[0.13x] I just purchased this lens for the second time as I sold the first one along with another camera I had. It's been too long since then, but its latest iteration is in my possession, again!

I have found that I really like this focal length and maybe I know why. Over 40 years ago I bought my first 35mm film camera a, Canonet 40mm range finder. That 40mm FOV was just right for most of what I was photographing. So now, I've come back to it, and am having so much fun shooting with the Lumix 20mm f1.7 II. So sharp and focuses fast enough for me as I was used to it from my earlier sample.

Just love it!

[46 mm (Front)] This is my second copy of this lens as I sold off all my M43 gear a few years ago to move to another system, but have decided to return. I bought this lens to go with my Panasonic GX9 and Lumix 14mm f2.5 for a pocketable kit with two pancake lenses. This lens has a history of complaints, mostly about slow and noisy autofocus, plus low light shooting. I am a stills photographer, mostly shooting landscapes and vintage architecture during the day, and have never had any problems with this lens.

[f/16] Converts camera to a compact, old school rangefinder. The M43 provides a larger image area that compact cameras, but you get a pocket size camera. Also - very good IQ. Nice and fast at f1.7.

[57°] If you need proof that you can't judge a lens by its appearance or price tag, this is it. I never would have imagined that a relatively cheap pancake would be one of the sharpest lenses I've ever owned, and produce "wow" images that make you want to zoom in and feast on the contrast colors and details. The bokeh I would rate as "good".
I shoot raw and process in PhotoLab 5 with no added sharpening, and the photos from my GX9 with this 20mm f/1.7 are beyond all expectations for a 20MP micro4/3 sensor. I can see every thread in someone's coat at 15 feet from the camera, the individual grout lines in a brick factory smoke stack far in the distance... I can't believe how good these optics are.
Negatives: for me there's only one... you're limited to AF-S, no AF-C with this old design. I have no problem at all with the focus speed when doing street photography, and the build quality is nice.

[57°] I bought it specifically for a job where I needed a fast lens for low light, and a 35-40 mm range, as I need to shoot vertically. It worked swell. I focused manually, so hard to tell how fast it focuses, but the lens is plenty sharp and I love how small and light it is

[f/1.7] I’ve been using this on music videos with my bmpcc 4K. Lens is very sharp and a great pick up for a first lens.

[46 mm (Front)] Light and sharp. The autofocus could be faster . And the build quality could be better BUT for this price it's an excellent travel lens. Still waiting for the 20mm 1.4 pro....that lens may be on my Om-1 most of the time when I'm not on the road. B&H service is the best !

[57°] Awesome lens for outdoor/street photography. It looks really discrete.


There is some autofocus noise, most noticeably in a quiet room. You can feel the autofocus through your fingers compared to the kit lens or the pan 42.5 f1.7 (which are definitely quiet).

[7, Rounded] This lens works great with my Olympus Micro 4/3 cameras. Autofocus is not as lightening fast as my Olympus lenses but it is not at all bad. This lens is very sharp. Wide open, it has great bokeh. Color rendition is a little cooler and less punchy than my Olympus lenses. Contrast is also lower. I highly recommend this lens for Olympus, Panasonic, and other Micro 4/3 cameras. It is also an outstanding value.

[Autofocus] I LOVE the 20mm (40mm) perspective and this lens is a great lens - and not just for the value. Yes, it is a bit slow in focusing compared to my 15mm Pana Leica 1.7 (which, btw - is an AMAZING lens). It's as sharp as you'll ever need it to be, the bokeh is excellent. And, of course, the size makes it an absolutely great street photography lens.

I was planning on buying the new OM System (Olympus) 20mm 1.4, which will be a truly fantastic lens - but for $900 out-of-pocket dollars, and 2.5x the size and 2x+ the weight - I'm going to stick with this lens that I'll keep glued to my GX9. (I'm giving up weather proofing, 1/2 stop, instant focusing - and likely a bit better images for this tiny workhorse lens. (


However, if I were going to get a 20mm focal length lens for an OMD EM body or G body, I'd likely get the new Olympus 20mm 1.4. But it's perfect for a GX or Pen body.

I'd give this lens a 4.5 overall, with the only real knock being the speed of focusing.