[Lumix Magazine Editorial Department] We Tried Out the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3
Hello, everyone. This is the Lumix Magazine Editorial Department.
Have you had a chance to read the post we shared the other day, "This is the Optical Design Department_Eighth Edition [LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3]"?
This article features sample shots taken by our editorial staff using the lenses profiled in "This Is the Optical Design Department", along with the staff's impressions of the lenses.
This is our review of the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3.
■ First Impressions
Trying the 18-40 mm on the S9
This lens' defining feature is undoubtedly the fact that it is the world's smallest and lightest* AF full-frame mirrorless interchangeable zoom lens.
True to its name, it is compact and lightweight. Pancake lenses are often described as being light enough to leave attached like a lens cap, and I found this lens to be similar in that regard.
It also balances well visually with the S9. Although other lenses, such as the F1.8 prime series and the LUMIX S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S., are small and light, the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3's short size when the lens barrel retracts gives it an even more compact and cute appearance.
It extends when you shoot
Note that the filter diameter is 62 mm. I can sense the developers' determination to make it as compact as possible.
Looking back at LUMIX lenses released in recent years, S-series lenses prioritised usability and were marketed as 'compact'. These predominantly featured a 67 mm filter diameter, partly for the advantage of being able to share filters.
The fact that this lens has been developed as an even smaller zoom lens with a 62 mm filter diameter, which makes it more manoeuvrable, really highlights the development team's determination and commitment to downsizing.
Left: LUMIX S 85 mm F1.8
Right: LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3
While photographing the lens, I noticed that the markings are not white, but a shade of grey.
This design has also been applied to the LUMIX S 100 mm F2.8 MACRO and the LUMIX S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S. White lettering can reflect onto the subject during close-up shots, so a darker colour that's still legible is used to reduce this issue.
This lens also boasts a minimum focusing distance of 0.15 m, allowing you to get quite close, which is a welcome feature.
It weighs approximately 155 g (excluding the front and rear caps). I looked it up, and apparently this is roughly the weight of one banana. Lightweight indeed!
All photographs in this article were taken with the LUMIX S9 paired with the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3 lens.
■ Shooting with the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3
The hallmark of ultra-wide-angle lenses is their ability to convey 'breadth' and 'depth'.
First, I'd like to try capturing that 'breadth' and 'depth'.
My subject is some flowers blooming by a local roadside. First, a shot to give a sense of the scene.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/250 sec, F6.3, ISO 100
As you can see, they are not blooming en masse as they would in a park. Nevertheless, there is a beautiful, densely clustered patch of flowers in one corner that has perhaps been tended by someone.
Now, getting in close to the flowers in the foreground at 18 mm...
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/250 sec, F6.3, ISO 100
This is how it turned out.
With a minimum focusing distance of 0.15 m from 18 mm to 21 mm at the wide-angle end, this lens enables this type of close-up shot.
On top of that, being an 18 mm ultra-wide, the surrounding flowers stay in frame while the main subject is lifted out with a sense of depth, all with a smooth blur.
Incidentally, I tried cropping this photo heavily, and even the pollen on the petals was rendered beautifully.
You can really feel the underlying power of the "small S9" and "small 18-40 mm".
Next is a simple wide-angle shot.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/60 sec, F4.5, ISO 100
The soft, pale evening light reflects off the lake's surface, and the wave patterns are rendered crisply.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/125 sec, F8, ISO 100
While exploring a town I was visiting, I snapped a scene that caught my eye.
Taking a wide shot means you capture parts of the town that you didn't notice while walking around, making you feel as though you've gained something. When I took this, I was chasing what caught my eye: "A boat! Sky! The sky reflected in the river!", but looking more closely, the tree
shadow on the wall to the right is pretty cool, too.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/250 sec, F8, ISO 100
I took this photo of the road from a bridge. The road stretching out into the distance appears more expansive in the photograph than it does in real life. Although I have travelled this route countless times before, using an ultra-wide-angle lens to photograph it really changes one's perception of this familiar scene.
As a bonus on the theme of 'breadth', I thought a comparison might make the difference clearer, so here are some photos taken from the same spot at different focal lengths.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 35 mm, 1/320 sec, F8, ISO 100
This one was shot at 35 mm; a focal length favoured by many photographers. As the location is an open landscape, the image feels expansive even at 35 mm.
The photograph below was taken from the same vantage point, but with a focal length of 18 mm.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/250 sec, F8, ISO 100
At 18 mm, the buoys floating on the lake look so small.
