In partnershp with Panasonic LUMIX
The best cameras and lenses can be a sizeable investment, so wouldn’t it be great to be able to ‘try before you buy?’ Fortunately, Panasonic offers just such a scheme, and as you’ll see, it couldn’t be easier to use
While the camera and lens reviews we publish here at AP are very comprehensive, and very much written with the target market in mind, there is nothing like trying out equipment before buying.
How easy will you find the menu system? Is the camera or lens too bulky, particularly if you have health issues or big/small hands, or need to save space when traveling? Does the lens aperture range best serve the kind of photography you like to do? What about the video performance?
These are the questions that can sometimes only be answered subjectively, in other words, by trying the camera and lens out before handing over your debit card. You will know pretty soon whether a camera or lens feels right.
With the Panasonic LUMIX Try Before You Buy service, there is a surprisingly large range of cameras and lenses available for a ‘road test’ and the loan periods will give you plenty of time to reach a final decision
Panasonic LUMIX S series cameras to try
These full-frame cameras offer high-resolution sensors for high-quality stills and video capture, but are also ergonomic and compact – so they wont weigh you down. Available models to try are:
- LUMIX S5 II X
- LUMIX S5 II
- LUMIX S5 II with LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens
- LUMIX S5
- LUMIX S1H
- LUMIX BS1H box-style camera
- LUMIX S9
Panasonic LUMIX G series cameras to try
If you don’t need full-frame and instead favour a more compact camera design, with a massive choice of lenses, these Micro Four Thirds cameras are definitely worth trying out.
- LUMIX GH7
- LUMIX GH6
- LUMIX G9 II
- LUMIX BGH1 box-style camera.
Panasonic LUMIX S lenses to try
Get the most from your full-frame LUMIX camera by finding the perfect lens for your needs. A wide range of focal lengths are covered, from 14mm to 200mm, with both primes and zooms available – so there is bound to be something suitable for your favourite photographic genres.
- LUMIX S 28-200mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S.
- LUMIX S 14-28mm Lens
- LUMIX S PRO 16-35mm Lens
- LUMIX S 18mm F1.8
- LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6
- LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S.
- LUMIX S PRO 24-70mm F2.8
- LUMIX S 24mm F1.8
- LUMIX S 35mm F1.8
- LUMIX S PRO 50mm F1.4
- LUMIX S 50mm F1.8
- LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm F2.8 O.I.S.
- LUMIX S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 MACRO O.I.S
- LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm F4 O.I.S
- LUMIX S 85mm F1.8
- LUMIX S 100mm F2.8 MACRO
Panasonic LUMIX G-series lenses to try
Micro Four Thirds is all about compactness and convenience, so ensure you get the best possible images from your LUMIX G series camera with these high-quality lenses.
- Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm
- LUMIX G 12-35mm F2.8
- LUMIX G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Asph. Power O.I.S
- Leica DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 25-50mm / F1.7 ASPH.
- LUMIX G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 II O.I.S.
- Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm F1.2 ASPH. POWER O.I.S.
- Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm f/2.8-4 ASPH Power OIS
How the loan process works (and a hot tip)
So, as you can see, there is a massive range of cameras and lenses to try. To access any of the available loan products, simply navigate to the camera system you want to use and then add the camera and lenses of your choice to your basket.
You can pick a camera and a lens from different systems if you want, and you can pick more than one camera and more than one lens at a time. It is best not to overdo it unless you are planning on extending the loan period – you want to make sure you have the time to test things properly.
You can always go back to the site at a later date to borrow more equipment, but the free period applies only once to any single item.
Having chosen the camera or lens you want to borrow, you then select the loan-period dates. The 48 hour free period gives Panasonic extra days on which the kit will be delivered and collected, so if you book for Tuesday and Wednesday, for example, your order will arrive on Monday and be collected on Thursday – so you have a clear 48-hour period in which to use it.
There are no collections on Sundays. A good tip is to order a camera or lens for Friday and Saturday – it will arrive on Thursday and won’t be collected until Monday, so you get an extra day for free on the Sunday!
Deposit and delivery
Given the high quality and high value of Panasonic’s equipment, it’s only reasonable to ask for a deposit. This is sorted out once you’ve added your kit to the basket and picked your dates, and the size of the deposit will depend on the value of what you borrow. It will be repaid to you once the kit has returned safely to Panasonic after the loan ends.
So long as you select dates within the free period the service will cost you nothing at all, as Panasonic even covers the cost of the courier. For maximum security and peace of mind, the camera, lens, or both will be delivered in a tough Peli hard case; as an extra precaution, lenses come with a protective U/V filter as well as all the usual lens and body caps.
The whole loan process couldn’t be easier, and If you are concerned about having to wait around for a courier, don’t be – you can opt to drop your loan equipment at a courier depot or at a Post Office.
In conclusion, Panasonic’s Try Before You Buy service is anything but trying – it’s free and open to everyone aged 18 and over. Full details can be found here.
