Suggestions for a fixed lens for my Panasonic G7 camera

I currently have two lens for my Panasonic G7 camera:
14-140mm F3.5 F5.6
45- 150mm F4 F5.6
The 45-150mm I don't have much use for and it was given to me free when I brought the Panasonic G7 camera.
The problem with the 14-140mm lens is in low lighting photography as I can only get a maximum of F3.5 when not zoomed into the subject.

I'm looking for general use lens. The type of lens you would use when your walking around at an event or exhibition. I'm told the eye has the same vision as a 50mm (ref FF camera) lens so for M43 that would be 25mm lens, but I'm not certain if that's a good choice as some photographers seem to use 70mm (ref FF camera).
A fixed lens should give me slightly better image quality.

I am also considering the type of lens that can also do macro photography but that might push the price up.

Any help would be welcome thanks.

Brian

For events and exhibitions, I usually use my PL15/1.7.  It's fast enough and you don't have to step back as you already have a wide(r) FOV.  If the venue is not crowded, I prefer to use my 25/1.8 - less barrel distortion.  If I have all the time in the world, a manual focus lens like the Mitakon 25/0.95 is more fun.

I currently have two lens for my Panasonic G7 camera:

14-140mm F3.5 F5.6        45- 150mm F4 F5.6
The 45-150mm I don't have much use for and it was given to me free when I brought the Panasonic G7 camera.
The problem with the 14-140mm lens is in low lighting photography as I can only get a maximum of F3.5 when not zoomed into the subject.

the 45-150 gives you a better portrait option among the two, although I used a 14-140 yesterday and did well with it.

I'm looking for general use lens. The type of lens you would use when your walking around at an event or exhibition. I'm told the eye has the same vision as a 50mm (ref FF camera) lens so for M43 that would be 25mm lens, but I'm not certain if that's a good choice as some photographers seem to use 70mm (ref FF camera).
A fixed lens should give me slightly better image quality.

you got 3 options on a slightly low budget.

something like a 7artisans 25mm, which will do macro type shots, and will give you a bright  aperture. low budget

Panasonic 25 1.7 or Olympus 25 mm 1.8  ,  I Think the panasonic is a workhorse of a lens, but is not a macro lens. medium budget

a 30mm macro lens from Olympus or Panasonic is a good general lens, and both are well rated. the option that is the least bright.  sadly biggest budget

I am also considering the type of lens that can also do macro photography but that might push the price up.

You might be right about the field of view of 50-70mm (FF equivalent) but I've found that the 50mm (FF) field of view rather boring. Perhaps it's because it's so close to one's natural field of view. I've found the 35mm(FF) field of view much more pleasing and fun. For this reason I love the Oly 17mm f1.8 for a walk around lens. Because of it's large DOF, it lends itself to manual zone focussing. It's compact, light and with the slightly reverse cone lend hood, looks rather cool. The lens itself is relatively cheap, the hood, relatively expensive but they go together so well. Downside, not the sharpest lens (my one at least), closest focus distance is 250mm so not great for macros, could do with a macro converter.
Correction:  Just looked at an image I took with the 17mm F1.8 on a sunny day, 1/500 f8 ISO200, it's plenty sharp enough.

Brisn5757 wrote:

I'm looking for general use lens. The type of lens you would use when your walking around at an event or exhibition. I'm told the eye has the same vision as a 50mm (ref FF camera) lens so for M43 that would be 25mm lens, but I'm not certain if that's a good choice as some photographers seem to use 70mm (ref FF camera).
A fixed lens should give me slightly better image quality.

Well, good old Oskar Barnak, invented the 35mm camera when he was the Chief Engineer at Ernst Leitz before they started calling themselves Leica. Barnack also declared that the 50mm lens on a 35mm camera replicated what the human eye saw and the camera industry on a whole supported that for many years by making the standard kit lens a 50mm f1.8 or 50mm f1.7 until digital cameras and zooms began to arrive on the scene in the early 90s. So for MFT, we're talking about a 25mm. I've owned both the Olympus 25mm f1.8 and the Panasonic Lumix 25mm f1.7. Both are pretty much equal in build and optical quality and will give you with excellent images.

But wait, as they say in those TV informercials. What photographers later discovered is that Barnak ignored our peripheral vision and when that is considered the 35mm full-frame lens actually replicates what the human eye sees, not the 50mm. So again for MFT we are looking at 17mm or 17.5mm. I have the Olympus 17mm f1.8 along with the Olympus 12mm f2  which Olympus named their two Premium lenses before they started their Pro line with the 12-40mm f2.8. Both of these lenses have Olympus's snap black AF/MF feature. Pull the focus ring back and you can see the small FOF/Distance scales and the focus ring, still operating as focus-by-wire now has a reasonable short throw that stops at minimum focus and infinity. If you feel you want to try a fully manual lens, Venus Laowa's 17mm f1.8 is on sale at B&H photo for $149. I just bought a used copy on eBay for $129 but it hasn't arrived yet. I also bought a used Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f0.95, not yet arrived but Voigtlander MFT lenses are fully manual and even used go for almost $600.

If you are do any head and shoulder portraits, that the 25mm would be a better choice because with a 17mm you almost have to be in the subjects face could start to see distortion. Henri Cartier Bresson did use some other lenses besides a 50mm but he never liked using the 35mm and if he said it or not, a lot of people credit him for saying take a couple of steps forwards or back and there is no difference in the resulting composition with either lens.

I am also considering the type of lens that can also do macro photography but that might push the price up.

If you want to try macro, I would recommend the Panasonic Lumix Macro 30mm f2.8. I bought one durning the Covid lockdown, thinking I would perhaps get in to Macro out in my wife's garden but never did. But it also turns out to be an excellent walk-about lens, with great optics and a solid metal body. But it is F2.8 and you need to be aware there is no hood or hood mounting flange for this lens. Also looked at the Olympus 60mm and 30mm macros. The 60mm is the largest and heaviest of the three and the Olympus 30mm is not as well built as the Panasonic 30mm.

So in general anything from 17mm to 30mm is in normal FOV range. Longer puts into short telephone range and less than 17mm puts you into wide-angle territory.

Any help would be welcome thanks.

Brian

I would suggest a slightly wider than 50mm standard lens.

It might be me but a fast speed lens not only useful in evening/night time, it would be very useful for indoor (fay or night) as well. Indoor would always mean limited spaces. Therefore I eventually picked the PL 15 f/1.7.

If you don't mind the narrower AoV, 20 f/1.7 indeed is a very sharp lens, but not good for video/AFC due to its design.

Panny has a 25 f/1.7, low cost, just recently ranked a Gold Award by DPR (IIRC?). However, read it has many sample variation.

For some maths. If you must need a faster shutter speed, 14-140 should expect 3 stops of effective stabilization (lens OIS only because G7 is not IBIS/DUAL IS supported). Hence, comparing to a non IS f/1.7 lens, it might offer not much advantage.