Many years ago, I compared a certain Olympus lens to a Panasonic lens, and there was bloodshed in the comments. I was grilled alive for being "biased". I was young and stupid back then. Today, I am a different person. I don't give a **** about what people say anymore. I know what I am saying, I trust my own tests. Feel free to disagree with me, I am not always right, and I don't ask you to agree with everything I say. We are all different, and I accept that. However, if you fail to be polite and intentionally do unnecessary bashing/trolling/name-calling, I won't hesitate to ban you. I have no time, energy and mental space to entertain your abusive and pointless argument. The world is dying, I have better things to do.
Nice video Robin! I had a used E-M10 with 14-42 EZ but gave it back and bought an E-M10 ii that came with other kit lenses. I'm buying the 14-42 EZ again as fits perfectly in my pocket and looks great with a E-PM2 that i got. Sharpness is great, i uploaded a really small unlisted clip (and not edited) just for you to see (E-M10+14-42 EZ). Sorry for the link but here it is if you don't mind: th-cam.com/video/RKXIpEVqjsU/w-d-xo.html The uploaded video didn't came out as sharp as the original but it's not a noticeable difference.
@@joca1378 Good example clip Joca! As i said elsewhere in these comments... I bought the oly lens for video because... Its light enough for my cheap Feiyutech gimbal. It has nice smooth autofocus. And the zoom can be operated without touching the camera using the phone app.
@Mike Zielinski The world is dying because natural processes run only in one direction, and are not reversible. This is the second law of thermodynamics, and it has no mercy. Jesus, by contrast, was a precocious young student of the scriptures who apprenticed as a carpenter, and then became a ferocious critic of religious sin-shaming and fear-mongering, and dedicated his life to helping people escape the icy claws of life-destroying religious doctrine and to grasp the living truth that "the kingdom of God is within you." The fear-mongers and sin-shamers were having none of that, so they crucified him and then perverted his message into a set of doctrines which they believed they could use to perpetuate their own power and privilege, and to keep the masses ignorant of the message he was trying to convey to them. It's tragic, although not entirely surprising, that you choose to carry on their odious mission. I wish blessings and insight for you and those you love.
Personally, I prefer 12mm much more than 14mm as a starting point. For me, this is huge since I feel 12mm is far more useful for landscapes or shooting indoors in close quarters. Both lenses are excellent, but I will always opt for the wider one.
the field of view difference between 12mm and 14mm is just less than half meter, simply step back a bit you will get the same image. I won't use this as the main criteria for choosing my lenses.
@@earifin In practice, the 12mm is far more useful than 14mm. Stepping back is possible only for some situations. Others like landscape, interior, you can "step back" any further. And put it this way, do you think Olympus would've garnered much excitement if they had produced a "14-42mm f/2.8 PRO" lens?
I agree. Like many, I'm willing to sacrifice focal length on the long end if it means better short end performance. I have many lenses that can take me past 32mm, but not many that are below 14mm.
What is cool about the Olympus 14-42 is you can get an “automatic” lens cap LC-37C. I got one for my wife and she loves how you just need to turn on the camera and the lens opens.
Yes I bought the Oly one and agree, it makes the lens on a GM1 a tiny but one handed operation that is pretty quick. Only downside with this combo is no stabilisation , horses for courses!
I have both kits and enjoyed both. Key difference between them is Olympus one is electronic zoom but Pana is manual zoom. Elect zoom is simultaneously the an advantage and a disadvantage. It’s Smooth zoom in video is great, but for photographs the manual zoom is faster and more direct. Also noticed that electronic zoom consumes batteries quite a lot, specially more demanding for lighter models with less battery size. For durability, my own pana 12-32 surprised me for staying good for so heavy use and drops a few times for 5 years. But the Olympus kit has failed with less mileage so I need to buy my second unit. But each unit of same product may varies and user’s behaviors affects how equipments performed, making differences in user experiences. So there is no point to argue who is right, let’s appreciate all reviewers work that helps us making purchase decisions. Thanks Robin for your sharing too!
I had two Olympus 14-42mm EZ lenses, both of which ended up broken down after about several thousands shots. I brought one of the lens to the local dealer for repair. It came back OK and after more use it again broke down. The problem was the front elements of the lens does not come out after power on or it continuously pops out and in on power-on. I gave up on the Olympus 14-42mm at last. The motor mechanism of the lens is apparently not so durable. The same retractable Panasonic 12-32mm is manually extended when in use. I have shot more with this lens than the Olympus but I had no trouble of this kind. I am afraid that the Olympus 14-42mm EZ is not reliable.
I have the Olympus 14-42 with the auto lens cap and really like this lens. I bought it to use on an EM-10 mkii but now use it on an -em-5 mkiii. I really like this lens for an everyday carry lens especially on the smaller OMD bodies. What I found to be really an eye opener was that when I checked my favorite photos in Lightroom , I found that at least half of them were taken with this lens/camera combination. It's not that this lens is better than my other lenses it's the fact that I had it with me while my pro gear sat at home. As the saying goes....the best camera is the one in your hands and I find that the em-5/14-42 combo has become my go to setup when just out and about.
I have 2 copies of both lenses (silver and black, of course :-)) and I like them all, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other let alone clearly. I like wide(r) angle of the Panasonic, but longer reach and manual focusing ring of the Olympus can be handy too. Optically they're all very good especially for "kit" lenses, so pick one and be happy...
The Panasonic 12-32 is the perfect lens for the olympus E-PM2, set the camera to lens OIS and it out performs the poor IBIS of the E-PM2 and does help with shutter shock as well. Pair it with the tiny Panasonic 35-100 OIS, and a Pany 20mm f1.7, and you have an excellent travel kit. This makes the E-PM2 a very desirable camera again and truely pocketable.
I'm looking for an all in one small lens. The close up magnification is a deal breaker for me of the 12-32, I like to shoot close ups of small things at times.
I had the Oly 14-42EZ with my EM10 Mark ll and used it for a couple of years learning all about the camera. The photos it took I was very pleased with and even did some commercial work with it. As others have said the weak point is the ribbon cable and mine failed too but I bought another as it's so compact. I also purchased the Oly 12-45 Pro which I now use most of the time (I do mainly landscape and travel photography). The 12-45 Pro does deliver slightly better images but to be fair to the 14-42EZ it's not far off the 12-45 especially with a bit of post processing.
For me it was the opposite with the manual extension: There seems to be quite a few stories online of 14-42mm failing after some time because a tiny ribbon cable from the auto extension mechanism breaks after multiple cycles of stretching and compressing. I don't really know how common that failure mode for the Olympus pancake actually is, but since I don't really mind having to manually extend the lens (if I need it ready for a quick shot I just keep it open), and not having heard of any similar failure from the Panasonic, I figured I would go with the later.
In my case the results were the opposite. Probably the sample variation might be the reason for it. Although I have heard some people that were not very happy initially with the Olympus 14-42 EZ, that recent samples have proved to have much better IQ. So maybe Olympus has improved manufacturing quality control. Anyhow, one thing that really bothered me about the Olympus was the electronic zoom. I found it relatively complicated to set the focal length to the desired framing, and it kind of stressed me. Manual zoom in the panasonic is much better. Regarding Panasonic's building material, there is a metal variant (I have heard it was provided on kits), and it is worst than the plastic one, because the front ring tended to break apart if it was the metal lens, whilst this problem thas not happen with the plastic variant. The one thing that really annoys me with the Panasonic lens is it not being able to do manual focus. You need another lens if you are going to shoot in low light because this issue can make you miss shots.
Wow! I love this video FOR SO MANY reasons! The "wide angle kit lens" is one of my TOP THREE lenses I recommend to students (albeit, behind a prime portrait lens). The reason is, IT WORKS REALLY WELL as a wide angle, and I use it ONLY at or near the widest focal length (if you wonder why I don't recommend a prime wide angle lens, it's because the ability of a zoom to slightly adjust composition is PRICELESS, and because the price is low, it's an excellent tool (and because you're close to or at the widest maximum aperture, you're okay there too).
Great review. I checked the two different 14mm to 42 mm Olympus kit lenses and found the older, larger (manually extended) version to be slighly sharper.
The extra 2mm at the wide end is the biggest reason to get the panasonic. Makes a lot more difference than you would think. My panasonic also has a metal lens mount.
I disagree with you about the dealbreaker part - when travelling, I often turn the camera on and off and it is irritating to always wait for the lens to extend (and listen to this sound). If I'm using the lens on a wrist strap, I'd prefer it always out - so I understand the panasonic would always be out and ready to shoot if manually extended and all I need to start shooting is turn on the camera, the olympus isn't. So although I never had a chance to use the panasonic, the main disadvantage of 14-42 is that mechanism I have to wait for. I use 9-18mm and I need to manually extend it before using it and it feels much more comfortable to keep it extended (unless of course it goes back to the camera bag, but not on the wrist strap) which is also among the reasons why I tend to use it more often.
