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Panasonic Announces the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 Lens

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Panasonic officially announced the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH POWER OIS lens for Micro Four Thirds. The US price of the lens is $899 and pre-orders are now open at Adorama and B&H.

Panasonic updates a classic zoom with the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH. POWER O.I.S Lens. Providing the equivalent of a 24-70mm focal range, the new zoom serves as an excellent all-in-one option for street, landscape, and even portrait photography. Designed to replace the LUMIX G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8, it boasts the optical excellence of Leica glass, dual image stabilization, and a rugged build begging to be taken on an adventure.

Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH POWER OIS lens key features

  • Weighs 10.7 oz.
  • Large f/2.8 aperture at all focal ranges (f/2.8 to f/22)
  • 24-70mm (Full-Frame Equivalent)
  • Autofocus system that compliments the G-series high-speed autofocus
  • Built-in mechanism to suppress focus breathing
  • Dual image stabilization
  • Dust and splash-resistant design
  • POWER Optical Image Stabilizer
  • 5-Axis Dual I.S. 2 Compatible
  • ASPH, UED & UHR Lens Elements
  • Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm

Additional information on the new lens can be found here and here.

Press release:

Panasonic Introduces a Redesigned F2.8 Large Aperture 24-70mm Wide Zoom MFT Lens LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. (H-ES12035)

December 14, 2022 Newark, NJ – Panasonic today announced a new large-aperture wide zoom lens, the LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. (35mm camera equivalent: 24-70 mm) for the LUMIX G Series, a display of its continued commitment to the development of Micro Four Thirds lenses to fulfill the needs of its customers. The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. is a versatile lens ideal for virtually any shooting situation thanks to its large aperture, O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) integration, compact size, and lightweight profile. This lens is a redesigned replacement for the LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35 mm / F2.8 II ASPH., widely considered one of Panasonic’s best LUMIX G Micro Four Thirds lenses.

Panasonic F2.8 12 35mm lens
The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. is comprised of fourteen lens elements in nine groups, including four aspherical lenses, one UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lens and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) to achieve high optical performance. The glass material of the UHR lens element is newly updated with higher transmittance to achieve greater natural color reproduction. Panasonic’s unique nano surface coating provides effective antireflection and produces clear description. Due to its thin coating with nanometer-level microstructure and an ultra-low dispersion ratio, the reflection of the entire wavelength of 380-780 mm, including visual light range, are reduced. Together with a newly adopted light-shielding part, occurrence of ghost and flare is minimized.

For more versatile use, the LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. features shorter focusing distance of 0.15m (at wide-end) with a larger magnification ratio of 0.21x (at 17mm), compared with the conventional LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm / F2.8 II ASPH. with 0.25m of focusing distance and 0.17x of magnification ratio.

The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. offers smooth, silent operation with the camera’s high-speed, high-precision contrast AF system, with the sensor drive at a maximum 240 fps. It also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing and includes a micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure change. Combined with the camera’s body I.S. and the lens’ O.I.S., Dual I.S. 2 provides effective hand-shake correction.

The external design has also been refined compared to the previous lens. The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. features stunning mobility with its approximately 306 g compact size, light weight, and rugged dust/splash-resistant* design that withstands use under harsh conditions even at 10 degrees below zero centigrade. The filter diameter is 58 mm, with a 7-blade circular aperture diaphragm.

The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm will be available at valued channel partners at the end of February 2023 for $899.99.