Panasonic 30mm f/2.8 Macro Review: The mini Micro Four Thirds macro lens

by William Brawley

posted Thursday, June 4, 2015 at 3:15 PM EDT

Back at the end of February, Panasonic annouced a few more additions to their Lumix lens lineup, the 42.5mm f/1.7 fast portrait lens and the 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Today, we're sharing our in-depth review of the new Panasonic 30mm Macro lens. This compact and lightweight 60mm-equivalent lens is Panasonic's second macro-specific lens -- after the Leica 45mm f/2.8 -- and based on it's svelte, tiny design, it's perfectly suited for Panasonic's smaller Lumix cameras, such as the GM5 and GF7 -- and of course is certainly compatible with other Panasonic and Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras as well.

The Panasonic 30mm Macro lens produces nice, sharp images with very little distortion. While focal length might be a little short for traditional macro work, it can still provide true 1:1 subject magnification. Plus, it doubles as a great walkaround portrait lens, with a bright f/2.8 aperture for nice subject isolation and pleasing backgrounds.

For all the details from our review, including our analysis of image quality as well as handling, AF performance and image stabilization testing, head over to SLRgear for our in-depth Panasonic 30mm f/2.8 G Macro review!

The lens is available for purchase with a retail price around $400. Check out Amazon, B&H or Adorama for more info on ordering. Buying this lens, or any other item, at one of these trusted affiliates helps support this site and keeps the reviews coming! In the meantime check out some sample photos shot using our Panasonic GX1 test camera and the Panasonic GH4. You can view more sample photos, plus download the full-resolution files, over at our Flickr page.