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Looking for zoom lens with more "reach"

Started Aug 31, 2018 | Questions thread
alcelc
alcelc Forum Pro • Posts: 19,003
Re: Looking for zoom lens with more "reach"
1

sunlove wrote:

I'm an amateur-hobbyist with a Panasonic Lumix DMC GX7 and Lumix 14-45 lens. I'd like a lens with a bit more "reach", maybe "12-60" or "14-140" or "14-150".

In the old days I loved the range my Canon 28-135 gave me, so the 12-60 would get me close to that, but still short. The 14-140/150 may be more than I need.

What to do?

The contenders:

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6

Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f2.8-4

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6

Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II

The price on the contenders are in the same ball park, except for the more expensive Leica Elmarit.

Your ideas.......? Something else out there I should look at?

Appreciate your thoughts and suggestions!

Not owned both versions of 12-60. The PL f/2.8-4 version is a premium class lens without doubt on its IQ, at a cost and larger/heavier. Can't get comparable test result to compare but AFAIK, the non PL version could be similar to the recent kit class of lens of 12-32. So supposingly not bad at all. 12-60 is a very desirable zoom range to me.

According to DXO, 14-140 is better than 14-150, which is already quite a good superzoom lens. On GX7, due to the primitive IBIS, when going to the longer focal length zone, I'll prefer the Lens OIS of 14-140 for the 3 stops of stabilization.

If you need 12 AoV as me, 12-60, might add a cheapy/small 45-150 will do. I use a 12-35 f/2.8 & 45-150 (also 7-14 f/4) set up on GX7 for my traveling.

If you don't need the 12, 14-140 would be a perfect one lens solution on Pany body. Stop it down to f/4, basically it has similar IQ to 12-35 f/2.8 at the same aperture. Comparing to 45-150, 14-140 has better IQ (marginally). It is my wife's only lens on GX85.

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Albert

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