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

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

Panasonic
91 Overall Score
vs
7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

7Artisans
41 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

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

72 out of 100 high confidence 30 reviews

The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 is a budget-friendly manual focus lens that many users find fun and engaging, especially for street photography and everyday carry. Image quality is praised in the center but criticized for softness and color fringing at the edges, particularly wide open. While some find the controls cumbersome or the build lacking compared to pricier alternatives, most agree it offers great value for the price and a unique, vintage feel.

Pros
  • Great value for money
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Fun manual shooting experience
  • Beautiful bokeh at f/1.4
  • Sharp center image quality
Cons
  • Soft edges with color fringing
  • Cumbersome manual controls
  • Not suitable for full-frame sensors
  • Focus and aperture rings too close
  • Build quality not premium
👍 Value for money 8
🤔 Image quality 10
🤔 Build quality 6
👍 Ease of use 7
👍 Manual focus experience 8
👍 Bokeh 4

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
100
7Artisans
35
Landscape
Panasonic
95
7Artisans
34
Professional
Panasonic
92
7Artisans
34
Budget
Panasonic
89
7Artisans
45
Portrait
Panasonic
87
7Artisans
41
Street
Panasonic
83
7Artisans
45
Travel
Panasonic
83
7Artisans
41
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
7Artisans
26
Macro
Panasonic
76
7Artisans
47

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min12 mm35 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm35 mm
Elements148
Groups95
Aspherical Elements4★—
ED Elements1★—
CoatingNano Surface CoatingMultilayered Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperturef/2.8f/1.4
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsSony E
Formatmicro-four-thirdsAPS-C★
Weather Sealed✓★—
Weight0.31 kg0.23 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm49 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusmanual focus only
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops5 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★350 mm
Max Magnification0.21x★—

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

7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark III 35mm

  • Strong build (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Strong social proof (70th percentile)
  • Strong macro (65th percentile)
  • Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Verdict

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

Scores 91 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