Nostalgia - The original kit Panasonic 14-45

Just found this one lying in a drawer. Used to use it with my GH2.

Tried it on the EM-1. While it's weird, in that frame rate goes down when you go wide-angle, and back up when you zoom in, the sharpness is quite good, though not in the same league, of course, as the 40-150 Oly 2.8 And it doesn't seem appreciably worse than the Oly 12-40 2.8 (though it has a smaller fstop, 3.5, and quickly to 5.6, so not much good in very low light).

This was a good lens!

I gave mine to a friend along with my GX1.  The lens came with the G1 which I still keep just because I like it.  That is a rather good lens and a handy focal length, so the friend is very fond of it (along with the 20 1.7 and 100-300).  Not everyone needs the latest and greatest, so Old and Still Good will do.

It is still one of my major lenses regularly used together with 7-14 f/4.

If not hated to abundant it before end of its life, it would long be replaced by 12-35 f/2.8 or later on, 12-32 for the portability.

of a much more expensive lens. Sharpness wise it's also excellent and very consistent. I recently bought another mint one very cheaply, it's the best kit lens I've used in terms of overall performance and that includes the 12-32mm.

abe4652 wrote:

Just found this one lying in a drawer. Used to use it with my GH2.

Tried it on the EM-1. While it's weird, in that frame rate goes down when you go wide-angle, and back up when you zoom in, the sharpness is quite good, though not in the same league, of course, as the 40-150 Oly 2.8 And it doesn't seem appreciably worse than the Oly 12-40 2.8 (though it has a smaller fstop, 3.5, and quickly to 5.6, so not much good in very low light).

This was a good lens!

Hmmm.  Now it makes me wonder if it's worth to upgrade to the pro lens at all.

I do enjoy the kit lens.

Best

larsbc wrote:

I've been using the 14-45 that came with my G1 for the past five years as my primary micro four thirds lens. Only this month has it been supplanted as my primary lens when I finally bought the Panasonic 12-35/2.8.

The 14-45 felt cheap and its zoom ring's rubber sleeve was loose

The rubber sleeve sliding around a bit after some use seems to be a systematic problem with this lens. I fixed it on mine as described here four years ago and have had no problems with it since. By now, my copy is semi-retired since about a year back, when I bought the 12-40/2.8. But I have no plans of selling it. It's nice to have a backup for what is arguably the most important lens, especially one that is significantly smaller and lighter while still being a good performer optically.

but the lens delivered very good image quality. I remember when I first got the G1 + 14-45 kit and how I marvelled over its small size (smaller than a Nikon 50mm prime).

Chi Pham wrote:

abe4652 wrote:

Just found this one lying in a drawer. Used to use it with my GH2.

Tried it on the EM-1. While it's weird, in that frame rate goes down when you go wide-angle, and back up when you zoom in, the sharpness is quite good, though not in the same league, of course, as the 40-150 Oly 2.8 And it doesn't seem appreciably worse than the Oly 12-40 2.8 (though it has a smaller fstop, 3.5, and quickly to 5.6, so not much good in very low light).

This was a good lens!

Hmmm. Now it makes me wonder if it's worth to upgrade to the pro lens at all.

I do enjoy the kit lens.

Best

If you have a regular need for the F2.8 or 12mm I'd say go for it, otherwise the 14-45mm is close enough to warrant keeping it IMHO. The size and weight difference alone is a big plus in favour of this and some of the other better kit lenses.

abe4652 wrote:

This was a good lens!

I've been using the 14-45 for four years now (currently on a G7).  It lives on the camera and remains my most often used lens.  One of the best zooms I've ever used.

Clayton

As Andre's situation, my copy also had problem after 5 years' heavy used, the plastic sleeve was loosen (same as 45-200), they were replaced by Panny Service C at a small price of <US$7 each.

I find it be be an excellent lens.  Currently I use it on my GH4 and GX7.

I have no reasons to decommission this lens - my primary go around.

Abe --

I have mine from my G1 days, and find it a remarkable lens for all the reasons cited.

