Having had both, I sold the 20. It's not that it's slow to focus, the real trouble is it's unpredictable. It can start to hunt for no reason while your image is gone. The 25 is not only a bit faster, but it nails the shot every single time. And the 20 cost about thrice as much...

Fantastic review. I particularly liked the way you showed the differences in focus speed and in focus shifting (excellent idea to use a sheet of paper with the word "focus" printed in multiple rows).

Great video! I love my Panasonic 20mm lens! It's lives on my Em10 camera and it's so versatile. Plus it's sharp! I've shot everything from landscapes, cityscapes, flowers, and portraits. Anything that's stationary, this lens is perfect 👌

If you look at my 20mm review and see the quality you can achieve from it. I love the 20mm as it's close to 35mm full frame amazing for environmental portraits and narrative head shots. No focus by wire either or focus shift. The focus is only slower that's it.

Nice review!! I loooove both of these lenses, especially the 20mm. It’s so small and easy to use, even though its focus is slow and loud.

I couldn’t live with the slow and noisy focus on the 20mm even though I wanted to like it. The 25mm is much snappier and I prefer using it. It’s also useful with extension tubes as a macro option. It’s worth pointing out that although bigger than the 20mm it is still small and light. Thanks for the review.

I've been waiting for this kind of video for a long time, thank you!

What a great review, man! I wish I had discovered your channel before: great work! (it’s truly refreshing to watch a straightforward review) PERFECT! Congrats!

Dude, your reviews are EXCELLENT. Your English is incredible - "take one for the team"!! Keep it up.

I had both for a year and would almost never used the 25mm since the 20mm produced better pictures and it's small and light.

Seriously best review on these lenses. Keep up the good work.

I've never really had focus shift problems with the 25. But then again, I usually use it more or less wide open most of the time..

Excellent review! Straight to the point, comprehensive and the examples are easy to follow. Had the 20mm coupled with a small GM5 trying to keep everything compact and was quite happy with it. It got stolen and now I can get both used for a decent price and was wondering witch was a better investment. I think I'll get the 20mm again first and the 25mm in the future. Thanks for the review.

Making a choice... I chose the 20 1.7 plus Sigma 30mm f1.4. I have owned the 20 1.7 since it was first introduced. Sharpness plus smallness makes it a no-brainer.

Nicely done comparison. Your camera gear reviews are among the most informative and witty on KZfaq. Keep them coming please!

Good review: the 20mm is sadly quite slow to focus, but otherwise is a tremendous lens with a fantastic all around focal lenght. The 25mm is cheap, but IMO Olympus makes overall a better lens, with slightly better build quality, no chromatic aberration (Olympus camera don't CA automatically) no focus shift and no focus breath in video. It costs a bit more through.

I like pancake, but I seem to waffle between the two. ; -)

Very good video. Thank you. I have the 20mm and my brother has the 25mm. This review is very accurate. Great pacing and attention to detail.

I had a front focus problem with my first copy of 25 1.7 and changed it and the second copy is perfect so its a lens copy variation and not a model problem

Thank you so much for this great review! I search long time review like this.

Very thorough but not long, straight to the point and complete. Amazing, thanks!

Thanks for the review! Love the sense of humor in the end :)

Best review i have seen so far. Thanks for making my decision easy.

Great video and commentary as always. Just got my g85 with the kit lens. Should one of these lens be part of my gear?

A very nice review! I have used my 20mm for close to 9 years (mkI). Love the quality - sometimes (seldom) hate the focusing speed! Keep up the good work - Regards Ulf (do have Olympus and Fuji 25mm lenses).

Thank you very much! I have the 25mm but get strange results. I will check your other video on this. Fantastic review!

What kind of lenses you will suggest , for shooting in low light (for exaple restaurants.) Focal Length ? Angle of View ? Max Aperture f/ ?? Min Aperture f/?? Stabilised I use body panasonic G6

thank you for this, exactly what I was looking for.

I love my 20mm. I have it always on my GX80. I know it's most likely the slowest focussing mft lens, but I'm not shooting sports with it. ;)

Thanks for your great video. Concise and useful information organization

Thanks

Had both. Sold the 25mm. Colours are better on the 20mm

You an also get the zuiko 17mm 1.8, which is probably better than both.

Just bought the 25mm and 42.5mm 1.7 as a second-hand for 370€ :) Is it possible to save a profile (aply it to one of the FN-buttons) into G9 for the 25mm focus shift adjustment?

a thoughtful analysis, as always. thank you for the effort and the sharing. thumbs up. i am now a subscriber.

excellent comparison video im happy with my 25mm lot of work went in to this review do you have any video on settings with g85 for video and photo i have seen a lot of video but yours is very clear great work

Regarding minimum focusing distance.. was there a mistake? The info online indicate 20mm is 0.2m vs 25mm’s 0.25m. So, isn’t the 20mm supposed to be closer?!

Very useful! Thank you for posting! So if I will use the lens mainly for portraits, you would recommend the 25mm, correct?

lolll playing darts on your face in Panasonic's office

Very thorough comparison, beautifully presented, thank you.

Autofocus on 25 mm lens is better handled if tracking focus is applied so it doesn't focus back and forth every time you or subject move

Thank you for a very thorough review!

