Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 Lens Review

Build & Ergonomics

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4  is Leica certified and given the Pro designation, meaning it will deliver the highest possible image quality. While that may be marketing mumbo-jumbo, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

The lens is the largest sized and heaviest 50mm f/1.4 lens I have ever used in any system. I don’t think I would shoot this lens without world class IBIS such as in the Lumix S1 that I own, as that size and weight will add shake blur to my images without it.

I’m very confident in it’s weather sealing and have used it in the rain multiple times this wedding season.

It’s also seen the usual hustle and bustle that comes with shooting weddings and has been able to withstand a few table bumps in the tight confines my clients homes and hotel room during bridal prep.

At this time of writing, Panasonic is offering a very generous 3 year warranty on this and other lenses – see here if it’s still available.

The Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 has a manual focus clutch for instant change over and back. I was worried that I would be accidentally bumping it during shooting but that has not been an issue.

I have occasionally activated the manual focus clutch while taking it out of my Think Tank Security Roller Bag and would love the option to turn this off in the menu in a future firmware update. However, it’s not a huge hindrance at all.

The lens also features an aperture ring, and this is something I really have to get used to. Film shooters will be accustomed to this and probably love it.

As someone who started in the digital age in 2008, this is my first experience with an aperture ring and I admit I rarely have used it, choosing to simply set the lens to A and change f-stops via a camera control dial. This is also a feature I’d like the option to disable in menu.

Focus Performance

Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/125 f/1.4 ISO200

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 Lens is a very fast focusing lens despite the large chunk of glass.

As I get more accustomed to the eye AF functionality of my Lumix S1 camera, I’ve been using it more and more with this lens at f/1.4 for a lovely out of focus fall off.

It is an extremely accurate lens as well, even when shot wide open.

Image Quality

Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/2500 f/1.4 ISO100

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 lens will give you outstanding image quality whether it be event, wedding or studio photography.

I have shot with many 50mm lenses of various bands throughout the years and have found them to be soft.

Like many photographers I started out with a “nifty-fifty” and soon moved on. I adopted an attitude toward these lenses and would often talk negatively of them to the community of photographers I know.

I attended a Panasonic Lumix touch and try event and shot a model with this 50mm f/1.4 and it was then I understood why they called it a “reference lens”. After pixel peeing the images in camera I turned to the counter of the camera store and made my purchase right then and there.

I like very sharp lenses but I also like lovely fall off when shooting wide open and this lens has both of those qualities.

There is absolutely no chromatic aberration, even in very contrasty scenes, and distortion is non existent as well.

Left: Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/169 f/2.0 ISO1250 Middle: Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/250 f/8 ISO100 Right: Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/125 f/6.3 ISO1600

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 Sample Images

Check out these sample images taken with the Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4.

Value for Money

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 comes in at around $2,200. This is not a casual purchase.

If you are a wedding, event or portrait photographer who makes their living in photography and own or are considering owning an L Mount camera, you cannot go wrong with purchasing this lens.

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 is an incredibly quick and accurately focusing lens with sublime image quality. It will also save you time in post as this lens has absolutely no flaws.

Concurrently, if you are an enthusiast who covets the best in image quality in their camera equipment, then this lens is also for you.

For the starter photographer whose instructor told them to get a fast 50mm and start shooting, there are obviously also far cheaper options that are perfectly good lenses.

Alternatives for L Mount in a standard lens include the less expensive Sigma 5omm f/1.4 Art, the higher priced Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 and Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2… as well as the Sigma 45mm f/2.8 lens, which are all tiny in comparison to S Pro.

Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 Review | Conclusion

Lumix S1 + Lumix 50mm f/1.4 | 1/60 f/5.6 ISO1600

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 50mm f/1.4 lens is arguably the best in class, and a true reference lens as Panasonic has dubbed it.

All of the new batch of full frame mirrorless lenses from all brands are leaving their DSLR counterparts in the dust. If you seek out lens reviews on the Canon R, Nikon Z etc you will read these same thoughts.

We also seem to be in an era of large lenses unlike we’ve ever seen before. Perhaps more pancake lenses like the Sigma 45mm f/2.8 will come, but on a whole – big is in.

As someone who has shot the very portable m4/3 system for years in the Olympus OMD EM1 II and lenses like the Olympus 25mm f/1.2, this is quite the shock… but I am adapting.

For me this is definitely a lens I plan to use for years to come. I find it perfect for obliterating a messy bridal prep area and it’s my new favorite for environmental portraits at engagement sessions and events.

Highly Recommended

Panasonic Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4

Lightening fast focus, durable build and superb image quality - a premium lens for sublime results.

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