Panasonic Lumix G X 14-42mm PZ Lens

The 14-42mm zoom is the mainstay kit lens for micro four thirds cameras. So far, so boring. But this one is different. It's tiny, little more than an inch in length, and overall about the size of Panasonic's 20mm f/1.7. That lens is small for what it is. To pack a 3x zoom into the same space seems like a miracle. It achieves it by eliminating manual zoom and focusing rings, replacing them with a lever for each function and a tiny internal electric motor to do the donkey work. The lens opens out on switching on the camera, doubling in length.

While Olympus do have a similarly retracting zoom, it does not approach this one in terms of compactness. Expect to pay from £300-£360 for the X lens which will fit Olympus and Panasonic Micro four thirds cameras. The question is, does the diminutive size justify the loss of traditional manual control rings?

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