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

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score
vs
Sony FE SEL100400MC 100-400mm

Sony FE SEL100400MC 100-400mm

Sony
55 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

Sony FE SEL100400MC 100-400mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
98
Sony
52
Landscape
Panasonic
95
Sony
71
Professional
Panasonic
92
Sony
56
Portrait
Panasonic
89
Sony
36
Travel
Panasonic
86
Sony
65
Budget
Panasonic
86
Sony
58
Street
Panasonic
84
Sony
51
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
Sony
66
Macro
Panasonic
76
Sony
50

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmSony FE SEL100400MC 100-400mm
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min12 mm100 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm400 mm
Elements1414
Groups910
Aspherical Elements4★2
ED Elements12★
CoatingNano Surface CoatingAnti-reflective coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/45
Min Aperturef/2.8f/5.6
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsSony E
Formatmicro-four-thirdsfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.31 kg★0.65 kg
Filter Thread58 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusDual linear motors★
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops5 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★860 mm
Max Magnification0.21x0.41x★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong stabilization (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile

Sony FE SEL100400MC 100-400mm

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong optical (83rd percentile)83rd %ile
  • Strong stabilization (79th percentile)
  • Below average aperture (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
  • Below average bokeh (3rd percentile)3rd %ile
  • Below average macro (34th percentile)

Verdict

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

Scores 96 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports