In summary
For its coverage, portability and performance, this well-built, all-weather lens is ideal for travellers with M4/3 cameras, covering a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to portraits. Its near silent operation and superior stabilisation make it even better suited to movie recording than the significantly cheaper 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.
Although both lenses share many features, the Leica-branded 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 lens is better built and its weather-resistant properties are superior. It also includes more metal in its construction and more advances AF and aperture controls.
Close-up shooting capabilities are the same as the previous 12-60mm lens but the 3/2 of a stop larger maximum apertures at 12mm and full-stop more at 60mm allow more scope for differential focusing and shots with shallow depth of field. Bokeh should be superior in the new lens in most situations.
The lens can be used on both Panasonic and Olympus camera bodies, although autofocusing is handled better on the former. Its price tag is relatively high, but keen photographers should recognise the advantages this lens provides.
Full review
Announced at the beginning of January, Panasonic’s Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens is a faster, more up-market alternative to the G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens we reviewed in September 2016. The first in a new Leica DG Vario-Elmarit f/2.8-4.0 series, the ability of this lens to be used for both photo and video recording makes it an ideal partner for the just-released Lumix GH5 camera, which we used for this review.
Side view of the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens without the supplied lens hood and end caps. (Source: Panasonic.)
The optical design of this lens consists of 14 elements in 12 groups and includes four aspherical and two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements that together suppress spherical distortion and chromatic aberration. Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating technology has been applied to minimise ghosting and flare.
The optical design of the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens showing the positions of the exotic elements. (Source: Panasonic.)
Designed to be dust- and splash-proof , the lenses in this series are also freeze-proof down to -10℃ and feature a nine-bladed iris diaphragm that opens to a rounded shape tot produce an attractive bokeh at wide apertures. The built-in POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabiliser) integrates with the in-camera sensor-shift system to support 5-axis Dual I.S. with cameras released since the GX85, including the GH5.
Autofocusing is driven by a linear motor that works with the sensor drive at up to 240 fps to take full advantage of the camera’s high-speed, high-precision Contrast AF system. AF tracking performance while zooming is improved by high-speed frame analysis for focus control.
A micro-step drive system in the aperture control enables the camera to smoothly adjust to brightness changes while zooming or panning, a particularly useful feature for videographers. The lens is supplied with a petal-shaped lens hood that can be reversed for transport or storage, along with front and end caps and a soft carrying pouch.
Who’s it For?
For its coverage, portability and performance, this well-built, all-weather lens is ideal for travellers with M4/3 cameras, covering a wide range of subjects, from landscapes to portraits. Its near silent operation and superior stabilisation make it even better suited to movie recording than the significantly cheaper 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens.
Although both lenses share many features, the Leica-branded 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 lens is better built and its weather-resistant properties are superior. It also includes more metal in its construction and more advances AF and aperture controls.
Close-up shooting capabilities are the same as the previous 12-60mm lens but the 3/2 of a stop larger maximum apertures at 12mm and full-stop more at 60mm allow more scope for differential focusing and shots with shallow depth of field. Bokeh should be superior in the new lens in most situations.
Finally, it can be used on both Panasonic and Olympus camera bodies, although autofocusing is handled better on the former. Although its price tag is relatively high, keen photographers should recognise the advantages this lens provides.
Build and Ergonomics
The Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens is very solidly built but remarkably light and compact for a lens of its quality. Weighing only 320 grams, it is 110 grams heavier than its Lumix-branded sibling but includes weather-resistance and has a premium look and feel.
The lens mount is solid metal, as is most of the outer barrel, which has an elegant, ‘metallic’ black finish while the inner barrel is made from high-quality plastic, as are the focusing and zoom rings and the supplied lens hood and end caps. Zooming and focusing actions are particularly smooth.
The inner barrel extends by 33 mm as you zoom from the 12mm to the 60mm position. But the front element and 62 mm filter thread don’t rotate, allowing angle critical filters to be used without requiring re-adjustment.
The focusing ring is roughly 10 mm wide and has a finely-ridged grip band. It’s located just aft of the front edge of the outer barrel. It turns freely through 360 degrees whether or not power is supplied. This has no effect when the camera is in AF mode. Manual focusing is engaged via an AF/MF slider switch on the side of the lens barrel and you can engage manual over-ride in AF mode via the camera’s menu system.
The zoom ring is 24 mm wide and located just behind the focusing ring. The leading 20 mm of this ring carries similar ridging to the focusing ring, although it’s a much wider band. The trailing edge is smooth and has six focal length settings stamped on it, covering 12mm, 18mm, 25mm, 40mm, 50mm and 60mm.
These line up against a white line on the non-moving section of the lens barrel, which is cylindrical for about 13 mm before pinching inwards to the lens mount. Around the left hand side of this section of the barrel are slider switches for AF/MF and turning stabilisation on and off.
The supplied lens hood is easy to fit and remove and has a retaining latch to prevent it from being accidentally dislodged. It reverses over the lens for transport and storage. The lens also comes with front and end caps.
Performance
Our Imatest tests showed the review lens to be an impressive performer, with centre resolution matching or exceeding resolution expectations for the 20.2-megapixel sensors in the GH5 camera we used for our tests across a wide range of focal length and aperture settings. Edge and corner softening were measureable at wider lens apertures but not likely to present serious problems for most potential users.
