Panasonic Leica 12-35mm F2.8 Lens Review (vs. Version 2)

[@80strum]

Thank you. I sold my GH5. And buy a new GH6 today. I will buy this lens for a good combo. But I love my second cam GH5S too still :)

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

It's a great match for the GH6, you'll enjoy it :)

[@LyndonPatrickSmith]

Great review as always Shane! If I wasn’t happy with my OG Olympus 12-40 2.8 I’d seriously consider this lens. The contrast and colour are great. Oh - and thanks for the shoutout to us Canadian viewers. I still have a foot of snow in my backyard and it’s mid-April!🍁 2:10

[@pencilauyeung4863]

but olympus body activate power ois ?

[@AoyagiAichou]

Those fixes are nice, but I wish it was parafocal... as it is, I'll rather use the PL 12-60 and deal with variable aperture.

[@ArmsLovers]

Generally modern cameras can focus very quickly, so you normally do not need parafocal lenses (nice to have, but not required). With this lens you can still get variable aperture of your choice from f/2.8 to f/22, but the beauty and the main purpose of this lens - you can have aperture of f/2.8 at any focal lens across zoom ranges.

[@AoyagiAichou]

@@ArmsLovers Lumix MFT cameras don't have a modern focusing system though and even if they did, I use manual focus a lot.

[@ArmsLovers]

@@AoyagiAichou Lumix MFT cameras actually have modern focusing system, and it works very well, and much quicker than you will ever be able to focus manually. But you have your preferences.

[@AoyagiAichou]

@@ArmsLovers Not well enough to catch up with lenses that aren't parafocal. Those aren't preferences, those are facts.

[@MeOrNotMeWhoKnows]

That b-roll at 00:20, with the lens cap on.. 🤣 Reliability might be the most important question here - whether it got better with the new 12-35 v3, cause seems like quite a few 12-35 v1 and v2 had focusing mechanism failing.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

I left it on to see if anyone would notice 😂

[@ArtofServer]

Thank you for this review! I have the MK2 version and I've been happy with it. The better minimal focus distance is tempting as I like to shoot up close on tech hardware, but not worth the cost of upgrading. This review really helped. Thanks!

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Thanks for watching :)

[@chadkelley]

Can you please do a comparison between the updated 12-35mm Leica and the 12-40mm Pro II Olympus? Thanks!!!

[@cathyharrity8050]

Your informative tutorials are timeless, extremely well done providing all the answers to every question 👏

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Many thanks for the kind words! This is one of the great lenses for M43.

[@haulfilms]

Looking forward to owning this lens, mainly for the constant aperture! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@marinrealestatephotography]

Thanks for the video, Shane and Rhiannon. It looks like the autofocus was pretty darn good on the GH6 (and a lot of your sample footage looked really good, too, nice camera work). Have there been many firmware updates to the AF system for the GH6? Also, have you noticed much of an issue with horizontal "streaking" that others have reported I know it exists, but not sure if it is noticable in the real world.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Hi Marin, thanks for the kind words. I think I updated the GH6 only once so far (from memory) and the AF is pretty good in a well lit situation. The 50/60p frame rates give you the best AF results. I haven't seen the streaking in any of my shooting situations but I understand a lot of sensors will artifact like that when shooting from a dark room outside.

[@9adriano21]

Just waiting the next GX model or G7ii type camera with PDAF to pair it with this lens as my perfect vlog/travel camera

[@ToddBannor]

Thanks Shane! The backlit results are impressive.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Thanks, Todd! I hope you are doing well. I was surprised how much better it handled that scenario. I wish I had your photography talents though! :)

[@CreationBound]

Been waiting for a review on this lens. Been debating between this and the Leica 10-25 1.7. Thanks so much for the review.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Thanks for watching and if you have any questions about this lens please let me know. This video is not sponsored. Please drop a thumbs up and a comment if you want to see more lens reviews. Thanks! Check it out here: 🛒 B&H USA - bhpho.to/3ZyBK9S 🛒 Walmart US - bit.ly/3ZzAR11 🛒 Amazon DE - amzn.to/3zGUSZ7 🛒 Amazon AU - amzn.to/3znfpl5 🛒 Amazon UK - amzn.to/3GczT3N 🛒 Amazon Canada - amzn.to/40vE9Dv (affiliate links)

[@intheblues]

😎📸🎉

[@georgedavall9449]

Well done mate! Cheers!!!

