Panasonic Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 Review

October 18, 2024 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Conclusion

The new Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 is a compellingly small, lightweight and versatile standard zoom lens that is well-suited to both stills and video.

With an unusual focal range that starts at a super-wide-angle 18mm and ends at a near-normal 40mm, this tiny lens is intriguing for both videographers and photographers alike.

There really is no other lens like the 18-40mm in Panasonic's L-Mount range. Coming in as the smallest, lightest and one of the cheapest lenses in the range, we have been pleasantly surprised by our overall experience - this is certainly not a throwaway, plastic-fantastic kit lens.

You may find it hard to get excited about a standard zoom lens with such modest maximum apertures, as you don't get the options of true shallow depth-of-field, dreamy bokeh, or low-light versatility, but the main upside is a super-compact and versatile lens that you can leave on your camera pretty much all the time.

When it comes to image quality, detail is sharp across the entire focal range with an optimum performance at f/11. Even wide-open at the maximum apertures there is only a slight drop in sharpness and we would have no hesitation in pushing the lens this way.

Most impressively, there is only a slight decline in sharpness from centre to corners. The 18-40mm lens is not critically sharp like other lenses that are triple the price, but overall there is little to complain about.

What you will have to watch out for is distortion and vignetting, which are all too apparent particularly when shooting Raw files. There is a huge amount of distortion present if you open the RAW files in software that doesn't have the correct lens profile selected or available, especially at the wide end of the zoom range.

Despite its tiny size and low weight, this lens complemented the Lumix S5II body well, although it would obviously be even more at home on the Lumix S9 which is currently the smallest L-series body.

The lens construction is surprisingly sturdy and weather-proof, and even without the 'PRO' badge, it's built virtually to the same durable standard as some of the more expensive lenses in the range.

Focusing proved to be satisfyingly fast for photos and perfectly smooth and silent for videos, with very little focus breathing and all of the focusing info readily to hand via the camera body's on-screen display.

With silent focusing, minimal focus breathing, great autofocus and a versatile focal range of 18-40mm, this lens in clearly positioned in the hybrid realm, serving both photographers and videographers in a wide range of scenarios. 

Our final word is if you don't mind making some sacrifices on the image quality side of the equation, then its size and versatility certainly add-up to make the Lumix S 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 a great carry-everywhere and anywhere standard zoom lens for stills and video alike.

4 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 3.5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 3.5
Value for money 4