L mount photographers are quickly becoming spoiled for choice when it comes to 24mm prime lenses. We’ve recently seen the Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN and the Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN. Now, we’re going to look at the Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8. Let’s find out if the premium price tag is worth it in our full review.

It took Panasonic a hot minute to release affordable, yet still relatively fast primes for their L mount cameras. We have reviewed the Panasonic 50mm f/1.8 S and the 85mm f/1.8 S and we’ve been impressed. The Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 is the most expensive lens in this line, though, and with other more affordable 24mm options available from Sigma, we need to see if this lens is worth the $897.99 that Panasonic is asking for it.

Pros

  • Light and small
  • Good build quality
  • Weather sealing
  • Great image quality
  • Autofocus performance

Cons

Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8 — Technical specifications

Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8

All technical specifications for this lens are from the product listing page at B&H Photo:

  • Focal length: 24mm
  • Maximum aperture: f/1.8, min aperture f/16
  • Angle of view 84°
  • Min focus distance: 9.4″ / 24 cm
  • Maximum magnification: 0.15x
  • Optical design: 12 elements, 11 groups, nine rounded aperture blades
  • Filter size: 67 mm
  • Dimensions (ø x L:): 2.9 x 3.2″ / 73.6 x 82 mm
  • Weight: 0.68lbs / 310 g

Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 — Ergonomics and build quality

The Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8 is a relatively compact fast time for L mount cameras. The lens weighs just 0.63lbs and measures 3.2 inches in length. The small size and weight help the lens balance well; even on smaller full-frame cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5. The lens has a lightly textured plastic body and the rubber manual focusing ring is a nice size. Apart from the focus ring, there’s just an auto/manual focus control switch.

From a build quality standpoint, there’s nothing to complain about. The plastic feels great and is tough. This lens is also generously weather-sealed throughout the body and at the mount. I used the lens on a rainy day along with my weather-sealed Panasonic Lumix S5 and the combo worked flawlessly. The amount of weather sealing in the Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 puts it a step in front of the Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary, which is only sealed at the mount.

Overall, the design is basic and effective, it’s nice and light yet it’s rugged enough to stand up to the rigors of daily use. If you prefer a more premium feel, you might like the Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN more. Still, there’s nothing wrong with this lens from Panasonic. It feels nice in the hand and doesn’t get in the way of itself.

Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 — In the field

Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8

If you’ve used any of the other Panasonic f/1.8 prime lenses — like the 50mm f/1.8 S (review here) or the 85mm f/1.8 (review here) — you’ll immediately feel right at home with this lens. Panasonic made these lenses almost identical when it comes to their overall size, weight, build quality. They even made sure these lenses had the same size filter thread.

The Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 is as plug-and-play as you can get when it comes to lenses. Attach it to the camera and off you go. The manual focus ring is a little tight, but it rotates smoothly overall. The auto/manual focus switch is positioned well, and while there’s no optical image stabilization, I found it easy to handhold this lens at low shutter speeds. A lot has to be said about the size and weight of the lens. Carrying this lens around for long periods is not an issue as it weighs just over half a pound. The lens provides a pleasant user experience.

Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 — Autofocus performance

The Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 will not give you any issues when it comes to autofocus performance for photography. The autofocus motors allow rapid autofocus speeds while remaining silent.

Focusing from near to far and back again is near-instantaneous and accurate. This is the story when the sun is beating down on you and when the light is low. It’s impressive. Compared to the Sigma 24mm f/2 (review here) and Sigma 24mm f/3.5 (review here), I would say the Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 is slightly faster. I had no issues using this lens in single point or continuous focus and tracking modes.

Videographers will need to keep in mind that, while this lens from Panasonic doesn’t pulse as much as either of the 24mm primes from Sigma, pulsing is still present here when in continuous autofocus modes. It’s better than the Sigma’s in this regard but it will still be a nuisance. Stills, photographers, you have nothing to worry about.

Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 — Image quality

Again, like the other lenses in this line from Panasonic, the 24mm f/1.8 is a great performer overall. There’s not much between this offering from Panasonic and the 24mm offerings from Sigma when it comes to image quality. The Sigma is perhaps a hair shaper, but, for me, the Panasonic provides more pleasing colors. Let’s break image quality down further below.