[@andersistbesser]

To me the olympus pro 12-40 2.8 still is the best mft zoom there is. It has incredible build quality. It also has the best optics of all mft lenses.

[@BarryMaskell]

Does it have dual ois? I don’t think it does so this is where the Panasonic excels

[@cooltomik]

Hey guys bit confused about this Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8. So many version. What are this two you comparing? I was researching and findout this: H-ES12035 (orange printing 12-35mm on lens = 1st generation) Panasonic LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35 mm/F2.8 - FW update on panasonic H-ES12035 (white printing 12-35mm on lens = 2st generation) Panasonic LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35 mm/F2.8 II - FW update on panasonic H-HSA12035 (different colors printing, white 12-35mm, red HD text on lens = 1st generation) Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm/F2.8 - non LEICA version=worse?? - NO FW update on panasonic H-HSA12035 (different colors printing, white 12-35mm, no red HD text on lens = 2st generation) Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm/F2.8 - non LEICA version=worse?? - NO FW update on panasonic Is there any other generation than 2nd? Are you comparing H-ES12035 (white printing = new) with H-ES12035 (yellow printing = old). Seems like you are referring in video the (yellow printing) as new ... Or you take leica versions as Gen3 (ES12035) and Gen4 (ES12035 v2)? Thnx

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

There's two current ones. The version II and the Leica (which is version 3). There's also a much older one which still pops up on the used market but the version II is the way to go if price is a consideration.

[@derJackistweg]

I was looking for that 12-35 VII version as well and back and forth between different lenses for my GH6. @the end I, again, ended up with a Oly lens. F2.8 is nice but does not cut it too much. And it is pretty old = not to well technically. This is also the reason why I did not end up with the 12-40 F2.8 Oly. Just not good against light. I ended up with the 12-45 F4 Oly. Weather sealed, very, very good haptics (which is NOT the same as "quality". as non of us can varify the qulity of a lens!). very smooth focus and zoom ring! Fast focus and quite light and small. The size was something why I NOT ended up with the 12-40F2.8 The lack of OIS up to 45mm is not a big deal for video for me. It is just a 4-times zoom against a 3-times.

[@FAMEAcademyNY]

Thanks, I just purchased the version 2 for the Blackmagic Designs Micro Studio Camera 4K G2. I plan to shoot concerts on a gimbal with it.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Do those cameras allow you to shoot on the go? I thought they were wall powered cameras? :) Very cool. The version 2 lens is great, I still use mine.

[@iKIMshuffle]

So, what is the difference between this one and the Panasonic G X Vario?

[@artemkamkov9857]

Thx for review and comparison with older lens.

[@neilhay2155]

Thanks, great review. Sounds like this is the lens I've been looking for. I will be using a dive housing eventuly with the em10 Mk4 with it, as a step up from the tuff 6 series.

[@smokey62productions99]

My favorite has been the Panasonic Leica 12-60, it had far superior build and color science over the Panasonic 12-35 F2.8 II. But like an idiot I gave in to G.A.S. and sold it😢. Thanks for this review because I’m going out and buying this one to hold on to…for awhile at least😊

[@Princeton_James]

12-60 has been one of my favorites but in general I don't like variable aperture lenses. I'm going to be getting this one as well. All my pan-leicas have been stellar.

[@Borghor]

Shane, I thought you were gonna speak about the tone! I guess we share similar interests 😂 great review, thanks!

[@altadena57]

Me Too !! I just stumbled on this video, looking for a comparison vs the 12-35 f2.8 Mk II (which I own) and the new Mk III; and low and behold! there's Shane from many times watched Guitar Gear videos. I thought maybe I was hallucinating :). Seems like maybe obsession with guitars and cameras go together !!

