Sigma 24mm vs Panny 20mm Pancake Lens

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xocomil

Well-known member
What are your thoughts regarding the Sigma 4/3rds 24mm f1.8 lens vs the Panasonic 20mm Pancake.

I'm particularly interested in image quality (good light and low light) and ease of manual focus. On vimeo/youtube the AF on the Panny seems to pump a lot in anything less than daylight. That said, there are times when the AF will be useful ...

8mm difference in FOV not a big deal, and price is similar.
 
xocomil said:
What are your thoughts regarding the Sigma 4/3rds 24mm f1.8 lens vs the Panasonic 20mm Pancake.

I'm particularly interested in image quality (good light and low light) and ease of manual focus. On vimeo/youtube the AF on the Panny seems to pump a lot in anything less than daylight. That said, there are times when the AF will be useful ...

8mm difference in FOV not a big deal, and price is similar.
Click to expand...
I can only speak for the pancake, which I own. It is fairly slow to autofocus, especially in 1080p mode, because sensor is only pumping out 24 fps. In stills mode auto-focus is quite fast (60 fps refresh rate in live mode does help). On the other hand, I doubt that Sigma will auto-focus a GH1 at all on. When working wide open you may want to manual focus anyway. Pancake is a fly-by-wire focus design, so it takes some time getting used to. Also, pancake's IQ is top of the line -- it is a very sharp lens with no aberrations especially when mated to a Panasonic body. I distortion control is important to you, I would check carefully reviews, possibly for other mounts. This lens is designed for a full-frame size sensor, so there might be issues.

There are ergonomic differences as well, for if 20 mm is a pancake then 24 mm is a full stack. It costs $50 more and you'll need an adapter that is at least $110 (Panasonic one). Filters, which you'll need will also be more expensive (77 mm)
 
I have heard that the Sigma's AF won't work on the GH1. However, some reviews say the MF is more predictable/easier to use.

I'd forgotten about the adaptor ... something to think about!

Thanks guys
 
The 20mm is a super lens and still focus is zippy. For video, you are going to want to MF, IMHO. IF you want P&S in a video camera, there are other options. If you don't like the 20mm you can always sell it instantly, because there is such a high demand.
 
I own a sigma 28mm f1.8 (can't speak for the 20mm) and the pancake, both are great lenses, but the pancake lives on my gh1(3) it's just amazing for the price.
 
so the sigma 24mm 1.8 doesn't just fit on the gh1? do i actually have to get the $120 panasonic adapter or are there cheaper adapters that i could get on ebay?
 
Yes the 20mm is fantastic value; very, very sharp and fast. I was going to get a Zeiss Contax 21mm to match my other C/Y lenses but have been so happy with my pancake that I've saved myself $1500.
 
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