I agree. I think I'd prefer the manual zoom of the 12-32 at the expense of manual focusing on the 14-42. The zoom I use a lot, manual focusing, not so much.
Robin said "to me personally, the deal breaker is...", beside he did not include this in his list, you are literally disagreeing his personal preference. Please note i prefer manual zoom as well
@@earifin I know it is his opinion, I only stated mine. I still love this zoom for portability but would much, much prefer to have the manually extended version. I had a choice to get the IIR version with the camera of this lens with the kit but it is much bigger and I risked taking EZ for the size. And the size makes me take it almost every time. But in truth, the electronic zoom makes me use it much less frequently. I wish it weren't the case. There's a positive side of the electronic zoom though. Something I used just a few times but it has to be stated - you can keep the camera on the tripod and zoom in and out using the application. It is a cool feature. I'd still prefer the manual one though :D at expense of MF ring too, just like Wayne above me said.
I have the 12-32, and also the 'motorized' Lumix 14-42 pancake which appears to work a lot like the Olympus 14-42 pancake. I prefer the manual 12-32 and because my eye has always been wide angle oriented, I value the extra wideness. But Robin is right, having to unlock the lens is a bummer, and even more so on the 9-18 Olympus because you have push the locking slider. But you, Mateusz, have suggested the cure - leave both unlocked on the wrist strap. I find the indirectness of the Lumix 14-42 pancake, which I understand is a little different then the Olympus pancake, just off putting because it interrupts my visual concentration while physically zooming the 12-32 with my hand does not. I also use the 14mm Lumix as my walking around lens which requires no adjustment - just half press, shoot. Likewise the 20mm Lumix and of course both are faster for low light shooting.
I don’t have the 14-42, but I do have the 12-32 and I have used it on both the Panasonic GM1 it came with as well as my Olympus bodies. It is a very nice little lens, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. It does indeed have some drawbacks as you point out, but those extra 2mm on the wide end are quite nice to have for people who tend to shoot more at the wide end than the telephoto end.
Robin, did you know you can leave the Panasonic lens extended and ready for action at all times unlike the Olympus, which after some (not too long) time retracts itself and you have to either tap the shutter or even power cycle the camera and wait until it's extended again? Oh, and both of my Panasonics do have metal mounts...
Yes, that's a good point! When your camera goes to sleep, the lens retracts, requiring a delay as you wait for it to extend again. And all the draws more power from your battery, which makes a difference if you use the E-M5 Mk III or E-M10. Also, my 12-32 has a metal mount as well.
There are different versions: some 12-32 have plastic mount. The Olympus does have advantages as well. When you switch the camera on the camera is ready to shoot. The Panasonic lens you have to extend the lens barrel manually. One handed shooters will have a problem. The Panasonic lens has another problem: the plastic ring is poorly glued and it goes off after some time (David Thrope Video, may he rest in peace)
I would think if you are the owner of a panasonic camera with in built stabilization - the extra wide 12mm and the IOS would make this lens the hands down winner. Also the much higher resale of the panasonic lens on ebay compared to the Olympus is indicative that the market agrees
I heard olympus 14-42 is prone to breaking in the flex cable. But I also heard someone who uses it for years without problem. I don't know whether I should spend here
Hi Robin. Like you, I own an E-M5 Mk III and the Olympus 14-42 EZ, and recently picked up the Panasonic 12-32. I have decided to use the Panny as my compact walk-around lens. I haven't done a comparison between the two, and I agree with all your points, but I chose the 12-32 because of these reasons: (1) 12mm really does make a noticeable difference. I view this as a "mini" version of my 12-40. (Unless I pixel peep, I won't even know which lens was used at 12mm) (2) I prefer the manual zoom, as I find the Olympus' electronic zoom to be very fiddly. (3) Power savings. The constant extend/retract motion of the Olympus will further eat into the meager battery life of my E-M5 Mk III. Finally for what it's worth, my 12-32 came with a metal mount. I also picked it up very inexpensively on eBay. (Final reason: I also use a Panasonic GX85, so the 12-32 can work in Dual-IS mode with that camera.)
Hi Carl, on your E-M5 Mk III , how's the everyday auto-focusing performance of the Panasonic 12-32? Is it like what Robin showed in this video? If so, its AF is terrible on an Olympus body.
@@XLifeX Hi. I use the 12-32 on both my GX85 and E-M5 Mk III and I haven't noticed any difference in autofocus performance. Seems totally satisfactory to me.
I have not used the Olympus 14-42 EZ. However, I previously owned the Lumix 14-42 PZ. It was also a power zoom so it has a quick start up. When I upgraded my camera to the GX80, I got the 12-32. I sold my 14-42 PZ! Yeah, I liked the PZ but I prefer manually setting the zoom. Set the 12-32 to the focal length you need, switch on the camera and it is ready to photograph! Yes it is quicker than the PZ in this case. But it is personal preference. I must also say the 12-32 is very fast and with my GX80 works with Dual-IS (amazing how Lumix put that in such a small lens!). You can still manually focus the 12-32, on screen, at least on a Lumix body. But with this type of lens it isn't something I have need to do. This is my holiday lens, no time for MF! The plastic lens mount doesn't bother me much. I like the extra 2mm of 12mm although I do miss the 42mm end. The rattle must be due to the image stabilisation but mine doesn't make as much noise as yours. Everything has pros and cons, there isn't much between these lenses.
May I ask a question? I have a couple of older Olympus pen camera that I like. The image stabilization has failed. I know that Panasonic lenses have built in image stabilization. Can it be used to replace the broken image stabilization on my Olympus pens
Thanks for the review. I use the Pan 12-32mm on the EM5 Mark iii all the time as a cheap, sharp and compact wide angle 12mm alternative to the other larger or more expensive 12mm options. For handheld vlogging, it works quite well and no issues with video autofocus. I find that the 12-32mm zoom range is more useful than the 14-4x range but this is just personal preference. I actually use the 12-32mm more frequently than my Oly 12-45mm because of compactness. I do like the Oly 14-4x from your comparison and will give it a closer look.
Yes, a collapsable zoom can slow you down but there's a solution. You can just zoom out and leave it like that. On the other hand an electronic zoom is always a pain to use for zooming in and out. I've used one and didn't like the unresponsiveness and inaccuracy at all. On a manual zoom there's no delay when operating it and I can easily look at the markings on top and zoom to the exact focal length i like to use. There's no perfect little kit lens but I would choose a manual zoom over an electronic one any day.
I had the pany lens and replaced it with the oly. Didn't get on with the lens lock at all. Electronic Zoom speed can be adjusted somewhere in the menu labyrinth for those who find it twitchy. The oly is a good lens for video... Light enough for a cheap gimbal and has remote control zoom via your phone. Auto focus is smooth with no overshoot/hunting. But I'm only a noob!
I like the range of 14-42 mm on the Olympus lens. It can go wide (although not as wide as the Panasonic). However, the Olympus lens goes all the way to 42mm (84 mm FF equivalent). 84 mm is good for taking portraits. The Panasonic only goes to 32 mm (64 mm FF equivalent) which is not as good of a focal length for taking portraits..
I got the 14-42 R2 lens and I prefer it over the 14-42mm you're reviewing. The digital zoom does get faulty from what I have noticed. Also the shaky sound from the 12-32mm makes me think of Sigma's f/2.8 series of lenses, great quality for the price.
Great review Robin. Just snagged an Olympus 14-42 to use on my Lumix micro 4/3 at a great price and your video has convinced me it was a good purchase. From my experience, the Panasonic kit lens isn't all that sharp!
Interresting comparision. The only thing I don't understand is what Olympus 14-42 lens you're talking about. Is this the non-digital variant? The 14-42's I can find all have a plastic camera mount. I'm seraching for a good zoom to use on my Pen E-PL9 next to the 45mm 1.8 that I have. I believe you're pretty enthousiastic about that one? 😉
Just purchased the Olympus 14 to 42mm lens for my lumix Gf5. I took your advice and when it's going to be possible to travel again down the Rejang River from kuching to Belaga this is the lens for travel I'm going to use. I'm a traditionalist and Olympus have been around from day one and it shows in their quality. Good video
Of the four 12-32s I have, 2 of them has metal mounts, 2 has plastic mounts. The metal ones is older production units I think. I bought a white box one for my GX7 in 2015 that came with a metal mount, and the other one came with my GM1. The two plastic mounts came with the GX9 and GX880. All of them is tack sharp. Never tried the Oly one. The difference of focus speed I have seen explained with the Panasonics DFD focusing system not being optimal on the Olympus houses, and vice versa. To be fair, I do think we are rather spoiled with AF speeds in the M43 multiverse, however one measures it. Currently I am working a bit with the Pana 20mm which everyone complains about, and so far, I cant fault the AF speed on it, within reason. It is not as snappy as the Oly 17 mm F:1.8 or the PL 15mm F:1,7, but those two are instantaneous focusing and somewhat in the realms of magic. :-)
I m a professional photographer using canon gear,but I appreciate your skillful video showing the comparison between Panasonic 12-32mm vs Olympus 14-42mm,I was spellbound to see the difference and the video footage,It pushed me to shift to micro4/3 sensor as it is more lighter and sharper,thanks
I own many Olympus and Panasonic bodies and lenses. Despite the cheap plastic build and the outer cover ring being prone to coming off, I find the Panasonic 12-32mm pancake lens to be sharper and is my preferred choice for portable travel zoom. And this is from an Olympus fanboy. I have not had any issues with the flex cable on the Olympus 14-42EZ pancake and it is a good looking lens with a longer range, but the images I get were not as good as the Panasonic. The power zooming makes me feel like I’m using a cheap point-and-shoot camera.
here is a deal need to choose between manual zoom and manual focusing ring for some people like me manual zoom ring is more important, also need to choose between wide angle and close focusing distance which the same for many people wide angle in such tiny lens is more important, thanks for review
I'd be interested in a comparison of the Olympus 14-42 EZ to the Panasonic Lumix 14-42 PZ The lenses are about the same size and have the same focal length and aperture range. I have the Lumix lens, and it's a good lens though I sometimes find the power zoom and manual focus a bit clunky.