Distortion control and vignetting

Like the Sigma 24mm f/2, the Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 suffers from barrel distortion. It’s easy to correct during post, but it’s wise to keep in mind that the distortion is there. Objects at the edge of your frame can become distorted.

Have a look at the image sample above and slide across to see the image with and without lens correction. The Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 is slightly better than the Sigma 24mm f/2, but not by much. There’s a slight amount of vignetting at f/1.8, but it disappears quickly and isn’t an issue at all.

Ghosting, flaring and chromatic aberrations

The Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 performs well when it comes to chromatic aberrations, ghosting and flaring. There is a hint of purple fringing in high-contrast situations. However, it’s easy to correct when processing your images. The Sigma 24mm f/2 has roughly the same amount of CA.

Ghosting and flaring are controlled very well. I had to try to get this lens to show ghosting and flaring. Unless you’re trying to make it happen, you’ll hardly have any issues at all. If you’re a fan of sun stars, this lens will satisfy you too. When shooting directly into light sources the lens doesn’t lose much contrast either. The Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 performs well.

Sharpness

This lens is plenty sharp. I don’t have many complaints here at all. When shooting at f/1.8 the corners have a slight softness to them. Still, when you stop down to f/2.8 the corners and edges are just as sharp as the rest of the frame. I didn’t see any major signs of diffraction until I started shooting at f/14. If you’re wondering how this lens compares to the Sigma 24mm f/2, I would have to give overall sharpness to the Sigma, but the Panasonic is no slouch. Unless you’re pixel peeping to the extreme, you’ll be very happy with the results.

Bokeh

Fact. You don’t buy wide-angle primes like the Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 for bokeh. Lenses like this are designed to be used in low-light situations. However, thanks to the relatively fast aperture of f/1.8, this lens can produce some bokeh. The minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches is slightly better than the Sigma f/2’s of 9.7 inches. In real-world use, you’ll get roughly the same performance.

The bokeh that you create with this lens will not be the creamiest and smoothest you’ll ever see. Bokeh ranges from chaotic to pleasant with bokeh balls that are very much of the Catseye variety. I don’t mind this type of bokeh, however, everyone is different. If you want a 24mm lens that can produce some crazy bokeh, look at the Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN. Its minimum focusing distance of 4.3 inches allows you to get very creative. Overall, the bokeh from the Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 is nothing to write home about. It’s good, but not great.

Color rendition

The Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 produces very pleasing colors that are neutral. They’re neither too warm nor too cool. As Goldilocks would say, they’re just right. The colors are quite saturated, but they aren’t over the top. Skin tones are fantastic as well, which should come in useful as I would imagine this lens would be used by many documentarians and street photographers.

The Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN on the other hand, produces colors that are on the warm side of things. Colors can be changed to your liking in post if you shoot RAW, however, if you shoot JPEGs, know that this lens will produce nice, accurate colors.

Panasonic Lumix S 24mm f/1.8 — A great wide prime that come’s at a price

Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8

Panasonic has done a great job with the Lumix S 24mm f/1.8. The lens is small and light yet is durable thanks to the quality plastics and the copious amounts of weather sealing. Image quality is excellent overall thanks to well-controlled chromatic aberrations, ghosting, flaring and great levels of sharpness. The only thing that lets that lens down is the distortion and pulsing in continuous focusing modes, though this is not unique to this lens. If you use any other L mount camera from Sigma or Leica, pulsing will not be an issue.

The biggest question from any potential buyers of this lens will be, should I buy the Panasonic 24mm f/1.8 over the Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary? It’s all going to come down to personal preference. The Sigma is a tad sharper than the Panasonic but it lets in slightly less light and produces warmer colors. The Sigma has a more premium feel to it thanks to the all-metal design, however, the Panasonic has much better weather sealing. The Panasonic 24mm is better when it comes to autofocus. The trouble comes when you look at the prices, though.

The Panasonic Lumix 24mm f/1.8 sells for $897.99 while the Sigma 24mm f/2 DG DN sells for a much more reasonable $639. You’re going to have to decide if the slightly faster Panasonic with more weather sealing is worth the extra $259. Image quality-wise you’ll be hard-pressed to see a big difference. Both lenses are great. Buy the one that suits your shooting style. Check out the latest prices and availability here.