I had a blast making this review I hope you guys enjoyed it! Make sure to sub to catch the latest content!

Great review, tells it like it is, calmly and clearly. No stupid baseball cap on backwards, no talking too fast and too loud and no trying too hard to be funny. Good job.

Great comparison and great video. I bought the Lumix 20mm (silver model) in 2014 to use with my Olympus OM-D E-M5 MK1 and, since then, it has been my most used lens. I simply adore it and the focal length is ideal for 70% of my shooting. The AF is slow, but over the years I've learnt to overcome it. Love this lens. And the images taken with it on my Olympus are a. Not only that, but the silver lens looks soooo sexy on my silver OM-D E-M5.

It's very hard to find videos so good like this. Direct to the point, precise comparisons... I normally cant watch comparisons videos without jumping from minute to minute, yours was different. Thanks!!

Excellent, well thought-out, organized presentation. Good sample images as well. Thanks for the effort you put into this video. It helps with my decision.

Well done, clearly articulate set of values to judge each lens by. I have both lens on a Oly E-M5 mkII and completely agree with your evaluation of the two lens. Basically I find I'm using the Pano 20mm for occasions where the "look" is important and not speed. The Oly 17mm Is on the camera more than the Pano 20mm especially for those often "grab-it" and shoot scenarios. I'm moving to more Street photography and the Oly 17mm will be the choice here for it's speed and the use of the "clutch" (love it!) for manual setting. I've also discovered to my surprise that I like the Pan 20mm ( 40mm equivalent in full frame) more than the Oly 17mm ( 34mm equivalent full frame) small difference but pleasing all the same. On my Oly E-M5 mkII I like the "feel" (slightly warmer) and "look" (a tad richer) of the Pano 20mm to my Oly 17mm. I'm going to work on a series of street and landscape shoots in B&W to see if there is any difference between the two lens. Thanks for the good and thoughtful review.

I’ve been having a hard time deciding which to buy. Thank you for the video! It defiantly helped! I went with the 17mm.

Thanks for taking the time to make and post this - it just goes to show how much longer lens reviews are pertinent, versus camera reviews. I really like the clear, concise and well considered presentation & have subscribed.

Very well put together. Answers a lot of questions Thanks!

If you look in the metadata you will find the Panny 20 is a Leica. Leica lenses come from a tradition of reportage where a very sharp lens is wanted, this is designed into the lens; seven elements in five groups. Olympus have a reputation for portrait where a softer lens is desirable (think Bailey). Panasonic bodies generally have better colour rendition, colour authenticity, than Olympus despite often using the very same sensor. There is a violet stripe often seen on a yellow pansy flower that Olympus cannot see but Panasonic will reproduce. This will be down to the camera engine rather than the lens. I have several Olympus and Panasonic cameras collected over the years, which one I'll chose to use is often down to haptics. The Panny 20 gets so much use I have two of them, likewise two Panny PZ14-42. The advantage of both, haptics again, is they're pancakes, so on a smaller body (like E-PL7) can be dropped into a pocket. If you're shooting video, vlogging, you really do want a Panasonic back because Olympus lack the heat sink and cannot sustain long video shooting. You might get 12 minutes out of the E-M5ii before the video turns purple, whereas the GH4 will shoot video all day. Panasonic battery consumption is better than Olympus, which is weird because the Olympus batteries are made by Panasonic. The Olympus Body-IS does work well for short duration run and shoot video. For stills though the Olympus Body-IS is perfect for unstabilised lenses like the 20mm, even shooting at a ridiculous 1/5s hand held.

About to pick up the 12mm Olympus F2.0 for my Pen F. Use this combo in sort of a multi aspect ratio like the Panasonic LX100II does. Because I am always cropping into 16x9, or square and full sensor. I shoot landscapes and streets and mostly post to social media and smaller prints. I loved my 17mm 1.8 very handy focal length.

Even your philosophical arguments between the two is backed by sound reasoning, while excluding for the most part, choices based on whims and prejudices. If you do make a personal choice, it is still based on your needs, which is street photography and the fast focusing capability in order to capture the shot. I like that. For my situation, already in possession of the "pancake," the question being whether the merits and price of the Olympus warrant an upgrade based on my photographic needs. I would say no. Nevertheless, your clip does substantiate the drawbacks of the pancake, and stimulates thought on how to do a work around (such as manual zone focusing), for that known focusing issue on the Panasonic. Thanks Kim for the clip.

I have both lenses and both Panasonic and Olympus 20mp bodies. Technically speaking the 20mm is lightly sharper and slower focussing, but this should not detract you from either lens, unless you need them for video. In the end preference is in the eye (litterally) of the owner and it depends on how you usually see things. I think I prefer the 20mm because it's the closer focal to how I see the world, but in your case it could vary. One caveat is that on Panasonic body (I have a GX9) the 20mm can benefit from DFD and improve focussing noticeably: it goes straight near the focus distance and minimize the bumping in and out, while on my Pen F it starts much farther and wobbles quite a bit. on the other way I noticed that Olympus glasses usually focus more confidently on Olympus bodies, especially for video while Panasonic tend to loose the subject more easily. For video 20mm is more clumsy in AF but the linear focussing motor is quite good in MF: this lens does not accelerate focussing when turned faster, which makes it slower to focus but also more tweakable compared to a Panasonic 25mm. Olympus clutch focus mechanism is very secure and allow good control, but the focussing scale is VERY tight so do not expect to confidently pre-focus the lens for street photography

I’ve watched several of your videos and this one I hit the sub and bell. Awesome comparison review without any fluff, right to the points and points well made!

Great video man! well organized and easy to follow. thanks

Very helpful. Thanks. I've subscribed. Keep up the good work!

I am a fellow KZfaqr and a Lumix G9 owner. This video was really interesting because I was choosing between these two lenses. Thank you. I subscribed to your channel and I hope you will grow soon 🙏🙏

Perhaps I missed it, but I think you forgot to tell us which camera you used to test these lenses.

I remember when MFT first came out, they were basically selling the 20mm lens with a free Panasonic camera lol. People were buying kits just for the 20mm and selling the bodies all over the place till the GH3 came out, which people then started using for video. The 20mm became a hot lens ever on.

All MFT lenses behave differently between Olympus and Panasonic backs. The exposure mode can be critical in getting the shot you want. I change exposure mode on the fly. This is easy to do on one button on a Panasonic but on an Olympus you have to go through the 'Super Control Panel' (SCP), easy enough but more buttons to push. Adjusting the +/-EV and/or the curve can be beneficial, as can hosing the right photo-mode for the occasion; the default Olympus 'i-Enhance' can be OTT. They're not point and shoot cameras, at least not for best results.

Nice video! Do you have experience with the Panasonic 15mm F1.7? I was considering it for a wide angle vlogging/street/city photography.

Thanks, Kim. Informative, well-paced and entertaining.

Thank you for your video! I have found that when 20mm hook up with a Olympus body ,the focusing speed were much much slower than with Panasonic body!

The Panasonic 20mm 1.7 is one of my most favorite and most used lenses...I'm a guy who spent his youth shooting Konica S2's and Yashica Electros....It feels more natural to me...

BEST video I've found that addresses exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks mate

Regarding the focus speed, the Panny 20 is an older lens, last firmware update 2009 which improved AF speed, but as it says on the Panasonic update page, "There are 5 cases of firmware update procedures depending on the combination of camera body and lens." which means you may have to run an update with the lens on the Olympus body; the Olympus updater app will do that. This puts the lens characteristics into the camera's lookup tables. It is already loaded in a Panasonic. The motors on the 20 are very fine which, if a trifle slower, allows very accurate focussing. They will usually focus quicker than you can think but if it is focussing on the wrong place use one of the spot focus tools.

This is one of the best reviews I have ever seen. New subscriber here; this format is fantastic,

That was everything I wanted to know, you just earned yourself a new subscriber!

i have the 17 f1.8 and it is my most used prime. I just like the focal length, and the manual focus clutch is a great feature - I wish all my lenses had it. Nothing like taking a shot where you have something in front of your subject and the camera insists on focusing on the foreground object - pop the clutch and problem solved! Also, lets not discount the fact that it is such a cool looking lens. I also have to say your videos are great - informative and just the right length. Any chance you will compare the two 12-60 lenses by Panasonic?

Wow! That was a great review - thanks for sharing! :)

I like pancake lenses, but if I was looking for a wider and faster lens, I would go for the Sigma 16mm f1.4. It’s got a wider aperture and field of view compared to both lenses. I also believe it may be sharper. It sits between the prices of the Panasonic and Olympus lens.

Very informative, I have the 17mm 1.8 and love it. Thanks for the video.

I just love the image quality of the 20mm especially on a Pana body.

Image quality and usability. Perfect definition. You do a great job .

Super video and I enjoyed your presentation style. I am looking for a zone focus friendly lens, so the Olympus wins it on that alone. The main sticking point is - I just love pancake lenses ....

Thanks for doing this breakdown! On point and taking real life shooting situations into consideration. The original 20mm was the first lens I bought for my m4:3: amazing, but that focus searching can be painful and for sure cost shots. Hoped v2 would be faster, but it seems not so much.

Thumbs up to you, Kim. I just stumbled into your channel tonight and am enjoying your relaxed, BS-free presentations. This video in particular I found very interesting. I`m sort of a traditionalist (ie: stubborn), so was quite surprised by what you pointed out about modern reality. One thing that I don`t remember you mentioning is compactness in favor of the prime. Then again, the kit lens on the camera that I`m considering is the 12-32, which I believe is actually about the same size as the Lumix 20, if not a bit smaller!

Wonderful. To the point, fair guidance with a clear explanation of your own slight bias. Subscribed.

Outstanding video, Kim; logical, complete and well organized. I own and love the 20mm. The size, price and performance are great, but I can see that the autofocus speed isn't the fastest. That said, it is the lens that lives on my GX85 more than any other. Question: what camera bodies did you use to compare the two? I suspect the 20mm might perform better on a Lumix body with DFD than on an Olympus body in terms of autofocus speed.

Are you using the newer version on the 20mm, the mark ii? Focusing is fine and pretty fast with me, I'm using and EM5 mark ii. I couldn't justify paying $200 more for the olympus 17mm

I’ve had both lenses. The 17mm is a great lens, but the 20mm is a great focal length and the images have a nicer “look.”

Awesome vid man! I was actually looking at the 20mm, but you changed my mind!

I would really like to see a detailed as possible comparison between the " color science " of Panasonic vs Olympus .

good and short review. Very useful !

Thank you for a really great and useful review. 👍 Paul 😎

Great video! I think this will help me a lot 😊

When comparing 2 lenses that are that close in sharpness, It can be hard to determine if the difference is due to sharpness or minor variation in contrast. Both these lenses have a reputation for not being great lenses, but reviewers often love them.

What camera do you use to Film yourself ? What software do you use to edit videos ? And what should I know before buying the Panasonic lumix g7 ?

I do not have the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. I do, however, have the Olympus 17mm f/2.8 and the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7. I prefer the image quality, focal length, and maximum aperture of the 20mm.

This was a really professional video, you have a new subscriber here. Nice job.

Thanks for a great review Kim one thing I find a pain in the ass with the Panasonic is that it doesn't not do continuous focus.

nice video, I opt for the 15mm 1.7 instead, simply because it distort a little bit more, my kind of photography, besides it looks nice on my em5, but you're right, all subjective

Would you say the 17mm has a more pleasing focal length than the 20mm? I currently own the 20mm but have been thinking of switching because the 17mm has a closer focal length to that of a 35mm full frame equivalent. Not too fussed with focusing speed currently but may require it for more motion portraiture in future.

Really nice comparison. Thank you!

This video was exactly what I needed so thank you!! Just a question, is the 20mm the first or the second version of this lens? Because I've heard they've imporved to autofocus in its second version :)

I want to see the Panasonic 85mm 1.8 VS the Olympus 75mm 1.8 on the G100 or any Panasonic camera body for that matter...I'm curious if the Panasonic lens performs better on a Panasonic body than the Olympus

Wow - well done. I have both the oly 17 and the 25, to use as my go-to lenses, but I just use the 17 a whole lot more. In fact, it's almost always on my pen-F unless I need to use my zoom.

I just bought mine 20mm second hand, but it bothers me that it makes slight noise, when focusing. Does yours?

Awesom channel man. I had 20mm Pan, but the slow focus did annoy me. I have a GM1 and a 45mm. I can't tell if I should go with the 25mm Oly or the 17mm(for the compactness?)

