Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Review

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 is a compact standard zoom lens designed for L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. With its unique zoom range starting from ultra-wide 20mm to standard 60mm, lightweight design, and excellent optical performance, this lens offers full-frame mirrorless camera users a fresh kit lens option. In this review, we’ll take a detailed look at the design, performance, and real-world experience of the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.

📊 Detailed Specifications of the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

🎨 Design and Build Quality

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 is Panasonic’s first compact full-frame lens, boasting a significantly smaller and lighter design compared to their existing 24-105mm f/4 lens.

Size and Weight

• Lens dimensions: 77.4mm x 87.2mm (diameter x length)
• Weight: 350g

This lens ranks among the lightest full-frame kit lenses available. It balances perfectly with mid-sized mirrorless cameras like the Panasonic S5, making it comfortable for extended shooting sessions.

Build Quality

The lens is constructed primarily from plastic materials, giving it a lightweight feel. However, it features weather-sealing, allowing confident use in various environmental conditions. In testing, it performed flawlessly even during 20-30 minutes of rain exposure.

Design Features

• 67mm filter thread: Compatible with common filter sizes
• Zoom ring: Smooth operation, shortest at 20mm and extends when zooming to 60mm
• Focus ring: Wide and smooth-operating focus ring
• Lens hood: Click-lock mechanism for secure attachment

📸 Optical Performance

Despite its compact size, the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 delivers impressive optical performance.

Sharpness

Performance at 20mm

• Center: Excellent sharpness even wide open at f/3.5
• Corners: Good sharpness at f/3.5, improving to excellent levels by f/4

Performance at 24mm

• Center: Very good sharpness at f/4, though slightly less sharp than the 24-105mm lens. Both lenses show excellent sharpness at f/5.6
• Corners: Good performance at f/4, improving to excellent levels at f/5.6. Comparable or slightly better than the 24-105mm lens at f/5.6

Performance at 60mm

• Center: Good sharpness at maximum aperture f/5.6, reaching peak sharpness at f/8
• Corners: Somewhat soft at f/5.6 but usable, best results achieved at f/8

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic aberration is well-controlled in most real-world shooting situations. Even in high-contrast scenarios, color fringing is minimal and easily correctable in post-processing.

Distortion

Slight pincushion distortion is present at 20mm, but becomes negligible as you zoom in. This can be easily corrected through in-camera correction or software processing.

Vignetting

• At 20mm: Slight vignetting between f/3.5-f/4, becoming negligible from f/5.6
• At 60mm: Minimal vignetting even at maximum aperture f/5.6

Compared to the 24-105mm f/4 lens, the 20-60mm shows less vignetting at the wide end.

Flare and Ghosting Control

Flare and ghosting control is good. While some ghosting may occur when shooting directly into bright light sources, it’s generally not problematic in most situations.

Sunstars

Beautiful sunstar effects can be achieved between f/16-f/22. Compared to the 24-105mm f/4 lens, the 20-60mm produces clearer and more attractive sunstars.

Bokeh

While background blur is limited by the nature of a standard zoom lens, decent bokeh effects can be achieved in close-up shooting. The bokeh quality is average for its class.

🎥 Video Performance

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens includes several features optimized for video shooting, making it an attractive option for vloggers and video content creators.

Focus Breathing

• At 20mm: Minimal focus breathing when changing focus from minimum distance to infinity
• At 60mm: Slight focus breathing present but still within acceptable limits

AF Performance

• Fast and accurate autofocus
• Very quiet AF operation minimizing noise during video recording
• Excellent face detection and tracking performance
• Better continuous AF performance at higher frame rates (50fps+)

Aperture Transitions

Very smooth exposure changes when adjusting aperture during video recording. Almost stepless transitions enable natural exposure changes.

Wide-Angle Effects

The 20mm ultra-wide angle of view is useful for:

• Shooting in tight spaces
• Landscape or architectural footage
• Vlog-style self-recording

Stability

The light weight enables stable shooting when using gimbals or steadicams. However, the lens lacks optical image stabilization, relying on in-camera IBIS.

