Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

Panasonic
89 Overall Score
vs
OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

OM System
69 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

88 out of 100 medium confidence 18 reviews

The Panasonic 8-18mm f/2.8-4 lens is highly praised for its excellent image quality, sharpness, and build. Users appreciate its compact size, light weight, and the ability to use screw-on filters, which is a key advantage over some competitors. While a few users noted it is pricey and one had sharpness issues on an Olympus body, the overwhelming majority recommend it for landscapes, interiors, and travel photography.

Pros
  • Excellent image quality
  • Sharp and crisp
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Accepts screw-on filters
  • Weather-sealed
Cons
  • Pricey
  • Variable aperture
  • No OIS
  • Sharpness issues on some Olympus bodies
  • Slight distortion at 8mm
👍 Image quality 12
👍 Build quality 8
🤔 Value for money 6
👍 Portability 5
👍 Filter compatibility 4
👍 Autofocus performance 3

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

78 out of 100 medium confidence 14 reviews

This super-telephoto zoom lens is praised for its exceptional sharpness and background blur, rivaling even prime lenses like the 300mm f4. Users love it for wildlife photography, noting it delivers impressive bokeh at 600mm and great value for its reach. However, the lens is heavy, bulky, and poorly balanced on modern M4/3 bodies, with an awkward I/S switch that can accidentally turn off. Despite these ergonomic drawbacks, most reviewers consider it a top all-around choice for wildlife, especially at its price point.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Great background blur/bokeh
  • Excellent for wildlife
  • Good value for reach
  • Impressive at 600mm
Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Poor balance on M4/3 bodies
  • Awkward I/S switch placement
  • Too long at short end (300mm equiv)
  • Requires high shutter speed
👍 Image quality 5
👍 Background blur 3
👎 Weight and balance 4
👍 Value for money 3
👍 Wildlife photography 3
👎 Ergonomics 2

Scores

Portrait
Panasonic
89
OM System
68
Video Cinema
Panasonic
85
OM System
64
Street
Panasonic
84
OM System
61
Landscape
Panasonic
83
OM System
77
Budget
Panasonic
82
OM System
72
Travel
Panasonic
82
OM System
66
Professional
Panasonic
82
OM System
65
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
75
OM System
69
Macro
Panasonic
69
OM System
68

Specifications

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min8 mm150 mm
Focal Length Max18 mm600 mm
Elements1525
Groups1015
Aspherical Elements4★0
ED Elements36★
CoatingNano Surface Coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/6.3
Min Aperture2.8-45.0-6.3
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
Formatmicro-four-thirdsmicro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.31 kg★2.06 kg
Filter Thread67 mm95 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Type240-fps autofocus driveAutofocus
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops—7 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance230 mm★560 mm
Max Magnification0.12x0.7x★

Pros & Cons

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

  • Strong optical (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong build (84th percentile)84th %ile

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

  • Strong stabilization (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong optical (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong versatility (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong social proof (68th percentile)
  • Below average build (11th percentile)11th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (32nd percentile)

Pricing

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

No current pricing available

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

Verdict

★ Winner: Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4

Scores 89 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 3 of 22 specs.

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 Better at:

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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