The Zonlai Discover HD MC 25mm f/1.8, a version of the compact and budget-friendly manual-focus prime lens designed for APS-C mirrorless camera systems, is also known as Perger, Kenro, Hengyijia, and maybe others.
The lens is representative of the value-focused end of the legacy and third-party lens market, with fast aperture performance available at a fraction of the cost of branded optics.
The all-metal and glass lens is a 7-element in 5 groups design with 12 aperture blades, a clickless aperture ring, a minimum focusing distance of 0.18 meters, takes 46mm filters, and weighs approximately 143 grams.
The lens is also known to exist in two iterations, the first with the aperture ring at the front, while the second generation (as the lens here is) has the aperture ring near the camera body. The clickless aperture makes the lens equally suitable for video making.
On the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5, the Zonlai Discover HD MC 25mm f/1.8 is equivalent to a standard normal 50mm lens on a full frame camera, taking in views that closely match human vision, almost without distortion for a natural perspective, ideal for use as a standard normal lens for street, portraits, travel, and documentary photography.
The focal length is approximately the diagonal of the image frame on a film frame.
The lens is quite sharp in the center when used wide open, with punchy contrast and unique character, excellent for low-lights, but soft with signs of vignetting at extreme corners. On MFT bodies, as seen here, close-ups and natural perspective are without distortion.
 |
 |
The lens, well-regarded as a budget option for street photography and general use, is praised for its solid, metal construction and decent image quality. Its clickless aperture and a very short focus throw, however, make manual focusing on the camera without focus peaking functions, rather challenging, more so when the shot is taken wide open.
On the Lumix DMC-G5, the aid to achieve critical focus is to use the jog dial - press it to magnify the view on the LCD or electronic viewfinder, and rotate it (left or right) to further adjust the magnification level.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5, a MFT (Micro Four Thirds) system camera with a 16MP Live MOS sensor and Panasonic's Venus Engine 7 FHD processor, was introduced in 2012. The camera excels in several areas, including excellent noise control at high ISO settings, responsive autofocus in good light, compact form factor with professional-style handling, strong video capabilities with a silent electronic shutter option, and a bright and clear EVF with eye-detection.
