LUMIX G VARIO 35-100 / F4.0-5.6 Mini Zoom

When Panasonic NZ send me the tiny GM5 they included a just as tiny zoom lens.

According to them, the LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm F4.0-6.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. is...
"A versatile focal distance of 35-100mm (equivalent to 70-200mm on a 35mm camera) is useful in shooting snapshots, including portraits and close-ups, with an impressively defocused background to take advantage of the high portability of this lens. The auto focus system is driven by a stepping motor to achieve quiet, high-speed AF with a 240-fps capability."

This is a very small lens built with the GM1 and GM5 in mind.  Like the kit lens that came with these cameras, you need to turn the lens barrel to extend the lens for the camera to work.

This little zoom lens might look tiny, but Panasonic managed to fit into the tiny barrel 12 glass elements, in 9 group with 2 ED and one aspherical glass!

At the moment, our local Photo Warehouse is selling this lens at NZ$349.00.

The only lens to compare with this compact zoom is the slightly longer and more costly 45-175 X-lens.

My logic, or lack of, the X-lens cost me more than NZ$500.00 (2 years ago) and it contained MORE aspherical surfaces and Nano coating, which the little zoom do not have; it must be better, right?

I took these from my deck using the two lenses and visually you cannot tell the difference!

Lets look at the 100% crops...

As you can see from above, the 100% crop from the more expensive X-lens is a little sharper. Would you spend a few hundred dollars more for that?  I think most photographers won't.

The little G-lens fit GM5 like a grove and I had a great time shooting with it using the EVF!

Below are some of the shots I took with this little gem...

Famous Last Words...

I find the ultra compact LUMIX G VARIO 35-100mm F4.0-5.6 a telephoto zoom lens with excellent portability, the auto focus is quiet and fast; if you are into GM1 or GM5; this is a good lens to own!

The 35-100 G-lens and the 45-175 X-lens.

Zoom lens optical technology has come a long way, on the left is an old Nikon 80-200 F4 lens I used during my film days, the tiny 35-100 Lumix on the right have an equivalent of 70-200 view!

Thanks to Panasonic New Zealand I had some fun time testing the Lumix GM5 and the compact 35-100 zoom lens. 

Here are some shots I took today with the GM5, the "small wonder"  :)

My home cooked roast lamb dinner.