Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 12mm
What Buyers Say
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
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 12mm
The Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 lens is widely praised for its exceptional sharpness, color rendition, and build quality, making it a favorite for landscape and interior photography. Users appreciate the minimal distortion and excellent flare control, though many note the autofocus is slow and noisy, and manual focus also produces motor sounds. Some find it pricey but worth the investment for the optical quality, while a few express disappointment over the lack of a depth-of-field scale and noisy operation.
Pros
- Exceptional sharpness
- Excellent color rendition
- Minimal distortion
- Great flare control
- Solid build quality
Cons
- Slow and noisy autofocus
- Loud manual focus motor
- No depth-of-field scale
- Expensive
- Lens caps of poor quality
Scores
Specifications
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm | Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 12mm | |
|---|---|---|
| Optics | ||
| Type | zoom | wide-angle |
| Focal Length Min | 12 mm | 12 mm |
| Focal Length Max | 35 mm | 12 mm |
| Elements | 14 | 11 |
| Groups | 9 | 8 |
| Aspherical Elements | 4★ | 1 |
| ED Elements | 1★ | 0 |
| Coating | Nano Surface Coating | T* anti-reflective coating |
| Aperture | ||
| Max Aperture | f/2.8 | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | f/2.8 | f/2.8 |
| Constant | ✓ | ✓ |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 | 9★ |
| Build | ||
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Format | micro-four-thirds | APS-C★ |
| Weather Sealed | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Weight | 0.31 kg | 0.26 kg★ |
| Filter Thread | 58 mm | 67 mm |
| AF & Stabilization | ||
| AF Type | Autofocus | Auto Focus |
| Stabilization | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Stabilization Stops | 5 stops★ | — |
| Focus | ||
| Min Focus Distance | 150 mm★ | 180 mm |
| Max Magnification | 0.21x | 1:2★ |
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
Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 12mm
- Strong macro (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Strong build (78th percentile)
- Strong social proof (71st percentile)
- Below average aperture (22nd percentile)
- Below average bokeh (25th percentile)
- Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
- Below average stabilization (34th percentile)
Pricing
Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm offers 1.9x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 96 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 6 of 22 specs.
