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

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

Panasonic
96 Overall Score
vs
OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

OM System
69 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

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

78 out of 100 medium confidence 14 reviews

This super-telephoto zoom lens is praised for its exceptional sharpness and background blur, rivaling even prime lenses like the 300mm f4. Users love it for wildlife photography, noting it delivers impressive bokeh at 600mm and great value for its reach. However, the lens is heavy, bulky, and poorly balanced on modern M4/3 bodies, with an awkward I/S switch that can accidentally turn off. Despite these ergonomic drawbacks, most reviewers consider it a top all-around choice for wildlife, especially at its price point.

Pros
  • Exceptional sharpness
  • Great background blur/bokeh
  • Excellent for wildlife
  • Good value for reach
  • Impressive at 600mm
Cons
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Poor balance on M4/3 bodies
  • Awkward I/S switch placement
  • Too long at short end (300mm equiv)
  • Requires high shutter speed
👍 Image quality 5
👍 Background blur 3
👎 Weight and balance 4
👍 Value for money 3
👍 Wildlife photography 3
👎 Ergonomics 2

Scores

Video Cinema
Panasonic
98
OM System
64
Landscape
Panasonic
95
OM System
77
Professional
Panasonic
92
OM System
65
Portrait
Panasonic
89
OM System
68
Travel
Panasonic
86
OM System
66
Budget
Panasonic
86
OM System
72
Street
Panasonic
84
OM System
61
Wildlife Sports
Panasonic
78
OM System
69
Macro
Panasonic
76
OM System
68

Specifications

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mmOM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm
Optics
Typezoomtelephoto
Focal Length Min12 mm150 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm600 mm
Elements1425
Groups915
Aspherical Elements4★0
ED Elements16★
CoatingNano Surface Coatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/2.8f/6.3
Min Aperturef/2.85.0-6.3
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades79★
Build
MountMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
Formatmicro-four-thirdsmicro-four-thirds
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.31 kg★2.06 kg
Filter Thread58 mm95 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusAutofocus
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops5 stops7 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance150 mm★560 mm
Max Magnification0.21x0.7x★

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

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

  • Strong stabilization (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong optical (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong versatility (88th percentile)88th %ile
  • Strong social proof (68th percentile)
  • Below average build (11th percentile)11th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (32nd percentile)

Pricing

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm is $1,502 cheaper (2.7x less).

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm0.107score per dollar
vs
OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm0.029score per dollar

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12035 12-35mm offers 3.7x better value for money

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

OM System M.ZUIKO DIGITAL V335930BW000 150-600mm

Verdict

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

Scores 96 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

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

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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