Does anyone still use Panasonic 20mm f/1.7?

Raist3d wrote:

Anders W wrote:

Raist3d wrote:

Anders W wrote:

DKG wrote:

I have both versions of it and they are real workhorses for a compact setup. In my view sharper (or, at least, crisper) than the 17mm/1.8 but yes, painfully slow to focus, especially on Olympus bodies. Probably because of the latter, it doesn’t co-operate well with some Olympus bodies (those, I think, which don’t have the ability to switch on ‘focus-priority shooting’ - mainly the PEN Lite and the E-M10 lines) as the shutter seems to fire before focus is fully achieved. The workaround is to wait for focus confirmation with a half-press of the shutter release button… not ideal for fast-action where there may not be time to wait that extra fraction of a second.

Well, the 20/1.7 was not designed for AF-C and Panasonic bodies won’t even let it enter that mode. I think Oly bodies do but it’s not a good idea to try (e.g., for the reason you mention).

In AF-S mode, it is slow if you allow it to hunt (I don’t) or if you refocus from close-up to infinity or the reverse. But for my standard use case, where refocusing would be limited to the 0.75 meters to infinity range, it refocuses about as quickly as lenses with internal focus. And yes, I’ve tested that systematically (on an Oly body), using the Oly 12/2 and 45/1.8 as “competitors”.

As much as I liek the 20 mm F1.7- one outstanding issue on Oly bodies (any body I have tried). is that if you full press the shutter to get a shot, very often it will be out of focus. I find I have to half press, wait for focus, then finish- then it works.

Well, that hasn’t happened on any of the four Oly bodies I have used it with (E-M5.1, E-M1.1, PEN-F, and E-M1), provided I stay in the AF-S mode the lens is designed four. In pure AF-S mode, the camera simply won’t fire unless it has acquired focus. In AF-S with MF mode, it will eventually fire anyway but only after a long wait (several seconds)..

It looks like we have reached an impasse and can't agree.

I have used the EM5MKII, EM5MKIII, the Pen-F, the EP-7, the EM10MKIV, the EPL9. On every single one of them this behavior can be seen. And to be clear I am talking a bout AF-S.

" In pure AF-S mode, the camera simply won’t fire unless it has acquired focus."

Again, not for this Panasonic. Also I wouldn't say that's 100% for some other lenses but it's close to your observation that it should be near 100%. But for this 20mm F1.7 that's not the case for me.

I just tried this again with my PEN-F and the 20/1.7 (mark I) with the lens cap on to prevent it from acquiring focus. It simply won’t fire in pure AF-S mode. In AF-S+MF mode it will, although only if you wait for several seconds. Firmware is the latest available for both body and lens.

Please do the same test if you can. It would surprise me very much if you got a different result.

I am sure what you describe can happen in AF-C mode though, especially if the camera isn’t set for focus priority.

All of the the cameras have been set for focus priority where they allow that option.

I wish Olympus/OMDS resolved this incompatibility. This doesn't happen on Lumix bodies.

In either case I still like the lens.

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Raist3d/Ricardo (Photographer, software dev.)- I photograph black cats in coal mines at night...
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