[This series will feature chapters that showcase key lenses in the LUMIX S Series lineup—built for photographers and filmmakers who demand high quality, consistency, and creative flexibility. The standard S Series lenses are designed to deliver excellent performance and reliability, with a balanced blend of image quality, portability, and affordability.]
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO is an ultra-wide-angle zoom designed to be lightweight, versatile, and affordable — without sacrificing image quality. Developed as part of a practical zoom trio that includes the 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 MACRO O.I.S., this lens expands the lower end of the S Series zoom range while introducing unexpected macro capabilities across its full focal range.
Weighing just 345g, it’s one of the lightest full-frame ultra-wide zooms available, making it ideal for landscape shooters, content creators, and anyone seeking a portable, go-everywhere wide-angle solution.
Sharp Across the Zoom Range
Despite its compact build and variable aperture, the 14-28mm delivers excellent resolution performance across the zoom range. From the ultra-wide 14mm to the more traditional wide-angle 28mm, the lens produces sharp, high-contrast images with minimal variation from center to corner.
Built with 14 elements in 10 groups, including aspherical, ED, and UHR lenses for precise optical performance.
The lens construction includes 14 elements in 10 groups, featuring one aspherical ED lens, one aspherical lens, three ED lenses, and one UHR lens. This configuration controls spherical and chromatic aberrations effectively, while a large-diameter aspherical element near the front suppresses distortion — a common issue in ultra-wide lenses.
To ensure image quality while zooming, the lens uses a four-group zoom mechanism arranged in a negative-positive-negative-negative layout. This design stabilizes aberration performance across focal lengths without increasing lens size or complexity.
Wide-Angle Macro Flexibility
One of the standout features of this lens is its wide-angle macro capability. With a minimum focusing distance of just 0.15m throughout the entire zoom range, it allows for unique close-up compositions that include both the subject and its surroundings — something rarely possible with traditional macro lenses.
At 14mm, users can capture environmental close-ups where the subject feels embedded in its setting. At 28mm, a half-macro 0.5x magnification becomes possible, allowing for tighter, more isolated shots with soft background blur.
To keep costs and size down while enabling this flexibility, LUMIX implemented a single-focus system using one internal focus group. Aberration control during close focusing is handled with a doublet design and the strategic use of an ED aspherical lens directly in front of the focus group. This thoughtful optical engineering ensures image quality remains stable throughout the extended focus stroke required for macro performance.
Example of f=14 mm 0.15 m
Example of f=28 0.15 m
Built for Portability and Everyday Use
The 14-28mm’s compact size, lightweight build, and internal zoom design make it exceptionally easy to carry and operate. The lens accepts 77mm filters — a rare feature for ultra-wide lenses — and maintains balance when paired with compact full-frame bodies like the LUMIX S5II.
Its simplified construction avoids complex internal motors or dual-focus mechanisms, helping it stay affordable while still delivering performance that satisfies both enthusiasts and working creators.
When paired with the S 20-60mm and S 70-300mm lenses, or even the all-in-one 28-200mm MACRO O.I.S., the 14-28mm completes a practical and versatile lens kit for full-frame hybrid shooters.
A Lightweight Ultra-Wide That Goes Close
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO proves that ultra-wide doesn’t have to mean oversized or limited in use. With strong resolution, thoughtful macro capability, and a travel-friendly build, this lens offers a fresh perspective — one that’s wide enough to capture the big picture, and close enough to highlight the details.
