Photography News 90 Newsletter

First test

Panasonic Leica DGVario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4ASPH PRICE: £799

PANASONIC.CO.UK

SPECS › Price £799 › In the box Lens cap, back cap, lens hood, storage bag › Format Micro Four Thirds › Compatibility Micro Four Thirds – Olympus and Panasonic › Filter 62mm › Construction 14 elements in 12 groups › Special lens elements Four aspherical, two ED › Aperture range F/2.8-22 › Diaphragm Nine blades › Magnification 0.3x › Autofocus Yes, linear › Minimum focus 20cm at 12mm, 24cm at 60mm › Weather-sealed? Splash-, dust- and freeze-proof › Image stabiliser Power OIS › Dimensions (dxl) 68.4x86mm › Weight 320g › Contact panasonic.co.uk

Designed in collaboration with Leica, this Panasonic zoom has all the credentials to be the perfect solution for almost every subject

THE PANASONIC LEICA DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ASPH Power OIS has all the hallmarks of an ideal standard zoom. It is priced at £799 and blessed with very handy wide-angle to telephoto coverage, giving the equivalent of 24-120mm in the 35mm format. Plus, it is weather resistant, has Power OIS, and autofocusing is handled by Panasonic’s Linear Motor technology, therefore virtually silent in operation. Autofocus is also handled by an internal focusing

group, so the lens’ size is constant during focusing. However, there is a physical size change during zooming, growing by about 3cm as it is zoomed out from 12mm to 60mm. I tested it on a Panasonic Lumix GH5 II (see page 28), and it made for a good match on this comparatively large Micro Four Thirds camera, with the pair balancing nicely. That said, it was equally at home on the smaller Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Again, balance was good,

even though the lens was the senior partner in this case. Overall handling is impressive, thanks to a smooth action zoom ring and Power OIS giving dual, five-axis IS with compatible Panasonic bodies. Optically, the lens is a decent performer, especially at wide and standard focal lengths – and at wider apertures. At 12mm and f/2.8, image sharpness looked good, but got even better with stopping down to f/8 and f/11 before falling away. F/16 and

f/22 both suffered from diffraction throughout the focal length range, and images looked relatively soft when checked closely. There was a similar showing at the 25mm setting, in that wide and mid apertures looked assured, before slipping away at the two smallest apertures. Of the three tested focal lengths, 60mm was the weakest by comparison, and while sharpness was okay at the maximum aperture, it wasn’t quite in the league of the shorter focal lengths.

However, matters again improved with stopping down. Distortion was well controlled, but barrelling was evident at 12mm, although this went at longer focal lengths and wasn’t too severe in the first place. Flare was handled well, without an issue – even when shooting towards a bright sun. WC

ONTEST

We tested this lens using our custom chart, taking shots at three focal lengths. The camera was a Panasonic Lumix GH5 II

12mm

25mm

60mm

F/2.8

F/4

F/5.6

F/8

BROLLYGANG Shot on a Panasonic Lumix GH5 II, with the DG 12-60mm f/2.8-4 at 25mm, using an exposure of 1/100sec at f/8, ISO 100

F/11

PROS Compact, good handling, OIS CONS Optical skills at longer settings less impressive Verdict The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ASPH makes for a fine standard lens, with a great focal length range. It’s compact, handles nicely and is well suited to any Micro Four Thirds camera. Olympus and Panasonic users should give this zoom serious consideration if looking to upgrade their kit lens.

F/16

F/22

Issue 90 | Photography News 35

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