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

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score
vs
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

Canon
86 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

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

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

82 out of 100 high confidence 331 reviews

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens is widely praised for its excellent sharpness, fast and silent autofocus, and lightweight design, making it a fantastic value for amateur photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. Many users highlight the impressive image quality at the long end and the effective image stabilization, though some note softness beyond 200mm and noticeable vignetting at full zoom. A few reviewers experienced quality control issues like blurry images or a non-functional focus ring, but the overwhelming consensus is that this lens delivers outstanding performance for its price point.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness for the price
  • Fast and silent STM autofocus
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Effective image stabilization
  • Great value for money
Cons
  • Softness beyond 200mm
  • Noticeable vignetting at full zoom
  • Plastic build quality
  • Electronic manual focus requires camera power
  • Slow maximum aperture (f/5.6 at 250mm)
👍 Image quality 45
👍 Autofocus performance 30
👍 Value for money 35
🤔 Build quality 20
👍 Image stabilization 18
🤔 Sharpness at long end 25

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
98
Canon
77
Landscape
Panasonic
95
Canon
74
Professional
Panasonic
92
Canon
68
Budget
Panasonic
86
Canon
90
Portrait
Panasonic
89
Canon
80
Travel
Panasonic
86
Canon
85
Street
Panasonic
84
Canon
81
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
Canon
78
Macro
Panasonic
76
Canon
62

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmCanon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Optics
Typezoomzoom
Focal Length Min12 mm55 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm250 mm
Elements1415
Groups912
Aspherical Elements4★0
ED Elements11
CoatingNano Surface CoatingSuper Spectra coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/4
Min Aperturef/2.84-5.6
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades77
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsCanon EF-S
Formatmicro-four-thirdsAPS-C★
Weather Sealed✓★✗
Weight0.31 kg★0.38 kg
Filter Thread58 mm58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusSTM★
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops5 stops★4 stops
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★850 mm
Max Magnification0.21x0.29x★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong stabilization (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

  • Strong stabilization (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong versatility (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Below average macro (31st percentile)

Pricing

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

No current pricing available

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM

Verdict

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

Scores 96 overall, wins 6 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.

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

MacroStreetPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo Cinema

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Better at:

Budget

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