Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 Review: The Lens the S9 Needed

Apr 21, 2026

Chris Niccolls

I think most of us have a strange fascination with 40mm lenses. It seems like a relatively uncommon focal length, and of course, it is overshadowed by the ubiquitous 35mm lenses. In truth, both lenses can do pretty much the same thing, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the 40mm focal length always feels a little exotic.

Buy the Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 new on B&H Buy the Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 used on KEH.com

Panasonic has not made a foray into the 40mm world until now. Maybe that is because of the popularity of the Panasonic Lumix S 35mm f/1.8. Why make a $400 Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 when the similarities are so apparent? Well, Panasonic made it anyway, and I’m glad.

A man with gray hair and a beard holds a camera up, preparing to take a photo outdoors. A blurred truck and street background are visible behind him. — I had lots of fun with this easy and simple lens.

A black camera lens with "S 40 0.3m/0.98ft-∞" labeled on it sits on a purple surface, with a blurred white and gray patterned background. — The Lumix S 40mm f/2 is a unique optic for Panasonic’s lineup.

Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 Review: How It Feels

From a handling standpoint, the Panasonic 40mm is cute and compact. It only weighs five ounces (144 grams). This makes it a perfect companion for my Panasonic S9, and it was a really nice package to carry around. The front of the lens might seem bigger than it has to be with a 62mm filter diameter, but this is intended to match well with the 18-40mm kit lens that now comes with the S9.

A Lumix camera lens stands upright with its lens cap lying flat in front of it, set on a purple surface against a white and gray geometric background. — The front of the lens does not need to be as physically wide as it is, but it allows for the same 62mm filter thread as the kit zoom lens.

You now get an AF/MF button and a customizable button and focusing ring.

You also get a customizable function button and an AF/MF switch, which add immensely to the fairly sparse controls found on the S9. For example, the S9 can only change to manual focus mode by going into the menu and this laborious task is now unnecessary when using the new 40mm lens. Even the manual focus ring can be customized into a command dial, so I may never have to touch the S9’s annoying thumb dial ever again. The new 40mm lens even has some splash resistance and a dust seal around the lens mount.

A camera lens stands upright with its rear glass and electronic contacts visible, next to a detached Lumix lens cap, on a purple surface with a hexagonal tile background. — The lens is very well protected from dust and splashes.

Close-up of a black Lumix camera lens with "40" and "LUMIX" written on it, placed on a lens cap against a blurred white and purple background with geometric patterns. — It may seem simple, but this lens adds much-needed functionality to the Panasonic S9.

Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 Review: How It Shoots

The lens focuses swiftly enough for most situations, relying on a simple stepping motor with very little glass to move. I was immediately impressed by how well the lens handled bright sunlight as well. There is no way to attach a hood unless you want to go with a cheap filter ring rubber contraption, but you don’t need one anyway because the flare is well-controlled. I noticed almost no loss of contrast, and ghosting was minor at the tighter apertures.

Two photos side by side show sunlight above a chain-link fence, with one image labeled f/2 (left, brighter, lower contrast) and the other f/11 (right, darker, higher contrast), illustrating aperture effects. — Flare resistance is good with almost no issues, and only minimal ghosting is present.

A corrugated metal building with a partial sign reading "HD" and "MERCEDES-BENZ" under sunlight, with the sun peeking over the roof edge and a partly cloudy sky. — The sunstars are nothing to write home about.

A cloudy sky with the sun shining through is seen above the corner of a white building. Part of a sign reading "CANADA" is visible on the building's facade. — You can see some slight ghosting when the aperture is stopped down.

Bokeh was a little concerning due to the low cost of the lens and the seven-bladed aperture, with specular highlights showing some onion rings and a slight halo around everything. There is a nice cat’s eye effect at f/2, and when the blades are closed down, a strong polygonal shape is present. I don’t personally love that kind of look, but plenty of people do.

A Lumix 18-40mm camera lens sits on a wooden surface, with blurred, circular bokeh lights and an out-of-focus background creating a soft, artistic effect. — Bokeh is soft-looking, but there is a bit of messiness in the highlights.

Rusty blue metal surface with scattered brown spots, small pebbles, and a single square hole in the lower left. Part of a weathered metal fence appears at the top. Some dry leaves and dirt are visible around the edges.

An older man sits on a bench at a bus stop, holding a red shopping bag. The bus shelter’s glass wall features a colorful image of stacked cups and bowls in various bright colors.

Surprisingly, the softness of backgrounds and transitions of focus is not too bad. By no means are they sublime, but they have a fairly smooth look and without the lens being overly harsh-looking.

