Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens - Brand New review

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

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens - Brand New review

I’ve really enjoyed shooting with the Summilux 15mm f/1.7, and found it to be an accomplished performer in day-to-day shooting. It autofocuses with lightning speed and unerring accuracy, and produces attractive images shot after shot.

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens - Brand New review

There is just one really sharp lens among the Micro 4/3 14-20 mm lenses: the Voigtlander 0.95/17.5. Still it has one serious flaw – its price. Additionally not everyone gladly accepts the lack of autofocus.

small, shapely and a very solid casing,, good image quality in the frame centre,, good image quality on the edge of the frame,, moderate lateral chromatic aberration,, no spherical aberration symptoms,, correct work against bright light,, very fast and efficient autofocus,, rich accessory kit.

very high distortion,, significant vignetting.

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens - Brand New review

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 Leica DG Summilux 9mm f/1.7 ASPH. Lens - Brand New review

The Leica name is like a seal of quality for Panasonic's Micro Four thirds lenses, and this lens lives up to the reputation in many ways. One surprising way that it doesn't is with the price.