[@crisrocchi2722]

One question please, the stabilization is perfectly the same of the previous version or it is better?

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

It's the same as version II.

[@crisrocchi2722]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy Thanks!

[@phaselead_dj]

Great review as usual! It's nice to see that the newer version is less prone to flare and ghosting. To be really honest, however, I hope Panasonic to come up with a fresh new optical design for their lenses whose optical designs are 10 years old. While the latest APS-C lenses from Fuji showed us a ton of optical improvement from their older versions, the latest MFT lenses didn't get any major improvement. They are still decent and able to produce great images, but they are not as good as other glasses for other systems (APS-C, FF) as they used to be. Maybe that's because most of Panasonic's R&D effort is being put on the S series glass design?🥲Anyway, I always enjoy your detailed reviews. Thanks a lot for sharing your experience😀

[@StanTregubenko]

Perfect lens, using it for 90% on my camera.

[@eeshanshejwalkar7180]

Hey, I was looking to buy a Panasonic Lumix G85 as my first ever camera but I am so confused whether to go for the 14-42 lens or the 12-60. I am mainly looking for good video footage and of course good photos. Could you please help. Ive been watching your videos to gain some insight but I hope you can end my confusion once and for all. Ps. I am really sorry to ask you stuff about something unrelated to the video 😅

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

The 14-42 is a decent lens and it's nice and light but the 12-60 is more versatile. The 12-35mm is the best of them for video purposes.

[@eeshanshejwalkar7180]

​@@GeekyNerdyTechy so does the 12-60 meet requirements for a 12-35 mm... Also, if I decide to go a little over my budget and go for the Lumix 14-140 will it be worth it in comparison to the 12-60.... I'm sorry if this is a stupid question I am not that well educated about lenses

[@GrenlandUnderVann]

@@eeshanshejwalkar7180 The 14-140 mm is a super zoom and only needed if you want to film stuff far away. It's a quality trade off between image quality and reach.

[@ChrisFlores22]

Does the mkii have linear for us control in the settings or only this new leica version? Thanks

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Yes

[@ChrisFlores22]

Hey Shane just to confirm, the mkii version of the 12-35 has linear focus control in the camera menu? Do you know if the 35-100 mkii also has linear focus control in the menu settings as well? There’s definitely a price difference between leica and mkii versions lol

[@laurawallace3178]

Would this be good for a drum video?

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

It's a very versatile lens do you mean as an overhead or something facing a kit?

[@harryniedecken5321]

Thank you for the testing. I just can't see buying an expensive lens without the ability to switch between manual and auto focus on the lens

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

This has a switch right on the side. I am not sure if you meant this or other lenses :)

[@harryniedecken5321]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy Thank you, on the PL 42.5 nokticon, my lens has a switch for lens stabilization and another for manual/ auto focus on/off. I only see the stabilization switch on this 12-35 zoom.. I go back and forth between manual and auto focus a lot and don't want to goof around with the screen menus to do it. Maybe there is another way such as programming a function button that I need to learn.

[@kudobeats]

With this dropping, how much do you think a used version II would go for? I found one for £395 but was wondering if it could go get lower in the future because of this new leica

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

I paid $900 for mine in Australia new so you'd probably get about one third to a half off or something depending on the condition. The V2 is enough for most people. I don't plan on selling mine which might be the case for a lot of people - we'll see how it goes :)

[@kudobeats]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy How the hell was it that "cheap"? Brand new here was like £800ish, now 600-700. I had fomo so I ordered it, was the lowest I could find anywhere and looks mint condition. Do you still own your 12-60 lumix or has it gone to a better place?

[@cjevan9837]

Got a v2 for $500 aud used in mint condition. They are getting lower :)

[@kudobeats]

@@cjevan9837 Australia seems cheaper than the UK for this kinda stuff

[@danieldougan269]

They should have made a manual focus clutch with a distance scale. It's inexcusable for a company that claims to be so focused on video to make lenses that aren't well-suited for it.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

That would be cool but It probably would have jacked the price up even more than it is already. Then you're in the same territory as the 10-25mm.

