Introduction

This blog is a user's perspective on the Micro Four Thirds camera system. Read more ...

Lens Buyer's Guide. Panasonic GH4 review.

My lens reviews: Olympus 9mm f/8 fisheye, Lumix G 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6, Leica 25mm f/1.4, Lumix X 12-35mm f/2.8, Lumix X 35-100mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm f/2.8, Sigma 19mm f/2.8, Lumix X PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6, Lumix X PZ 45-175mm f/4-5.6, Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8, Panasonic Lumix G 100-300mm f/4-5.6, Panasonic Leica Lumix DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro, Panasonic Lumix G 45-200mm f/4-5.6, Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 pancake, Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 pancake, Panasonic Lumix G HD 14-140mm f/4-5.8, Panasonic Lumix G HD 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6, Panasonic Lumix G 8mm f/3.5 fisheye, Lumix G 7-14mm f/4, Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye, Tokina 300mm f/6.3 mirror reflex tele, Lensbaby 5.8mm f/3.5 circular fisheye lens
The blog contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tuesday 1 April 2014

New 20mm f/1.7 lens is less noisy!

The Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 pancake is a classic Micro Four Thirds lens. Being the first Panasonic prime lens, it is widely considered to be very well performing. But it has some shortcomings: Due to the old fashioned focus design, where the whole lens assembly moves back and forth during focusing, the autofocus is rather slow. Also, the large focus assembly makes it very noisy when focusing.

Also, when using the lens on some cameras at high ISO, many users report annoying horizontal stripes. Some believe this is due to a spiral coil spring inside the lens, which is one of the ways in which it is different from other lenses that don't exhibit this aberration.

In 2013, Panasonic updated the lens. It is well known that the new lens is largely a cosmetic redesign: The optical layout is the same, and the focus method is the same. But is the new lens better? The new lens is available in black and silver, and you can see the silver version to the right below:


Old (left) and new (right) versions of the Lumix G 20mm f/1.7

LensLumix G 20mm f/1.7Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II
Lens elements/groups7/57/5
Aperture diaphragm blades77
Minimum focus0.20m0.20m
Diameter63mm63mm
Length26mm26mm
Filter thread46mm46mm
Weight100g87g
Hood includedNoNo
Optical image stabilisationNoNo



As the noise and autofocus speed is the achilles heel of the Lumix G 20mm f/1.7, I have tested them head to head in these aspects. I used an Iphone to test the noise, and tested the focus speed on a Lumix GM1. This was done by checking the focus delay when changing the focus from infinity down to 0.20m, the closest focus distance. Here is a video summary of the test:



And a summary of the findings:

LensLumix G 20mm f/1.7Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II
Focus delay0.80s0.84s
Focus noise57dB50dB
Aperture change noise70dB72dB

Conclusion


The focus speed is very similar between the lenses. The difference I found is most likely not significant, it could be just due to random differences in the testing parameters. So my conclusion is: The lenses have exactly the same focus motor/assembly.

The focus noise, though, shows a significant difference. Both lenses are still noisy, by modern standards, but the new one less so than the old lens. Perhaps this is due to the use of different materials in some components. Whatever the cause, this is good news: Focus noise is less likely to be a problem with the new lens.

The aperture change noise shows some difference in my measuring, but I would say it's hardly significant. This noise is on a quite normal level for Micro Four Thirds prime lenses. Zoom lenses tend to be less noisy, as they have smaller apertures. I've found the most noisy aperture on the Leica 25mm f/1.4, not surprising since it has a very large aperture.

Focus assembly


A closeup of the two lenses shows that they have the same outwards appearance in the focus assembly:


In both lenses, you'll see a small gap between the outer chassis, and the lens assembly. The inner tube moves in and out when changing the focus. Hence, you cannot mount a step up ring on the lens: It can cause the focus assembly to lock up. It has happened with me, so take care.

You can, however, mount a 46mm to 37mm step down ring as hood. This gives some basic protection of the front lens element, while keeping the overall package compact. If you go down this route, you also need a 37mm front lens cap.:



2 comments:

  1. The II has better sharpness and contrast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Or you can use a 46mm UV filter ring (by removing its glass).

    ReplyDelete