Resolution peaked between one and three click-stops (1/3EV to 1EV) down from the maximum aperture for most focal length settings. Diffraction began to take effect from about f/8 onwards, with a significant drop in resolution between f/11 and f/22, as shown in the graph of our Imatest results below.
Lateral chromatic aberration remained entirely within the lower half of the negligible band for all aperture and focal length settings, as shown in the graph of our test results below.
We found no evidence of coloured fringing in test shots taken with any focal length setting, which isn’t surprising since recent Panasonic cameras automatically correct this aberration in JPEG files. Similar corrections are provided for vignetting (corner darkening) and rectilinear distortion so we had to examine raw files from the camera to see the inherent levels of both aberrations.
We found slight corner darkening at the widest aperture settings at all focal lengths. However, stopping down a couple of f-stops eliminated the problem. Rectilinear distortion was remarkably low for a zoom lens, with slight barrel distortion at the 12mm focal length and barely visible pincushion distortion at 60mm. In between, distortion was effectively negligible.
The inner focus linear motor drive provided good support for the camera’s high-speed, high-precision contrast AF system for both photo and video recording. Autofocusing remained fast in a wide range of lighting conditions and did not slow noticeably in very low light levels, although we noticed an occasional slight hesitation with very low-contrast subjects.
The Dual I.S. 2 stabiliser was also effective in dim lighting but it only works on Panasonic cameras. With the GH5 we were able to use shutter speeds below 1/10 second consistently without encountering camera shake. If you use this lens on an Olympus body, you’re reliant on the sensor shift stabiliser in the camera body, which works well but doesn’t provide such a high degree of shake compensation.
The minimum focusing distance of 20 cm makes this lens largely unsuitable for shooting close-ups with shorter focal lengths. However, the 60mm focal length can be used to photograph larger flowers, although care is required to avoid distracting elements in the backgrounds.
Highlights behind the subject weren’t quite as smoothly rendered as we expected at f/4 with the 60mm focal length and some outlining could be seen. With less contrasty, tonally similar backgrounds, bokeh was a lot smoother.
The review lens was highly resistant to ghosting and flare, thanks in part to an effective lens hood. But even when a bright light source was within the image frame, flare was minimal, artefacts were rare and strongly backlit scenes retained most of their natural tonal range.
Conclusion
Performance-wise,there’s not a huge difference between the Leica-branded DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. (RRP AU$1199) and the significantly cheaper Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. (AU$699) lens. There is, however, a significant difference in build quality and lens speed in favour of the Leica-branded lens.
Not only does this translate into more control over depth of focus at wide lens apertures, it also indicates how much wider the choice of shutter speeds users have in low light conditions. These advantages come at a cost, with the faster lens being 110 grams heavier than the cheaper lens, due to its larger glass elements.
However, 320 grams isn’t a lot to carry and, if you can afford the premium price, the Leica lens is the one to buy. It’s a particularly good partner for any of Panasonic’s larger G-mount cameras, especially the GH5 we used for our tests, whereas the lighter Lumix lens is better suited to the smaller and lighter models in the range.
A Google search for this lens showed a few local online stores offering it at around AU$1000, which represents good value for money. B&H, which markets aggressively into the Australian market, has it listed at US$997.99, which converts to just over AU$1331.32 at the current exchange rate of roughly 75 cents to the US$. This is more than you’d pay locally, even if you paid Panasonic’s RRP and doesn’t include shipping and insurance. Whether you purchase the lens on its own or with a camera body, you’ll be better of buying locally, given these figures.
SPECS
Picture angle: 84 to 24 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 14 elements in 12 groups (including 4 aspherical and 2 ED lens elements)
Lens mounts: Micro Four Thirds
Diaphragm Blades: 9 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: Linear motor with internal focusing
Stabilisation: Yes (POWER O.I.S.)
Minimum focus: 20 cm
Maximum magnification: 0.3x
Filter size: 62 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 68.4 x 86 mm
Weight: 320 grams
Standard Accessories: Lens front and end caps, lens hood, storage bag
Distributor: Panasonic Australia www.panasonic.com.au
TESTS
Based on JPEG files from the Lumix GH5 camera.
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 12mm, f/2.8.
Vignetting at 18mm, f/3.2.
Vignetting at 25mm, f/3.5.
Vignetting at 40mm, f/3.9.
Vignetting at 60mm, f/4.
Rectilinear distortion at 12mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 18mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 25mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 40mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 60mm.
12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/800 second at f/8.
60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/800 second at f/8.
Close-up at 12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/80 second at f/2.8.
Close-up at 60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/40 second at f/4.
Bokeh in close-ups; 60mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/500 second at f/4.
Strong backlighting; 20mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/400 second at f/8.
Crop from the above image at 100% magnification.
Contre-jour lighting at 12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/1300 second at f/11.
Contre-jour lighting at 60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f/11.
Strong backlighting; 12mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/100 second at f/9.
Flare artefacts; 12mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/800 second at f/8.
Stabilisation test; 60mm focal length, ISO 25600, 1/10 second at f/8.
Stabilisation test; 23mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/4 second at f/9.
Stabilisation test; 52mm focal length, ISO 320, 1/5 second at f/5.
60mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/8 second at f/4.
12mm focal length, ISO 1200, 1/400 second at f/11.
Additional image samples can be found with our review of the Lumix GH5 camera.
Rating
RRP: AU$1199; US$998
- Build: 9.1
- Handling: 9.0
- Image quality: 9.0
- Versatility: 9.0