Recently announced Panasonic 28-200mm F4-7.1 MACRO OIS [B&H Store] does not have outstanding optical performance. Take a look at what Petapixel said about this lens
The new Panasonic 28-200mm f/4-7.1 Macro OISsuper zoom is clearly designed to be a jack-of-all-trades that doesn’t really excel in any optical categories. It’s also fairly slow, which limits its usefulness in darker situations.
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Take a look at the Major Points of the Review
- Weighing only 413g, this lens is extremely lightweight, yet it maintains an easy-to-handle 67mm filter diameter. The downside of its compact size is that the aperture value is relatively dark at F4-7.1, which can pose a problem when shooting in low-light conditions.
- The lens barrel is small, resulting in simple controls that are well-crafted. The zoom ring has a suitable weight, preventing the lens from extending when you carry it around.
- The image stabilization is highly effective, allowing handheld shooting at 200mm even with a slow shutter speed. The balance of the lens is also commendable.
- The autofocus (AF) performs well, swiftly focusing from long to short distances.
- There is a ghosting issue when shooting against the light, with colored speckled ghosts appearing at any aperture value. While this effect might look interesting for video, it’s quite noticeable and often undesirable for most still shots.
- The lens flares are dim and lack drama. Overall, this lens does not perform well when shooting into the sun, so it’s advisable to avoid shooting directly into the sun or other bright light sources if possible.
- The close-up performance is excellent, allowing 1:2 shooting at the wide-angle end. However, the working distance at this point is so short that you could almost touch the subject. If you prefer to maintain a working distance, 200mm provides sufficient magnification for close-up photography.
- The resolution is decent, with good center detail at 28mm. However, it improves significantly if you stop down, so it’s recommended to do so whenever possible. The 200mm end yields similar results to the 28mm, but the edges are even softer. Due to strong distortion correction, the corners are soft regardless of the aperture.
- Despite being a dark lens, it can blur the background at close range. There is some vignetting in the bokeh, but there is no onion ring blur. However, there is pronounced bubble bokeh, which makes the background blur quite busy.
- Focus breathing is almost non-existent at 200mm, and very slight at 28mm.
- The 28-200mm F4-7.1 is designed as an all-purpose zoom and does not excel in any particular category. Also, due to the large F value, there are limitations when using it in low-light conditions. However, it meets its portability and convenience goals, making it very appealing. It’s also a handy video lens and a macro lens, and these two features make it a sensible choice for those seeking a versatile lens for the L mount. In this respect, I believe this lens is useful despite its shortcomings.
- Should you buy this lens? Perhaps. The 28-200mm F4-7.1 may be a good option if you prioritize convenience over performance.
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