Ruban E
Reviewed in Canada on July 6, 2020
Amazing wide-angle lens for GH5 at a great price. Do not buy if you intend to use it with a BMPCC 4k. it has bad go pro like distortion. It is electronically corrected in the GH5 or another m43 Lumix cameras.
Richard Jameson
Reviewed in Canada on July 20, 2020
PANASONIC LUMIX G Leica Pro Lens, 8-18mm, a full frame "16-36mm" wide angle equivalent! It's the perfect fit if you use the MFT cameras. If you want to take breathtaking landscapes, amazing architecture, awesome real estate and indoor showcase, or looking for a professional light weight lens to run & gun with a gimbal, this is the lens for YOU! This is a one of a kind Professional lens that won't break the bank and is truly worth every penny!
Ben
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2020
Bought lens for filming with and for the occasional trip photography. All in all it’s a good lens but not worth the price. Color it produces isn’t fantastic and you definitely have focus roll off in the corners. Build quality is perfect and stabilization works great.
Cliente de
Reviewed in Mexico on January 4, 2020
La caja del lente no venía sellada, tal vez se usó y fue devolución
Mark
Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2019
I’ve been using this on a locally produced tv show for 3 person interviews in tight quarters and really like the results!! Used on a Panasonic GH5s
Z Richardson
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2018
This lens is a must have for Panasonic GH5 users. It's size is slightly larger than the kit Panasonic-Leica 12-60mm, but this lens is just as useful. This is my go-to lens for all gimbal work. The front element does not extend when zooming which means I don't have to adjust the balance of the gimbal whether I'm at 8mm or 18mm. An added plus for videographers and landscape photographers is the non-protruding front which allows for use of 67mm filters -- THIS IS HUGE! The lens itself is well built with smooth zoom rings, and it's par-focal to boot! Panasonic definitely took their time getting it right, and out-doing their own 7-14mm. So what are the downsides? In my mind there are two. The aperture is not a constant 2.8, but the loss of the light is smoothly transitioned as one zooms, instead of in jarring 1/3 stop clicks. The second is that when using with IBIS on Panasonic bodies (I've used on the G85 and GH5) you can occasionally get warped distortion (or "Jello" appearance) of the outer corners of the image. This has apparently been rectified in the most recent firmware release for the GH5, but I have yet to confirm whether it's actually an improvement or not. But this is nitpicking for negatives. On the whole this lens is excellent, with a great build and sharp image renderings. I highly recommend this lens.
Harry M. Shin
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2018
1. Background, I'm very familiar with the Olympus m43 line and some of the Panasonic lens line (i.e. I have the Olympus 12-40mm, 12-100mm, 40-150mm, Panasonic 12-35mm, 35-100mm etc... and I have some other stuff, but you get the point). I also forgot to mention that I've tested the Olympus 7-14mm and the Panasonic version as well.2. On a tangent, I wasn't impressed with the recent Panasonic / Leica 12-60mm as well as their super telephoto (100-400mm) and thus I was dubious about the quality of this lens. I readily admit I was wrong about my reservations about this lens; again, I'm not a Panasonic lens expert but of the various ones I've owned / tested, this is their most impressive lens.3. Several Impressions:-- Well built; I would say that the Olympus Pro lens feel more robust, but that's not to mean this isn't well built.-- Perfect size: this may relate to the above impression that it doesn't feel as robust compared to the Olympus Pro Line but for me, at least in this instance, that's a good or ok thing. Simply because the size is fairly compact, it is relatively light; really nice for a m4/3 camera. As an example, I would say that the Olympus 12-100mm is on the border of too large / heavy for a m43 camera and I use the EM1 v2.--Feel / action: very good and smooth--Quality: I haven't done scientific experiments but in comparing this to my other lens (at similar focal lengths, when possible) and shooting on a tripod etc... etc... Yes, this lens is excellent. Obviously most folks are going to wonder how sharp this lens is at 8mm; it's really good. I'm going to tick off people, but from my recollection and in reviewing my prior test shots (because I don't have the Olympus 7-14mm at home), this Panasonic is definitely sharper. Of course the Olympus is wider by 1mm, but the Panasonic has the overt advantage of size (i.e. lighter), image quality (yes, I'm opinion) and ability to utilize filters.Highly recommended
O. M.
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2017
Great lens so far. Bought it as replacement for my Olympus 7-14/2.8. The Olympus 7-14/2.8 is an amazing lens, but I found it more useful when doing serious work, but a lot less for walk-around. It was big and heavy (in m43 standards), would not take normal filters, and the adapter for 100mm square filters for it was decent, but required gentle handling. Finally the bulbous front element always made me worried I would bump it into something.The PanaLeica fixes pretty much everything I didn't like about the Olympus lens - it's smaller, much lighter (just a bit over half the weight!), and takes 67mm filters or filter holder adapters. It's the perfect walk-around lens, esp as it is also a little longer. Build quality seems really good - it may be half-a-step lower than the spectacular build quality of the Olympus PRO lenses, but it still feels very well built. Metal constructions, extremely smooth zoom and focus, and while the front element moves with zooming, it moves inside the barrel, so if you put a clear filter on top, you can assure no dust will go in. The "price" you pay - is that it's only 8mm wide, not 7mm, and that it's 2.8 only @ 8mm. Personally I find that a reasonable price to pay for what I get. If I need faster lens in the longer range, I can switch to other lenses.In terms of image quality - I have not yet stress tested it - but it seems sharp across the range even wide open. AF is fast and accurate as with all modern m43 lenses. It is also parfocal. Finally - as I use it on Olympus (EM1II) I was a little concerned of potential issues with purple flaring as with the Panasonic 7-14/4. I'm glad to say I have not encountered such issues yet, despite aggressively shooting into light sources...
Blorpin Glorp
Reviewed in Canada on October 26, 2017
Pretty good all round ultra-wide lens. I'd rate it higher if it was constant aperture. It's not super sharp but it's reasonably sharp. I like the size and weight, plus it can take filters!