N°1013461 · Family detail
LeicaCinema·MICRO 4/3 mount
Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm F/2.8-4 ASPH
Specifications01
MountMICRO 4/3
Focal length8-18mm
Max aperturef/2.8
TypeCinema · Wide · Zoom
Weight315 g
Filter size67 mm
Physical length88 mm
Min focus distance0.23 m
Max magnification0.12
Aperture blades7
Optical elements15
Groups10
Lens hoodPetal-shaped, supplied, bayonet mount
Additional Info02
Category["Micro-Four-Thirds"]
Keywords["Micro-Four-Thirds","Panasonic","Ultra-wide","Zoom"]
Review AuthorKlaus
Review Rating6.5
Equiv Aperture“f/5.6-8” (full format equivalent in terms of depth-of-field)
Other FeaturesDust- and splash-proof, Freeze-proof (-10C), Nano-Surface Coating
Review VerdictAs you might expect, the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH is a very decent performer in its category. The image center is very sharp and the borders and corners are pretty good as well - technically at least. Field curvature is a bit of an issue at 12mm albeit that's not unheard of in this class (albeit usually at the wide end). Image distortions as well as vignetting are low when taking advantage of image auto-correction (obviously). The quality of the native design isn't quite as hot in these respects though. Lateral CAs are very low and contribute to the high-quality perception. If pushed you will be able to spot some ghostings are a bit of glare with strong light sources in the scene. However, it isn't worse than the competition in this respect. A highlight of the lens (as well as its Leica cousins) is the build quality. We really wished this would be standard across all lenses. The Leica lens feels both sturdy and extremely well assembled with smooth controls and weather sealing on top of all that. Some may regret that Panasonic skipped an image stabilizer but honestly we agree with this approach because it's already difficult enough to produce ultra-wide lenses without much sample variations. Overall the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH follows a balanced approach in this category. It skips a constant aperture in favour of having front filters combined with a compact size. We wouldn't state that it excels compared to its Olympus and Panasonic mates but it is in the very same league and as such an appealing option.
Review Criteria{"Build Quality":9,"Optical Quality":6.5,"Price / Performance":8}
Review Published2018-07-06T13:56:00+00:00
Equiv Focal Length“16-36mm” (full format equivalent)
Optical Construction15 Elements in 10 Groups (3xaspherical, 1xaspherical-ED, 1x ED, 1xUHR)
Field Notes02
Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8–18mm Micro Four Thirds zoom lens with a variable maximum aperture of f/2.8–4. Designed for wide-angle use such as landscapes and general-purpose shooting.
AI-assisted summary — verify against linked sourcesSources03
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Other Mounts03
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