Panasonic’s mirrorless cameras are some of the most powerful and innovative cameras on the planet.
They’re also producing some excellent quality lenses, and I’ve compiled a list of my favorites here. As a landscape photographer myself, I’ve written from the viewpoint of what a landscape photographer is looking to buy.
Of course, Olympus micro four-thirds lenses also work on Panasonic micro-four thirds, so don’t forget to look at our picks from Olympus lineup as well: Best Olympus Micro Four-Thirds Lenses for Landscape Photography
Panasonic G Series (Micro Four-Thirds) Ultra-Wide Angle Lenses
Technically Panasonic has three ultra-wide offerings for their G Series cameras, but one of them is distinctly a cut-above the rest: the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 featured below. Because that lens is so good, I’m no longer recommending the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm f/4 as the 8-18mm blows it out of the water. However, if you really need to save a few hundred dollars the 7-14mm may be worth a look — although the fact that it does not accept filters makes it a no-go for me.
Top Pick: Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4
The Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 makes the perfect ultra-wide pairing with your Panasonic micro four-thirds camera. With afull-frame equivalent focal length of 16-36mm, this sports the classic ultra-wide field-of-view. And what we care most about — sharpness — this lens has in spades. This lens shows excellent sharpness at basically every focal length for both the edges and corners — except if stopped down past f/16 — and even then the sharpness remains acceptable. The one weak point is shooting with the aperture wide open at 18mm, which shoots at little soft, but quickly corrects once stopped down.
As you might expect from a lens of its price point, the 8-18mm has superb build-quality, offering weather-sealing as well. As long as you pair this with a weather-sealed camera body, this lens is ready to take tack-sharp landscape images out in the wettest of weather. Panasonic G-Series shooters should put this at the top of the “must-get” list of lenses for shooting landscapes.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4:
AMAZON ADORAMASolid Pick: Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm f/3.5
A specialty offering, the Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm f/3.5 can create dramatic ultra-wide angle landscape photos, just as long as you know how to use it. I wouldn’t recommend it as a buy for novice photographers, but enthusiasts and pros looking to get more creative with their wide end can definitely have a lot of fun with this fisheye lens.
It also performs exceptionally in terms of sharpness at nearly all apertures, with its peak performance at f/4. This lens isn’t for everybody, but it’s a great lens for any micro four-thirds photographer looking to go fisheye.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm f/3.5:
AMAZON ADORAMAPanasonic G Series (Micro Four-Thirds) Mid-Range & Telephoto Lenses
Panasonic has fantastic offerings in both the mid-range zoom and telephoto zoom categories. Specifically, the brand fills in the niche for mid-grade telephoto zooms, whereas Olympus only offers pro-grade or budget-grade in the telephoto ranges.
If you are looking for a pro-grade weather-sealed telephoto zoom, I do recommend looking at the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO as the overall Top Pick for telephoto micro four-thirds lenses.
Top Pick: Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4
The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 is Panasonic’s absolute best offering for an all-around pro-quality zoom for landscape photography. This lens truly pulls out all the stops. It combines excellent center sharpness with a great focal range (full-frame equivalent of 24-120mm).
The all-metal build quality is superior, and includes weather-sealing. If you’re looking for the ability to take handheld images as the light dims, it features on-board image stabilization. It’s variable f/2.8-4 max aperture is nice and fast, especially at the wide end, making it a great astro-landscape lens. Overall, this is my new favorite lens in Panasonic’s micro four-thirds lineup!
Check current prices for the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4:
AMAZON ADORAMATop Pick: Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II
The Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II is Panasonic’s top-of-line fast zoom with a full-frame equivalent focal range of 24-70mm. Solid image sharpness, weather-sealing, and a fast and constant f/2.8 aperture are all great selling points. Its build quality is solid, although its most plastic construction may be turnoff for some photographers in consideration of the price. Regardless, it’s an excellent mid-range zoom that will suit a great many photographers out there.
However, I do think that the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 listed above is an even better choice with a longer focal ranger, better build quality, and is still fast at the wider focal lengths. The 12-35mm f/2.8 II is probably only more enticing if you have a real need to shoot at f/2.8 at all focal lengths. I think most landscape photographers would opt for the longer range vs. the ability to shoot fast at 70mm.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II:
AMAZON ADORAMAValue Pick: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6
In the running for the best value on this list, the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 is essentially a “consumer” grade kit lens that happens to have above average image sharpness. This is great news for photographers looking for a sharp mid-range zoom, but for the cheapest possible price.
But wait! It also features on-board image stabilization, which makes it especially valuable if you often shoot without a tripod. As you might expect from a lens at this price point, it has good build quality, but uses plastic instead of metal for bulk of the body.
Its full-frame equivalent focal range is 28-90mm, which is a solid range that ventures nicely into the short-telephoto range on its long end. Overall, this is a fantastic choice if you can forgo weather sealing and a fast max aperture in favor of a sharp zoom at an affordable price.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6:
AMAZONValue Pick: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6
Straddling the line between mid-range and telephoto zoom is the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Let me tell you, if this lens was weather-sealed, I would bump it up to a Top Pick! It really is that good.
First off, it’s got a huge range (28-280mm full-frame equivalent). This cover wide-angle, normal, and a great amount of telephoto range. It matches its great focal range with solid performance throughout. Sharpness is very good to excellent through the focal range, as long as you don’t stop down past f/8. This is remarkable as most lens of the “superzoom” type do not perform this consistently. To boot, it features on-board image stabilization, which makes it great when you aren’t shooting on a tripod.
It’s not a fast aperture or weather-sealed lens, so if you are looking for those features, look at the Top Picks above. Otherwise, this is a solid performer that with save time, space, weight by packaging your mid-range and telephoto zooms into one great lens.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6:
AMAZONValue Pick: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4-5.6
Another screaming value, the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4-5.6 is a bargain priced zoom with a long reach (full-frame equivalent 90-300mm). It’s also very sharp for most of its range, all there is a drop-off at 100mm and beyond.
For the purposes of landscape photography, 100mm in MFT format is likely to be plenty of range, and the ability to go to 150mm when the need arises and still get good results is fantastic. Ah yes, also throw in the fact that it has on-board image stabilization. However, what really puts the icing on the cake is the fact that this is also a very compact lens and it is nearly perfect.
It does lack weather-sealing, but at its price point, you can’t have everything. Overall, this is solid lens for a great price, in a small package to boot. For my favorite telephoto offering, consider the Panasonic G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 above.
Check current prices for the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-150mm f/4-5.6:
AMAZONLooking for a Great Mirrorless Camera?
Check out our BIG list of the Best Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography
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