Std Zoom question

[peterb]

If you could choose just one standard zoom, which of these three in your experience would you choose?

...the Zuiko 12-60mm f2.8?

...the Leica 14-50mm f2.8?

...or, the Leica 14-150mm f3.5?

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Zuiko 14-35mm f/2.0

... what was the question again?

 

[kweide]

Zuiko 14-35 f2.0 no doubt
I did not understand the question

 

[cjlacz]

Out of those three I'd get the 12-60mm which I own. Great lens. I'd love the 14-32 if I could afford it.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I suddenly found that I need an answer to more or less the same question; a standard zoom that will work and AF on 4/3 as well as on micro 4/3, is not too large and preferably weather sealed. The answer I'm coming up with is the Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II. It's all of the above, and reasonably priced. Has anybody tried it on m4/3 and know how good or bad the AF is?

 

[CPWarner]

Will the Leica 14-150mm (with Panasonic 4/3 to m4/3 adapter) autofocus on a GH2?

 

[kwalsh]

Will the Leica 14-150mm (with Panasonic 4/3 to m4/3 adapter) autofocus on a GH2?

Yes, see here:

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/connect/gh2.html

Ken

 

[seakayaker]

The lens that I own is the Leica D Vario-Elmar 3.8 - 5.6 \14 - 50 ASPH. and have no experience with the other two. I love the output of the lens, best description would be great pictures, high quality, and very reasonable price.

Other sample pictures taken with the GF1 and the lens can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672618@N03/sets/72157623972893180/

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Tesselator]

I dunno the IQ of these lenses (and almost nothing can be told from the scaled images shown here) but just based on picture angle and aperture I'd go for the Zuiko 12-60mm f2.8!

That's 24-120mm and gets us nice and wide (24mm is a very fun AOV - better than 28mm), covers normal (45mm ~ 55mm), and covers the portraiture angles (65mm ~ 90mm), and it will get us a little long when we need it (120mm is great for tame park birds, dogs & cats, etc.). It's not so long that we need to worry excessively about camera-shake and etc. And lastly at f/2.8 it's reasonably fast for a zoom. Sounds like a nice design! Now if it's without CA, and manages distortion and field curvature on the wide end, and is nice and sharp... Oh, and if it's not all plasticky with terrible manual focusing facilities... Well, then, that would almost be the perfect lens!

 

[cjlacz]

The 12-60mm is actually f2.8-4, not a constant aperture. It would of been nice. I haven't had a problem with CA. It does have some slight wavy distortion at 12mm, but it disappears quickly and there isn't an issue with it anywhere else in the range. To be honest I haven't had a problem with it even at 12mm, but if you shoot a lot of straight lines it might be noticeable. It's sharp at pretty much from corner to corner even wide open. It's well built and weather sealed, not cheap. It does feature a mechanical focusing mechanism like all SWD lenses, not focus by wire.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I found some answers here:

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1239/cat/15
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1138/cat/15

The 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 vs. 12-60 f/2.8-4.0

14-54 advantages:

- Smaller
- Lighter
- Cheaper
- Larger aperture at long focal lengths
- Sharper wide open at the wide end

12-60 advantages:
- Wider
- Longer

 

[Tesselator]

The 12-60mm is actually f2.8-4, not a constant aperture. It would of been nice.

Ah, yeah, that's too slow. That's the equiv of 120mm at F/4. No thanks! Maybe if it's $50 or something.

108mm equiv at f/3.5 is also too slow tho. I'm so glad I'm a legacy glass freak and not into AF.

I haven't had a problem with CA. It does have some slight wavy distortion at 12mm, but it disappears quickly and there isn't an issue with it anywhere else in the range. To be honest I haven't had a problem with it even at 12mm, but if you shoot a lot of straight lines it might be noticeable. It's sharp at pretty much from corner to corner even wide open. It's well built and weather sealed, not cheap. It does feature a mechanical focusing mechanism like all SWD lenses, not focus by wire.

That's good news, I hate that motorized focusing stuff. Yuck.