Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm
What Buyers Say
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
This budget telephoto lens receives mixed reviews. Many users praise its value for the price, noting clear focus and decent image quality for occasional use like moon photography. However, several verified buyers report issues with soft focus, dust contamination, and poor build quality, especially with the 2x teleconverter. It is best suited for those with realistic expectations who are willing to use a tripod and manual focus.
Pros
- Great value for the price
- Clear focus for occasional use
- Decent image quality on tripod
- Good for moon and eclipse photography
- Solid adapter and converter machining
Cons
- Soft focus on some units
- Dust contamination from 2x teleconverter
- Requires lots of light (f/8 max aperture)
- No image stabilization
- Adapter lacks back cover
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm
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
Scores
Specifications
| Big Mike's SLY500 500mm | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | telephoto | zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 500 mm | 12 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 1000 mm | 35 mm |
| Elements | — | 14 |
| Groups | — | 9 |
| Aspherical Elements | — | 4★ |
| ED Elements | — | 1★ |
| Coating | multi-coated | Nano Surface Coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/8 | f/2.8 |
| Min Aperture | f/8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | — | 7★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | T Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format | — | micro-four-thirds |
| Weather Sealed | — | ✓★ |
| Weight | 1.16 kg | 0.31 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 67 mm | 58 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | manual focus only | Autofocus |
| Stabilization | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stabilization Stops | — | 5 stops★ |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 500 mm | 150 mm★ |
| Max Magnification | — | 0.21x★ |
Pros & Cons
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm
- Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile
- Strong versatility (72nd percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average af (14th percentile)14th %ile
- Below average build (15th percentile)15th %ile
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 optical (86th percentile)86th %ile
Pricing
Big Mike's SLY500 500mm offers 2.9x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 96 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 8 of 22 specs.
