Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox
63 Overall Score
vs
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

72 out of 100 medium confidence 20 reviews

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens is widely praised for its ultra-compact size, lightweight design, and excellent value, making it a favorite for street photography and travel. Users note it turns a full-frame camera into a highly portable setup, though the fixed f/4.5 aperture and lack of manual focus ring are limiting for some. Image quality is considered good for the price, but low-light performance and autofocus in dim conditions are common drawbacks. A few users reported a stuck rear lens cap or battery drain on certain Sony models, but overall sentiment is positive for its intended casual use.

Pros
  • Ultra-compact and lightweight design
  • Excellent value for the price
  • Great for street photography and travel
  • Sharp image quality for its class
  • Built-in lens cover
Cons
  • Fixed f/4.5 aperture
  • No manual focus ring
  • Poor low-light autofocus
  • Battery drain on Sony A5100
  • Stuck rear lens cap issue
👍 Portability 12
👍 Value for money 10
🤔 Image quality 8
👎 Fixed aperture 5
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Low light performance 4

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

Scores

Video Cinema
Viltrox
61
Panasonic
99
Professional
Viltrox
68
Panasonic
92
Landscape
Viltrox
60
Panasonic
91
Portrait
Viltrox
63
Panasonic
89
Travel
Viltrox
66
Panasonic
87
Budget
Viltrox
62
Panasonic
86
Street
Viltrox
71
Panasonic
84
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
54
Panasonic
78
Macro
Viltrox
62
Panasonic
76

Specifications

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mmPanasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min28 mm12 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm35 mm
Elements614
Groups69
Aspherical Elements24★
ED Elements2★1
Coatingmultilayer nanocoatingNano Surface Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Min Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades67★
Build
MountSony EMicro Four Thirds
Formatfull-frame★micro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.06 kg★0.31 kg
Filter Thread—58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusAutofocus
Stabilization✗✓★
Stabilization Stops—5 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance350 mm150 mm★
Max Magnification1:10★0.21x

Pros & Cons

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

  • Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong social proof (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

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

  • Strong stabilization (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong optical (86th percentile)86th %ile

Pricing

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z 28mm

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

No current pricing available

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

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