If you buy one of the cheaper Panasonic G system cameras, then chances are you bought a Panasonic 14-42 mm II kit lens with it. The price difference between camera and camera + kit lens is so small that it’s almost a sin not to take the offer. Kit lenses offer great value for the money. We previously tested the predecessor of this lens, as well as its alternatives like the Panasonic 14-42 mm PZ and Panasonic 12-32 mm. But we hadn’t gotten to the Panasonic 12-42 mm II. The Panasonic 14-42 mm II is a beautiful, well-built, very light and compact lens with built-in MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer). How does the performance of this kit lens hold up to the kit lenses you get when you buy an SLR?

Construction and autofocus

If you compare the Panasonic 14-42 mm II with its predecessor, the first thing you notice is that Panasonic has managed to make this lens even smaller. It is significantly shorter, and has an even smaller lens diameter. This standard kit lens is available in black or silver; the previous version was manufactured in grey with black. The lens design has been completely redone compared to its predecessor and now contains, just like the Panasonic 14-42 mm PZ, only 9 lens elements, including 2 aspherical lenses, in 8 groups. Because the lens makes use of internal focusing, the front lens does not turn during focusing. AF was, in combination with the Panasonic GX7, lightning fast and accurate. In low-light, the AF speed is lower, but the AF accuracy remains unwaveringly high.

Image stabilization

Vignetting

With a small lens, you run the risk of vignetting. That goes much better than expected in this case. The Panasonic 14-42 mm II puts up a nice performances in terms of vignetting. At the shortest focal length and f/3.5, you will in some situations encounter visible vignetting. In all other situations, you will not. This kit lens gives nothing up on this point to much more expensive lenses.

Panasonic 14-42 mm II, 400 ISO, 25 mm, f/5.4, 1/60
Move your mouse over the image for a 100% enlargement

Distortion

Flaring

The Panasonic 14-42 mm II includes multi-coated lens elements to prevent ghosts and flare. A flower-shaped lens hood is also included standard. These measures are sufficient to prevent flare in virtually all situations. In the practice shots (all made without using the lens hood) we only encountered a few very small ghosts (here we have a partial enlargement, otherwise you would not see the green spot) if we photographed straight into the sun. This kit lens gives nothing up on this point to much more expensive lenses.

Sharpness

The Panasonic 14-42 mm II gives you beautifully sharp pictures, reaching the highest center sharpness at f/5.6. Look at the partial enlargement of the water lilies shown above to get an impression. I think I would take all my pictures at this aperture. The sharpness in the corners lags a bit behind the sharpness in the center, which is not abnormal for a kit lens.

The Panasonic 12-32 mm scores just a bit better in our test for sharpness. Credit that to the wider field of view of the 12-32 mm, and you have a nice excuse to eventually step up to that super compact lens. 

This kit lens is just as good as the 18-55 mm kit lens of an SLR camera.

Panasonic 14-42 mm II, 400 ISO, 25 mm, f/5.4,1/60 sec

Chromatic aberration

Bokeh

The Panasonic 14-42 mm II has a circular aperture, due to which the bokeh is round. The combination of short focal length with a somewhat less bright and – in comparison with a full-frame sensor – somewhat smaller sensor mean that the bokeh is less beautiful and more restless. However, if you compare the bokeh with the background blur of a compact camera, then it’s huge progress. My choice would be to opt for f/5.6 and enjoy the incredible sharpness and associated focal depth of the Panasonic 14-42 mm II.

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Look in our list of reviewed lenses or in our list of reviewed micro-43 lenses to compare the performance of this lens with that of other lenses.

Advantages

• Good image quality; sharp, little trouble from flare
• Fast and accurate AF
• Effective built-in image stabilization
• Compact, light and sturdily built
• In Lightroom and Photoshop, RAW files are automatically corrected for distortion
• Very cheap with the purchase of a Panasonic camera

Disadvantages

• Visible vignetting at 14 mm and maximum aperture
• Chromatic aberration

This compact, lightweight kit lens is just as good as an 18-55 mm kit lens of an SLR camera. The additional cost of a camera with this kit lens is so low that it’s a no-brainer to purchase this kit lens with a camera. The modest appearance is deceptive, because this lens delivers pictures with an image quality that will satisfy the requirements of many photographers.

If you already have a micro-43 camera and are considering purchasing a a lens separately, then there recently appeared – in my eyes – an even more attractive kit lens from Panasonic, which has a slightly higher image quality and is much smaller when the camera is not in use. As a result, your camera is much simpler to take along in a coat pocket. But for me personally, the wider field of view of 12 mm (equivalent to 24 mm on a full-frame sensor) is an even bigger plus for choosing this competitor of the Panasonic 14-42 mm II. Specifically, if you are close to a subject, 2 mm makes a big difference in focal point.

If you have no need for that, the Panasonic 14-42 mm II is an affordable, compact and lightweight traveling companion for your hobby.