The old 12-32 Kitlens has a metal mount as well. That, the wider angle and the manual zoom ring (i can't stand an electronic zoom for photo shots) has drawn me to the pana 12-32.
Unfortunately both lenses can exhibit long-term maintenance issues. By now there are several repair guides and videos about the Oly 14-42 EZ to fix a bad ribbon cable, and forum posts about repeated repairs for the same issue. Likewise for the zoom ring on the Panny 12-32. It's too bad because there are so few MFT pancake zoom options, and no improved version new releases.
I tend to agree with everything you have said here robin, except the deal breaker for me is this: the zoom motor in my 14-42 EZ started acting crazy, gose on and off, camera won´t focus and often I don´t even get an im age. I went to the forums in the web and a lot of people hav e this same problem, and only way to fix it is through Olympus service at a very high price. So I got me a 12-32, less performance, manually extended but I´ll keep it as a back-up. I still have another 14-42 EZ which I like so much for travel but I´ll always bring my 12-32 in case the EZ breaks down. Olympus user, EM5 mark iii, EM 10 mark ii and looking for a pen replacement for my now dead E-PL7.
Never found a single review of the Lumix 12-32mm which did not praise the lens all around as a great buy in the price range. Not as fast as a pro lens, but dirt cheap. Good color and it is sharp. As for the turn the barrel to open -- big deal, as you do it once at the start of the shooting day. I do like the extra zoom on the Olympus, and possible better build quality, though it is noted not for the EZ model. The Lumix is great kit lens, and you only need to buy another in the range for weather proofing, or speed.
Thanks for the comparison video. I have wondered how the two lenses compared. I own and use the Olympus 14-42mm as a backup for my 14/20/45mm prime kit.
I learned a long time ago that it is normal for some lenses to rattle (when not powered on). Case in point my Sigma 30mm f2.8 DN Art lens rattles just as you noted. I have the Panny 12-32 as the kit lens on my Panasonic GM1. Interestingly enough - many of these kit lenses, mine included, came with a metal mount. I've always been satisfied with the results from my GM1 but I pretty much use it as a glorified point & shoot. The only 14-42 lens I have is the Oly 14-42 R II which I have used on my E-M10 when I want to go super light.
The 12-32 started off with a metal mount but after a while, Panasonic changed it to plastic. I've got an example of both types... can only think it was done to save money and/or enhance profits :-(
Wondering what would it be other way round - will this Panny lens perform better in Panny camera? Now looking for a pancake lens to fit my GH5 so nothing pokes out the camera bag while traveling.
Only reason that I immediately sold the 14-42 Olympus for a second hand when I get it with a new E-PL because I don't wait for the cable inside damage on my hand.
A very comprehensive comparison! The number one thing I prefer about the Panasonic is the manual zoom. I've found the electronic zoom in the Olympus really frustrating to use. To be fair, I don't currently own either haha.
The manual zoom can be an advantage, yes. But the Panasonic does not have a manual focus ring - not sure how you can manually focus it on an Olympus body. The 12-32 lens was originally developed for the Lumix GM series but Panasonic soon killed that range off :-(
This is my second comment here, and this one is after I received and tested this lens. In one word, is is amazing in terms of image quality as well as functionality. In my opinion also it is sharper than Panasonic 12-32, the zoom by wire is something that I will need to get used to but the manual focus override ring is amazingly useful. The very close focusing distance is fantastic as well. I opened the Panasonic gx85 raw files in Photoshop and enlarged them to 36 inches on the long side at 300 dpi. I don’t know how many Wows I uttered by this lens is fantastic! Thank you for this video as this was the reason why I bought it in the first place.
I am sorry for necro-ing a comment feed, but the debate is still relevant. I have recently picked up a Panasonic DMC-GX7 and also have an Olympus OM-D E-M1. The GX7 sits in my bag as a go-to, always with me quality travel camera, whilst the E-M1 is my more beefy setup. I am currently wrangling with the question of which lens to use on my GX7, and have a 12-32 on the way. Meanwhile I have the 14-42 already. The advantage of the Oly lens is the speed to action - especially with the optional instant open lens cap. This makes the camera feel very instant-on However, I have noticed the the Olympus 14-42 is not as sharp on the Panasonic body as it is on the Olympus body. They both have 16MP sensors, but the Olympus does have better IBIS which I suspect is a factor. This combination is proving to be a real headache at the moment, as I strongly suspect that brand is a real factor here, as the manufacturers do seem to take the time to make sure that their own lenses work best on their own bodies. I will be conducting my own tests to find out more and to see if there really is a difference between body and lens compatibility.
The rattling is from the built in stabilizer in the lens... I think? What i want to know is how durable is the plastic mount on the lens? It would be perfect if the mount was made of metal
Hi Robin, It was a used 14-42 lens with the Pen 7 together with you and Peter Forsgard that persuaded me change from Canon to Olympus. I am not regretting it.
I'm glad I found this video it has put to bed the thoughts about this topic and I'm now very happy to keep the 14-42mm that came with my E -M10 IV. I am using a Panasonic 20mm on the Olympus and my everyday carry camera is a Panasonic GX880 with a Panasonic 14mm. The 14-42mm comes with me as my backup lens with both in case I need that zoom. Still learning but the 14-42mm was a great teaching aid to decide what primes I wanted to buy.
The Panasonic has an (ultra thin) aluminium skin on a poly-carbonate chassis. Also, the Panasonic comes with both a metal and poly-carbonate mount depending on the copy. I have had several of the Panasonic lenses and have dismantled them. The Panasonic seems to be optimised for Panasonic bodies and is noticeably sharper and more reliable in it's auto-focus than when paired with Olympus bodies. I have just bought the Olympus lens to run a comparison in this regard but on the Panasonic bodies, of which I've had several, The 12-32 is sharper and better focusing than when paired with my Olympus OM5 ii.
My 12-32 happens to have a metal mount, so that apparently is an option. For sharpness, I know that I'm happy with what I get. But I would enjoy trying the Oly some day.
Thank you for this comprehensive comparison of these lenses. I am in favour of the olympus lens. What is your opinion of how the olympus 12-40 f2.8 pro lens compares to the olympus pancake lens in terms of image quality alone? It is a pro lens, but is the image quality vastly superior to the oly 12-42 EZ lens? I am planning to go to New York for once in a life time holiday. l would like a good quality lens for my OMD E10 camera to capture the night scenery of Manhattan. Appreciate your thoughts. Thank you. Mark.
I did actually sell this lens. I firstly thought it was a good compact lens to carry with me when I use my 25 mm F/1.2 since it fit in my pocket. It's a good lens, but I'm a fixed focal guy. I do generally 25 mm or 28 mm (with my Meike pancake manual lens). And recently, I did purchase the marvelous 12-40 mm f/2.8 which give me the best of both world. I gonna replace it with the 17mm F/2.8, since I want to try this focal length before paying extra dollars for the 1.8 version. On the other hand, the 25 mm from Panasonic is one of the sharped yet cheap lens I've ever tried. And yes, i keep it for my smaller EM10 body.
