Panny 12-32 on Cameras Other Than GM1?

[Biro]

I just sold my G5 to a friend and included the very good 14-45mm kit lens with it. He picked up a lightly used 45-200 lens so he's set for a while. I urged him to put the 20mm f/1.7 on his wish list.

Now...that leaves me looking for a wide-to-normal zoom for my GX7. I usually use my Pany 14 and 20 on this body and I have the 40-150 for longer work. I'm ruling out the 12-35 f/2.8 because of size and price. The 14-42mm II would be a decent match with my 40-150 but they're generally not available separately yet. The 14-42 PZ is also a possibility, but I really don't need the PZ. I could also use my Olympus kit zooms on the GX7. But the 12-50 isn't the best in terms of balance on this body and I'm not crazy about the Oly 14-42.

So that leaves the 12-32, which can be readily picked up as a separate item. Is anyone using this lens on a body other than the GM1? If so, I'd like some feedback. I realize manual focus won't be an option on bodies other than the GM1 (at least not yet). But is the 12-32 a good option for the GX7?

 

[EarthQuake]

I have the 12-40 to use with my em1 and my wife uses the 12-32 on the em5 and she really loves it. Its a great lens if you can live with the limitations, which are relatively slow aperture, short zoom range, and no manual focus ring.

 

[CiaranCReilly]

I thought that the last GX7 firmware allowed for manual focus with this lens? Not 100% sure though


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[Dave Lively]

I use this lens on my GX7 and really like it. The combination is small enough to fit into a pouch I can attach to straps on my pack or belt while hiking and having 12 instead of 14 on the wide end is nice too.

It is pretty good optically too. Compared to the 14-42 II that came with my camera the corners a just a little bit smeared at 12mm due to distortion correction but seem just as sharp elsewhere and at longer focal lengths is sharp across the frame. It seems to have more CA on the wide side than the 14-42 did but I did not use the 14-42 nearly as often in the sort of high contrast situations that really show CA to be sure. These are both good kit lenses and while I think the 14-42 has the edge it is a very small one. If the 14-42 II is good enough for your the 12-32 should be too.

If you update to the 1.3 firmware you can manually focus the lens but focusing with the keypad or touch screen instead of a ring makes the process slower. To manually focus flip the AF/MF switch, press the focus area button and a slider on the touch screen and focus scale appear. You can also use the keypad and there is a button on the touchscreen that when pressed does a single autofocus and returns to manual. I use manual focus pretty rarely since I got my GX7 so this has not been a problem. The switch for MF was a big plus when I was looking at the camera but after owning it for awhile I usually use pin point autofocus instead of manual.

 

[budeny]

I use 12-32 + EP5 almost exclusively in this season for hiking and very happy about them.

 

[alex66]

I love it, it has become my favourite zoom, used on both a G3 and an EPM2 it makes for a great portable set up. There are times when a little bit extra on the long end would be desirable but then it is the same with 14-42/45's too and more than compensated by the 12mm wide. I think for such a tiny jewel the IQ is really good, don't miss it being slow but then I shoot mostly at f5.6/-ff8.

 

[Lee O'D]

I used it on my GX7 and now on my EM1. It's an excellent lens, very sharp and good contrast. Doesn't take up much room in your bag either!

 

[LowriderS10]

I've been wanting to pick this lens up for my E-M5...I've played around with a few in stores, and love the way it feels/the size of the combo!

 

[broody]

Many people covet this lens for good reason... Its small size, great sharpness and 12mm wide end make it generally the most useful kit zoom out there. You definitely don't need to have a GM1 to make use of it.

 

[JYC2]

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I'm using 12-32 on E-M5. I love this combination.

 

[John Araki]

Does the panasonic wifi app control zoom on the 12-32?

 

[gcogger]

Does the panasonic wifi app control zoom on the 12-32?

The zoom on the 12-32mm is entirely manual, so I'm afraid it can't.

 

[penfan2010]

Steve-I've used the 12-32 on my GX-7 quite a bit, and I love the handling and compact size. I was always pleasantly surprised at the great image quality on the GM-1, and the same has been true on the GX-7.

 

[tjdean01]

I use the 12-32 on my PM2 with lens stabilization priority. I just use the AF. It's great when I want a P&S type camera and great for landscapes. Not much bokeh with this lens but that's not its forte.

 

[Hektor]

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I'm using 12-32 on E-M5. I love this combination.

I love this little lens on my new (to me) GX1. I am mostly a daylight shooter so the slow speed is no big deal, and I also have the Summilux for low light if I need it.

 

[darrellc]

I've only shot it on the GM1 until yesterday, as I'm no fan of slow zooms but appreciate the small package it offers with the GM1.

I tried it on my GH4 the other day for an interior low light shot and was getting blurry double image pics at 1/30s with stabilization enabled, but sharp shots with it off. I'd never noticed such a thing with the GM1. I then tried the same with the GM1 with no such problems to confirm it was not a consistent problem with the lens across bodies. Time allowing, I'll try to shoot some more to better understand the phenomenon.

Anyone else tried on the GH4 or one of the larger m4/3 bodies and experienced this?