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I feel misled: Panasonic 20mm f1.7 II AF is SO SLOW!

Started Apr 28, 2014 | Discussions thread
Jacques Cornell
Jacques Cornell Forum Pro • Posts: 16,262
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tgutgu wrote:

Since there are now alternatives to the 1.7/20mm, which are equal or better in IQ (1.8/25mm, 1.4/25mm) and which have a fast AF, there isn't any point left to buy this lens

...

Unless it's exactly what you need.

The 20 may not be the best at any one thing, but it still offers a unique combination of characteristics not replicated by any other lens. I didn't expect to love it - being used to 35mm on FF - but it makes a great walkabout because of its combination of brightness, minimal size & weight, high optical quality, and a really useful perspective that nicely spans the range between "normal" and "wide". Oly's 17 f1.8 focuses faster but reportedly lags a bit in IQ and is big enough to make a GX1 less pocketable. 25mm is a very different perspective than 20mm and isn't a substitute. And, the other pancake (14 f2.8) is much wider and dimmer.

Also, "slow" is relative. The 20 still focuses faster and quieter than my old Canon 35mm f2 on a 1-series.

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