I did read that there may be higher-than-normal variation between the 12-32 and 14-42 in the panasonic (and even the olympus) versions since these are basically kit lenses. Having to extend the lens IMO (and for me) is a small t hing, and I almost prefer to manually extend the lens than use a PZ (power zoom) lens that extends and uses a zoom motor to adjust the zoom. I've found these can be a bit slow (particularly Sony's 16-50 in some cases) when racking the lens from wide to telephoto, and vice versa (not to mention some designs make a bit of noise when moving so they aren't always discrete0. Personally, having a Pan GF1 body myself I will probably just get the Panasonic version. One thing that someone did point out to me, and I'm not sure if it's actaully true or not, but someone said that the Panasonic has OIS since many of their bodies don't have IS built-into the body, but that Olympus cameras will actually disable this and only use the IBIS in the camera, which I guess is not a big deal, and for the range of 14-42 and 12-32 it may be better, but you can't use both and it seems that it's default (and only option) is IBIS. (IBIS in my experience gets less effective the farther out you go, but under 70mm or 100mm in 35mm terms, it's usually pretty effective, although you may not get a the full level of compensation at longer focal lengths, and that's where in-lens stabilization tends to take over -- it's a trade off though -- IBIS works better at shorter FLs, wheras OIS or optical in-lens stabilization tends to be better for longer FLs like tele focal lengths).
i had the 14-42 and the 12-32, I sell the 14-42 cause in my test was less sharper and cause i hate the motorized zoom. I've tried it on E-M10 , GM1, GX85 and PEN-F. Maybe u've got a not perfect sample of 12-32 (speaking of sharpeness). For the other point i agree with you, specially for the autofocus
I can't find any resources online, but does the Panasonic use a zoom motor? as i've read that the zoom ring in the olympus will use the motor making it slow to zoom in, because being able to just get up when you see something interesting and just zoom would be what sets the deal
I got the 14-42 as a kit lens with my original OM-D M1. It never struck me as a particularly sharp lens. I use it on my Pen F - but it pales compared to my prime 25, and 45.
LOL any stabilised lens would rattle when turned off! 😆 Indeed, 14-42 Oly lens is awesome for the size and price - I also love the auto lens cap, it makes my EM-5 mk III a perfect family trip camera, very compact and lightweight, while still being a quite capable camera. My only nuisance with that lens is the motorised zoom... That's because I've also the Oly 12-45 f/4! :-)
Pana body should provide better rendering than Oly body, making the result like 12-32mm being less sharp. Shooting in RAW will be another conclusion. Anyways both are compact, worth market price. And I just prefer 2mm wider and mechanic zoom :) So appreciate Robin to film this rare topic. M43 lacks of underated budget lens review indeed.
I wonder if the reason why the Panasonic lens rattles is because of the optical image stabilisation. Maybe there's a floating element or elements that float magnetically when the lens is powered on. Who knows On a random note, on the E-M1, when you take the lens off, put the body on the table and turn it on, you can watch the sensor magically rise out of its resting place to the middle of the mount when it powers up. It's incredible I miss my E-M1. It's currently being repaired, so I mounted a Pro lens on my E-PL8 instead. It works great, but the lens is heavier than the body, so I'm holding the camera by the lens. All of my bodies are set up similarly, so I'm comfortable using it
I would like to know which lens is more suitable when using both Olympus (OM-D, PEN) and Panasonic (Lumix G), for example. The Panasonic Pencake 14-42mm or the Olympus 14-42mm? I couldn't find a video with a direct comparison so far.
I got both lenses, but I use the Panasonic lens only on Panasonic bodies - in my case that's a GX85. The Olympus lens is mostly glued to a Pen E-M2. I also gave it a quick test on an E-M1 and E-M1 Mark III. The Panasonic lens focuses as fast or faster than the Olympus lens when used on the GX85. I guess they optimized the focus algorithm for Panasonic's method. One thing that's quite an important difference: the Panasonic lens is actively stabilized - at least on Panasonic bodies. For video especially, that makes a HUGE difference. If you use a pro grade Olympus body the lens stabilization becomes less important. The E-M1 Mark II and III have such amazing stabilization built into the body, that unstabilized lenses with reasonable focal lengths work very well. But comparing apples to apples and zooming the Olympus out on a E-PM2 (with viewfinder VF2 attached) and judging shakiness versus the GX85 and the Panasonic lens, the Panasonic combination is worlds more stable handheld. The same is true when comparing the Olympus lens on the GX85 with just the Panasonic body stabilization. A simple rule applies here: you have an Olympus body? Go with an Olympus lens. You have a Panasonic body? Go with a Panasonic lens. MFT as a standard unfortunately does not share a whole lot more than the lens mount as a true common denominator. If you expect a MFT lens to focus identically across camera brands? Nope. Expect to use certain lens features like function buttons, aperture rings etc. across camera brands? Nope. Expect lens profile correction to be applied across camera brands in their RAW engines? Nope. What a wasted opportunity (and a reason for the relative failure of the format on the market given its otherwise great value proposition).
I have the 14-42 R ii, I know it’s not the same kit lens, but it’s noticeably softer than the 12-45 Pro which I own. But you can’t beat the small size and low price.
I own the Panasonic 12-32. I use it on my GX85 in program mode in the street when I want to shoot quickly (for the moment). With the GX85, you get "dual stabilization" and I've never had a problem with focus speed. I walk with the lens and camera ready at all times. If I want a portrait, I quickly change to the 25 mm 1.7, that fits easily in my pocket. I own a LOT of Panasonic lenses and 3 Panasonic cameras. No Olympus... yet. Therefore, I can't say anything negative about Olympus. It seems that everyone that owns Olympus, loves their equipment.
Great video! I am thinking in buying a first camera (second hand) and I found both lens second hand also in great condition. But the Olympus is 80 Dollars more expensive. Do you think that the 80 more are worth it? Thanks
For me, the Panasonic was sharper, center and corner, at all settings. I had the Oly on a E-M5II and the Panasonic on a GX80, owned both kits (with many other lenses on both sides) at the same time.
I thought the deal-breaker would be the fact that the Oly 14-42's flex cable inside will very likely break on you. It just did on mine, i'm 3000km away from home and no way to get it repaired for the next three months... I cant trust the Olympus anymore, so i'm thinking of getting the Pan 12-32 to put on my Oly E-PL8.
I have a Kodak MFT lens with a lock on it. It has cost me many a good shot. Not a fan of it. I'm curious about what is rattling in the Panasonic lens? Is there something free floating in the focus mechanism?
I bought the OMD MK4 camera with two starter lenses. The kit came with this lens and I love it some much. For a small travel lens, it packs a lot, plus its light and with a metal body it feels good to hold. I want a OM System 20mm F1.4 PRO at some point, but I will never get rid of this lens!
The fact that I own both and plan to keep both may say everything in itself about "what's the perfect solution if you can afford it". I prefer the wide angle of the 12-32 a bit more and the fact that it's a better fit on my tiny GM1. But yes, the missing focus ring and the need to "open" it manually a real downsides to me, too. So I'm using the 14-42 more on my GX9 as an compact solution and if I need 12mm there, I'll use the Olympus 12-50, the lens I usually use if I want to do macro.
Are there different versions of the Lumix 12-32 because the one I have (silver) has a metal mount? I got it specifically for the 12mm and I use primes for the longer end.
Great video. I have both these lenses as well as prime and vintage adapted lenses. I like both of these and use them often. While I agree with all your comments, I have one to add that my 1st 14 to 42 came used with my em10mii and after using it for about a year, it failed hard. I switched to the lumix but missed the 14 to 42 so I bought another one. My only concern is based on my failed Unit, I worry it is more fragile with so many more moving parts.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
Many years ago, I compared a certain Olympus lens to a Panasonic lens, and there was bloodshed in the comments. I was grilled alive for being "biased". I was young and stupid back then. Today, I am a different person. I don't give a **** about what people say anymore. I know what I am saying, I trust my own tests. Feel free to disagree with me, I am not always right, and I don't ask you to agree with everything I say. We are all different, and I accept that. However, if you fail to be polite and intentionally do unnecessary bashing/trolling/name-calling, I won't hesitate to ban you. I have no time, energy and mental space to entertain your abusive and pointless argument. The world is dying, I have better things to do.
Nice video Robin! I had a used E-M10 with 14-42 EZ but gave it back and bought an E-M10 ii that came with other kit lenses. I'm buying the 14-42 EZ again as fits perfectly in my pocket and looks great with a E-PM2 that i got. Sharpness is great, i uploaded a really small unlisted clip (and not edited) just for you to see (E-M10+14-42 EZ). Sorry for the link but here it is if you don't mind: th-cam.com/video/RKXIpEVqjsU/w-d-xo.html
The uploaded video didn't came out as sharp as the original but it's not a noticeable difference.
@@joca1378 Good example clip Joca! As i said elsewhere in these comments... I bought the oly lens for video because...
Its light enough for my cheap Feiyutech gimbal.
It has nice smooth autofocus.
And the zoom can be operated without touching the camera using the phone app.
@Mike Zielinski Amen!
@Mike Zielinski The world is dying because natural processes run only in one direction, and are not reversible. This is the second law of thermodynamics, and it has no mercy. Jesus, by contrast, was a precocious young student of the scriptures who apprenticed as a carpenter, and then became a ferocious critic of religious sin-shaming and fear-mongering, and dedicated his life to helping people escape the icy claws of life-destroying religious doctrine and to grasp the living truth that "the kingdom of God is within you." The fear-mongers and sin-shamers were having none of that, so they crucified him and then perverted his message into a set of doctrines which they believed they could use to perpetuate their own power and privilege, and to keep the masses ignorant of the message he was trying to convey to them. It's tragic, although not entirely surprising, that you choose to carry on their odious mission. I wish blessings and insight for you and those you love.
