Micro Four Thirds is arguably the single best platform for street photography. Like with wildlife, you get a small package, a fast aperture, and deeper depth of field. That’s exactly what street photographers want. So it only makes sense that some of the best lenses for street photography are with Micro Four Thirds cameras. Here’s a roundup of our favorites that we’ve tested.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
This piece is presented in partnership with Panasonic Lumix. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this post already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.
Table of Contents
About This Guide to the Best Lenses for Street Photography with Micro Four Thirds
Here’s what you should know about using this guide to the best lenses for street photography for Micro Four Thirds:
- The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
- If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
- This guide contains products we’ve reviewed. Luckily, we’ve reviewed the vast majority of Panasonic lenses and modern lenses in general. Our Ethical Practices don’t allow us to feature products we haven’t fully reviewed. So when we say these are the best lenses for street photography for Micro Four Thirds, we mean it.
- This guide is sponsored by Panasonic, who trusts us and understands that we have a set of ethics when it comes to reviewing products. All the product images and sample images in this roundup were shot by Phoblographer staff. There are also links to our fuller reviews. Sure, this guide is sponsored. But if you look deeper into our reviews, you’ll see that we can totally stand behind our choices.
- These are the best lenses for street photography for Micro Four Thirds if you’re looking for something really small overall. The whole point of mirrorless is to go smaller, right?
- There are lenses in this list for street photography, candids, portraits, landscapes, and more. We think you’ll like them. However, they’re primarily for the street photography.
- When considering the best lenses for street photography for Micro Four Thirds, remember that both the focal length and the depth of field equivalence to full-frame is double. This is unlike Panasonic’s Lumix S series, which is full-frame. It means that Panasonic’s 20mm f1.7 will render a 40mm f3.4 field of view when shot wide open.
- Generally speaking, Panasonic lenses work better on Panasonic bodies than they do with others within the Micro Four Thirds market. Part of this has to do with the motors being used.
Our Favorite: Panasonic 20mm f1.7 II
We’re choosing the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 II for several reasons. First off, it’s very small and will make your overall kit more unobtrusive. It also focuses very quickly for what the lens is. If you’re looking to capture candid photos quickly and without being noticed, then this is a killer option. Combine it with Panasonic’s features, like the L Classic Monochrome render, for a classic look.
Tech Specs
Specs taken from the Lensrentals listing.
| Angle of View | 57º |
| Aperture | f1.7-16 |
| Autofocus | Autofocus |
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Diameter | 2.48″ |
| Dimensions | Length: 1″ |
| Filter Size | 46.0mm |
| Focal Length | 20.0-20.0 |
| Focusing System | Internal |
| Groups/Elements | 5/7 |
| Hood Included | No |
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Item Type | Lens |
| Lens Type | Normal Range and Wide Angle |
| Low Dispersion Elements | 0 |
| Max Aperture | 1.7 |
| Maximum Magnification | .13x |
| Minimum Aperture | 22.0 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.66feet |
| Mount | Micro 4/3rds |
| Weather Resistant | No |
| Weight | 0.19 lb. |
| Zoom Method | None |
What We Think
- Pretty darn sharp when stopped down
- Fast to focus
- Very film-like color rendition
- Distortion is low
- Nice build, coupled with a low-profile design
In our review, we state:
But if you’re a street photographer, then this lens may be the single one you’ll want to own.
Other Great Lenses for Street Photography with Micro Four Thirds Cameras
Here are two other fantastic options. We’re sticking with prime lenses for this roundup. While zoom lenses can make for great photos, they’re a bit obtrusive for street photography. The key here is to keep it small and lightweight.
Panasonic 12mm f1.4
- Stellar image quality
- Great autofocus
- Beautiful colors
- Smallish size
- Weather sealing
In our review, we state:
Something that you absolutely cannot complain about though is the image quality. Overall, it’s very beautiful. I’d strongly recommend it for more than just street photographers. It’s great for landscape photographers, urban geometry shooters, food shooters, candid photographers, etc.
Panasonic 15mm f1.7
- Super sharp
- Beautiful bokeh when you get it
- Build quality that puts many other lenses to shame
- Super small
- Aperture ring is so pleasant
- Super fast focusing
In our review, we state:
The build quality of this lens makes it feel very much like a Leica M mount offering. However, this lens has autofocus and doesn’t have the buttery smooth focusing Leica lenses have. It isn’t weather sealed either, but the metal exterior makes it feel so much better in your hand.
