[Lumix Magazine Editorial Department] We Tried Out the LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
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_Seventh Edition [LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6]"?
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 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6.
First Impressions
Trying the LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6 lens on the S9
The LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6 was originally introduced as a kit lens for the LUMIX S5. Since then, it has become a standard kit lens in the LUMIX full-frame lineup.
At launch, a wide-angle end of 20 mm was still uncommon for a zoom lens, and its compact size also generated buzz.
It also became the first LUMIX interchangeable lens to win the Camera Grand Prix 2021 Lens Award!
It's similar in size to the F1.8 series, and shares the same 67 mm filter diameter.
From the left, LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6,
LUMIX S 50 mm F1.8,
and LUMIX S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S
This means you can pair a fast prime for shallow depth-of-field shots with the versatile 20-60 mm, and share filters between them.
LUMIX lenses are available in two distinct lines: the S PRO series, which prioritises image quality, and the S series, which combines image quality with convenience. To me, this lens feels like one of the early models that really leaned into that convenience-focused direction.
Shooting with the LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6
Shot at 20 mm,
F14, SS 1/100, ISO 100
First, I took some snapshots around town.
Looking up at the city through a 20 mm wide angle, you get a stronger sense of perspective than you would at standard focal lengths. This makes traffic lights and clusters of buildings appear to stretch higher into the sky.
Shot at 20 mm,
F5, SS 1/320, ISO 100
Shot at 27 mm,
F4.5, SS 1/320, ISO 100
Shot at 60 mm,
F8, SS 1/500, ISO 100
With a wide-to-standard zoom lens, you can easily shoot with a bit of perspective distortion, frame things closer to how your eye sees them, or crop in on a favourite spot with the telephoto end, all with a simple turn of the zoom ring.
You can capture whatever catches your eye, so you'll probably end up leaving it on your camera and enjoying documenting your daily life.
Shot at 20 mm,
F5.6, SS 1/125, ISO 100
Another feature of this lens is its 15 cm minimum focusing distance at the wide-angle end, which lets you get reasonably close to your subject.
True macro work, like shooting insect eyes or flower petals up close, is understandably tricky, but as you can see in the photo above, capturing things at arm's length, like raindrops on an umbrella, is easy.
Shot at 60 mm,
F7.1, SS 1/200, ISO 100
I expected it to be difficult to get an attractive bokeh effect using a lens with an aperture of F5.6 or higher at the telephoto end. However, when I tried it out, I found that it produced a moderate amount of bokeh, effectively highlighting the subject I wanted to emphasise and creating a pleasing
effect from the foreground to the background.
This single lens enables a wide range of creative possibilities, from dynamic shots with a strong sense of perspective to close-ups with beautiful bokeh.
Shot at 20 mm,
F4.5, SS 1/100, ISO 100
This photo perfectly captures how the road winds off into the distance.
Shot at 20 mm,
F9.0, SS 1/200, ISO 100
The shimmering, rippling surface of the water on a cloudy day, and the rays of light piercing through the clouds, are depicted with remarkable clarity.
Shot at 20 mm,
F22, SS 6.0, ISO 100
I snapped this one while out for a walk in a nearby park on a day with a lovely sunset. As I didn't have an ND filter with me, I stopped down the aperture significantly and tried taking a long-exposure photograph at a wide angle.
It's amazing how you can experiment with such a small lens in so many different ways.
kiyo's recently published article also features landscape photos taken with the LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6, so be sure to check that out too!
Shot at 39 mm (35 mm equivalent: 78 mm)
F8 SS 1/1250 ISO 100
For this final shot, I used the new Hybrid Zoom feature introduced with the LUMIX S9.
While this lens can normally shoot up to 60 mm at the telephoto end, I used Hybrid Zoom to capture this image at around 80 mm in the equivalent of a 35 mm format.
The 20-60 mm range is already plenty versatile, but with hybrid zoom you effectively get 20-180 mm in a single lens, which feels even more convenient.
You can find a comprehensive guide to mastering the S9, including Hybrid Zoom, in the article below!
Both versatile and portable, it is the perfect 'first lens'
As I mentioned at the start, this lens was originally introduced as a kit lens for the S5.
Since then, it's been adopted as the kit lens for every model in the LUMIX S series. I would highly recommend it as the 'first lens' for those starting to use a LUMIX camera due to its combination of versatility and portability.
The S9 has two kit lens options: the LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6 and the LUMIX S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S. Both offer the same versatility and agility, which honestly makes it tough to choose which one to recommend.
The main difference compared to the 28-200 mm lens is the lack of in-lens image stabilisation. However, LUMIX cameras boast powerful in-body image stabilisation, meaning that when taking photos with the 20-60 mm lens while walking, camera shake was not a concern, and photos could be taken without hesitation.
I'd also recommend it if you want one lens for both stills and video (and want that extra room on the wide end for video stabilisation cropping), or if you want a lens for landscapes outdoors that can also handle standard-range snapshots.
I'd love to hear how you're using yours, so let me know in the replies or quote posts on X!
That's all for this article. We'll see you next time!
Products used in this article
