Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro Review: A Small Ultra-Wide Zoom for L-Mount
The Lumix S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro was announced on January 4, 2023 and went on sale the next month, at about $800 in the US. It weighs 345 grams and is 89.8mm long, the same length as the Lumix S 20-60mm, with the same control layout.
That’s deliberate. Swap one for the other on a gimbal and you barely need to rebalance. The zoom is internal, so the 14-28mm doesn’t change length either.
14mm on full frame is very wide, the kind of view that takes in a whole town hall at night, with the square, the lamps and the sky above.
Photo: Pixel Effects
We couldn’t find a review of this lens from one of the big channels. Aiur Media’s full review on the Lumix S1R covers it in detail, with plenty of sample photos.
Video review: Aiur Media
Design
The optical formula is 14 elements in 10 groups, with one aspherical ED, one aspherical, three ED and one UHR element. The aperture has seven rounded blades, and the 77mm filter thread doesn’t rotate. Close focus is 15cm across the range, with 0.5x magnification at 28mm.
There’s an AF/MF switch, and the focus ring’s sensitivity can be set from 90 to 360 degrees. For video, Panasonic added micro-step aperture control and focus breathing suppression. The lens is dust and splash resistant, rated to -10°C, with a fluorine-coated front element. There’s no stabilization, so it relies on in-body stabilization.
How it performs
Amateur Photographer, Photography Blog and Photo Review all found it sharp, especially in the center, with almost no color fringing and low distortion. Autofocus is quiet and breathing is minimal, which suits video. Photography Blog liked the 14-point sunstars at f/22.
The edges and corners are soft wide open, and vignetting is visible. The variable aperture is slow for night work without a tripod. Photo Review pointed out that 0.5x isn’t true macro, and found the barrel mostly plastic with some flare. Photography Blog missed full-time manual focus override.
Who should buy it
L-mount owners who want a small, cheap ultra-wide for landscapes, architecture, interiors and gimbal video. It pairs naturally with the Lumix S5II and S9.
Photography Blog found it nearly matches the Lumix S Pro 16-35mm F4 at about half the cost. If you want f/2.8, the Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN Contemporary weighs 450 grams, and the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art costs nearly twice as much. For the wider L-mount picture, see our Lumix L-mount holy trinity.
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