Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
What Buyers Say
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm
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
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
The Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD lens is widely praised for its sharpness, versatile zoom range, constant aperture, and effective stabilization, making it an excellent all-around lens for APS-C cameras. Users appreciate its solid build quality and value for money, though many note it is noticeably heavier and larger than typical kit lenses, which can feel unbalanced on smaller camera bodies. A few reviewers mention minor issues like chromatic aberration at the longer end and noise from the aperture blades at certain settings, but overall sentiment is very positive.
Pros
- sharp image quality across zoom range
- constant f/2.8 aperture
- effective image stabilization
- fast and quiet autofocus
- versatile 17-70mm focal range
Cons
- heavy and large for APS-C body
- chromatic aberration at 50-70mm
- aperture blade noise above f/5.6
- short zoom throw initially stiff
- no aperture ring on Fuji version
Scores
Specifications
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 35mm | Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 12 mm | 17 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 35 mm | 70 mm |
| Elements | 14 | 16 |
| Groups | 9 | 12 |
| Aspherical Elements | 4★ | 3 |
| ED Elements | 1 | 2★ |
| Coating | Nano Surface Coating | Fluorine Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Nikon Z |
| Format | micro-four-thirds | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.31 kg★ | 0.54 kg |
| Filter Thread | 58 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Autofocus | RXD Stepping AF Motor |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stabilization Stops | 5 stops★ | — |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 150 mm | 70 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | 0.21x | 1:4.8★ |
Pros & Cons
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 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
Tamron Di III-A 17-70mm F/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD
- Strong macro (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong optical (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong versatility (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Below average social proof (17th percentile)17th %ile
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average bokeh (25th percentile)
Verdict
Scores 95 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 22 specs.