Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 review

It’s much cheaper than its f/1.4 sibling but is this Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 nifty fifty up to pro standards?

Panasonic Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 lens review
(Image: © Panasonic)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The simple design gives this 50mm lens an approachable user experience - it's uncomplicated and functional, which is what most of the target usership will be looking for, when seeking to buy. It feels tough, is perfectly balanced on pro LUMIX cameras and delivers excellent image quality - enough to keep the most discerning pros happy. If you can go without the S - line construction however it does start to look a little expensive, since other 50mm f/1.8 lenses can be found for less than $200/£200.

Pros

  • +

    Weather resistance

  • +

    Autofocus speed

  • +

    Simple design

  • +

    Image quality

Cons

  • -

    Bokeh could be better

  • -

    Quite expensive

  • -

    No integrated optical stabilization

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

A 50mm lens is still seen as a universal 'standard' focal length optic, meaning it offers a similar field of view to the human eye when used on a full-frame camera, and is therefore useful for a wide range or practical everyday functions. Due to the often (comparatively) simple design of the optical system these lenses can be found for a surprisingly low price as far as lenses are concerned. 

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Peter Fenech

As the Editor for  Digital Photographer magazine, Peter is a specialist in camera tutorials and creative projects to help you get the most out of your camera, lens, tripod, filters, gimbal, lighting and other imaging equipment.

After cutting his teeth working in retail for camera specialists like Jessops, he has spent 11 years as a photography journalist and freelance writer – and he is a Getty Images-registered photographer, to boot.

No matter what you want to shoot, Peter can help you sharpen your skills and elevate your ability, whether it’s taking portraits, capturing landscapes, shooting architecture, creating macro and still life, photographing action… he can help you learn and improve.