34mm f/5.2 1/320
Untouched sample pictures taken by GF1.
14mm f/3.5 1/400
28mm f/4.8 1/500
42mm f/5.6 1/60
34mm f/5.2 1/100
42mm f/5.6 1/1250
Though I have to admit these shots are not the best shots in the world, these are meant to be just some quick untouched sample pictures to show you the general quality (out of focus quality, sharpness at different focal lengths) of the lens without going too much into the technical aspects. They are taken with the GF1 around the St.George campus of the University of Toronto. The weather that day was very nice with ample of sunlight (right before sunset).
Quick Review:
Detail
At 42mm (84mm equivalent) zoomed all the way out, the lens becomes quite soft at f/5.6 (wide open). I would not suggest shooting at 42mm often if detail and clarity is important to you. Admittedly, this was not a telephoto lens to begin with though I did hope I could shoot a little bit of sports (which might be a difficult case with this lens). In general, this lens produced sharp results and provided a much wider angle of view than the 20mm that came with my GF1. 14mm VS 20mm seems like a small difference but once you look at their 35mm equivalent focal lengths, it becomes a 28mm vs a 40mm which makes for a really noticeable difference.
Indoors
As expected, even at wide open, shooting indoors (especially at night) proves to be quite a challenge with this lens. Many shots were blurry and unusable even with the stabilization (mode 2) shooting indoors at night. But I might be just spoiled after using the 20mm 1.7 for the past year. To be honest, I haven't used the flash much on the GF1, but after acquiring this lens I will be forced to use it much more if I want to get more usable shots indoors.
Size
The camera becomes much larger after mounting the 14-42mm. Most people will utilize their left hand to hold the lens (to zoom or focus or just to hold it) due to weight shifting outwards from the camera body (as compared with the GF1+20mm which I held only with my right hand and occasionally supporting the bottom of the camera with my left). It begins to feel like a mini DSLR on hand without the viewfinder. The lens weight at 5.82 oz (165g) has no real noticeable difference compared to the 20mm at 3.5 oz (99g). They will add no noticeable weight to your bag. Also included is a very aesthetically pleasing plastic lens hood. The height and size of this lens is also bigger than its competitor from olympus (no in-lens stabilization). There is also a bag to protect the lens when not in use (fits lens only).
Conclusion
Pros:
-Good value/price
-Perfect addition to your m43 camera gear if you're still stuck with one pancake lens
-Good detail at wider focal lengths
Cons:
-Size
More shots to come soon! (Bokeh, portrait, real shots).
For technical tests, dpreview is your best friend ;)
Tell us about what you think!