A promising potential upgrade.

I have extolled the virtues of the 14-45mm kit zoom which came with my Panasonic G1 here before. That lens now makes its home on my recently acquired Panny G3.

But nothing stands still and the announcement of the Power Zoom 14-42mm Panasonic lens brings several potential advantages:

• Half the weight and bulk of the 14-45
• Significantly improved optical performance
• A retracting design which promises to finally make the G3 a pocketable kit with lens fitted
• One stop of improvement in shake reduction
• Significantly faster focusing for further reduction in shutter lag
• Improved anti-flare coating

That is a non-trivial set of claims for improved overall performance. I need to determine that the lens remains extended once powered up; if it retracts after some period of inactivity it’s not a candidate, as that introduces unacceptable operating delays on restart. (I have the G3 set to Power Save after 10 minutes of non-use). It will retail for $400 in the US which is about what I would expect to realize on sale of the G1 and its original kit lens, neither of which I will need.

I really do not like power zooms on a still camera lens; it’s much easier and faster to twist a zoom ring than to press buttons. However, the other improvement claims here, if true, are compelling and apparently the zooming button on the lens varies speed according to the amount of pressure, thus making the best of a bad job. For movie makers, of course, power zoom is the way to go.

Collapsed, the 14-42 PZ is identical in size to Panny’s 20mm f/1.7 which is, by a considerable margin, one of the worst lenses I have ever used. Until – and if – that lens is completely redesigned, I will not be revisiting it, regardless of the faster focusing offered by the G3 compared with the G1. The 20mm is so poor in many other respects that there’s no need for masochism.

You can read about this new lens on Panasonic’s site by clicking the picture below:

Click the picture.

The older 14-45mm kit lens is profiled here. As you can see, the optics of the PZ represent a complete redesign.

The constant improvement in focus speed and reduction in shutter lag represents the last major hurdle for Panasonic in gaining acceptance as the sports shooters’ camera of choice. Were I Nikon or Canon, who dominate this market, I would likely be stocking up on replacement underwear.

Meanwhile, I have cancelled my back-ordered Olympus 45mm f/1.8 MFT lens as its faster aperture is not something I need and I expect the 14-42 PZ to be more than adequate as a portrait lens.