Panasonic is one of the few brands better known for its Micro Four Thirds and full frame sensors. The company has shifted its focus to the latter, with many hybrid photographers opting for the device for its wide-ranging capabilities. As the company has signed a deal with L-mount, Panasonic is nothing short of a powerful camera with a wide-ranging optics at its helm. However, the company has also ceased production of its well-known lens, which may upset some creators.
First reported by Asobinet, Panasonic has discontinued the LUMIX G 20mm f1.7 II ASPH, a well-known pancake lens for travel, street, and landscape photographers. The report notes that the lens has been discontinued at Yodabashi Camera, Japan’s leading retailer, and is listed as out of stock on Panasonic’s website in Japan.
The lens is said to be discontinued in both black and silver versions. Introduced in 2013, the lens comes with 0.13x magnification, 7 aperture blades, and 1:8 magnification. The lens is also devoid of controls; it can be activated via the camera body’s switches, menus, or buttons. The device is not weather-sealed, which means you have to be careful. Otherwise, the lens is fantastic. As we said in our review:
The lens could have added more saturation and also could have been sharper. But what you get in return is faster focusing and better build quality. For what it’s worth, we’re positive that there were loads of shooters that beat their lens up after years of continued use.
Unfortunately, this is one of the few pancake offerings from the company, with the LUMIX G 14mm f2.5 II ASPH being discontinued last year. For those who still want to use a pancake lens, there are third-party options. Examples such as MF 10mm f3.5 and TTArtisan 23mm f1.4 are options, but they are manual-focus lenses and certainly cheaper than the original model.
It is unclear whether the company will launch a new lens like this soon or whether people will have to rely on third-party alternatives. Either way, with fewer pancake lenses available, the discontinuity is a shame. It leaves photographers with fewer options, especially for those who prefer a compact setup. If they introduce a new option soon, then Panaosnic will certainly win over their users. But will that ever happen or not remains to be seen.