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

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score
vs
Sigma APO 170-500mm 734101

Sigma APO 170-500mm 734101

Sigma
18 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

Sigma APO 170-500mm 734101

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
99
Sigma
23
Landscape
Panasonic
95
Sigma
33
Professional
Panasonic
92
Sigma
22
Portrait
Panasonic
89
Sigma
16
Travel
Panasonic
86
Sigma
26
Budget
Panasonic
86
Sigma
22
Street
Panasonic
84
Sigma
21
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
Sigma
32
Macro
Panasonic
76
Sigma
19

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmSigma APO 170-500mm 734101
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min12 mm170 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm500 mm
Elements14—
Groups95
Aspherical Elements4★1
ED Elements13★
CoatingNano Surface CoatingMulti-layer lens coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/32
Min Aperturef/2.85-6.3
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades7★—
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsCanon EF
Formatmicro-four-thirdsfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓★—
Weight0.31 kg★1.34 kg
Filter Thread58 mm—
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocus—
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops5 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★—
Max Magnification0.21x★—

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

Sigma APO 170-500mm 734101

  • Strong versatility (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong stabilization (79th percentile)
  • Below average build (3rd percentile)3rd %ile
  • Below average bokeh (4th percentile)4th %ile
  • Below average aperture (5th percentile)5th %ile
  • Below average social proof (7th percentile)7th %ile

Verdict

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

Scores 96 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 8 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports