Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mm

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mm

Viltrox
58 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

Panasonic
95 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mm

72 out of 100 medium confidence 20 reviews

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens is widely praised for its ultra-compact size, lightweight design, and excellent value, making it a favorite for street photography and travel. Users note it turns a full-frame camera into a highly portable setup, though the fixed f/4.5 aperture and lack of manual focus ring are limiting for some. Image quality is considered good for the price, but low-light performance and autofocus in dim conditions are common drawbacks. A few users reported a stuck rear lens cap or battery drain on certain Sony models, but overall sentiment is positive for its intended casual use.

Pros
  • Ultra-compact and lightweight design
  • Excellent value for the price
  • Great for street photography and travel
  • Sharp image quality for its class
  • Built-in lens cover
Cons
  • Fixed f/4.5 aperture
  • No manual focus ring
  • Poor low-light autofocus
  • Battery drain on Sony A5100
  • Stuck rear lens cap issue
👍 Portability 12
👍 Value for money 10
🤔 Image quality 8
👎 Fixed aperture 5
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Low light performance 4

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

92 out of 100 medium confidence 22 reviews

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 lens is widely praised for its excellent optical performance, sturdy yet lightweight build, and fast autofocus. Users highlight its versatility as a workhorse zoom for both photo and video, with particular appreciation for the linear focus mode on compatible cameras. A few note the shallow depth of field is limited due to the Micro Four Thirds system, but overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

Pros
  • Excellent optical performance
  • Sturdy yet lightweight build
  • Fast and reliable autofocus
  • Versatile zoom range
  • Linear focus mode for video
Cons
  • Limited shallow depth of field
  • Focus-by-wire system not linear
  • No built-in gear ring for cine use
  • Slight chromatic aberration in high contrast
👍 Optical performance 7
👍 Build quality 6
👍 Autofocus speed 5
👍 Versatility 4
👍 Video features 3
👎 Depth of field 2

Scores

Video Cinema
Viltrox
69
Panasonic
100
Professional
Viltrox
70
Panasonic
92
Landscape
Viltrox
57
Panasonic
91
Budget
Viltrox
59
Panasonic
90
Portrait
Viltrox
62
Panasonic
87
Travel
Viltrox
64
Panasonic
83
Street
Viltrox
70
Panasonic
82
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
60
Panasonic
78
Macro
Viltrox
50
Panasonic
76

Specifications

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mmPanasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min28 mm12 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm35 mm
Elements614
Groups69
Aspherical Elements24★
ED Elements3★1
CoatingHD Nano CoatingNano Surface Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Min Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades67★
Build
MountFujifilm XMicro Four Thirds
FormatAPS-C★micro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.06 kg★0.31 kg
Filter Thread—58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeVCMAutofocus
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops—5 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance340 mm150 mm★
Max Magnification0.1x0.21x★

Pros & Cons

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mm

  • Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average macro (31st percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

  • Strong stabilization (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile

Pricing

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 XF 28mm

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

Scores 95 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 22 specs.

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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