The Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. ($599.99) is a wide-angle lens with an all-metal build, a wide f/1.7 maximum aperture, and an aperture control ring. It's compatible with Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus, and is capable of capturing really terrific images...

Quite sharp; Wide aperture; Manual aperture ring; All-metal build; Includes lens hood

Some edge softness unless stopped down; Some distortion; Pricey

The Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. ($599.99) is a wide-angle lens with an all-metal build, a wide f/1.7 maximum aperture, and an aperture control ring. It's compatible with Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus, and is capable of capturing really terrific images with a 30mm (full-frame equivalent) field of view. It's quite similar in field of view, light gathering capability, and build quality to another Micro Four Thirds lens, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8($339.00 at Amazon), but it's a bit pricier. The Olympus 17mm earned our Editors' Choice award, and it remains our favorite prime Micro Four Thirds lens in this focal range, but the Summilux 15mm f/1.7 is a strong performer in its own right and shouldn't be discounted if you prefer a prime that's just a bit wider. The Summilux($597.99 at Amazon) isn't quite as small as the 1.4-by-2.3-inch (HD) Olympus 17mm, but at 1.9 by 2.5 inches and 3.8 ounces it still qualifies as compact. Addi...

The Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. is a sharp, compact lens with a wide aperture and all metal build, but it does exhibit a little bit of distortion.

Quite sharp; Wide aperture; Manual aperture ring; All-metal build; Includes lens hood

Some edge softness unless stopped down; Some distortion; Pricey

The Leica Summilux 15mm f1.7 is a semi-wide lens designed for the Micro Four Thirds system. Mounted on a Panasonic or Olympus body, it delivers equivalent coverage of 30mm, making it a mild wide-angle roughly between the traditional 28 and 35mm focal lengths.

Sharp, high contrast, well-corrected images; Better than 17mm f1.8, Attractive out-of-focus rendering / bokeh, Good build quality with matching metal lens hood supplied, Manual aperture ring for bodies that support it, Barrel doesn't protrude below base of Lumix GM1

More expensive than primes of a similar focal length in range; Manual focusing ring was not always as smooth as I expected; No weather-sealing; Aperture ring redundant for Olympus body owners

Gary Wolstenholme reviews this new Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens with a manual aperture ring and a compact design.

Excellent sharpness; especially in the centre; Low falloff and CA; Robust build quality; Manual aperture ring; Fast focusing; Realistically priced; AF/MF switch is a useful addition

Aperture ring may not function on all Micro Four Thirds bodies; The auto setting on the aperture ring may be easy to select by accident; High distortion for a prime lens

Announced in March, Panasonic's new Leica-branded DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH. lens is the latest companion lens for its Lumix G cameras. Covering the same angle of view as a 30mm lens on 35mm cameras, it replicates a 'classic' wide-angle lens for that format.

This new wide angle prime lens for Micro Four thirds system cameras sports a fast f/1.7 maximum aperture, Nano Surface anti-reflective coatings, a manual aperture ring and a switch for directly changing between manual and autofocus modes without halving to delve into the camera's menu.

Panasonic's premium wideangle prime is designed to match the GM1. Andy Westlake sees whether it lives up to its Leica label

When Panasonic introduced its tiny Lumix DMC-GM1 compact system camera late last year, it found itself with an unusual problem. With the body shrunk so far that the lens mount took up its entire height, most lenses ended up looking disproportionately large on it.

When I first heard about this lens, I hoped for better optical performance than the current Micro Four Thirds autofocus prime lenses like the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 and the Olympus 17mm f/1.8. The Panasonic 15mm f/1.7 lens doesn't disappoint.

Speed; sharpness; contrast; build quality; size; weight; ergonomics; look and feel

Vignetting; distortion

I purchased my GX1 with the famous 20/1.7 and saw little reason to replace it as my go to lens for everyday shooting. Over the years, I've accumulated the Leica 45, the 7-14, the obnoxious 100-300, the Leica 25 and now the 15, all manufactured by Panasonic.

Compact; Easy to use; Exceeded expectations

Pricey / Poor Value