I'm not a guy who makes big prints or does 100% blow ups of resolution charts, but you can find that junk on the web. Whether you want this lens or not will depend, of course, on your needs. Here are mine:
I am a casual photographer, shameful gear luster, and former photojournalist. A couple of years ago I realized that I had a bunch of great DSLR equipment I never used unless I was feeling particularly guilty about not using it, so I got rid of it and reassessed my needs.
A camera is only as useful as how often you actually take it out with you, so I knew I was going to have to go smaller than the 1D. And while I occasionally found myself cropping tighter than my 1.3x or 1.6x plus 70-200 could reach, I realized that I much more frequently wished I could go wider. Seeing how ultra wide would never be wide enough I made my decision to buy into a new system based on one criteria: who had the best ultra-wide lens in a package smaller than an SLR?
My research (in 2010) lead me to this lens: the Panasonic 7-14mm and its associated micro four thirds system. A GF1 with 20mm pancake lens was almost pocket-small, and the effective 14-28mm field of view with this well-reviewed zoom seemed like just the ticket so I took the (May '10) plunge of a combined $1700-1800. I'm happy to say I haven't regretted it for a second.
The 7-14mm is a manageable size and weight, creates quite sharp, contrasty images, and has good flare control given its FOV. The build quality is what I would expect at the price point: the slight heft of quality, though I wouldn't use it to pound tent stakes in a hurricane like I might with some pro gear. I've used many third-brand ultra wides that were worthless indoors or when pointed within 180 degrees of the sun because of their flaring and ghosting. I've also used many of Canon's L series which I imagine is where most of the 'prosumer' segment marks the bench. For my casual, candid, or travel purposes, this lens runs with the best of them. The field of view at 7mm (14 equiv.) is monstrously wide. So wide that I have no problems taking pictures of people who are ordinarily camera shy, because they see me pointed far enough off to the side that they assume they are no longer in the shot. This is a pretty valuable quality when you're trying to be all docu-style in close proximity to people. The latitude you get with this thing makes shooting from the hip very possible, and the quick AF and wide DOF work well enough together to keep it in focus.
It's not all peaches and gravy, of course. Shooting in large indoor spaces your FOV will always capture some of those 1000 watt light bulbs on the ceiling and their flare. When you get this wide distortion around the edges becomes a reality, though it can often be used to your advantage. Although it will focus very close, a 7mm focal length at F4 on a 2X crop sensor will never give you a super out of focus background unless the distance between the subject and the background is remarkable.
All in all, if your needs warrant it, this lens is worth every penny. It has made photography interesting and fun for me again, and I would probably have paid a lot more for that.
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This Item  PANASONIC LUMIX G VARIO LENS, 7-14MM, F4.0 ASPH., MIRRORLESS MICRO FOUR THIRDS, H-F007014 (USA BLACK) |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -17% $747.99 List: $897.99 | -11% $797.99 Typical: $897.99 | -10% $447.99 Typical: $497.99 | -27% $799.99 List: $1,099.99 | -17% $664.95 New Price: $797.99 | $397.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 19 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | — |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Picture quality | ||||||
| For landscape photography | ||||||
| Auto focus | ||||||
| Image stabilization | ||||||
| Sold By | Adorama | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | 6ave | Adorama |
| lens type | Fisheye | Wide Angle | Wide Angle | Wide Angle | Standard | Standard |
| compatible mountings | Micro Four Thirds | Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds | Micro Four Thirds |
| lens design | Zoom | Zoom | Prime | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom |
| focus type | Micromotor | automatic | Auto Focus | — | Auto Focus | Micromotor |
| minimum focal length | 7 millimeters | 12 millimeters | 9 millimeters | 8 millimeters | 12 millimeters | 14 millimeters |
| max focal length | 14 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 9 millimeters | — | 60 millimeters | 42 millimeters |
| fixed focal length | 14 millimeters | 35 millimeters | 9 millimeters | 25 millimeters | 60 millimeters | 42 millimeters |
From the manufacturer
Panasonic lumix g vario lens, 7-14mm, f4.0 asph., mirrorless micro four thirds:
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Customer Review: Nothing's Perfect, But This Lens Is Close!
