Panasonic Lumix S Pro 16-35mm F4 Lens

I use both the G system and S system side-by-side, and have found this 16-35mm a great transition lens to the L mount on S series bodies. In the past I have mainly used the MFT 10-25 zoom on a GH5 in CINE V profile for yoga studio work in 4k and also streaming to Zoom and Youtube. I have now focused on the S series 16-35mm for indoor studio and outdoor gimbal on the S1 body. The 16-35mm is an ideal weight, focuses extremely well, and has the sharpness and color saturation that I have come to appreciate from the 10-25mm on the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor system. The sharpness is remarkable under studio cob light, and outdoors the lens manages shooting in to the light really well and is better on the gimbal than the 10-25mm in terms of weight and balance. The ... MoreI use both the G system and S system side-by-side, and have found this 16-35mm a great transition lens to the L mount on S series bodies. In the past I have mainly used the MFT 10-25 zoom on a GH5 in CINE V profile for yoga studio work in 4k and also streaming to Zoom and Youtube. I have now focused on the S series 16-35mm for indoor studio and outdoor gimbal on the S1 body. The 16-35mm is an ideal weight, focuses extremely well, and has the sharpness and color saturation that I have come to appreciate from the 10-25mm on the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor system. The sharpness is remarkable under studio cob light, and outdoors the lens manages shooting in to the light really well and is better on the gimbal than the 10-25mm in terms of weight and balance. The filter size is manageable, and the lens is very sharp right at f/4. I also use the 16-35mm on the S1R and the sharpness on contrast is very satisfying with Panasonic color science. The focus tracking in video is remarkable with the S1 body and the 16-35mm, and overall it is easier to use than the 10-25mm which is also by Panasonic for their G series cameras. I like that 77mm is the common thread size as variable ND filters are expensive, and are necessary for outdoor video work, with 77mm being a good balance between the more common 72mm and much more expensive 82mm that some of my Sigma lenses use. What made me really like the lens for photography is that it is sharp enough at the edges and well enough corrected that it can be used to conveniently create high quality multi-image panoramas on the S1R that save processing time on the computer. Really great lens for video on the S1, and photography on the S1R.

The reviews on the lens before I bought it were a mixed bag - some raved about it, a few panned it. I looked at the Sigma and the Leica and both had their own issues. The Sigma is an excellent lens, but i dislike the bulbous front element and it's heavier. The Leica (I am using a Leica SL2) is certainly excellent, predictably very expensive, and extremely well made, but I just couldn't get past the weight/size and of course the cost. The Panasonic is similarly well made (if a bit more plasticky), sealed, lighter and smaller. So I took the plunge on it and it does not disappoint. Colors have pop, contrast is good, and autofocus is very fast on the SL2. Love the focussing ring when i want to focus on my own, and the handling is excellent. A tad of vignetting on the ... MoreThe reviews on the lens before I bought it were a mixed bag - some raved about it, a few panned it. I looked at the Sigma and the Leica and both had their own issues. The Sigma is an excellent lens, but i dislike the bulbous front element and it's heavier. The Leica (I am using a Leica SL2) is certainly excellent, predictably very expensive, and extremely well made, but I just couldn't get past the weight/size and of course the cost. The Panasonic is similarly well made (if a bit more plasticky), sealed, lighter and smaller. So I took the plunge on it and it does not disappoint. Colors have pop, contrast is good, and autofocus is very fast on the SL2. Love the focussing ring when i want to focus on my own, and the handling is excellent. A tad of vignetting on the wide end which is not distracting at all and is easily removable in post processing if you desire, and is gone by 5.6 in my experience. Constant f4 is not fast, but for an ultra-wide it's good enough. If your body has IBIS (meaning you're not using an original SL but one of the later bodies from Pany or Leica), it's hand-holdable down to very slow shutter speeds. I don't see any fringing in my pictures, or anything else that detracts from its performance. I don't like the overused word sharpness but this lens indeed resolves very well at all focal lengths. I would absolutely buy this lens again and have no hesitation recommending this over the Leica re: price if you are worried about that comparison. This is truly a pro-grade lens at a decent price point. B&H was the usual on this purchase - fast delivery, great service, easy website to navigate.

Most of us will likely never own the Leica competitor to this lens. At 4x the cost, it's simply out of reach. Having only recently I've entered into the L-System (SL2) from shooting Ms, I've yet to have the opportunity to shoot with the Vario-Elmar, so I can not make a direct comparison. And in my case, as an M shooter, as I already had several primes in this range, the Leica zoom didn't seem a reasonable stretch despite being purportedly the finest wide zoom yet made.Okay, so how does this one stack up? Pretty well actually. Having only shot with primes over the past half dozen years, I'll confess a certain level of trepidation around how this optic would draw. From a sharpness POV, outside of pixel peeping at the extreme edge of the frame, there is little to be ... MoreMost of us will likely never own the Leica competitor to this lens. At 4x the cost, it's simply out of reach. Having only recently I've entered into the L-System (SL2) from shooting Ms, I've yet to have the opportunity to shoot with the Vario-Elmar, so I can not make a direct comparison. And in my case, as an M shooter, as I already had several primes in this range, the Leica zoom didn't seem a reasonable stretch despite being purportedly the finest wide zoom yet made.Okay, so how does this one stack up? Pretty well actually. Having only shot with primes over the past half dozen years, I'll confess a certain level of trepidation around how this optic would draw. From a sharpness POV, outside of pixel peeping at the extreme edge of the frame, there is little to be concerned about. It is more than sharp enough across the frame for all but the most persnickety pixel peepers. If you've never shot with the latest generation of L-Summicron primes, you might feel this lens is not lacking in anyway. From a technical perspective about the only noticeable flaw I've encountered is a propensity for blue CA, particularly noticeable this time of year given the branches are bare, at least here in the northeastern US.Where the Summicrons exhibit a smoothness and character that can make your worst snapshot feel as though its worthy of being hung in a museum, you'll get no such feeling form the raw output of this Lumix. It's rendering is rather clinical to my eye. To pull similar warmth, requires a bit more effort on the back end, but once one understands how to accomplish this, the results can be quite stunning. But OTOH, from a convenience POV, it provides an excellent alternative when size and weight come into play. While it might not feel as though its built like a tank, it does feel solid enough. But what it might lack in tactile pleasure, it more than makes up for when viewed in the context of L-Glass options. Simply put, it is a featherweight compared to the Sigma and Leica offerings.My personal lens road map involves filling out my L-System with several more Leica primes, the 35mm with the upcoming 24 or 21mm. Even afer those optics appear in my bag, the Pano will soldier on doing its thing when there is a need for even greater width. Given that brief, its low mass and, relatively speaking, its low cost, its a winner. Well worth considering if you looking for flexible coverage at the wide end.