25 seems to have a touch more contrast which is the most important quality to me .. but a pancake is a pancake ie so portable

Very thorough. Thank you. I have the 25mm. It's a nice lens!

great Video! Thank you so much! Be a owner of the 20mm and love it on my GX80

Very detail comparison!!! Good job!!!!Thank you.

great comparison video, nice and thorough!

Hallo, thankyou so much for this review! It is simple but covering what i need to know :) I want to ask something, between the 25mm and 12-32mm kit (on the same aperture), how about the image quality and focusing speed? Thankyou in advance Sorry for my bad english

I am planning to buy a normal prime lens so this video is heaven sent:) I wish they made a pancake size 25mm just for sake of compactness.

Excellent review! I have both lenses, and I thought the 20mm was sharper, but I may be running into the focus shift issue!

The 20mm caught my eye since it will make my GH2 almost as portable as a LX100

The 20mm IS speed sensitive on my Olympus body and it is annoying. You can notice it when you turn it slowly. The difference is that it does not jump very fast when you turn it quickly.

Excellent review! thanks.

Hi, can you compare the 12mm 1.4 (Summilux), 17mm and/or the 25mm on MFT cam with a 24mm f1.4, 35mm f1.4 and a 50mm f1.4 on a fullframe cam, please? Many greatings from germany.

Excellent test. Do you recommend using 20mm on Olympus camera body? I have GX7, and friend uses OMD5 Mk111.

I think the 20mm f1.7ii is not made of all plastic, I dropped mine once and noticed that it's made some sort of metal. And I used to have the silver one, so I definitely think it's metal combined with the plastic focus ring.

Another very thorough review. Thanks .

I have a GH5 and the 25mm F1.7. i'm looking for a little more width. is it worth getting the 20mm for the little more width i need for shots?

Really really nice review. Thanks alot 🙂👍🏻

Hi, very good video very detailed and lined out. Thank you

Exemplary video comparison! Amazing work!

I wish i did my research before buying the 20mm, the focus is very slow and noisy, slower than kit lenses. I bought it for street where you need speed but can't think of any subject that will not benefit extra speed

Hello, I have the 42.5 1.7 and I am looking for a wider lens for video from panasonic. Size kinda matters also as I want to carry it everyday with me. Any suggestion? Thank you

Thanks for this review! Very helpful for deciding which one to choose.

Really nice review, and reaaallly accurate... =) i own the 20mm and.. Yay. Its wonderfull ans you describe. Really good results and sharpness, with de boundaries os Panasonic systms. I'm usint it on a GM1 and i guess it will work good on a bigger camera like ghe g9 in a few years

Thank you, great review. Cheers

Which will be better for video or maybe another inexpensive lens? Camera: GX85, Subject: Indoor food videos.

love the flare

Good I Hope WE have a compare, 20 mm and 12/30 f 2,8 .

Great video, very helpful, thanks.

Waiting for this video! Thank you!

Great comparison well done!

Wonderful review 😊, Thank you

thank you for your clear and nice video

Excellent video. Thanks!

i idint get that problem with the focus shift can someone explain?

Good review, thank you... Did you notice any loss of definition on the 20mm when stopping down to f8 - f22? I've only had mine for a few weeks and was really disappointed in the image quality when trying to get a large depth of field on some landscape images. I did some tests afterwards and found that the optimum aperture for me was f5.6 - it was a very noticeable difference...

Is there any distortion effect on the 25mm lens?

Thanks for the review!

Pozdrav super review :)

I haven’t used the 25/1.7, but I know I love the look of my 20/1.7. Close focusing wide open gives really beautiful blur in the background. Maybe the vignetting is part of its magic.

Nice review!

Which one would you recommend?

Ok sir

Great review as usual Ivan. You talk about a possible 25mm Mark II but don't you think shift focus issues could be fixed via lens/camera firmware updates?

merci pour la video

this is just a great, great video!

Ivan, did you try to put lens hood from 25mm to 20mm?

Hi, are these lenses capable of shooting the northern lights? Which one is better for it?

Hey guys which one of these are the best? I just got my g7 a few day’s ago & im ready to buy my first lens. Goodbye t3i & hello g7😁🎥

What kind of lenses should i use for video shooting in low light, for example video in restaurant. Automatic lenses or with manual exposure/focus (prime lens) What mm focal lenght should be ? I use panasonic G6 body

Good video , first class . Great accent.

I have the 25mm.. Its very good & sharp.

Can someone tell me what is a good lens for product photos on a Panasonic G7?

On a Olympus body purple fringing is excessive on the 20mm!

in Other Words the Panasonic 15mm F/1.7 Defaults Imagine Quality as a Pile of Crap? Yes if its hit & miss where Your Really having to work at it to get a Keep Worthy SHOT then i Agree with You 100% Well Then 15mm F1.7 I'v Desided Not To BUY & Taking off my List, (( Thanks for the Heads UP Warning, Otherwise Yes About This Little 20mm F/1.7 You Are Exactly Correct IT IS INDEED a Great Little Lens For The Price & KEEPS everything Small & Compact :-) Thank You For Sharing In Your GREAT VIDEO My Friend C,P,

4:22 heh...pancake batter. Seriously though. Nice review.

25mm it is! thanks

skip the 20mm and even the 25mm, buy the 14mm pancake 2.5 the 14mm is WAY faster and sharper, only thing is you'll not have 1.7 rather 2.5

Would the 25mm be ok for shooting a party in a dark home?