A person walks through a shadowy underpass beneath a rusted bridge, silhouetted against a bright opening at the far end. The scene features strong contrasts between light and dark areas.

A person walks on a pedestrian bridge under a railway track in a city. Shadows and sunlight create strong contrasts in this black and white photo. A bare tree and cloudy sky are in the background.

A black-and-white photo shows a rough, wet patch on a paved surface, illuminated by light. Tall, angular shadows from nearby objects create dramatic contrasts on the ground.

The LoCA, or longitudinal chromatic aberrations, are pretty bad, though. There is plenty of color fringing in the foreground and background out-of-focus areas of the image, and I even saw some color when shooting at f/4. This fringing is very hard to remove from your images, so consider stopping the lens down if you expect to have contrasty details falling out of focus.

Bare tree branches with clusters of dried, brown leaves and seed pods set against a cloudy sky, giving a moody, late autumn or winter atmosphere. — LoCA can be an issue; the branches left-of-center have both distinct magenta and green casts.

A white and red vehicle moves quickly under a rusty overpass, creating a motion blur effect. Sunlight and shadows highlight the industrial structure and road above.

A yellow metal guardrail surrounds a green fire hydrant on a concrete sidewalk next to a street. A detached metal pipe lies on the ground nearby. The scene shows signs of wear and rust.

At least this lens has almost no breathing, which is to say that the field of view doesn’t change as you focus the lens. I noticed a small amount of pulsing at the edges of the frame while cranking the manual focus ring but the result is very minor. This lens would certainly make sense for videographers using it on a gimbal. It’s also quite sharp overall, with good contrast and detail at f/2 in the center of the image. The corners do tend to have a slight blurriness to them, but it’s very minor and by the time you stop the lens down to f/4, everything is clear across the frame.

Comparison image of two camera test charts side by side, labeled f/2 and f/4, featuring patterns, grayscale bars, color blocks, and partial banknote images with faces. — This is a sharp lens in the center, with only minor improvement needed at f/2.

Two photos compare image sharpness at f/2 (left) and f/4 (right) using a test chart with a Canadian one-dollar bill and text chart. Image at f/4 appears sharper and clearer than at f/2. — Corner sharpness is acceptable, and the vignetting is minor.

A vintage switch box with six red switches labeled AUX2, AUX1, PRINTER, MONITOR, COMPUTER, and MASTER sits on top of a white Compaq device, with a cloth draped over it in a cluttered room.

The Panasonic Lumix S 40mm f/2 is a Pleasant Surprise

I’m happily surprised that Panasonic has decided to join the 40mm game. Most of the major companies have made a 40mm or similar style of lens to great success. Nikon has the affordable Nikkor 40mm f/2, Sony has a beautiful 40mm f/2.5 lens, and Canon is making huge waves with its tiny 40mm f/2.8 pancake and 45mm f/1.2 ultra-bright lens.

Now Panasonic joins the fray, and it turns out that the new 40mm f/2 is optically charming while also adding much-needed utility to the S9 platform. This lens is small, with plenty of useful controls, and it only costs $400. If you want an alternative to the saturated 35mm and 50mm options, this little companion might be your new best friend.

A window with blue graffiti and the reversed text "SMOK" partially visible. Behind the glass, there is a blurred sign showing a cartoon character holding a large burger. The background appears to be outdoors.

Two rusted, red-painted metal pipes with elbow joints stand side by side outdoors. Both pipes have white graffiti on top and show signs of weathering and corrosion. The background is blurred.

A person in dark clothing walks across train tracks in front of a large, weathered industrial building with silos and a tall smokestack under a partly cloudy sky.

Are There Alternatives?

The Panasonic Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 is the closest lens with a similar functionality. It is also lightweight, although somewhat larger, and comes in at a significantly higher price.

Buy the Panasonic Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 new on B&H Buy the Panasonic Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 used on KEH.com

I have not personally tried the TTArtisan 40mm f/2, but the word on the street is that the performance is only so-so. The somewhat lower price justifies the performance a little, but the new Panasonic 40mm f/2 might be better value for the dollar. It is also worth noting that TTArtisan is not a member of the L-mount alliance.

Buy the TTArtisan 40mm f/2 new on B&H Buy the TTArtisan 40mm f/2 used on KEH.com

A Petro-Canada sign above a Blackfoot Truck Stop Restaurant sign is reflected in a large puddle on an empty, rough parking lot with cloudy skies and bare trees in the background.

A black and white photo shows a puddle on asphalt reflecting clouds and a streetlamp, with a patch of rough, textured surface emerging from the water.

A muddy puddle with a rock in the foreground reflects the cloudy sky and a lamppost. In the background, there's a building with a blue roof and a mostly empty gravel lot.