What's the best lens for Panasonic Lumix G7 under $200?

Something that s "professionally looking" isn t.

You choose a lens to match what you re shooting it with. Look at focal lengths and then speed.

That 25mm is a normal/standard lens for the G7. It can be used to shoot almost anything. What it can t do is take landscapes or large group shots. It can t make far subjects look near too. For the former, you need a wide angle lens, lesser than 25mm, the wider, the more of the scene you see. For the latter you need a telephoto lens, higher than 25mm, the higher, the nearer or larger the subject will be.

At f/1.8, that 25mm is quite fast. The larger the aperture size (the smaller the f/number), the faster you can set the shutter speed, the better you can freeze action, the more you can shoot in lower lighting conditions, and the easier you can blur backgrounds. The lower that f/number is however, the higher the price of the lens shall be.

Those who demand the highest optical quality go for single focal length lenses. They don t think about zoom at all. When they move around, they simply are just "framing the subject" or "composing" the shot. The highest optical quality is best attained when zoom is least which in this case is none.

Admittedly, there are shooting scenarios where you need a versatile lens (one that zooms) like when shooting most sports and photojournalism. These are the times when you can t move from your spot so you lens the lens do the walking for you. In these cases, you get a lens with a focal length range that is most useful to you.

So what s the best lens to get? The answer is "It s all up to you".

The 14-42mm that came with it is a good general-purpose lens. Anything longer or faster will cost more than £200.

I don't know of any Panny compatible lens under $200 that is better than what you have... maybe the already mentioned 14-42, but everything else will cost more.

What it *looks* like is completely irrelevant, and not the way you buy lenses. You determine what you need the lens to do, and how much you have to spend on the lens. Those are the only two things that matter. If you want to strut around with something that looks cool, that's fine. Looking cool doesn't get the shots that make the money, skill with the proper equipment to get the shots that make the money does.

You need to be prepared to spend a lot more than $200 to get a good lens...

unless you can find a used one for that little.