens caps from Amazon	46
E-M1 as E-5 successor - first week experience	42
Help deciding between Sony NEX-6 or Olympus ...	36
X-pro1 vs x-a1 (or is it X-A1 vs X-pro1) using ...	35
Worth selling my Canon DSLR to move to Olympus ...	32
I'm going broke buying E-M5 Eyecups!	32
Shutter shock verdict is not present here. ...	31
Sensor Technology (The Software Engineer Way)	31
Camera For Landscape Photography....NEED ...	28
Five Worst Clichés About Photography	27

Your email address:
Your name: