Is This Panasonic Zoom Lens the Ideal Balance Between Full-Frame and Super 35?
Panasonic's new zoom lens steps outside the box. What do you think about it?
![S20-60mm](https://nofilmschool.com/media-library/s20-60mm.jpg?id=34062085&width=1245&height=700&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1)
When Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma announced the L-mount alliance, it was good for creators. The initiative meant each manufacturer would produce lenses using a single mount, allowing filmmakers to mix and match glass no matter the camera body. A Leica SL-Prime can be mounted to the Sigma fp. A Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM can be used on a Panasonic LUMIX DC-S1H, and so on. However, the alliance didn't mean each company had to produce the same focal lengths.
Panasonic has introduced a new zoom lens, the full-frame LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6, which is an interesting focal range for video shooters. Typical standard zooms typically cover 15-40mm, 18-55mm, 24-70mm, 50-135mm, and 70-200mm. But there has always been outliers and with good reason.
When Panasonic updated its lens roadmap last year to include a "to be announced standard zoom," it surprised me to see the LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 fill that space. At least from a video standpoint.
- S Pro 16-35mm F4.0
- S Pro 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
- S Pro 24-70mm F2.8
- S Pro 70-200mm F2.8 OIS
- S Pro 70-200mm F4.0 OIS
- S Pro 24-105mm F4.0 MACRO OIS
The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 5.9" with a 0.43x magnification making it ideal for indoor environments or close-up videography like v-logging. But is it wide enough for video shooters to be an all around lens? There's a big difference between a 10mm lens and a 18mm. But what about 18mm and 20mm? My personal preference for a wide angle zoom is that 14-50mm range, using 16mm or 18mm more than 14mm.
But what do you think about a 20-60mm focal range? Share your thoughts below.