Depends on your camera 😉 Pana better on pana, oly better on oly. Lens updates are the judge and jury on this 😊

Thanks for this, Kim.

Nice video! I’ve been considering the Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7 for my portrait photography. Is this a lens you would recommend or are there better options?

Great video, i also was looking a Sigma 16mm 1.4, more or less same price as olympus, better constuction, but a bit bulky, keep looking info to make a choice. I have a begginer camara, olympus omd em10 mark iii.Thanks again for your video!

I love the 20/1.7, but this seems like a very fair evaluation. The 20mm is pretty slow-focusing compared to many other lenses. The PL 15/1.7 would be a tougher competitor for the Olympus, I'll bet. Panasonic and Olympus were clever in not building the exact same FL and aperture combo lenses, weren't they? :-)

A compact, but very informative review, thank you! I have had the same question. I loved my MZuiko 17 for its beautiful make and the focusing clutch, but wasn’t satisfied with the image quality. It just lacks detail contrast, visible especially wide open. So I exchanged it for the Lumix 20mm plus the Leica 15mm. Both are optically very good and the Leica is made as good as the 17mm. It’s (auto) focus is up-to-date, too.

Great review thanks

thanks for the review. I was having the same question: which one to choose? I have the lumix 20mm 1.7 combined with the M10 III and want to keep it for the sharpness during still photography.

Next, compare either one to Lumix/Zeiss 15mm f1.4? My Pany 20mm focuses OK on my OLy EM10mkI, I am keeping mine.

Thank you!

Many thanks for that comparison. I didn't know that Panasonic is in fact sharper. Now I have a problem :).

this man deserves all the subscribers and likes

4:26 In real life, the minimal focus distance is 18 cm for both lenses - in Autofocus mode (tried it yesterday). Of course optical wise you get a bit closer to the object with the longer panasonic lens. With the mechanical focus ring engaged on the Olympus 17 mm on the other hand, it keeps you at the nominal 25 cm minimal focal distance. No way to get closer. But manual focusing on the Olympus lens is a breeze with the mechanical focus ring, compared to the ultra slow, non feeedback electric manual focus ring on the 20 mm panasonic.

Great comparison. Thanks.

Question: I have a JVC LS300 and I want to be able to AF with a wide lens. My 35mm Rokinon is not cutting it because it's a manual and I can't record myself... Which one of these two lenses would be better to make a video like this one? Image quality is important. Where I'm talking? Hope to hear from you soon.

Does it matter for the speed of the autofocus if you shoot with the Olympus lens on a Panasonic body, especially for stills? Autofocus speed is quite important to me, but if the Olympus AF gets slower on a non-Olympus body i might as well go for the Panasonic lens...

i have 25 1.4 so i picked 17... if you have nothing go 20

Sharp and nice comparison. I'd like to see what was the comparison with the ISO and noise on low light ;)

Will the autofocus work on the g7 with the 17mm

If you were to pick one of the Panasonic 20vs 25mm, which would it be?

What are those speakers?

Keeping my Olympus 17mm...have this lens since new....looks great with my Pen F too...😍😂😂😂

How can you forget to mention that the Panasonic does not allow AF-C ?

I could use either of those lenses and they would both work for me.

Great video!! Thanks!!

1:13 is that Benjakitti park in Bangkok?

Does the 20mm make a motor noise when you manually focus?

My 17mm f1.8 really has really bad noise when using CAF. Is it normal?

Hi! Can you make a video about how to use tri grid (golden ratio) please. I dont see a lot of how to use tri grid vid on yt that would be nice, thanks !!

A great help - Thanks

Panasonic vs Olympus, which ISN'T better?

I'm going to get the panasonic. Autofocus is no factor for video, and I only got into MFT because of the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

yo kim I have the 20mm 1.7 mark 1... Im looking at the 15mm 1.7 you think it would be worth it in terms of focal length..it seems like a very high rated lens

what lens would be equivalent to a 35mm?

How can a lens affect color saturation? Thanks

I have Panny 20mm and 14mm primes, they are staying with me for eternity unless If i'd decided to switch system.

Very competent!

love your photos

Are they good for street photo

AF speed did it for me. Hello my new 17mm :)

Lemme get that Hideo Kojima look. Barber: say no more fam.