@Mike Zielinski "Demonic, carnal, damnable lies and doctrines of men" - Too long for a band name but it could work as an album title. Great work.
Many people in Thailand found the cable inside of Olympus 14-42 is damaged after using for a year. This is a defect that still not resolved.
Personally, I prefer 12mm much more than 14mm as a starting point. For me, this is huge since I feel 12mm is far more useful for landscapes or shooting indoors in close quarters. Both lenses are excellent, but I will always opt for the wider one.
the field of view difference between 12mm and 14mm is just less than half meter, simply step back a bit you will get the same image. I won't use this as the main criteria for choosing my lenses.
@@earifin It is really a lot in interiors but for landscapes I also don't think it should be such a big deal breaker.
@@earifin In practice, the 12mm is far more useful than 14mm. Stepping back is possible only for some situations. Others like landscape, interior, you can "step back" any further. And put it this way, do you think Olympus would've garnered much excitement if they had produced a "14-42mm f/2.8 PRO" lens?
I agree. Like many, I'm willing to sacrifice focal length on the long end if it means better short end performance. I have many lenses that can take me past 32mm, but not many that are below 14mm.
@@Centauri27 it's subjective assumption/opinion, Oly has 7-14mm PRO lens, why they need to cover 14 if majority of their customer prefer 12mm
I’ve had both lenses at one point and mine showed the 12-32 was miles sharper. So being Lower grade lenses they must be inconsistent on manufacturing
same here
The Panasonic is excellent for a kit grade lens. Better than the Olympus, though the old 14-42 R is pretty good.
What is cool about the Olympus 14-42 is you can get an “automatic” lens cap LC-37C. I got one for my wife and she loves how you just need to turn on the camera and the lens opens.
Yes, and you can get third-party equivalent automatic lens caps for much less money than the official Olympus one, too.
Yeah, I have the cap too. It's neat and such a simple idea to execute.
Turns your Olympus into a "high end point and shoot". 😂
Yes I bought the Oly one and agree, it makes the lens on a GM1 a tiny but one handed operation that is pretty quick. Only downside with this combo is no stabilisation , horses for courses!
I have both kits and enjoyed both.
Key difference between them is Olympus one is electronic zoom but Pana is manual zoom.
Elect zoom is simultaneously the an advantage and a disadvantage. It’s Smooth zoom in video is great, but for photographs the manual zoom is faster and more direct.
Also noticed that electronic zoom consumes batteries quite a lot, specially more demanding for lighter models with less battery size.
For durability, my own pana 12-32 surprised me for staying good for so heavy use and drops a few times for 5 years. But the Olympus kit has failed with less mileage so I need to buy my second unit. But each unit of same product may varies and user’s behaviors affects how equipments performed, making differences in user experiences. So there is no point to argue who is right, let’s appreciate all reviewers work that helps us making purchase decisions. Thanks Robin for your sharing too!
I had two Olympus 14-42mm EZ lenses, both of which ended up broken down after about several thousands shots. I brought one of the lens to the local dealer for repair. It came back OK and after more use it again broke down. The problem was the front elements of the lens does not come out after power on or it continuously pops out and in on power-on. I gave up on the Olympus 14-42mm at last. The motor mechanism of the lens is apparently not so durable.
The same retractable Panasonic 12-32mm is manually extended when in use. I have shot more with this lens than the Olympus but I had no trouble of this kind.
I am afraid that the Olympus 14-42mm EZ is not reliable.
Hi, how is the 12-32 on Olympus bodies, in particular EM10 IV, does the AFC and stabilization work well? Thanks
I have the Olympus 14-42 with the auto lens cap and really like this lens. I bought it to use on an EM-10 mkii but now use it on an -em-5 mkiii.
I really like this lens for an everyday carry lens especially on the smaller OMD bodies. What I found to be really an eye opener was that when I checked my favorite photos in Lightroom , I found that at least half of them were taken with this lens/camera combination. It's not that this lens is better than my other lenses it's the fact that I had it with me while my pro gear sat at home. As the saying goes....the best camera is the one in your hands and I find that the em-5/14-42 combo has become my go to setup when just out and about.
I have 2 copies of both lenses (silver and black, of course :-)) and I like them all, but I wouldn't say one is better than the other let alone clearly. I like wide(r) angle of the Panasonic, but longer reach and manual focusing ring of the Olympus can be handy too. Optically they're all very good especially for "kit" lenses, so pick one and be happy...
The Panasonic 12-32 is the perfect lens for the olympus E-PM2, set the camera to lens OIS and it out performs the poor IBIS of the E-PM2 and does help with shutter shock as well. Pair it with the tiny Panasonic 35-100 OIS, and a Pany 20mm f1.7, and you have an excellent travel kit. This makes the E-PM2 a very desirable camera again and truely pocketable.
How does the e-pm2 combine with lumix 14mm 2.5?
I'm looking for an all in one small lens. The close up magnification is a deal breaker for me of the 12-32, I like to shoot close ups of small things at times.
Been waiting for this vid for about 10 years 😊
This "rattle complaining" trend is all Matti Sulanto's fault, go blame it on him lol.
I like Matti. He seems like a humble man. Him and Robert made me get into MFT.
I had the Oly 14-42EZ with my EM10 Mark ll and used it for a couple of years learning all about the camera. The photos it took I was very pleased with and even did some commercial work with it. As others have said the weak point is the ribbon cable and mine failed too but I bought another as it's so compact. I also purchased the Oly 12-45 Pro which I now use most of the time (I do mainly landscape and travel photography). The 12-45 Pro does deliver slightly better images but to be fair to the 14-42EZ it's not far off the 12-45 especially with a bit of post processing.
Same problem as the Oly 9-18mm then.
For me it was the opposite with the manual extension:
There seems to be quite a few stories online of 14-42mm failing after some time because a tiny ribbon cable from the auto extension mechanism breaks after multiple cycles of stretching and compressing.
I don't really know how common that failure mode for the Olympus pancake actually is, but since I don't really mind having to manually extend the lens (if I need it ready for a quick shot I just keep it open), and not having heard of any similar failure from the Panasonic, I figured I would go with the later.
In my case the results were the opposite. Probably the sample variation might be the reason for it. Although I have heard some people that were not very happy initially with the Olympus 14-42 EZ, that recent samples have proved to have much better IQ. So maybe Olympus has improved manufacturing quality control. Anyhow, one thing that really bothered me about the Olympus was the electronic zoom. I found it relatively complicated to set the focal length to the desired framing, and it kind of stressed me. Manual zoom in the panasonic is much better. Regarding Panasonic's building material, there is a metal variant (I have heard it was provided on kits), and it is worst than the plastic one, because the front ring tended to break apart if it was the metal lens, whilst this problem thas not happen with the plastic variant. The one thing that really annoys me with the Panasonic lens is it not being able to do manual focus. You need another lens if you are going to shoot in low light because this issue can make you miss shots.
Wow! I love this video FOR SO MANY reasons!
The "wide angle kit lens" is one of my TOP THREE lenses I recommend to students (albeit, behind a prime portrait lens). The reason is, IT WORKS REALLY WELL as a wide angle, and I use it ONLY at or near the widest focal length (if you wonder why I don't recommend a prime wide angle lens, it's because the ability of a zoom to slightly adjust composition is PRICELESS, and because the price is low, it's an excellent tool (and because you're close to or at the widest maximum aperture, you're okay there too).
Great review. I checked the two different 14mm to 42 mm Olympus kit lenses and found the older, larger (manually extended) version to be slighly sharper.
I also had the old and the new EZ 14-42. My EZ is much sharper than the old one, especially at 42mm.
The extra 2mm at the wide end is the biggest reason to get the panasonic. Makes a lot more difference than you would think. My panasonic also has a metal lens mount.
I disagree with you about the dealbreaker part - when travelling, I often turn the camera on and off and it is irritating to always wait for the lens to extend (and listen to this sound). If I'm using the lens on a wrist strap, I'd prefer it always out - so I understand the panasonic would always be out and ready to shoot if manually extended and all I need to start shooting is turn on the camera, the olympus isn't. So although I never had a chance to use the panasonic, the main disadvantage of 14-42 is that mechanism I have to wait for. I use 9-18mm and I need to manually extend it before using it and it feels much more comfortable to keep it extended (unless of course it goes back to the camera bag, but not on the wrist strap) which is also among the reasons why I tend to use it more often.
I agree. I think I'd prefer the manual zoom of the 12-32 at the expense of manual focusing on the 14-42. The zoom I use a lot, manual focusing, not so much.
Robin said "to me personally, the deal breaker is...", beside he did not include this in his list, you are literally disagreeing his personal preference. Please note i prefer manual zoom as well
@@earifin What's the problem? Robin shared his opinion, Mateusz shared his opinion. Robin said that anyone can politely disagree with him.
@@earifin I know it is his opinion, I only stated mine. I still love this zoom for portability but would much, much prefer to have the manually extended version. I had a choice to get the IIR version with the camera of this lens with the kit but it is much bigger and I risked taking EZ for the size. And the size makes me take it almost every time. But in truth, the electronic zoom makes me use it much less frequently. I wish it weren't the case.
