Sony vs Fuji vs Lumix - Kit Lens Comparison
Gear
Gear Reviews
Gear Focus
Jul 12, 2021
Gear Focus put Sony, Fuji, and Lumix kit lenses to the test to determine which lens is best. We are comparing the Sony 28-60mm f/4-5.6, the Fuji 18-55mm f/2.8-4, and the Lumix 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6. Check out our kit lens comparison review with Connor and Zach!
Starting with the Lumix 20-60mm, the guys put it to the test. What they found was the lack of built-in image stabilization resulted in shaky footage at 20mm, but even worse results at 60mm. This was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the Sony 28-60mm showing better results at the tightest 60mm shot. At 28mm, the Sony was similar to the Lumix. However, as the shot got tighter, the stabilization did not drop off as markedly as it did with the Lumix at 60mm. The Fuji has built-in image stabilization, so it was no surprise that it aced this first kit lens comparison test.
The Sony collapses down into a much smaller form factor. This can definitely be seen as a positive if you are trying to keep things minimal and pack a smaller bag for travel purposes. But it is overall a little bit of a hassle to operate due to this. The Lumix is a good lens. Good, but maybe not great. It has a decent build quality, especially for a kit lens, but it does nothing to wow you. The Fuji on the other hand has a nice metal heft to it. It feels more professional in your hands and doesn't feel like a traditional kit lens. So then for the rankings as you may have guessed:
Arguably the most important test, the image quality that a lens can produce determines a lot about it's overall ranking. Connor and Zach tested the photo quality of each lens with a series of different tests. First was a minimum focus test, then a wide shot, and finally a portrait shot test.
Starting with the Lumix lens, we notice a much more crisp texture compared to the other two. The others offer a smoother texture, but the Lumix still looks great. The Lumix also has the smallest minimum focus distance for macro work. After more testing with the other lenses, they all looked really great. There is nothing really stand out bad about any of the lenses. The Lumix might have finished last based on the textures, but since that could have been due to the camera sensor, it just made sense that all the lenses tied. So each lens was awarded the full 5 points for first place.
These tests were done in two ways. One test was set up for testing how quickly the autofocus would focus on a subject and testing how well the autofocus tracked the subject. The other test was set up to test the autofocus performance of still image capture. The guys used burst mode photography to see how quickly the autofocus locked on to the subject.
The Sony worked exactly how you would want it to. It tracked Zach's face perfectly during the video testing. The burst mode photos showed consistent focus on his face as well. The Lumix struggled with the video autofocus testing because Panasonic cameras are still using contrast-detection autofocus systems. However, the Lumix did work well in the photography autofocus testing. The Fujifilm lens tracked pretty consistently for the video testing. But there was some focus hunting flickering happening at times. Now for the photo autofocus kit lens comparison testing the Fuji struggled the most. It would find the face eventually, but it always took a few photos in order to do so.
Kit Lens Comparison
So the metrics we used to compare these three lenses were stabilization, build quality, photo quality, and autofocus. The winners of each category will be awarded 5 points. The second place finishers will receive 3 points. And the lens in last place will get only 1 point. So to start, Connor and Zach tested the stability of each lens on the wide and tight ends.Test # 1: Stability
Starting with the Lumix 20-60mm, the guys put it to the test. What they found was the lack of built-in image stabilization resulted in shaky footage at 20mm, but even worse results at 60mm. This was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the Sony 28-60mm showing better results at the tightest 60mm shot. At 28mm, the Sony was similar to the Lumix. However, as the shot got tighter, the stabilization did not drop off as markedly as it did with the Lumix at 60mm. The Fuji has built-in image stabilization, so it was no surprise that it aced this first kit lens comparison test.
