Panasonic Leica DG Vario Elmar 100 400mm F4 0 6 3 ASPH POWER OIS Review | 54 Data compared

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 lens as a compact, weather-sealed super-telephoto providing excellent, sharp optical performance with effective stabilization. Its light weight makes it ideal for hand-held shooting, boasting fast autofocus and a versatile 200-800mm equivalent range. Cons include a noticeable drop in sharpness at the maximum 400mm setting and a slow f/6.3 aperture at that end, which challenges low-light performance. Additionally, the zoom mechanism is noted for being somewhat stiff, and the premium price point represents a significant investment.

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 ASPH Power O.I.S. lens is a premium, all-metal, weather-sealed super-telephoto zoom lens designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras, offering a versatile 200-800mm equivalent focal range. In terms of performance, the reviewer highlights several prominent pros, including surprisingly impressive optical sharpness even when shot wide open at its maximum apertures, and a fast, silent autofocus motor. It also features highly effective Power O.I.S. (optical stabilization) that allows for crisp handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds like 1/15s, alongside a clever, detachable tripod mount integrated into a rotatable collar. Conversely, the lens has several distinct cons, most notably its slow, non-constant maximum aperture of f/5.6 to f/6.3 at longer focal lengths, forcing photographers to frequently raise their ISO to 1600 or 3200 in sub-optimal lighting. Additionally, the optical stabilization introduces noticeable jittering during video capture at extreme focal lengths, and the Dual I.S. system on the Lumix GX8 provides no substantial advantage over using the lens's O.I.S. alone. Minor design complaints include a poorly optimized sliding hood ring and a zoom mechanism that extends significantly...

summary of the lens review: The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400 mm f/4.0-6.3 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. is an advanced Micro 4/3 telephoto zoom lens that aims to offer extreme reach in a travel-friendly form factor. The main pros of this lens are its solid construction, superior build quality, and highly compact dimensions. By prioritizing physical portability, the manufacturers successfully created a lightweight instrument that is easy to carry around and can be easily shot handheld without the mandatory requirement of a heavy tripod or monopod. Additionally, when paired with Micro 4/3 sensors, it can theoretically yield high resolution results comparable to cropped images from premium full-frame setups. However, the lens suffers from notable cons rooted in the laws of physics and its optical compromises. With a retail price of about 7500 PLN, it is a significant financial investment. More importantly, its slower f/6.3 maximum aperture at the telephoto end is a major drawback. To clear out optical aberrations at 400 mm, the lens must be stopped down by 1 to 1.5 EV to apertures of f/9-11. At these small apertures,...

The Panasonic Lumix G Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 IS lens is a compact, well-built, all-metal telephoto zoom designed for micro four-thirds mirrorless systems, providing a powerful 200-800mm full-frame equivalent focal range. Tested during a wilderness trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the lens excels in portability and outdoor functionality, weighing just over two pounds and costing significantly less than heavy professional prime setups. Key advantages include its outstanding dual image stabilization, which allows for sharp handheld shooting even at maximum zoom, smooth zoom and focus rings, and surprisingly good center sharpness, color, and contrast detail across its entire focal range. However, the lens has notable limitations rooted in its slower variable aperture. The smaller f/6.3 opening at 400mm, combined with the micro four-thirds sensor crop factor, expands the depth of field and prevents users from achieving ultra-clean, distracting-free background bokeh unless the subject is isolated far from its background. Additionally, the autofocus struggles with speed and precision in low-contrast or darkly lit environments, sometimes requiring multiple attempts to lock onto a subject. Despite these flaws, the reviewer concludes...

The Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 ASPH Power OIS is a highly specialized Micro-Four-Thirds telephoto zoom lens that delivers a massive 200-800mm full-frame equivalent reach in a remarkably compact, 171mm-long body weighing under 1kg. Its standout advantage is an exceptional price-to-performance ratio, offering extreme telephoto capabilities for around 1400EUR/1500USD. On the pros side, it boasts an impressive all-metal, weather-sealed construction, remarkably fast and silent autofocus, very low field curvature, and well-controlled chromatic aberrations and distortions. Optically, the lens center resolution remains excellent between 100mm and 300mm when shooting wide open, and it features a useful built-in telescope-style lens hood alongside an additional external hood. However, the lens is primarily limited by its slow f/4-6.3 maximum aperture, which triggers diffraction-related softness from f/11 onward and restricts your depth-of-field control. At the extreme 400mm end, there is a minor drop in contrast and sharpness at f/6.3, and the built-in Power O.I.S. stabilizer hits its limits, making steady handheld shooting difficult without a Panasonic body capable of Dual IS. Mechanically, some users may find the zoom ring action a bit too stiff, and...

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 Asph. Power O.I.S. is a compact and lightweight super-telephoto zoom lens designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras, offering a massive 200-800mm effective focal length range in full-frame terms. Developed in partnership with Leica, this lens features an impressive optical design with 20 elements in 13 groups, weighing under one kilogram (985g) which makes it ideal for comfortable, handheld wildlife and sports photography. It delivers highly accurate and rapid 240fps autofocus performance alongside a dual 'Power O.I.S.' optical stabilizer that syncs with compatible camera bodies to provide 4-5 stops of stabilization. Furthermore, it boasts excellent dust and moisture resistance, a unique zoom lock ring that secures any focal length, and an impressively short minimum focusing distance of 1.3 metres. However, the reviewer points out several performance compromises and missing features. Its standout strengths—including a highly portable build, fast and smooth autofocus, and outstanding centre-sharpness at the wider end—are counterbalanced by a few notable downsides. On the negative side, the lens lacks switchable image stabilization modes (such as static or panning options) and omits physical...