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
Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm

Fujifilm
68 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

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm

92 out of 100 high confidence 85 reviews

This lens is widely praised as one of Fujifilm's best, with exceptional sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and a very close focusing distance that makes it versatile for portraits, landscapes, and street photography. Users love the solid build quality and weather sealing, though some note the aperture ring is too loose and the lens is heavy and pricey. Overall, it's a must-have for serious Fuji shooters.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Beautiful bokeh
  • Close focusing capability
  • Solid build quality
  • Weather sealing
Cons
  • Loose aperture ring
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Expensive
  • Plastic lens hood
  • Autofocus noise in video
👍 Image quality 45
👍 Build quality 20
👍 Close focusing 18
👎 Aperture ring 3
🤔 Weight and size 8
👍 Value for money 10

Scores

Portrait
Panasonic
89
Fujifilm
56
Video Cinema
Panasonic
85
Fujifilm
58
Street
Panasonic
84
Fujifilm
60
Landscape
Panasonic
83
Fujifilm
59
Budget
Panasonic
82
Fujifilm
58
Travel
Panasonic
82
Fujifilm
55
Professional
Panasonic
82
Fujifilm
66
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
75
Fujifilm
52
Macro
Panasonic
69
Fujifilm
59

Specifications

Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm
Optics
Typezoomprime
Focal Length Min8 mm16 mm
Focal Length Max18 mm16 mm
Elements1513
Groups1011
Aspherical Elements4★2
ED Elements3★2
CoatingNano Surface CoatingNano-GI and HT-EBC
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/16
Min Aperture2.8-4f/1.4
Constant✗✓★
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsFujifilm X
Formatmicro-four-thirdsAPS-C★
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.31 kg★0.38 kg
Filter Thread67 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF Type240-fps autofocus driveAutofocus
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance230 mm150 mm★
Max Magnification0.12x0.21x★

Pros & Cons

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

  • Strong optical (94th percentile)94th %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong build (84th percentile)84th %ile

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm

  • Strong social proof (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong optical (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
  • Strong build (79th percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm is ¥86,210 cheaper (1.6x less).

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

Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR 16mm

Verdict

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

Scores 89 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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