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

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score
vs
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm

Laowa
60 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

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm

No customer feedback yet

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
98
Laowa
57
Landscape
Panasonic
95
Laowa
41
Professional
Panasonic
92
Laowa
59
Portrait
Panasonic
89
Laowa
73
Travel
Panasonic
86
Laowa
46
Budget
Panasonic
86
Laowa
45
Street
Panasonic
84
Laowa
66
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
Laowa
37
Macro
Panasonic
76
Laowa
77

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmLaowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm
Optics
Typezoommacro
Focal Length Min12 mm100 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm100 mm
Elements1412
Groups910
Aspherical Elements4★—
ED Elements1★—
CoatingNano Surface Coatingmultilayer coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/2.8
Min Aperturef/2.8f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades715★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsL-Mount
Formatmicro-four-thirdsfull-frame★
Weather Sealed✓★—
Weight0.31 kg0.10 kg★
Filter Thread58 mm67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusmanual focus only
Stabilization✓★✗
Stabilization Stops5 stops★—
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★300 mm
Max Magnification0.21x2:1★

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

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm

  • Strong bokeh (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong build (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong aperture (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong macro (86th percentile)86th %ile
  • Below average af (15th percentile)15th %ile
  • Below average social proof (33rd percentile)
  • Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (34th percentile)

Pricing

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm is $399 cheaper (1.8x less).

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

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO 100mm

Verdict

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

Scores 96 overall, wins 8 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.

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

BudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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