Tom Diaz
Reviews with images
Great lens, high price
If I had been able to procure this lens for $750, I would have felt better about it. As it is, at $950, you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it or not. The Olympus 9-18 isn't cheap right now either at $700, and you lose out on the wide end. Though I have owned that lens, and it's a solid walk-around with a good focal range.So why pay the extra for this one? Well, it's sharper. I have the Panasonic 20mm 1.7, and this lens rivals it for sharpness. For a wide lens, it's very impressive. The extremities of your pics will be soft, but that's true for most lenses. At 5.6, the lens is very, very sharp across most of the frame.Why else would you pay extra? For the fixed aperture. For a wide lens a lot of the time you'll be stopping it down anyway. But the nice thing about this lens is that it increases its usability in general. If you shoot indoors you'll appreciate the ability to keep this lens at f4 if you need to zoom. Also it's already excellent at f4, so keeping it at its widest aperture doesn't really compromise the IQ.Do these things make it worth $950? Ermm... in my personal opinion not really. But I still bought it. And the reason? 2mm. Period.It's both surprising and amazing how different the perspective is at 7mm as opposed to 9mm (of course it's 14 vs 18 35mm equivalent). It's the only reason I bought the lens, and for me, it makes the lens worth it.The lens also has a pleasantly fast AF, which is nice. The size isn't quite as diminuitive as I'd hoped it would be, but it is still quite small for a lens of its type.But again, the bottom line is that you can't get this kind of perspective on the micro four thirds system without getting a fisheye. If you want ultra wide, there's only one lens, and it ain't cheap (unless you go for the four thirds Oly version, and then you gotta pony up 2x the cash, plus the cost of the adapter). But you can at least buy with confidence, with the knowledge that you're getting an exceptional piece of glass.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2012
If I had been able to procure this lens for $750, I would have felt better about it. As it is, at $950, you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it or not. The Olympus 9-18 isn't cheap right now either at $700, and you lose out on the wide end. Though I have owned that lens, and it's a solid walk-around with a good focal range.
So why pay the extra for this one? Well, it's sharper. I have the Panasonic 20mm 1.7, and this lens rivals it for sharpness. For a wide lens, it's very impressive. The extremities of your pics will be soft, but that's true for most lenses. At 5.6, the lens is very, very sharp across most of the frame.
Why else would you pay extra? For the fixed aperture. For a wide lens a lot of the time you'll be stopping it down anyway. But the nice thing about this lens is that it increases its usability in general. If you shoot indoors you'll appreciate the ability to keep this lens at f4 if you need to zoom. Also it's already excellent at f4, so keeping it at its widest aperture doesn't really compromise the IQ.
Do these things make it worth $950? Ermm... in my personal opinion not really. But I still bought it. And the reason? 2mm. Period.
It's both surprising and amazing how different the perspective is at 7mm as opposed to 9mm (of course it's 14 vs 18 35mm equivalent). It's the only reason I bought the lens, and for me, it makes the lens worth it.
The lens also has a pleasantly fast AF, which is nice. The size isn't quite as diminuitive as I'd hoped it would be, but it is still quite small for a lens of its type.
But again, the bottom line is that you can't get this kind of perspective on the micro four thirds system without getting a fisheye. If you want ultra wide, there's only one lens, and it ain't cheap (unless you go for the four thirds Oly version, and then you gotta pony up 2x the cash, plus the cost of the adapter). But you can at least buy with confidence, with the knowledge that you're getting an exceptional piece of glass.
So why pay the extra for this one? Well, it's sharper. I have the Panasonic 20mm 1.7, and this lens rivals it for sharpness. For a wide lens, it's very impressive. The extremities of your pics will be soft, but that's true for most lenses. At 5.6, the lens is very, very sharp across most of the frame.
Why else would you pay extra? For the fixed aperture. For a wide lens a lot of the time you'll be stopping it down anyway. But the nice thing about this lens is that it increases its usability in general. If you shoot indoors you'll appreciate the ability to keep this lens at f4 if you need to zoom. Also it's already excellent at f4, so keeping it at its widest aperture doesn't really compromise the IQ.
Do these things make it worth $950? Ermm... in my personal opinion not really. But I still bought it. And the reason? 2mm. Period.
It's both surprising and amazing how different the perspective is at 7mm as opposed to 9mm (of course it's 14 vs 18 35mm equivalent). It's the only reason I bought the lens, and for me, it makes the lens worth it.
The lens also has a pleasantly fast AF, which is nice. The size isn't quite as diminuitive as I'd hoped it would be, but it is still quite small for a lens of its type.
But again, the bottom line is that you can't get this kind of perspective on the micro four thirds system without getting a fisheye. If you want ultra wide, there's only one lens, and it ain't cheap (unless you go for the four thirds Oly version, and then you gotta pony up 2x the cash, plus the cost of the adapter). But you can at least buy with confidence, with the knowledge that you're getting an exceptional piece of glass.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Tools4Fun
Wonderfully compact and light ultra-wide zoom for MFT system, works great on Olympus EM10 MkII
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2017
Tools4Fun
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2017
This Pansonic 7-14mm zoom fills in the ultra-wide part of my kit perfectly. It is much smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the Olympus 7-14mm pro lens, making it a far better travel companion. This Panasonic lens is very sharp from wide open throughout the zoom range. Stop it down to f/5.6 and you can pretty much leave it there. Focus at the hyperfocal point and you will have crisp images with everything in focus and minimal corner-shading.
The lens communicates well with my camera and seems to correct distortions properly so I get a very nice rectilinear image with very little aberration.
I am very satisfied with this lens and can highly recommend it for lightweight landscape and other uses where an ultrawide zoom is the only answer.
Images in this review
M. Kamermans
Great little lens, no filter screw anywhere
Reviewed in Canada on December 16, 2018