Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm, II ASPH. Mega O.I.S.

The Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH. Mega O.I.S. is a small, lightweight everyday zoom made for Micro Four Thirds (MFT Mount) digital cameras.

Its 14-42mm range gives you the equivalent field of view of 28-84mm on a 35mm camera, covering a genuinely useful range from wider everyday scenes through to portraits and tighter compositions.

At only around 110g, it's particularly well suited to compact Lumix bodies and makes an easy lens to leave on the camera for everyday shooting, travel or walking around town.

Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. optical stabilisation helps compensate for camera movement when shooting handheld, while the lens can focus as close as 20cm at the wider end of its zoom range. Its optical design uses nine elements in eight groups, including two aspherical elements.

This is the second-generation 14-42mm II, rather than Panasonic's larger original 14-42mm. The II is substantially smaller and lighter, weighing approximately 110g compared with 165g for the earlier version.

Best for

• Everyday photography
• Travel
• Street photography
• Family photography
• Landscapes
• Casual portraits
• Video
• Lightweight camera kits
• First Micro Four Thirds lens
• Panasonic Lumix G cameras
• Compatible Olympus and OM System Micro Four Thirds cameras

What to expect

At 14mm, the lens provides a 28mm-equivalent field of view, giving you a useful moderately wide perspective for streets, landscapes, interiors and general photography.

At 42mm, it becomes approximately 84mm equivalent, putting it into a useful short-telephoto range for portraits and details.

The maximum aperture changes from f/3.5 at 14mm to f/5.6 at 42mm, while built-in Mega O.I.S. provides optical stabilisation. Panasonic uses a seven-blade circular aperture diaphragm, and the lens accepts compact 46mm filters.

It's a particularly good match for someone wanting a small, straightforward everyday zoom rather than carrying several lenses.