Panasonic Lumix S PRO 70-200mm f/4 O.I.S. Lens

Good fit with Leica CL; need better customer support

The L mount allows for use of this lens as a 100-300 equivalent on the APS-C Leica CL. It is bulkier than the Leica 55-135 (90-200 equiv) that it replaced in my kit, but pairs well with the small CL body. I tried the gargantuan Leica SL 90-280 (135-400 equiv) on the CL. Images, OIS and focal length were great with that lens, but ergonomics and price were not in line with a camera like the CL that is made to be more affordable (sort of) and more p... Show Moreortable than the Leica SL. The OIS on this lens works well, making it much more useful to shoot wildlife than the Leica 55-135, which lacks the effective focal length and OIS of this lens. This lens does not extend when zoomed out; the manual focus works well; and having f4 throughout the zoom range is nice. AF is quick and smooth. IQ looks as good as the Leica vario that I am replacing with this lens. I think it is a good compromise on size and price if you want to do some outdoor photography with the Leica CL. It feels well made. Also, Panasonic offered a Leica-like 3 year warrantyat the time that I made my purchase. I deducted one star because of the non-existent documentation of how to use this lens on the CL. I think I have figured out the OIS set up by trial and error, but there are no instructions included in the box, and neither Leica nor Panasonic customer service seemed to know for sure. Leica US tried to be helpful, but had to send my question about the OIS switch to Germany, because no information had been provided to them. The Panasonic rep, contacted by B&H, said to turn off the OIS on the lens. My tests indicate that the lens switch should be on for optimal OIS. The L mount alliance is a great idea, but using equipment across multiple platforms means that there needs to be a central repository for complete and accurate customer support.Show Less

Reviewed on B&H Photo Video