[@GrenlandUnderVann]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy I got the 12-35 mm as a kit lens with my GH3 back in 2012. So it's 11 years old. Despite the mk II and Mk III upgrades it's basically the same optically for sharpness etc. You really could have hoped for a more major re-engineering before slapping on the Leica branding. Alas, the worst quality point for me is the sun hood attachment. These become very loose and I had rather seen this upgraded to the button style release as found on the 12-60 mm Leica lens.

[@GrenlandUnderVann]

Sadly the sun hood seems to be the same as the old one. They became very loose fast and basically will turn on itself when handling the camera.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Yep! I meant to mention that a new hood would have been good especially when you want to stand them on a table to swap lenses.

[@michelesiniscalchi8695]

hi Geeky, I would like to ask you if you have found a better image quality in terms of sharpness and detail than previous models Thank you very much

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

It's not that much/if any sharper than before. The difference is in the flaring control and minimum focus distance. I haven't used the version 1, but it's not much different than version 2 for shooting video.

[@maisch.matthias]

Someone knows if the Leica version is parfocal? :)

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

If you’re locking manual focus it seems to be pretty good when zooming out and back. I can’t believe I didn’t test it sorry. My 12-35 v2 feels pretty spot on as well

[@Alex_Manifestation111]

Beautiful ass video. Subscribed!!!

[@photogenic2010]

Thanks for your concise videos: * I am using the original 12~35 on my new G9ii and the AF sucks. would firmware update on the lens fix it I wonder?

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

I have version II and it works great with this camera, so I can highly suggest updating the lens firmware if you've never done it - av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/index.html

[@photogenic2010]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy Thank you.

[@jayrockcontent]

This is the DG version 3

[@RiceNinja93]

Great vid!

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Thank you :)

[@exthander]

I have version 1 and 2 both of them the focus stop working .

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Really? You mean the Autofocus or Manual focus?

[@exthander]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy both, not only me my friend the 12-35 v1 and his 35-100 v2 same problem. After that i switched to vintage manual lenses and i never go back .

[@mmsk1717]

Thanks for the vid. You the shit!

[@ravebrave8866]

my only point is the Leica is twice the cost of Lumix...

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Here is 50% more expensive but not twice. The one I had is $999 and this is $1499. The prince increase isn't going to make it the first choice for me. I am happy enough with my V2, it does the job in most scenarios.

[@ArtofServer]

Just wait a year or so. With the economic situation as it is, Panasonic will have to put this on sale often.

[@TrapPhoneLoveMelodiesss]

Great review, convinced me not to get it. Unnaturally sharp for video work…

[@diversityandcomicsbear2625]

Panasonic’s “problem” is their S5 system is so much better, for about the same money.

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

I agree, it's hard to beat. The S5II is a monster and with their S-Series of lenses, it's a complete system.

[@teohyc]

Micro Four Thirds have the weight advantage.

[@ArmsLovers]

Who told you this lens has anything to do with Leica?

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Thankfully not you.

[@ArmsLovers]

@@GeekyNerdyTechy Correct, that was not me. That person who told you so must be very dumb :).

[@richardseeto1182]

very confusing narrative...Which is which???

[@GeekyNerdyTechy]

Are you serious? The entire video is the 12-35mm Leica with the exception of the comparisons which are labled on screen lol. Confusing? Try the timestamps and info posted everywhere.

[@Vintage35MM]

This lens is in my radar, so I was excited for your information. But I too am confused. I watched the video several times, even slowing down to .75x to figure things out. You mention a standard lens, the version 2, and the new lens. Is this review about the mark1 (I) and mark2 (ii), or have you thrown in the new mark 3 (iii). The section about the closeup of her ring sold me but I’m confused which version has the better closeup. I’m guessing that version 2 and the new lens are the same, please confirm. I am a recent M43 convert coming from Nikon 200/300. I have the Lumix GX1 and mostly take photos Cheers