Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-08-22)

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 45

http://www.parkcameras.com

01444237060

Panasonic

LEICA12-60mm
f/2.8-4.0
£549

from

excellentcondition

6 monthwarranty

withallused

DigitalCameras.

Seewebfordetails

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PARK CAMERAS

If you’reinterestedin a

weather-sealedall-in-one

superzoomthat’sidealfor

bothstillsandvideouse,

thisopticts thebillas

anidealpartnerto the

G80.The‘II’sufx

indicatesthatit’san

updateof anolderlens

thatlacksthedustand

splashproong,butis

otherwiseidenticalin

design.Assuperzooms

go,this28-280mm

equivalentopticis

remarkablysmall,

especiallygiventhe

inclusionof Panasonic’s

PowerOISoptical

stabilisationthat’s

designedto compensate

forslow,large-amplitude

movementsthatcan

otherwisespoillong

exposuresandvideos,as

wellasmoreconventional

shake.It measures

67mmin diameterby

75mmin length,and

weighs265g. Forusers

ona tighterbudget,the

oldernon-weathersealed

14-140mmf/4-5.8can

behadforalmosthalf

theprice.

Panasonic Lenses

Pancake lenses seem to

have gone out of fashion

these days, which is

something of a shame as

when done well, they can

provide  ne image quality

in an incredibly compact

size. The Panasonic

20mm f/1.7 is a case in

point – it’s just 26mm

long and weighs 100g,

but is capable of

producing really attractive

photos. It’s very sharp in

the centre of the frame

wide open, while giving its

best results overall

between f/2.8 and f/5.6.

As usual for Micro Four

thirds, residual distortion

and chromatic aberration

is mopped up by

software compensation,

meaning that the user

simply experiences

pleasingly sharp, clean

images. Its main

disadvantage is sluggish

autofocus, due to a

design that moves the

entire optical unit back

and forth for focusing.

Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD

14140mm F3.55.6 II ASPH OIS

● £319

Panasonic Lumix G 20mm

F1.7 ASPH

● £159

batt ng

Eco e

the s

its m

reco g p

100Mpbs, with Cinelike colour pro les

available for easier post-production, and

a built-in 3.5mm stereo microphone

socket. Panasonic’s 4K Photo mode

effectively allows 8MP still images to be

captured at 30fps.

As usual from Panasonic, the G80

relies on the  rm’s Depth from Defocus

technology for autofocus. It’s not quite

asdecisiveasphasedetection, but is

quicker than simple contrast detection

and better at dealing with moving

subjects. Low ISO image quality is very

good indeed, especially in sunlight, with

attractive colours and easily enough

detail to make a sharp A3 print. The

metering tends to underexpose in dull

light, but this is easy to correct. The

sensor continues to deliver decent

image quality at up to ISO 6400, while

built-in Wi-Fi connectivity makes it easy

to transfer images to your smartphone

for sharing on social media.

Overall, while the G80 may not have

the retro charm of its Olympus rival, it’s

still an impressive camera that’s fully

featured, a pleasure to use, and capable

of great results for both stills and video.

At a glance

● Sensor 16MP CMOS, 17.3x13mm

● Sensitivity ISO 200-25,600;

ISO 100-25,600 (extended)

● Autofocus 49-point contrast detect

● Continuous shooting 9fps with AFS,

6fps with AFC

● Video 4K up to 30p

● Rear display 3in, 1.04m-dot fully

articulated LCD

● Viewfinder 2.36m-dot electronic,

0.74x equivalent magnification

Micro Four Thirds

is great for

telephoto reach

Panasonic G80, 100-300mm,

1/80sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200