There's a positive side of the electronic zoom though. Something I used just a few times but it has to be stated - you can keep the camera on the tripod and zoom in and out using the application. It is a cool feature. I'd still prefer the manual one though :D at expense of MF ring too, just like Wayne above me said.
I have the 12-32, and also the 'motorized' Lumix 14-42 pancake which appears to work a lot like the Olympus 14-42 pancake. I prefer the manual 12-32 and because my eye has always been wide angle oriented, I value the extra wideness. But Robin is right, having to unlock the lens is a bummer, and even more so on the 9-18 Olympus because you have push the locking slider. But you, Mateusz, have suggested the cure - leave both unlocked on the wrist strap. I find the indirectness of the Lumix 14-42 pancake, which I understand is a little different then the Olympus pancake, just off putting because it interrupts my visual concentration while physically zooming the 12-32 with my hand does not. I also use the 14mm Lumix as my walking around lens which requires no adjustment - just half press, shoot. Likewise the 20mm Lumix and of course both are faster for low light shooting.
I have both lenses and i did not like the 14mm and the Zoom by wire of the Olympus. I go for the Pana.
Regards
I don’t have the 14-42, but I do have the 12-32 and I have used it on both the Panasonic GM1 it came with as well as my Olympus bodies. It is a very nice little lens, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. It does indeed have some drawbacks as you point out, but those extra 2mm on the wide end are quite nice to have for people who tend to shoot more at the wide end than the telephoto end.
I just bought the Olympus one! I bought one from MPB for parts/repair but the only issues are wiring so hopefully I will be able to fix it!
Robin, did you know you can leave the Panasonic lens extended and ready for action at all times unlike the Olympus, which after some (not too long) time retracts itself and you have to either tap the shutter or even power cycle the camera and wait until it's extended again? Oh, and both of my Panasonics do have metal mounts...
Yes, that's a good point! When your camera goes to sleep, the lens retracts, requiring a delay as you wait for it to extend again. And all the draws more power from your battery, which makes a difference if you use the E-M5 Mk III or E-M10. Also, my 12-32 has a metal mount as well.
There are different versions: some 12-32 have plastic mount.
The Olympus does have advantages as well. When you switch the camera on the camera is ready to shoot. The Panasonic lens you have to extend the lens barrel manually. One handed shooters will have a problem.
The Panasonic lens has another problem: the plastic ring is poorly glued and it goes off after some time (David Thrope Video, may he rest in peace)
Have used both, they're both excellent.
I would think if you are the owner of a panasonic camera with in built stabilization - the extra wide 12mm and the IOS would make this lens the hands down winner. Also the much higher resale of the panasonic lens on ebay compared to the Olympus is indicative that the market agrees
I heard olympus 14-42 is prone to breaking in the flex cable. But I also heard someone who uses it for years without problem. I don't know whether I should spend here
0:15 I like that face and gasp sound so much lol
Hi Robin. Like you, I own an E-M5 Mk III and the Olympus 14-42 EZ, and recently picked up the Panasonic 12-32. I have decided to use the Panny as my compact walk-around lens. I haven't done a comparison between the two, and I agree with all your points, but I chose the 12-32 because of these reasons: (1) 12mm really does make a noticeable difference. I view this as a "mini" version of my 12-40. (Unless I pixel peep, I won't even know which lens was used at 12mm) (2) I prefer the manual zoom, as I find the Olympus' electronic zoom to be very fiddly. (3) Power savings. The constant extend/retract motion of the Olympus will further eat into the meager battery life of my E-M5 Mk III. Finally for what it's worth, my 12-32 came with a metal mount. I also picked it up very inexpensively on eBay. (Final reason: I also use a Panasonic GX85, so the 12-32 can work in Dual-IS mode with that camera.)
Hi Carl, on your E-M5 Mk III , how's the everyday auto-focusing performance of the Panasonic 12-32? Is it like what Robin showed in this video? If so, its AF is terrible on an Olympus body.
@@XLifeX Hi. I use the 12-32 on both my GX85 and E-M5 Mk III and I haven't noticed any difference in autofocus performance. Seems totally satisfactory to me.
@@Centauri27 Thanks!
I have not used the Olympus 14-42 EZ. However, I previously owned the Lumix 14-42 PZ. It was also a power zoom so it has a quick start up. When I upgraded my camera to the GX80, I got the 12-32. I sold my 14-42 PZ! Yeah, I liked the PZ but I prefer manually setting the zoom. Set the 12-32 to the focal length you need, switch on the camera and it is ready to photograph! Yes it is quicker than the PZ in this case. But it is personal preference.
I must also say the 12-32 is very fast and with my GX80 works with Dual-IS (amazing how Lumix put that in such a small lens!).
You can still manually focus the 12-32, on screen, at least on a Lumix body. But with this type of lens it isn't something I have need to do. This is my holiday lens, no time for MF! The plastic lens mount doesn't bother me much. I like the extra 2mm of 12mm although I do miss the 42mm end. The rattle must be due to the image stabilisation but mine doesn't make as much noise as yours. Everything has pros and cons, there isn't much between these lenses.
May I ask a question? I have a couple of older Olympus pen camera that I like. The image stabilization has failed. I know that Panasonic lenses have built in image stabilization. Can it be used to replace the broken image stabilization on my Olympus pens
Thanks for the review. I use the Pan 12-32mm on the EM5 Mark iii all the time as a cheap, sharp and compact wide angle 12mm alternative to the other larger or more expensive 12mm options. For handheld vlogging, it works quite well and no issues with video autofocus. I find that the 12-32mm zoom range is more useful than the 14-4x range but this is just personal preference. I actually use the 12-32mm more frequently than my Oly 12-45mm because of compactness. I do like the Oly 14-4x from your comparison and will give it a closer look.
Yes, a collapsable zoom can slow you down but there's a solution. You can just zoom out and leave it like that. On the other hand an electronic zoom is always a pain to use for zooming in and out. I've used one and didn't like the unresponsiveness and inaccuracy at all. On a manual zoom there's no delay when operating it and I can easily look at the markings on top and zoom to the exact focal length i like to use. There's no perfect little kit lens but I would choose a manual zoom over an electronic one any day.
I agree! The more I use the electronic zoom on the 14-42 EZ, the less I liked it. I ended up replacing it with the Panasonic 12-32.
I had the pany lens and replaced it with the oly. Didn't get on with the lens lock at all. Electronic Zoom speed can be adjusted somewhere in the menu labyrinth for those who find it twitchy.
The oly is a good lens for video... Light enough for a cheap gimbal and has remote control zoom via your phone. Auto focus is smooth with no overshoot/hunting.
But I'm only a noob!
I like the range of 14-42 mm on the Olympus lens. It can go wide (although not as wide as the Panasonic). However, the Olympus lens goes all the way to 42mm (84 mm FF equivalent). 84 mm is good for taking portraits. The Panasonic only goes to 32 mm (64 mm FF equivalent) which is not as good of a focal length for taking portraits..
@@borderlands6606 I'm right. You're WRONG!
I got the 14-42 R2 lens and I prefer it over the 14-42mm you're reviewing. The digital zoom does get faulty from what I have noticed. Also the shaky sound from the 12-32mm makes me think of Sigma's f/2.8 series of lenses, great quality for the price.
Great review Robin. Just snagged an Olympus 14-42 to use on my Lumix micro 4/3 at a great price and your video has convinced me it was a good purchase. From my experience, the Panasonic kit lens isn't all that sharp!
Interresting comparision. The only thing I don't understand is what Olympus 14-42 lens you're talking about. Is this the non-digital variant? The 14-42's I can find all have a plastic camera mount. I'm seraching for a good zoom to use on my Pen E-PL9 next to the 45mm 1.8 that I have. I believe you're pretty enthousiastic about that one? 😉
Just purchased the Olympus 14 to 42mm lens for my lumix Gf5. I took your advice and when it's going to be possible to travel again down the Rejang River from kuching to Belaga this is the lens for travel I'm going to use. I'm a traditionalist and Olympus have been around from day one and it shows in their quality. Good video
Of the four 12-32s I have, 2 of them has metal mounts, 2 has plastic mounts. The metal ones is older production units I think. I bought a white box one for my GX7 in 2015 that came with a metal mount, and the other one came with my GM1. The two plastic mounts came with the GX9 and GX880. All of them is tack sharp. Never tried the Oly one. The difference of focus speed I have seen explained with the Panasonics DFD focusing system not being optimal on the Olympus houses, and vice versa.
To be fair, I do think we are rather spoiled with AF speeds in the M43 multiverse, however one measures it. Currently I am working a bit with the Pana 20mm which everyone complains about, and so far, I cant fault the AF speed on it, within reason. It is not as snappy as the Oly 17 mm F:1.8 or the PL 15mm F:1,7, but those two are instantaneous focusing and somewhat in the realms of magic. :-)
I m a professional photographer using canon gear,but I appreciate your skillful video showing the comparison between Panasonic 12-32mm vs Olympus 14-42mm,I was spellbound to see the difference and the video footage,It pushed me to shift to micro4/3 sensor as it is more lighter and sharper,thanks
I own many Olympus and Panasonic bodies and lenses.