Although 18 mm is slightly wider than ideal for this location, the zoom lens allows you to adjust the framing precisely to your liking while capturing a broad area. Beginners will find it easy to crop and preserve their desired section within the frame.
Moving to a different scene, since I was shooting with this lens in autumn, I tried a few compositions centred on some cosmos flowers I found while walking.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/400sec, F8, ISO 100
First, a shot against the blue sky. When it comes to wide-angle shots of cosmos flowers, wouldn't you be tempted to take this photo looking upwards? However, with a long, heavy lens, the centre of gravity shifts forwards. This means that when you try to tilt the lens upwards to capture that composition, it puts strain on your wrist and arm.
Fortunately, despite being ultra-wide-angle, this lens is short and light, so holding the camera at an angle to tilt the lens upwards was completely strain-free.
Incidentally, if you use the free-angle monitor, you can get these looking-up shots without crouching, which is very helpful.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 40mm, 1/80sec, F6.3, ISO 100
This snapshot features cosmos flowers in the foreground, blurred for effect. Although we tend to focus on the widest angle of 18 mm, the ability to zoom up to 40 mm is remarkably convenient for capturing shots like this, which make the most of the bokeh effect.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 35mm, 1/100sec, F8, ISO 100
The cosmos flowers and the pillar of the curved mirror were a similar colour, which really stood out.
As it is lightweight, you can swing the lens around like a compact camera and quickly capture scenes that catch your eye.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18mm, 1/160sec, F8, ISO 100
The final image is a backlit close-up of the cosmos flower. The translucency of the petals is stunning. Although it is backlit by strong afternoon sunlight, there is only slight ghosting in the centre and no major issues.
Changing the mood a bit, I tried some monochrome snapshots across the ultra-wide to standard range.
Ultra-wide monochrome seems to convey a greater sense of presence and impact.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm,1/250 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/800 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9,S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/640 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 35 mm,1/1000 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 26 mm, 1/400 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm,1/400 sec, F8, ISO 100
I've previously shared several photos taken at 18 mm in the past. But if you asked me whether 18 mm is the ideal focal length for everyday use in any situation, in a sense it can capture "too much", and I've felt it can be tricky to use regularly.
Of course, since it's a zoom lens, you can simply shoot at your preferred focal length. While exploring ways to experiment more with the 18 mm lens, I decided to try changing the aspect ratio to 65:24 within the camera.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/320 sec, F9, ISO 200
With the LUMIX S series, you can change the aspect ratio to 65:24 in the camera settings. Using this aspect ratio at the telephoto end significantly narrows the field of view, for better or worse. However, even when changing the aspect ratio at a wide angle of up to 18 mm, an appropriate amount of information is cropped horizontally to create images with a distinctly cinematic or gamelike narrative quality.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/100 sec, F7.1, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/200 sec, F7.1, ISO 200
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/640 sec, F8, ISO 200
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/160 sec, F8, ISO 200
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/30 sec, F4.5, ISO 640
As another bonus on the topic of aspect ratio, here are some photos shot at 1:1 using hybrid zoom.
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 113 mm (hybrid zoom), 1/640 sec, F8, ISO 200
Checking the RAW file, it looks like this area was cropped from the full frame using hybrid zoom (incamera cropping). Beautiful!
■ The world's smallest* lens that opens up a vast world you'll find yourself hooked on
In the previous article, the LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6 lens was described as versatile and portable, making it an ideal "first lens" for a LUMIX camera. However, the LUMIX S 18-40 mm F4.5-6.3 lens also exudes versatility and portability.
If you've used wide-angle lenses, you'll probably agree that around 20 mm, every 1 mm really starts to make a noticeable difference.
Despite being a kit lens, this model enables you to experience the 'breadth' and 'depth' of 18 mm, which is sure to surprise and excite beginner photographers in particular. I really hope you'll experience the joy of capturing dynamic, beautiful photos that are hard to get on a smartphone.
On the S9, using hybrid zoom means this single lens effectively covers 18 mm to 125 mm, so you can enjoy a camera life capturing all sorts of subjects.
Rest assured that it also delivers the delicate rendering befitting the 'LUMIX S' name.
That's all for this article. We'll see you next time!
If this article helped with your purchase decision, please give it a like and follow!
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/1600 sec, F7.1, ISO 200
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 40 mm, 1/500 sec, F8, ISO 100
S9, S 18-40 F4.5-6.3 / 18 mm, 1/250 sec, F8, ISO125
* For interchangeable full-frame AF mirrorless zoom lenses. As of October 9, 2024. Researched by Panasonic.
