I received the Lumix 12-35 a week ago and have had enough time with it to evaluate its pluses and minuses.
I'll start with the minuses.
It's not long enough. That's been said already. I wish it was a 14-50 - I'd gladly have given up a little on the wide side to have more room at the top - but since Panasonic and Olympus both already have (poor) zooms in that range, I suppose Panasonic chose to offer a new option
It's one of those lenses that extends when zoomed in, which, because of the wide end, precludes the use of a matte box. I use filters often, especially ND grads ( which are often needed with the AF100) so when I do need a matte box, I have to set the focal length before securing it to the rails, and swing-aways are useless (I have a very nice 20-year-old Chrosziel swing away). Not a huge problem, but it takes getting used to.
The focus ring is not easily identifiable by touch next to the zoom, especially in the cold. I fixed that simply by making a 1/4" thick doughnut out of soft neoprene for the focus ring. Problem solved.
I don't like tulip hoods. They may be computer designed, but so what, they're ugly - my personal opinion. I fitted an old-school metal hood from one of my super16 lenses. I don't like the cheesy graphics they stamp on the lens either...
Some think it's pricy - Well, it is over a grand, but it's a tool.
It's native MFT, which means if you're saving up for an FS700 or C-300 you won't be keeping this lens.
The pluses far outweigh the minuses.
F2.8 through the range goes without saying - and according to my meter, it's pretty close to a true 2.8 too.
The lens is very small and light. For handholding it is perfect, it doesn't add any appreciable weight or bulk to the camera. It seems very well built compared to other Lumix and Zuiko lenses.
Optically it's on par with my best lenses, and is very good at 12mm - sharp and with minimum distortion or vignetting - a problem with many of the other zooms I've used, especially the Red. And it doesn't exhibit a lot of breathing - most noticeable at 12mm, but negligible, no more than most top-of-the-line cine zooms.
It is not a true mechanical parfocal, as some have intimated, but when you zoom in to focus and then pull back it seems to "remember" the setting and reset focus at the new focal length - you can see it searching in the display - I guess it might be called "electronic parfocal". But it's very fast, and it works well. Good enough for me anyway.
It talks to the AF100. I've measured distances (that's what the tape hook on the top the camera is for) and the manual and auto focus seem dead on - so you can believe the readout in the finder.
The auto exposure is pretty good too, not nearly as steppy or noisy as other Lumix and Zuiko looms. And the auto focus is pretty fast at 24p, better than, say, the HPX250. I don't use auto much, but I do use "push-to-focus", and it works. And using the Function button I can tell the camera where in the frame to focus and set exposure - It's like having a spot meter with the addition of a focus feature.
It's native MFT, which means If you're happy with the AF100, you'll use it a lot. And there's something secure about not having an adapter - it clicks in to position with no play - very good tolerances compared to even my Novoflex and Metabones adapters.
All-in-all it's worth the money.
I'll start with the minuses.
It's not long enough. That's been said already. I wish it was a 14-50 - I'd gladly have given up a little on the wide side to have more room at the top - but since Panasonic and Olympus both already have (poor) zooms in that range, I suppose Panasonic chose to offer a new option
It's one of those lenses that extends when zoomed in, which, because of the wide end, precludes the use of a matte box. I use filters often, especially ND grads ( which are often needed with the AF100) so when I do need a matte box, I have to set the focal length before securing it to the rails, and swing-aways are useless (I have a very nice 20-year-old Chrosziel swing away). Not a huge problem, but it takes getting used to.
The focus ring is not easily identifiable by touch next to the zoom, especially in the cold. I fixed that simply by making a 1/4" thick doughnut out of soft neoprene for the focus ring. Problem solved.
I don't like tulip hoods. They may be computer designed, but so what, they're ugly - my personal opinion. I fitted an old-school metal hood from one of my super16 lenses. I don't like the cheesy graphics they stamp on the lens either...
Some think it's pricy - Well, it is over a grand, but it's a tool.
It's native MFT, which means if you're saving up for an FS700 or C-300 you won't be keeping this lens.
The pluses far outweigh the minuses.
F2.8 through the range goes without saying - and according to my meter, it's pretty close to a true 2.8 too.
The lens is very small and light. For handholding it is perfect, it doesn't add any appreciable weight or bulk to the camera. It seems very well built compared to other Lumix and Zuiko lenses.
Optically it's on par with my best lenses, and is very good at 12mm - sharp and with minimum distortion or vignetting - a problem with many of the other zooms I've used, especially the Red. And it doesn't exhibit a lot of breathing - most noticeable at 12mm, but negligible, no more than most top-of-the-line cine zooms.
It is not a true mechanical parfocal, as some have intimated, but when you zoom in to focus and then pull back it seems to "remember" the setting and reset focus at the new focal length - you can see it searching in the display - I guess it might be called "electronic parfocal". But it's very fast, and it works well. Good enough for me anyway.
It talks to the AF100. I've measured distances (that's what the tape hook on the top the camera is for) and the manual and auto focus seem dead on - so you can believe the readout in the finder.
The auto exposure is pretty good too, not nearly as steppy or noisy as other Lumix and Zuiko looms. And the auto focus is pretty fast at 24p, better than, say, the HPX250. I don't use auto much, but I do use "push-to-focus", and it works. And using the Function button I can tell the camera where in the frame to focus and set exposure - It's like having a spot meter with the addition of a focus feature.
It's native MFT, which means If you're happy with the AF100, you'll use it a lot. And there's something secure about not having an adapter - it clicks in to position with no play - very good tolerances compared to even my Novoflex and Metabones adapters.
All-in-all it's worth the money.
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