Review Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4

[FabledFew]

Hey guys, how's it going?

This is my video review of the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm f/2.8-4 lens, which has been one of our main lenses used for our wedding photography work.

We bought this lens one and a half years ago, after a thorough comparison between this and the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO. In the end, it came down to, this lens was available to purchase instantly (pick-up at a physical location) and the Olympus would take 3 weeks to get to us, and we needed a lens for a project we had then, ASAP. Funny how it came down to that, eh?

Do I regret my decision to get this over the Olympus? No. I think in the end, f/2.8 wouldn't have been as big a factor as it seemed it would be. If we're in a low-light situation, we would have to use a much faster glass than a 2.8, or use lights. So, 1-stop of light wouldn't make all that much of a difference.

What do you guys think of the Panasonic Leica 12-60mm? I think, for me, it was the perfect compromise between focal-length coverage, aperture, and price.

Best regards,

Mohammad

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I’m a big fan of my PL12-60 (and it is lighter than the O12-40 2.8, too). It’s not my most-used lens, but it’s great for a lot of purposes, like family photos and close ups. It is well paired with the G9, too. I suppose if you wanted to get back to 2.8 toward the long end of this lens, you could add the PL50-200. Granted, that’s no small expense. Seems to be the way the PL lens lineup works—the PL8-18 overlaps the PL12-60, and the PL50-200 overlaps the PL12-60. If you own all 3, you can keep your aperture under 4.0 for a pretty big range, just be sure to bring your credit card!

 

[Stanga]

Seems to be the way the PL lens lineup works—the PL8-18 overlaps the PL12-60, and the PL50-200 overlaps the PL12-60. If you own all 3, you can keep your aperture under 4.0 for a pretty big range, just be sure to bring your credit card!

I started off with the 14-45mm and 45-175mm years ago, and it is tempting to discard most of my lenses in order to settle on the three lenses you mentioned after I bough the PL12-60mm. But for now I am using the 35-100mm f2.8 to tackle the longer end of the PL12-60mm when I need something like f2.8 at the long end. The 50-200mm and 8-18mm will have to wait until I can move around freely in the world in order to enjoy using them.
The PL12-60mm is a brilliant lens in many ways though. The auto/manual focus switch alone is worth it for video shooting.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I will mention one thing about the video—it mentions the hood being plastic. Mine feels like the lower half is metal (it is cooler to the touch), and the top end is plastic.

 

[FabledFew]

I will mention one thing about the video—it mentions the hood being plastic. Mine feels like the lower half is metal (it is cooler to the touch), and the top end is plastic.

That's weird. Mine is completely plastic. Can you share a picture?

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

That's weird. Mine is completely plastic. Can you share a picture?

Yeah, I’ll see if I can post one here in a bit. I don’t believe that mine is a US version. I got it from 6ave on eBay, so I think it’s a grey market lens. Though it would still be odd to have two hood versions.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Not the best photo, but you can see this hood is 2 piece–the ring feels like metal (is cooler to the touch), possibly aluminum. The end is plastic for sure. The lock button feels like plastic.

 

[FabledFew]

View attachment 819671
Not the best photo, but you can see this hood is 2 piece–the ring feels like metal (is cooler to the touch), possibly aluminum. The end is plastic for sure. The lock button feels like plastic.

Mine is the same. Now that you mention it, the base part does feel colder, but I don't think it's metal. Maybe processed aluminum, like you said. I just wish Leica would've given us metal hoods, like they do for their premium primes, seeing as this lens costed a thousand dollars at launch. I have a soft-spot for all metal lenses.