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

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

Panasonic
95 Overall Score
vs
Viltrox AF 15mm F1.7 E 15mm

Viltrox AF 15mm F1.7 E 15mm

Viltrox
64 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

Viltrox AF 15mm F1.7 E 15mm

78 out of 100 high confidence 76 reviews

This Viltrox lens range receives overwhelmingly positive feedback for its exceptional value, sharpness, and fast apertures. Users consistently praise the image quality and build, noting it punches far above its price point. A minority report issues with chromatic aberration, noisy autofocus in video, firmware updates, and occasional defective units, but the general sentiment is that these are excellent budget primes.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness
  • Fast aperture (f/1.2, f/1.7, f/1.8)
  • Great value for money
  • Solid build quality
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Chromatic aberration in high contrast scenes
  • Noisy autofocus in video
  • Aperture ring moves too easily
  • Firmware update process is cumbersome
  • Occasional defective units
👍 Sharpness 28
👍 Value for money 25
👍 Build quality 18
👍 Autofocus performance 16
👍 Low light performance 12
👎 Chromatic aberration 4

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
100
Viltrox
74
Professional
Panasonic
92
Viltrox
77
Landscape
Panasonic
91
Viltrox
72
Budget
Panasonic
90
Viltrox
64
Portrait
Panasonic
87
Viltrox
59
Travel
Panasonic
83
Viltrox
70
Street
Panasonic
82
Viltrox
76
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
Viltrox
70
Macro
Panasonic
76
Viltrox
59

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmViltrox AF 15mm F1.7 E 15mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min12 mm15 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm15 mm
Elements1412
Groups910
Aspherical Elements4★2
ED Elements13★
CoatingNano Surface Coatingsplash-resistance and anti-fouling coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperturef/2.8f/1.7
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsSony E
Formatmicro-four-thirdsAPS-C★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.31 kg0.18 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusSTM★
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops5 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★230 mm
Max Magnification0.21x★0.1x

Pros & Cons

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 (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong aperture (86th percentile)86th %ile

Viltrox AF 15mm F1.7 E 15mm

  • Strong build (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong optical (81st percentile)81st %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)
  • Below average macro (35th percentile)

Verdict

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

Scores 95 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports