In the past I used a combination of two lenses for holiday trips. The Lumix 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 and the Lumix 35-100mm f4-5.6. both are super compact and light - perfect for travel photography. However, sometimes changing lens can be a real pain. You are out and about, snapping away but you can't reach that far-off ship, for example. I have to rummage in my bag, swap over lenses, by that time, the ship has moved, the composition not as I had first seen it.
This is where the 14-140mm lens comes in handy. I can replace both 12-32 and 35-100 lenses with one. The 14-140 is bigger and heavier, but maybe that is ok for the advantage, everything is about balance.
 |
| Lumix GX9 and 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 lens |
Build and handling
The Lumix 14-140 has a metal mount. Mostly it is a plastic build but very good quality. Perhaps a carbon mix because part of the lens feels cold like metal. There's no creaking or flexing. As you twist the zoom, the plastic inner barrel extends. At 140mm it is about twice the length of the lens at 14mm.
The lens is much fatter than lenses such as the 12-32 or 35-100. But it feels fine in your hands as you zoom, for example. The length of the lens is also not too long, on the GX9 it is still a relatively compact combination.
The 14-140 is not too heavy. It works well with the GX9. I have found using the JJC grip on the GX9 makes it a bit more comfortable. But even without the grip, it is fine. I have also used the 14-140 on the Olympus E-M5 II, it doesn't need an extra grip at all, it's comfortable to use.
Something I find special with this zoom lens is how you can switch on the camera and immediately it is ready for use at 14mm. With the 12-32 and 35-100 lenses I have to twist to open them first, before being able to take a photo. With the 14-140 it makes a difference to have it ready immediately. Easier to capture those surprise moments.
A lens hood is included, it is plastic but good quality. It can be put on backward to store it. But I am not a big fan of this hood, it twists on and I find it a fiddle. Although I generally find such hoods a fiddle on any lens.
Focal length
14mm is equivalent to 28mm in Full Frame terms. Starting at 14mm makes this a versatile lens. It would've been nice to have 12mm but still, I will not complain about those two millimetres too much. 140mm is equivalent to 280mm in Full Frame terms. 14-140mm is an extremely flexible range. Everything from close to very far.
Aperture
The 14-140 has a variable aperture, at 14mm it starts at f3.5. At the telephoto end, 140mm, it starts at f5.6. I know many will moan but I think these apertures are impressive. If you don't like the aperture changing, set it to f5.6, it'll be fine throughout the range.
For the majority of daylight photography f5.6 is perfect. When there is less light, at 14mm, f3.5 is ok, not great. F2.8 would've been better of course but there have to be compromises as the lens is so compact.
For bokeh (background blur), you may think that f3.5-5.6 would hold the lens back. However, aperture is only one ingredient in the recipe for creating that out of focus look. Because this lens is such a long telephoto, to 140mm, even at f5.6 there can be plenty of background blur and separation form your subject.
Image stabilisation
The lens has stabilisation. There is a physical switch on the lens barrel to turn it on or off. I keep it on. The GX9 (and many other Lumix cameras) has Dual-IS. This means the lens IS works with the camera's in-body IS. It is very helpful when composing at long telephoto focal lengths. Also, for low light photography of static objects, it enables you to handhold for longer shutter speeds.
When used with the Olympus E-M5 II, I turn off the lens stabilisation and rely on the Olympus IBIS. There's no dual-IS with Olympus/OM cameras. I must admit to not noticing any difference in use, the Olympus IBIS is great.
Close focussing distance
You can get pretty close. It isn't macro of course, but for the occasional close up on a trip, it works very well. Excellent from flowers and similar photography. For those holiday trips where you are walking in a park, you can take a photo of the sea in the distance and turn around, take a flower photo. Flexible! The focussing is snappy.
The lens has stabilisation. There is a physical switch on the lens barrel to turn it on or off. I keep it on. The GX9 (and many other Lumix cameras) has Dual-IS. This means the lens IS works with the camera's in-body IS. It is very helpful when composing at long telephoto focal lengths. Also, for low light photography of static objects, it enables you to handhold for longer shutter speeds.
When used with the Olympus E-M5 II, I turn off the lens stabilisation and rely on the Olympus IBIS. There's no dual-IS with Olympus/OM cameras. I must admit to not noticing any difference in use, the Olympus IBIS is great.
Close focussing distance
You can get pretty close. It isn't macro of course, but for the occasional close up on a trip, it works very well. Excellent from flowers and similar photography. For those holiday trips where you are walking in a park, you can take a photo of the sea in the distance and turn around, take a flower photo. Flexible! The focussing is snappy.
 |
| Lumix 14-140mm f3.5-5.6, photo taken at 140mm, F5.6, ISO200 |
Fantastic. Sharp images throughout the range. I am just speaking from what I see. I haven't tested in a scientific way. For the intended use, travel, it does the job.
Real world experience
I used the 14-140 with the GX9 on a trip to Rome. It was great having the flexibility to photograph just about anything. For example, I was on the Castel Sant'Angelo. I could see At Peter's in the distance. I took a nice photo from there that otherwise, without the 14-140, I would not have been able to capture. Switching so quickly between near and far is great for travel photography. It gave me some freedom.
One evening at the Forum I found it difficult to get clean photos. With time and effort it is possible, but when on holiday, you don't have time. On other evenings out, I switched to my Olympus 17mm f1.8.
Despite the 14-140 being easy to carry during my trip to Rome, I found myself often wishing for a more compact system. When I used my Olympus 17mm f1.8, I felt more comfortable. In town especially, on the streets, taking out the camera with the 14-140 was a chore. Carrying it round my neck with it hanging down, it got in the way. Imagine you are in a shop with bags in your hands plus the camera round your neck and this lens sticking out!
Perhaps the 14-140 is more suited to a hiking trip, that sort of thing. For a city trip, although fun to have the flexibility, perhaps a smaller combo would be better. This all depends on you though, we are all different, these are just my thoughts.
 |
| Telephoto zoom lenses side-by-side. Extended with hoods. |
 |
| Three zoom lenses for size comparison. Collapsed without hoods. |
As I've mentioned, an alternative might be to use two lenses, a general purpose plus a telephoto. You have to switch between lenses but otherwise, it can be a nice choice with some advantages of a more compact camera plus lens combination. But by compact I mean the Olympus 17mm F1.8 and Lumix 35-100mm f4-5.6 for example.
There are many attractive general purpose lenses for m43. The Olympus/OM Pro 12-45mm f4 is a high quality lens. The downside is the size is only a little smaller than the 14-140 but without the telephoto range.
Olympus/OM have the 14-150mm f4-f5.6. It is a direct competitor to the Lumix 14-140. From all accounts, it seems similar. You get 10mm more reach. Although there is no IS, if you have a Lumix camera the 14-140 is a better choice just because of this reason.
Conclusion
The 14-140 is an excellent lens. It is extremely compact in size for the focal range it covers. The price is reasonable and perhaps you can find a bargain. As a replacement for prime lenses, I am not sure. It is a personal thing, for me the tiny m43 primes are a better fit. Although, the flexibility of the zoom range, it is such a good feeling not to have to switch lenses. There are just too many choices in the world of m43!
Disclaimer
I have not received any remuneration for this blog article. This is just my opinion, nothing more. I take no responsibility for your choice or decisions. I am just trying to help here, to share my experience, I hope you find it helpful.
