Review on Panasonic LUMIX G Lens 42.5mm F1.7 ASPH. - Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds with Power Optical I.S. - H-HS043K (USA Black): Professional Photography Lens for Stunning Shots by Hurst Batiste

I hesitated for a long time to buy this f1.7 and f1.2 version but decided on 1.7 thinking I could do it on another m4 Use /3 in the arsenal if I really wanted f1.2 later. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by this lens, although now I probably shouldn't. I have worked with Panasonic 15mm f1.7, 25f1.4 and 20mm f1.7 lenses, all of which offer excellent image quality. It has a very minimalist style with almost nothing but the focal length and lens hood alignment points written on the lens barrel. The front of the lens barrel flange can be removed and a lens hood installed in its place. This is similar to a Panasonic 15mm 1.7 lens but without the 15mm aperture ring (if you have big fingers). I'm surprised that this tiny lens offers optical stabilization in the lens barrel, but the images from the lens are excellent. A little soft at f1.7 but still good. It has a minimum focal length of around 12 inches, making it suitable for close-up photography. My biggest concern is the lens mount on the camera. Although it is actually a "micro four-thirds" attachment, the problem I have is that the lens mount seems to "drag" with the camera mount, apparently rubbing against the metal points of both - which I do a feeling I experience when my own nails scratch the board. I wonder if this is a quality issue with the lens design itself, which doesn't bear a Leica logo and is mostly made of durable plastic. I also wonder if the metal parts of the lens mount will get stuck in the sensor. This compares to the 20mm f1.7 mount, which doesn't have this grille/mount issue (nor does it have a Leica logo). However, unlike the 20mm 1.7, the lens is almost less noisy. The 42.5mm lens has no autofocus noise like the 20mm lens and focuses on the subject much faster than the 20mm lens. The overall impression is good and the lens is a great addition to the m4/3 arsenal. The small stature suits the smaller cases in the m4/3 range very well in my opinion, but still works very well with larger cases like the GX-8. I don't have a 42.5 f1.2 but I would imagine the f1.2 body would be much more durable and probably metal. This smaller f1.7 lens is fairly light, with no ominous frills on the lens barrel itself, and sleek enough to just toss in the camera and walk out the door.