- Fujifilm 18-55mm: 5 points
- Sony 28-60mm: 3 points
- Lumix 20-60mm: 1 point
Test #2: Build Quality
The Sony collapses down into a much smaller form factor. This can definitely be seen as a positive if you are trying to keep things minimal and pack a smaller bag for travel purposes. But it is overall a little bit of a hassle to operate due to this. The Lumix is a good lens. Good, but maybe not great. It has a decent build quality, especially for a kit lens, but it does nothing to wow you. The Fuji on the other hand has a nice metal heft to it. It feels more professional in your hands and doesn't feel like a traditional kit lens. So then for the rankings as you may have guessed:
- Fujifilm 18-55mm: 5 points
- Lumix 20-60mm: 3 points
- Sony 28-60mm: 1 point
Kit Lens Comparison Rankings
A quick break to update the standings now after the first two kit lens comparison tests have been completed. The Fujifilm lens is out to a strong lead with 10 points. And the Sony and Lumix lenses are currently tied with 4 points each. Now, on to the rest of the testing to see which kit lens comes out on top!Test #3: Photo Quality
Arguably the most important test, the image quality that a lens can produce determines a lot about it's overall ranking. Connor and Zach tested the photo quality of each lens with a series of different tests. First was a minimum focus test, then a wide shot, and finally a portrait shot test.
Starting with the Lumix lens, we notice a much more crisp texture compared to the other two. The others offer a smoother texture, but the Lumix still looks great. The Lumix also has the smallest minimum focus distance for macro work. After more testing with the other lenses, they all looked really great. There is nothing really stand out bad about any of the lenses. The Lumix might have finished last based on the textures, but since that could have been due to the camera sensor, it just made sense that all the lenses tied. So each lens was awarded the full 5 points for first place.
- Fujifilm 18-55mm: 5 points
- Lumix 20-60mm: 5 points
- Sony 28-60mm: 5 points
Test #4: Autofocus
These tests were done in two ways. One test was set up for testing how quickly the autofocus would focus on a subject and testing how well the autofocus tracked the subject. The other test was set up to test the autofocus performance of still image capture. The guys used burst mode photography to see how quickly the autofocus locked on to the subject.
The Sony worked exactly how you would want it to. It tracked Zach's face perfectly during the video testing. The burst mode photos showed consistent focus on his face as well. The Lumix struggled with the video autofocus testing because Panasonic cameras are still using contrast-detection autofocus systems. However, the Lumix did work well in the photography autofocus testing. The Fujifilm lens tracked pretty consistently for the video testing. But there was some focus hunting flickering happening at times. Now for the photo autofocus kit lens comparison testing the Fuji struggled the most. It would find the face eventually, but it always took a few photos in order to do so.
- Sony 28-60mm: 5 points
- Fujifilm 18-55mm: 3 points
- Lumix 20-60mm: 1 point
The Kit Lens Comparison Results
https://youtu.be/r-ou6feHNKc So after the testing was completed, we have our winner! Those following along at home will see that in third place, we find the Lumix 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 finishes with 10 points. It is a solid lens, and does offer the shortest minimum focus distance which is definitely something to keep in mind. It was also maybe held back by the Panasonic camera it was used with. In second place, with 14 points is the Sony 28-60mm f/4-5.6. It is the least expensive lens on our kit lens comparison list. And despite that, it performs admirably throughout all the testing. And the winner, with 18 points in our kit lens comparison test, was the Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4! It just seemed a step above the others in terms of build quality and in the images produced. It doesn't even feel like a kit lens, it feels like a professional lens. The built-in optical image stabilization was the icing on the cake that really sets this lens apart.Our Overall Takeaway
So our overall takeaway from all this testing is that no matter which camera system you go with, there is a great kit lens out there for you. Whether you shoot Panasonic, Sony, Fuji, or really any other brand - you will be able to get great results without springing for professional lenses. Check out Dan's Product Photography at Home tutorial to see how you can achieve pro results even without top-of-the-line gear. If you are just starting out with photography, save yourself some money and buy a camera with lens package. Or better yet, save even more money by shopping for used camera equipment on Gear Focus!Own one like this?
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