Panasonic GX7 - Which lens to choose?

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

Many thanks

I pearonally would and did get the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 for the GX7, It fit and suit the camera very well. It is very sharp, reasonably fast at focus ( don't let the knockers put you off)'.

I think the kit zoom lens is very good (Lumix G 14-42mm II):


I don't think you will get significantly better image quality by upgrading to either of the lenses on your list.

What you will get, though, is better low light performance (bigger aperture). If this is important to you, and you primarily need a portrait lens, then the Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 is a good choice.

For portrait you would classically be looking at one of the 42/45mm primes with a large aperture for dof control.

For landscape, you would be looking at something wider than 14mm unless you plan to stitch.

Maybe trade the zoom for a wider one with 12mm and get a 42/45mm prime?

masteriori said:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

Many thanks

Click to expand...

My choices:

Oly 45 or Panny 42.5 for portraiture and perhaps some product photography and some landscape.

Panny/Leica 15 for landscape and whatever (or the Panny 14).

Panny 20 or 25 for product photography and general use.

masteriori said:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Click to expand...

Start with these.

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

You get two very good lenses and a decent amount of range, that's not too close together, in a very compact set.

Another option is the 20mm, though I find that apart from it's size, it's neither wide enough or long enough for my taste. It is nice if you want to minimize size without compromising on image quality. I have a 20mm (actually both versions) but would have opted for a 15mm had it been available at the time.

The real question is: what's YOUR taste.

You've asked which single lens among that list is most appropriate for three very different shooting requirements. My vote would be the 20mm:

- works pretty well for full body or group type portraits, and is perfect for all sorts of "taking pictures of people indoors" scenarios.

- Should work fine for product photos as well; as it's not too long that you'll be needing to stand too far away. You can be at a reasonable distance for sufficient DOF and crop if you need to 'zoom'

- being on the wide end of the normal range it'll be OK for some landscape type shots

FWIW I have a GX7 (used a G3 for a few years before) the 20, 45 1.8, and that same 14-42 version 2 zoom and the 20 spends the most time on the camera by a fair margin. It's extremely versatile and the small size is a bonus.

jeff

If you like to shoot head-shoulder portraits you should also consider the Sigma 60mm 2.8 lens.

I have both this lens and the Oly 75mm 1.8 lens.

I find 60mm f.l.more useful than 70mm for portraits.

Both lenses are optically excellent. In sharpness I can´t see any difference even enlarged to 200%.

The Sigma is also well build, but smaller and lighter than the Oly.

The biggest difference is the price. The Sigma is very cheap and considered one of the real bargains among the native m43 lenses.

Good luck with what ever you choose of lenses. All suggested lenses are good many excellent.

Erik

masteriori said:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

Click to expand...

Pokemon. Collect them all.

masteriori said:

I will mainly be shooting portraits

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Oly 75mm. Incredible lens.

masteriori said:

product photography

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Pany 45mm f2.8 macro (one of my favorites) or Oly 60mm macro for up close work.

Probably one of the f2.8 zooms for general work e.g. Pany 12-35 or Oly 12-40.

However, these lenses you listed here are pretty good, with the possible exception (based on some reviews / feedback) of the Pany 25mm f1.7:

* Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

* Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

* Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

* Panasonic 25mm f1.7 (I would suggest the Pany 25mm f1.4)

* Panasonic 20mm f1.7

* Panasonic 15mm f1.7

masteriori said:

landscapes.

Click to expand...

A fun GX7 kit for landscapes is the pair of Pany pancakes: 14mm f2.5 and 20mm f1.7.

A fun GX7 travel zoom kit is the Pany 12-32mm pancake zoom and the corresponding Pany 35-100mm compact (not the f2.8) zoom.

It all depends on the focal lengths you're looking for. You did miss 3 of the best lenses for the GX7, though: The Pany 25mm f1.4, the Pany 45mm f2.8 (macro), and the Oly 75mm f1.8. If I could only have 3 lenses for the GX7, I'd probably take those ones.

masteriori said:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

Many thanks

Click to expand...

Panasonic 15 1.7, it's a gem

Start with the Panasonic 15 1.7 and later add the 42.5 1.7. Those two lenses are sharp as tacks and small to carry. Great walk-around lenses. You have the added benefit of the aperture ring on the 15 and that saves time that you would spend dialing in the aperture. Good luck.

For landscapes, the Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 is a very nice lens, but cheap it ain't.

Dave

Go for 42.5/1.7 or Oly 45 if you can get it cheaper and don't care for OIS.

Why? Because it will be useful for all the scenarios you listed. Will work great for portraits. Will do for product photography provided you don't need to get very close (so might not be great for small things). And you can put it to great use for landscapes (you can always stitch a panorama in a pinch).

You can add 15/1.7 later on, for easy wide angles and indoor shots.

masteriori said:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

Many thanks

Click to expand...

The good thing is that your range is right within the range of the kit lens. If you have taken any number of photos, check the EXIF of the photos and see which focal length (FL) you seem to like the best.

