Panasonic H-H020PP LUMIX G Series digital SLR pancake camera lens

To zoom or not to zoom

What makes Panasonic's G series H-H020 20mm pancake lens so special isn't really special at all. It's just your average focal length lens. But, that's exactly what makes it so special. Digital SLR cameras really don't have a lot of lens choices. The average digital SLR comes with a standard macro to telephoto lens, giving you plenty of zoom options when composing your photo. But, if you don't plan on being that close or that far away, then a standard 20mm digital lens will give you what you need, without all the extra bulk. (The H-H020 will focus in on a subject as close as eight inches — that's still pretty close-up!)

Digital SLRers delight!

Panasonic's H020 fixed focus "pancake" lens is perfect for taking dramatic, soft-focus photos. Okay. Great. But, for those new to digital SLR photography, what exactly is a fixed focus lens? Stretch your memory back to the old non-digital days. The 20mm digital lens is about equivalent to the standard normal 50mm lens used on a non-digital 35mm camera. The benefit? It won't produce the perspective distortion — the expanded or contracted field of view — that a wide angle or telephoto lens is capable of. And, it's fast. (Note: the lower the f/stop, the "faster" the lens — the faster the exposure time.) For example, at f/1.7, when the iris diaphragm is wide-open, it takes in enough light to allow for low-light photos by hand. At f/16, when the iris diaphragm is closed down to the size of a pinhole, it puts everything in soft focus outside of focus area (say, the subject's eyes in a close-up portrait).

A brief lesson in f/stops

Aperture settings (a.k.a. f/stops) control two main things: depth of field and image sharpness. A wide-open aperture, i.e. f/1.7, will take in the most light and will decrease the depth of field. An aperture that's "stopped down" to f/16 will let in the least amount of light but increase the depth of field. For example, at f/5.6 and a fast shutter speed, you can focus on a subject and have the background blurred out. In contrast, the narrow f/16 aperture setting and a slow shutter speed will pick up detail in both the foreground and background. Feel lost? That's why you're here right? You want to practice the science of photography, and what better place to start than with a 20mm lens? The bottom line is, the H020, with an aperture range of f/1.7 to f/16, gives you lots and lots of shooting options — options that are far more creative than just zooming in and out.

A-what lens?

Panasonic's H-H020 lens is comprised of two aspherical lenses. What is an aspheric lens? Well, it's neither true sphere nor true cylinder; it's something in-between. It kind of slopes up to the apex where it rounds off. But really, it doesn't matter if you understand this or not. What you need to know is that aspheric lenses reduce spherical, chromatic, and other optical aberrations compared to a simple lens. (The old Kodak Brownie cameras used simple lenses.) Another bonus is that the lens is thinner and lighter.

And thin is in

When it comes to digital SLR lenses that is. The best part of the H-H020 pancake lens is how thin it is (pancake — get it?). The H020 is a mere one inch deep. That means it's easy to take along, even if it's just as a backup lens. And if it's your only lens, you could slip your camera right in your pocket. You'll be the envy of all your monster-sized-DSLR owning friends.

Micro Four Thirds

The H-H020 adopts the Micro Four Thirds System standard, developed as an extended, actually, as a compacted version of the Four Thirds System standard for digital camera systems. By using this standard and developing a camera body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit, the lens mount diameter is reduced by about 6 mm and the flange-back distance is shortened by about half (compared with the conventional Four Thirds camera). The result is a digital interchangeable lens camera that's both extremely compact and highly mobile. (Do note, Micro Four Thirds lenses cannot be used on Four Thirds bodies.)