🔍 Real-World Experience

Landscape Photography

The 20mm ultra-wide angle is perfect for capturing expansive landscapes. The 4mm wider view compared to 24mm makes a noticeable difference in the field.

Architectural Photography

The wide-angle characteristics are well-suited for capturing entire buildings. Well-controlled distortion allows for natural representation of architectural lines.

Street Photography

The compact size and light weight make it comfortable for extended street photography sessions. The wide angle allows for dynamic street shots that include environmental context.

Close-up Photography

The close minimum focus distance of 15cm (at wide-angle) enables impressive close-up photography. The maximum magnification of 0.43x (at 26mm) allows for detailed shots of small subjects.

💡 Key Features Summary

1. Unique zoom range starting at ultra-wide 20mm
2. Compact and lightweight design (350g)
3. Excellent optical performance
4. Weather-sealed construction
5. Video-optimized features
6. 15cm close focusing capability
7. 67mm filter size
8. Smooth aperture transitions

🔧 Pros and Cons Analysis

Pros

• Compact size and light weight
• Ultra-wide 20mm angle of view
• Excellent optical performance
• Video-optimized features
• Close focusing capability

Cons

• Variable aperture (f/3.5-5.6) limiting light
• No optical image stabilization
• Limited telephoto reach at 60mm
• Predominantly plastic construction

📊 Comparison with Competitors

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens offers several unique features compared to competitors’ kit lenses.

Compared to Sony FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6

• Wider angle of view (20mm vs 28mm)
• Brighter maximum aperture (f/3.5 vs f/4)
• Equal telephoto reach (60mm)
• Closer minimum focusing distance (15cm vs 30cm)

Compared to Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3

• Wider angle of view (20mm vs 24mm)
• Longer telephoto reach (60mm vs 50mm)
• Brighter telephoto aperture (f/5.6 vs f/6.3)
• Closer minimum focusing distance (15cm vs 35cm)

Compared to Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM

• Wider angle of view (20mm vs 24mm)
• Brighter aperture range (f/3.5-5.6 vs f/4-7.1)
• Lighter weight (350g vs 395g)
• Canon lens includes optical image stabilization

Compared to Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN

• Wider angle of view (20mm vs 28mm)
• Lighter weight (350g vs 470g)
• Sigma offers brighter constant aperture (f/2.8)
• Closer minimum focusing distance (15cm vs 19cm)

📸 Recommended Users

1. Landscape photographers: Perfect for capturing expansive scenes with the 20mm ultra-wide angle
2. Architectural photographers: Captures entire buildings with minimal distortion
3. Vloggers and YouTubers: Ideal for self-recording and tight space shooting
4. Travel photographers: Excellent portability with compact size and light weight
5. Everyday photographers: Practical focal range from 20-60mm for various situations
6. Close-up photography enthusiasts: 15cm minimum focus distance for detailed close-ups

🛒 Purchase Considerations

1. Camera System: Suitable for L-mount camera users
2. Intended Use: Beneficial for situations requiring ultra-wide angles
3. Budget: Mid-range kit lens pricing
4. Portability: Ideal for users prioritizing light weight
5. Video Requirements: Recommended for users emphasizing video features
6. Light Requirements: Consider limitations in low-light due to variable aperture

🔮 Future Prospects

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is expected to gain more attention as the L-mount system grows. It could become an ideal kit lens, particularly if Panasonic releases smaller, more consumer-oriented full-frame cameras.

Future firmware updates may improve AF performance and other features. Additionally, Panasonic might expand their compact full-frame lens lineup based on this lens’s success, enriching the L-mount system’s lens options.

🎯 Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens offers L-mount users an attractive kit lens option with its compact size, light weight, excellent optical performance, and unique ultra-wide zoom range. It’s particularly valuable for landscape, architecture, vlogging, and travel photography.

While it has limitations like the variable aperture and restricted telephoto reach, its unique features such as the 20mm ultra-wide angle and 15cm close focusing capability set it apart. Considering its price-to-performance ratio, the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is highly recommended for L-mount users.

If you’re looking for a versatile lens covering ultra-wide to standard angles, or want a lightweight kit lens for travel and everyday shooting, the Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is an excellent choice. Its outstanding portability and flexible performance will help realize your creative vision.