Panasonic’s Full Frame Nifty Fifty
I knew the summer of 2022 I would be in Japan for a couple weeks. I’ve had the Panasonic Lumix S Series camera bodies for a couple years and wanted to make the most of Japan coming open to visitors with the the Covid pandemic restrictions. I had Panasonic’s F4 lens series of 16-35mm, 24-105mm, and 70-200mm with the two times tele-converter. These are great lenses, but they are not for low light. I needed something for night street photography and something I could attempt night star scape photography. Those requirements lead me to pick up the Lumix S 50mm 1.8 and the Lumix S 24mm 1.8 lenses. in this blog I will go into my experience with the 50mm 1.8.
Lumix 50mm 1.8
The Panasonic Lumix S 50 mm 1.8 with its lens hood on. At 300 grams it creates an appreciated balance to the Panasonic S1R which is know as a large, heavy mirrorless camera.
Specifications
Focal Length - 50mm
Maximum Aperture - F 1.8
Minimum Aperture - F 22
Lens Mount - Leica L
Angle fo View - 47 Degress
Minimum Focus Distance - 1.48' / 45.11 cm
Maximum Magnification - .14x
Optical Design - 9 Elements in 8 Groups
Diaphragm Blades - 9
No Image Stabilization
Filter Size. - 67mm
Autofocus Switch
There is only one switch for turning autofocus off. Other than that, the front has a nice large and smooth manual focus ring. The manual focus option matched with the Lumix focus peaking works well for very low light situations where the autofocus will hunt.
In Use
This lens changes the carry experience with the Lumix S Series. I’ve used the 24-105mm F4 kit lens as the primary option for photography for quite a while. Many photographers will purchase a general purpose kit lens as their first lens. I was no different. I’ve created many images with the 24-105mm that I enjoy, but its a heavy lens which doesn’t cut it for low light photography. The 50mm 1.8 cuts the weight, balances the feel of the camera, provides a standard width of view with no distortion or compression, and gives low light situations a run for the money. It was the perfect balance of features, weight, and design for hitting the streets of Tokyo.
I’m not a person for testing the a the technical aspects of a lens. An image’s impact does not come from the technical specifications. Lens design has come a long way since the 1950s. Most major manufactures provide good quality in their lens line ups. There are even cheaper options like TTArtison and 7artisons which create some interesting lenses at very reasonable prices. Panasonic in working with Leica and their partnership in the L Mount Alliance means any of the lenses in the L mount series will meet modern standards. This Lumix 50mm 1.8 takes all that heritage and puts it all in a small package.
Photo Examples
So what results can I expect with this 50mm lens? Let’s take a look a the streets of Tokyo and find out.
Waiting for Shibuya Crossing
The Dog Days of Shibuya
Grab a Skewer on the Way Home
Highball Time
Reflections Passing By
Take Out
Food for the Night
Stuck in an Era Gone Past
Drug Store Shuffle
This lens has changed my photography style. It has been said that every photographer needs a “nifty fifty”. The Lumix S 50mm 1.8 fulfills that need and is in my opinion one of the must have lenses being offered for the L mount series of cameras.