Despite the cheap plastic build and the outer cover ring being prone to coming off, I find the Panasonic 12-32mm pancake lens to be sharper and is my preferred choice for portable travel zoom.
And this is from an Olympus fanboy.
I have not had any issues with the flex cable on the Olympus 14-42EZ pancake and it is a good looking lens with a longer range, but the images I get were not as good as the Panasonic. The power zooming makes me feel like I’m using a cheap point-and-shoot camera.
here is a deal need to choose between manual zoom and manual focusing ring for some people like me manual zoom ring is more important, also need to choose between wide angle and close focusing distance which the same for many people wide angle in such tiny lens is more important, thanks for review
I'd be interested in a comparison of the Olympus 14-42 EZ to the Panasonic Lumix 14-42 PZ The lenses are about the same size and have the same focal length and aperture range. I have the Lumix lens, and it's a good lens though I sometimes find the power zoom and manual focus a bit clunky.
The old 12-32 Kitlens has a metal mount as well. That, the wider angle and the manual zoom ring (i can't stand an electronic zoom for photo shots) has drawn me to the pana 12-32.
Unfortunately both lenses can exhibit long-term maintenance issues. By now there are several repair guides and videos about the Oly 14-42 EZ to fix a bad ribbon cable, and forum posts about repeated repairs for the same issue. Likewise for the zoom ring on the Panny 12-32. It's too bad because there are so few MFT pancake zoom options, and no improved version new releases.
I tend to agree with everything you have said here robin, except the deal breaker for me is this: the zoom motor in my 14-42 EZ started acting crazy, gose on and off, camera won´t focus and often I don´t even get an im age. I went to the forums in the web and a lot of people hav e this same problem, and only way to fix it is through Olympus service at a very high price. So I got me a 12-32, less performance, manually extended but I´ll keep it as a back-up. I still have another 14-42 EZ which I like so much for travel but I´ll always bring my 12-32 in case the EZ breaks down. Olympus user, EM5 mark iii, EM 10 mark ii and looking for a pen replacement for my now dead E-PL7.
Never found a single review of the Lumix 12-32mm which did not praise the lens all around as a great buy in the price range. Not as fast as a pro lens, but dirt cheap. Good color and it is sharp. As for the turn the barrel to open -- big deal, as you do it once at the start of the shooting day. I do like the extra zoom on the Olympus, and possible better build quality, though it is noted not for the EZ model. The Lumix is great kit lens, and you only need to buy another in the range for weather proofing, or speed.
Thanks for the comparison video. I have wondered how the two lenses compared.
I own and use the Olympus 14-42mm as a backup for my 14/20/45mm prime kit.
You not mentioned about available automatic lens cap for olympus! Nice compact&fast&pocket combination with my e-pm2.
I learned a long time ago that it is normal for some lenses to rattle (when not powered on). Case in point my Sigma 30mm f2.8 DN Art lens rattles just as you noted. I have the Panny 12-32 as the kit lens on my Panasonic GM1. Interestingly enough - many of these kit lenses, mine included, came with a metal mount. I've always been satisfied with the results from my GM1 but I pretty much use it as a glorified point & shoot. The only 14-42 lens I have is the Oly 14-42 R II which I have used on my E-M10 when I want to go super light.
The 12-32 started off with a metal mount but after a while, Panasonic changed it to plastic. I've got an example of both types... can only think it was done to save money and/or enhance profits :-(
Wondering what would it be other way round - will this Panny lens perform better in Panny camera? Now looking for a pancake lens to fit my GH5 so nothing pokes out the camera bag while traveling.
Hey Robin. Love your opening comment… always better to go your own way and ignore those malcontents out there. Cheers!
I had both, my 12-32mm was sharper. Copy variation is huge.
Only reason that I immediately sold the 14-42 Olympus for a second hand when I get it with a new E-PL because I don't wait for the cable inside damage on my hand.
A very comprehensive comparison!
The number one thing I prefer about the Panasonic is the manual zoom. I've found the electronic zoom in the Olympus really frustrating to use.
To be fair, I don't currently own either haha.
The manual zoom can be an advantage, yes. But the Panasonic does not have a manual focus ring - not sure how you can manually focus it on an Olympus body. The 12-32 lens was originally developed for the Lumix GM series but Panasonic soon killed that range off :-(
This is my second comment here, and this one is after I received and tested this lens. In one word, is is amazing in terms of image quality as well as functionality. In my opinion also it is sharper than Panasonic 12-32, the zoom by wire is something that I will need to get used to but the manual focus override ring is amazingly useful. The very close focusing distance is fantastic as well. I opened the Panasonic gx85 raw files in Photoshop and enlarged them to 36 inches on the long side at 300 dpi. I don’t know how many Wows I uttered by this lens is fantastic! Thank you for this video as this was the reason why I bought it in the first place.
I am sorry for necro-ing a comment feed, but the debate is still relevant.
I have recently picked up a Panasonic DMC-GX7 and also have an Olympus OM-D E-M1. The GX7 sits in my bag as a go-to, always with me quality travel camera, whilst the E-M1 is my more beefy setup. I am currently wrangling with the question of which lens to use on my GX7, and have a 12-32 on the way. Meanwhile I have the 14-42 already.
The advantage of the Oly lens is the speed to action - especially with the optional instant open lens cap. This makes the camera feel very instant-on
However, I have noticed the the Olympus 14-42 is not as sharp on the Panasonic body as it is on the Olympus body. They both have 16MP sensors, but the Olympus does have better IBIS which I suspect is a factor. This combination is proving to be a real headache at the moment, as I strongly suspect that brand is a real factor here, as the manufacturers do seem to take the time to make sure that their own lenses work best on their own bodies.
I will be conducting my own tests to find out more and to see if there really is a difference between body and lens compatibility.
The rattling is from the built in stabilizer in the lens... I think? What i want to know is how durable is the plastic mount on the lens? It would be perfect if the mount was made of metal
Hi Robin,
It was a used 14-42 lens with the Pen 7 together with you and Peter Forsgard that persuaded me change from Canon to Olympus. I am not regretting it.
I'm glad I found this video it has put to bed the thoughts about this topic and I'm now very happy to keep the 14-42mm that came with my E -M10 IV. I am using a Panasonic 20mm on the Olympus and my everyday carry camera is a Panasonic GX880 with a Panasonic 14mm. The 14-42mm comes with me as my backup lens with both in case I need that zoom. Still learning but the 14-42mm was a great teaching aid to decide what primes I wanted to buy.
The Panasonic has an (ultra thin) aluminium skin on a poly-carbonate chassis. Also, the Panasonic comes with both a metal and poly-carbonate mount depending on the copy. I have had several of the Panasonic lenses and have dismantled them. The Panasonic seems to be optimised for Panasonic bodies and is noticeably sharper and more reliable in it's auto-focus than when paired with Olympus bodies. I have just bought the Olympus lens to run a comparison in this regard but on the Panasonic bodies, of which I've had several, The 12-32 is sharper and better focusing than when paired with my Olympus OM5 ii.
But this Olympus lens not as durable as the Pany, I had 2 pcs as this olyms lens with the inside flexible cable problem, the cost for repair it so😢
Same issue. So my 14-42 ez died so im currently using the 12-32 when going compact
Excellent detailed comparison
My 12-32 happens to have a metal mount, so that apparently is an option. For sharpness, I know that I'm happy with what I get. But I would enjoy trying the Oly some day.
Thank you for this comprehensive comparison of these lenses. I am in favour of the olympus lens. What is your opinion of how the olympus 12-40 f2.8 pro lens compares to the olympus pancake lens in terms of image quality alone? It is a pro lens, but is the image quality vastly superior to the oly 12-42 EZ lens? I am planning to go to New York for once in a life time holiday. l would like a good quality lens for my OMD E10 camera to capture the night scenery of Manhattan. Appreciate your thoughts. Thank you. Mark.
In engineering, noise and movements isn't always a bad thing. Great video.
I use the 14-42 II R lens on my E-P5. Wish I had the EZ, it looks so compact in comparison! But I don't need two kit lenses lol
I did actually sell this lens. I firstly thought it was a good compact lens to carry with me when I use my 25 mm F/1.2 since it fit in my pocket.
It's a good lens, but I'm a fixed focal guy. I do generally 25 mm or 28 mm (with my Meike pancake manual lens). And recently, I did purchase the marvelous 12-40 mm f/2.8 which give me the best of both world.
I gonna replace it with the 17mm F/2.8, since I want to try this focal length before paying extra dollars for the 1.8 version.
On the other hand, the 25 mm from Panasonic is one of the sharped yet cheap lens I've ever tried. And yes, i keep it for my smaller EM10 body.
