BM Premium 420mm Lens 420-800mm
Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4
What Buyers Say
BM Premium 420mm Lens 420-800mm
The lens receives mixed feedback: some users praise its value for money and image quality for certain uses like architecture, but many report serious issues including incompatibility with Canon EOS R8, poor image quality, flimsy plastic build, and slow autofocus unsuitable for wildlife. The need for a tripod due to bulkiness and manual focus annoyance are also noted.
Pros
- Good value for money
- Decent image quality for architecture
- Pleasant for certain projects
Cons
- Incompatible with Canon EOS R8
- Poor image quality
- Flimsy plastic zoom mechanism
- Slow autofocus for wildlife
- Bulky requiring tripod
Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4
The Panasonic 8-18mm f/2.8-4 lens is highly praised for its excellent image quality, sharpness, and build. Users appreciate its compact size, light weight, and the ability to use screw-on filters, which is a key advantage over some competitors. While a few users noted it is pricey and one had sharpness issues on an Olympus body, the overwhelming majority recommend it for landscapes, interiors, and travel photography.
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Sharp and crisp
- Compact and lightweight
- Accepts screw-on filters
- Weather-sealed
Cons
- Pricey
- Variable aperture
- No OIS
- Sharpness issues on some Olympus bodies
- Slight distortion at 8mm
Scores
Specifications
| BM Premium 420mm Lens 420-800mm | Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 420 mm | 8 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1600 mm | 18 mm |
| Elements | — | 15 |
| Groups | — | 10 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 4★ |
| ED Elements | — | 3★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | Nano Surface Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8.3 | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/8.3 | 2.8-4 |
| Constant | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 7★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Canon RF | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format | — | micro-four-thirds |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✓★ |
| Weight | 1.14 kg | 0.31 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 62 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | 240-fps autofocus drive |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 420 mm | 230 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.12x★ |
Pros & Cons
BM Premium 420mm Lens 420-800mm
- Strong versatility (86th percentile)86th %ile
- Strong stabilization (79th percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (1st percentile)1st %ile
- Below average build (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4
- Strong optical (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
- Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong build (84th percentile)84th %ile
Pricing
BM Premium 420mm Lens 420-800mm offers 6.1x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 89 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 7 of 21 specs.