But i have been disappointed  in one respect: it doesn't seem a terribly durable lens; mine suffered some kind of internal element dislocation when the camera slid off an end table.  Really, this wasn't a terribly strong shock.  The Oly PL7 is just fine.  Lordy-Lou, i hate to think of the things i put my Nikkor AIS lenses through back in the day when i was photo-journalist.

But yes, a great lens.  And i guess i will find out how much it costs to fix.  The truth is, though, that i use my Sigma f2.8 primes more than the zoom anymore.  But even if i don't fix it, i more than got my money out that lens in photographic value . . . which is more than i can say for its 45-200 brother, with which i was never satisfied.

larsbc wrote:

I've been using the 14-45 that came with my G1 for the past five years as my primary micro four thirds lens. Only this month has it been supplanted as my primary lens when I finally bought the Panasonic 12-35/2.8.

The 14-45 was the first additional zoom lens I added to my GX1 (after the 20mm) to replace the mediocre kit 14-42.

It has only recently been retired by the 12-35.

The 14-45 felt cheap and its zoom ring's rubber sleeve was loose but the lens delivered very good image quality. I remember when I first got the G1 + 14-45 kit and how I marvelled over its small size (smaller than a Nikon 50mm prime).

It may be built to a "cost effective" level, but compared to the GX1's kit 14-42 it's a whole lot nicer build.
The metal mount vs the plastic is the first sign of better quality.
The zoom action while not perfectly velvety is much smoother than jerky binding feel of the 14-42.

Rubber sleeves -  They feel nice when new, I suppose they are a wear item on lenses that use them.

rd

I still have a G1 in unmarked condition, with it's accompanying 14-45 lens. I use the lens as my main zoom and it's just fine.

Last week I replied to an ad and picked up another G1 in worse condition, with all of the blue skin peeled off. But that seems to work fine too and so does it's 14-45 lens. It was $80 total.

No loose ring on either one of the lenses.

abe4652 wrote:

Just found this one lying in a drawer. Used to use it with my GH2.

Tried it on the EM-1. While it's weird, in that frame rate goes down when you go wide-angle, and back up when you zoom in, the sharpness is quite good, though not in the same league, of course, as the 40-150 Oly 2.8 And it doesn't seem appreciably worse than the Oly 12-40 2.8 (though it has a smaller fstop, 3.5, and quickly to 5.6, so not much good in very low light).

This was a good lens!

Does it change framerate when you shoot wide open, or only when you're using certain apertures?

I suspect that it has a slow aperture, as some older Panasonics are known to have. If so, then when zoomed in at f5.6, then it may not have to close down the aperture to shoot (if at f5.6). However, when wide open, the lens will focus at f3.5, then close down to f5.6 to shoot. That requirement to close down the aperture may slow the framerate. Try it wide open in both focal lengths.

Martin.au wrote:

abe4652 wrote:

Just found this one lying in a drawer. Used to use it with my GH2.

Tried it on the EM-1. While it's weird, in that frame rate goes down when you go wide-angle, and back up when you zoom in, the sharpness is quite good, though not in the same league, of course, as the 40-150 Oly 2.8 And it doesn't seem appreciably worse than the Oly 12-40 2.8 (though it has a smaller fstop, 3.5, and quickly to 5.6, so not much good in very low light).

This was a good lens!

Does it change framerate when you shoot wide open, or only when you're using certain apertures?

I suspect that it has a slow aperture, as some older Panasonics are known to have. If so, then when zoomed in at f5.6, then it may not have to close down the aperture to shoot (if at f5.6). However, when wide open, the lens will focus at f3.5, then close down to f5.6 to shoot. That requirement to close down the aperture may slow the framerate. Try it wide open in both focal lengths.

Is it?

When I shoot it on GX7 (just did it), I found nothing difference. During similar interval, I tested on 14 vs 45 at widest open, and 14 vs 45 at f/8 under burst H in M-shutter, all of them offering me similar frame rate.

It seems to me that no matter at 14 or 45, nor anything related to f/stop, frame rate should be very similar. Would abe4652's finding be limited to EM1's PDAF over CDAF sensor, or be some strange issue on Panny lens on Oly body?