Digital Photography Review had the wonderful opportunity to try out the new lens before it hits the stores.
Check out their website for some hands-on pictures of the Panasonic Leica Summilux 12mm F1.4 ASPH – which, by the way, combined with for example the Lumix GH4 would make a splash proof AND dust proof system.
The new 12mm prime is a fairly substantial lens, and at 335g it’s relatively heavy, too. Panasonic is touting its all-metal construction (which even extends to the detachable hood) and 15 glass elements also contribute substantially to the weight. A nine-bladed aperture should ensure both attractive bokeh and sunstars at smaller apertures.
A manual aperture ring and wide, well-damped focus ring give a feeling of real quality to the new 12mm, and although it’s not a lightweight lens, handling is very nice on the Lumix DMC-GH4. Autofocus is handled by a stepping motor, which Panasonic claims is capable of keeping up with the 240 fps refresh rate of modern Panasonic M43 cameras’ sensor-based autofocus.
The lens is available for pre-order over at the Panasonic shop.
Read the full hands-on review over at Digital Photography Review.
Source: Digital Photography Review