I did read that there may be higher-than-normal variation between the 12-32 and 14-42 in the panasonic (and even the olympus) versions since these are basically kit lenses. Having to extend the lens IMO (and for me) is a small t hing, and I almost prefer to manually extend the lens than use a PZ (power zoom) lens that extends and uses a zoom motor to adjust the zoom. I've found these can be a bit slow (particularly Sony's 16-50 in some cases) when racking the lens from wide to telephoto, and vice versa (not to mention some designs make a bit of noise when moving so they aren't always discrete0. Personally, having a Pan GF1 body myself I will probably just get the Panasonic version. One thing that someone did point out to me, and I'm not sure if it's actaully true or not, but someone said that the Panasonic has OIS since many of their bodies don't have IS built-into the body, but that Olympus cameras will actually disable this and only use the IBIS in the camera, which I guess is not a big deal, and for the range of 14-42 and 12-32 it may be better, but you can't use both and it seems that it's default (and only option) is IBIS. (IBIS in my experience gets less effective the farther out you go, but under 70mm or 100mm in 35mm terms, it's usually pretty effective, although you may not get a the full level of compensation at longer focal lengths, and that's where in-lens stabilization tends to take over -- it's a trade off though -- IBIS works better at shorter FLs, wheras OIS or optical in-lens stabilization tends to be better for longer FLs like tele focal lengths).
actually i like that manual retract when you can swap lens without turning off the camera
Hi, thx. This video is one year old, have you been able to test both lenses on a panasonic camera?
i had the 14-42 and the 12-32, I sell the 14-42 cause in my test was less sharper and cause i hate the motorized zoom. I've tried it on E-M10 , GM1, GX85 and PEN-F. Maybe u've got a not perfect sample of 12-32 (speaking of sharpeness). For the other point i agree with you, specially for the autofocus
I can't find any resources online, but does the Panasonic use a zoom motor? as i've read that the zoom ring in the olympus will use the motor making it slow to zoom in, because being able to just get up when you see something interesting and just zoom would be what sets the deal
I got the 14-42 as a kit lens with my original OM-D M1. It never struck me as a particularly sharp lens. I use it on my Pen F - but it pales compared to my prime 25, and 45.
Hi, how is the 12-32 on Olympus bodies, in particular EM10 IV, does the AFC and stabilization work well? Thanks
LOL any stabilised lens would rattle when turned off! 😆 Indeed, 14-42 Oly lens is awesome for the size and price - I also love the auto lens cap, it makes my EM-5 mk III a perfect family trip camera, very compact and lightweight, while still being a quite capable camera.
My only nuisance with that lens is the motorised zoom... That's because I've also the Oly 12-45 f/4! :-)
Pana body should provide better rendering than Oly body, making the result like 12-32mm being less sharp. Shooting in RAW will be another conclusion. Anyways both are compact, worth market price. And I just prefer 2mm wider and mechanic zoom :)
So appreciate Robin to film this rare topic. M43 lacks of underated budget lens review indeed.
I wonder if the reason why the Panasonic lens rattles is because of the optical image stabilisation. Maybe there's a floating element or elements that float magnetically when the lens is powered on. Who knows
On a random note, on the E-M1, when you take the lens off, put the body on the table and turn it on, you can watch the sensor magically rise out of its resting place to the middle of the mount when it powers up. It's incredible
I miss my E-M1. It's currently being repaired, so I mounted a Pro lens on my E-PL8 instead. It works great, but the lens is heavier than the body, so I'm holding the camera by the lens. All of my bodies are set up similarly, so I'm comfortable using it
sir there are 3 types of Olympus 14-42mm lenses, the first is the one in this video, 2nd is ED and the third is ED 2. Which one will you choose?
I would like to know which lens is more suitable when using both Olympus (OM-D, PEN) and Panasonic (Lumix G), for example.
The Panasonic Pencake 14-42mm or the Olympus 14-42mm? I couldn't find a video with a direct comparison so far.
Hi, what's the difference between the regular 14 42mm and the ez pancake?
I prefer the Olympus R2 kit lens and happy with the results . I wonder whether you have compared those two .
Hi Robin, where do u normally sought the oly used lens especially kit lens? Carousel n Fb in MY not easy to find
I got both lenses, but I use the Panasonic lens only on Panasonic bodies - in my case that's a GX85. The Olympus lens is mostly glued to a Pen E-M2. I also gave it a quick test on an E-M1 and E-M1 Mark III. The Panasonic lens focuses as fast or faster than the Olympus lens when used on the GX85. I guess they optimized the focus algorithm for Panasonic's method.
One thing that's quite an important difference: the Panasonic lens is actively stabilized - at least on Panasonic bodies. For video especially, that makes a HUGE difference. If you use a pro grade Olympus body the lens stabilization becomes less important. The E-M1 Mark II and III have such amazing stabilization built into the body, that unstabilized lenses with reasonable focal lengths work very well. But comparing apples to apples and zooming the Olympus out on a E-PM2 (with viewfinder VF2 attached) and judging shakiness versus the GX85 and the Panasonic lens, the Panasonic combination is worlds more stable handheld. The same is true when comparing the Olympus lens on the GX85 with just the Panasonic body stabilization.
A simple rule applies here: you have an Olympus body? Go with an Olympus lens. You have a Panasonic body? Go with a Panasonic lens. MFT as a standard unfortunately does not share a whole lot more than the lens mount as a true common denominator. If you expect a MFT lens to focus identically across camera brands? Nope. Expect to use certain lens features like function buttons, aperture rings etc. across camera brands? Nope. Expect lens profile correction to be applied across camera brands in their RAW engines? Nope. What a wasted opportunity (and a reason for the relative failure of the format on the market given its otherwise great value proposition).
Surprising and stunning results, Robin. Well done! How does the 14-42 EZ compare to the 12-45 f4.0 Pro lens?
I have the 14-42 R ii, I know it’s not the same kit lens, but it’s noticeably softer than the 12-45 Pro which I own.
But you can’t beat the small size and low price.
I own the Panasonic 12-32. I use it on my GX85 in program mode in the street when I want to shoot quickly (for the moment). With the GX85, you get "dual stabilization" and I've never had a problem with focus speed. I walk with the lens and camera ready at all times. If I want a portrait, I quickly change to the 25 mm 1.7, that fits easily in my pocket. I own a LOT of Panasonic lenses and 3 Panasonic cameras. No Olympus... yet. Therefore, I can't say anything negative about Olympus. It seems that everyone that owns Olympus, loves their equipment.
BAGUS. I'm Definitely getting the Olympus.
I got the 14-42 with my E-M10 and LOVE it! I've also used it on my E-M1 too.
Great video!
I am thinking in buying a first camera (second hand) and I found both lens second hand also in great condition. But the Olympus is 80 Dollars more expensive. Do you think that the 80 more are worth it?
Thanks
For me, the Panasonic was sharper, center and corner, at all settings. I had the Oly on a E-M5II and the Panasonic on a GX80, owned both kits (with many other lenses on both sides) at the same time.
I thought the deal-breaker would be the fact that the Oly 14-42's flex cable inside will very likely break on you. It just did on mine, i'm 3000km away from home and no way to get it repaired for the next three months... I cant trust the Olympus anymore, so i'm thinking of getting the Pan 12-32 to put on my Oly E-PL8.
is it possible to use the olympus lens 14-42mm on a gh5 without an adapter ring?
Can the Panasonic 12-32 attach to the olympus wide angle converter ?
Olympus 17mm 1.8 vs. Panasonic 15mm 1.7 next please.
I have a Kodak MFT lens with a lock on it. It has cost me many a good shot. Not a fan of it.
I'm curious about what is rattling in the Panasonic lens? Is there something free floating in the focus mechanism?
It's due to the lens stabilisation!
I bought the OMD MK4 camera with two starter lenses. The kit came with this lens and I love it some much. For a small travel lens, it packs a lot, plus its light and with a metal body it feels good to hold. I want a OM System 20mm F1.4 PRO at some point, but I will never get rid of this lens!
Love the Olympus 14-42mm and have used on both Olympus and Panasonic body's very sharp on both ... Keep up the good work...
The fact that I own both and plan to keep both may say everything in itself about "what's the perfect solution if you can afford it".
I prefer the wide angle of the 12-32 a bit more and the fact that it's a better fit on my tiny GM1. But yes, the missing focus ring and the need to "open" it manually a real downsides to me, too. So I'm using the 14-42 more on my GX9 as an compact solution and if I need 12mm there, I'll use the Olympus 12-50, the lens I usually use if I want to do macro.
Are there different versions of the Lumix 12-32 because the one I have (silver) has a metal mount? I got it specifically for the 12mm and I use primes for the longer end.
Great video. I have both these lenses as well as prime and vintage adapted lenses. I like both of these and use them often. While I agree with all your comments, I have one to add that my 1st 14 to 42 came used with my em10mii and after using it for about a year, it failed hard. I switched to the lumix but missed the 14 to 42 so I bought another one. My only concern is based on my failed Unit, I worry it is more fragile with so many more moving parts.