Lumix G 42.5mm F1.7 ASPH Power O.I.S.

Reviewer verdict

Across 22 YouTube reviews, the Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm F1.7 ASPH Power O.I.S. earns an Index score of 3.9/5, ranking #11 among Lenses. Reviewers most often praise its image quality, build quality, low light performance, while the most common criticisms concern build quality, image quality.

This lens is celebrated for packing excellent performance into an incredibly compact, lightweight, and affordable package. Its 85mm equivalent focal length and bright f/1.7 aperture make it ideal for portraiture, delivering impressively sharp images with smooth, pleasing background blur even when shooting wide open. A key advantage is the built-in Power O.I.S., which provides effective image stabilization for crisp handheld shots, a feature its direct competitors often lack. Furthermore, its very close minimum focusing distance adds significant versatility for near-macro photography. Coupled with a solid build quality and fast autofocus on compatible bodies, it represents an exceptional value for any Micro Four Thirds user.

The primary drawbacks are the absence of professional features, most notably a lack of weather sealing, which limits its use in adverse conditions. The manual focus is a focus-by-wire system that some users find lacks the precision and tactile feedback of a mechanical ring. While often praised, the bokeh can sometimes appear busy, and the lens can be slightly soft when used at its widest f/1.7 aperture. Reviewers also frequently note the inherent limitations of the Micro Four Thirds system, such as not being able to produce the same extremely shallow depth-of-field as larger full-frame sensors.

Analysis based on 22 YouTube reviews (2h 34m of video) with 204 pros and 76 cons extracted.

Pros (204)

Cons (76)

Review sources

• Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 by Damian Brown — 17 pros, 4 cons
• "One Minute" Review - Lumix 42.5mm f/1.7, the BUDGET "85mm" lens for Micro4/3 14 pros, 6 cons
• Best Budget Lens for Portraits !? - Panasonic 42.5mm F1.7 15 pros, 5 cons
• Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 - my quick review (with image samples) 13 pros, 7 cons
• The Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7 Lens for Micro Four Thirds Cameras by David Thorpe — 12 pros, 6 cons
• Lumix G 42.5 F1.7 Lens Review | Should You Buy This Lens In 2020 10 pros, 7 cons
• Amazing TINY B Roll lens! | Panasonic Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 Review 10 pros, 5 cons
• LUMIX G 42.5MM F1.7 REVIEW | Best portrait lens for Micro Four Thirds? 12 pros, 3 cons
• The Panasonic Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 MFT Lens, the Little Lens That Could by Todd Bannor — 12 pros, 3 cons
• Lumix 42.5 F1.7 с широкоугольным адаптером 6 pros, 8 cons
• LUMIX G 42.5mm F1.7 Panasonic 1年半使用レビュー 11 pros, 2 cons
• Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm Lens Review. Is this lens a good portrait lens? by Avp Studios — 10 pros, 3 cons
• Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 Unboxing And Video Test 10 pros, 2 cons
• 42.5mm Panasonic 1.7 Lens - Video Review 7 pros, 3 cons
• Great Prime Lens Kit for GH5: Panasonic 15mm, 25mm and 42.5mm 6 pros, 2 cons
• The Best MFT Short Tele –Lumix 42.5mm F1.7 Beats The Rest by Matti Sulanto — 6 pros, 2 cons
• Panasonic Telephoto Shootout - 42.5mm, 35-100mm, and 45-150mm Review 7 pros, 1 cons
• Is the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 REALLY a f3.4 Lens? (Viewer Question) by ArtoftheImage — 5 pros, 2 cons
• New Lens 42.5mm, f/1.7-It's Sexy, Cinematic, is it for vlogging? 6 pros, 1 cons
• Best Panasonic Lenses on a Budget by Erik Davidson — 6 pros, 1 cons
• Is Micro four thirds for You? 4 pros, 3 cons
• Panasonic GH7 | New & Old Lens Video Autofocus Tests! by Geeky Nerdy Techy — 5 pros, 0 cons

Frequently asked questions