Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 Review: The Kit Zoom That Starts Wider Than Everyone Else's
Kit lenses have a bad reputation. The Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 is one of the few that deserves a better one. It ships with the Lumix S5II and S9 and sells on its own for about $600, and its trick is the same one that makes Sony’s 20-70mm f/4 popular: it starts at 20mm.
That wider start makes it far more useful for vlogging at arm’s length, interiors, and travel shooting in tight streets. Most kit zooms start at 24mm or 28mm.
It weighs about 350 grams and uses a 67mm filter. Compact and light enough to stay on the camera all day.
Video review: Gordon Laing
Better than a kit lens should be
Sharpness is good across most of the range, with the best results in the center and at middle apertures. For a lens that comes free in a bundle, it’s impressive.
Close focus is the standout. At 20mm it focuses down to 15 centimeters, for a maximum magnification of 0.43x. That’s close to half life-size, so you can shoot food, flowers and product details with a lens you already own.
It’s dust and splash resistant, has a fluorine-coated front element, and autofocus with Panasonic’s phase-detect bodies is quick and quiet.
The limits
The aperture is slow, f/3.5 at the wide end and f/5.6 at the long end. In dim light that means higher ISO, and background blur is limited. For portraits or low light, pair it with one of Panasonic’s affordable f/1.8 primes.
60mm isn’t much reach. You’ll want something longer for sports, wildlife or tight portraits.
There’s no optical stabilization in the lens, but every Lumix S body has in-body stabilization. The barrel extends when you zoom, and there’s no aperture ring, just an AF/MF switch.
Who should buy it
Anyone buying a Lumix S5II or S9: take the kit with this lens rather than the body alone. Vloggers who need a wide, light zoom. Travel and street photographers who want one compact lens. Video shooters who want 20mm for interiors and walking shots.
If you want a faster zoom, Sigma makes several f/2.8 options for L-Mount, including the excellent 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN and 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN II, both much bigger and pricier. For light, wide, all-day use, the 20-60mm is still the one to keep on the camera.