Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 Asph. Power OIS review

The Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 Power OIS is ideal for portraiture with MFT cameras

Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 Asph. Power OIS
(Image: © Panasonic)

Digital Camera World Verdict

Small, lightweight and affordable, this little lens gives an ‘effective’ focal length of 85mm with a fast f/1.7 aperture and comes complete with an optical image stabilizer. It’s therefore a great choice for handheld portraiture and still life photography on any Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, especially those that lack in-body stabilization.

Pros

  • +

    Compact and lightweight

  • +

    Optical stabilization

  • +

    Ideal for portraiture

Cons

  • -

    No weather-seals

  • -

    7-blade aperture diaphragm

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The Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 Power OIS is typical of Micro Four Thirds lenses in being compact and lightweight. That’s mostly due to only needing to produce a relatively small image circle and, in this case, the lens delivers an effective focal length of 85mm in full-frame terms with a fast f/1.7 aperture, yet weighs in at just 130g. The net result is that it’s ideal for portraiture and still life photography, without breaking your back or your bank balance.

Specifications

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Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.