The fact that you want a faster 1.7 or 1.8 lens is a good thing, in my book, as the kit lens max aperture quickly gets smaller with the zoom. These faster primes will allow you to do things you cannot do with your kit lens, such as shooting in a dark restaurant if you get 25mm or below.

Your product portraits/product photography preferences say a 25 mm or 45 mm, but what does your portfolio of photos say?

I lusted mightily over the Oly 45 (Pana was years away from intro) and when I finally got one, I still found that I used the old slow 20mm the most.

As it turns out, I did not follow the advice I am giving you. Older and wiser, I guess.

The 45 is supremely useful for portraits, however, and shots when you want a little working distance and depth of field control. It would actually be good for landscapes in many cases...but look at what you have taken already with your kit lens....

masteriori said:

• masteriori wrote:

Hi all,

I have recently purchased Panasonic GX7 with kit lens but wanted to upgrade to a better lens and can't quite decide which lens to choose.

I will mainly be shooting portraits, product photography and landscapes. After some research, I have compiled a list of candidates below but needed some advice as to which is more suitable for my needs?

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7

Panasonic 25mm f1.7

Panasonic 20mm f1.7

Panasonic 15mm f1.7

Many thanks

Click to expand...

So, are you going to trade or sell your kit lens as many here have suggested?

• 12-35 f/2.8
• 20 f/1.7 or 25 f/1.7 PanLeica.

Depending on your budget, and FOV that works for you.

And, it's fun to spend OPM.

Good luck on your journey to lens nirvana.

Lena

---
Like others here, I suffer from chronic GAS.
Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
a few hundred nautical miles SW : 17º 52S, 149º 56W

Have you considered the Oly 12-40 or Panasonic 12-35? I have recently gotten the former and it is such a joy to use that my primes are starting to collect dust. Either can be had for just over $600 on eBay, which is about what any two of the primes would cost.

You said lens(not lenses).

Meaning only one? If that's the case, then O25mmf1.8

If lenses, then 15mm, 25mm, 42.5/45mm.

What's the kit lens?

Thank you all for all kind of suggestions. I have put my kit lens on sale at Amazon and that money will go towards funding my new lens.

Landscape photography is not a must for me, I am just looking for the best possible results in indoor/low light/product photography hence why I was mainly looking at bright f/1.7 or f/1.8 lenses.

Here's what each lens is going for in the UK on eBay:

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8 £166

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8 £210

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 £256

Panasonic 25mm f1.7 £156

Panasonic 20mm f1.7 II £200

Panasonic 15mm f1.7 £280

Thanks

masteriori said:

Thank you all for all kind of suggestions. I have put my kit lens on sale at Amazon and that money will go towards funding my new lens.

Landscape photography is not a must for me, I am just looking for the best possible results in indoor/low light/product photography hence why I was mainly looking at bright f/1.7 or f/1.8 lenses.

Here's what each lens is going for in the UK on eBay:

Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f1.8 £166

Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f1.8 £210

Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 £256

Panasonic 25mm f1.7 £156

Panasonic 20mm f1.7 II £200

Panasonic 15mm f1.7 £280

Thanks

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Now you just have to choose between the lenses.

Good luck with your gear and happy shooting!

A good portrait lens will be a bad choice for landscapes and a good landscape lens would be a poor choice for portraits. If you try to pick one prime for both purposes you will end up with lens that does not do either very well.

Since landscapes are typically shot in good light and there is no need to blur the background the kit lens you already have should work pretty well. I use my GX7 and 12-32mm for landscapes. I used to own an Olympus 12mm f2.0 and sold it since in good light nobody but me could see a difference between it and the small zoom and the difference I saw was pretty small.

With portraits the difference between the kit lens and 45mm f1.8 is obvious. The extra 3.5 stops make a huge difference when trying to blur backgrounds or shooting in low light. The 42.5 was not available when I bought my 45mm but even if it was I am not sure I would have paid that much extra for image stabilization. IS is useful enough for static subjects I might have but blur due to the subject moving is so common it might not be as valuable as it sounds. Also, the GX7 does have IBIS so even though it is less effective than IBIS in other bodies or OIS in the lens it makes choosing a lens with OIS less important. If price is an issue go with the less expensive lens.

Depending on what sort of products you are photographing the 45mm should work well for that too. If you are talking pictures of large items a shorter focal length could be useful but for smaller items the 45mm will be fine. If by product photography you mean taking pictures of stuff before you sell it online once again your kit lens should work fine as long as you use a tripod, lock the ISO to 200 and stop down to f8 or f11 to get enough DOF and make sure there are no annoying reflections from the lighting.

EDIT: I just noticed you are selling the kit lens. If it is the 14-42 I doubt you will get enough to make up for the loss of versatility. If it is not too late I would recommend keeping it and going with the less expensive Olympus 45 to make up for what you can sell the kit lens for. Being able to go to 42mm for portraits and down to 14 for landscapes is more useful than the extra speed you will get with a single prime. If I could only have one lens I would much rather have the slow kit lens than try to use the same focal length for both portraits and landscapes.