PanasonicH-PS14042E-K Lumix G X Vario 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH Lightweight Standard Zoom Lens

I was a little unsure about this as I already had the standard kit lens but really wanted something that was more compact. The standard lens was okay but left my G3 a little bit unbalanced. Initially I was looking at the 20mm but feel that in the real world this would give me more flexibility. Really could not believe how small this lens really is, when it arrived I thoght the box was empty.The quality of construction is really good and the picture quality is spot on. Its important to update both the firmware of both the G3 and that of the lens to get the best results as I was initially a bit disappointed. After using this lens for a bit I am really pleased with it.Still might buy the 20mm for indoor use, but if you want an alround compact zoom, then I would recommend this over the standard kit lens.Only downside is the price that is a bit steep, although I did manage to get the £60 cash back and I will put the kit lens on ebay.

It's pretty close to a standard lens, representing the 35mm equivalent of 28-84mm so it is great to find this in such a small lightweight lens. I bought this to save weight and bulk while travelling, but it seems to have the additional advantage of power zoom on my G6 body and even on my old G1, I can use power zoom on the G1 with the lever on the lens itself. I marvel how such a small and lightweight lens can contain motors for zoom, focus and power OIS, but it does. If you use your Lumix G for video, then this is ideal as the motors are quiet, and the power zoom and focus are best for reducing shake that seems inevitable when struggling with lens rings.You can't fit a lens hood to it, but the nano coating is reported to reduce flare even directly into the sun. It's great after carrying heavy lenses to have a combination (G6 and this) that is light and can virtually fit into a pocket. I haven't had it long, but I can see this becoming one of my favourite lenses.

At original price it was hard to justify. Now you can get the lens for £199 or less or I found it on a GF5 for £265 from Wilkinson Cameras. Amazing value. Despite the picky comments about the lens from the reviewers who blow the picture up to poster size then complain its actually perfectly good for day most peoples day to day photography and the convenience of the size is superb. I use it on my GH2 as well as the stunning little GF5 and very pleased with sharpness and speed of focus.

Very compact & ideal for travel. The x3 zoom is good enough for most purposes, & the zoom is very smooth.I like using it for video...

This lens really has done justice for my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 4K. It's great for use for shorter-range recording.I love it when the lens retracts when powering off, as this makes transport and storage much easier.A note with pointing is that zooming in does cause the minimum aperture to increase from f3.4 (at minimum zoom) to f5.5 (at maximum zoom).