My Panasonic 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Mega OIS Lens Review

[Andrew L (gryphon1911) 1,131]

Background

Olympus makes a small, pancake wide to medium zoom lens. My issue with it is the fact that it is an electronic zoom.

I absolutely detest electronic zooms. They force you into specific focal lengths, they use additional power, and that is just one more point of failure in a device.  Just not a lens for me.

When looking for zooms, I want a mechanical zoom. For the low price of $102, I was able to get my hands on the superb Panasonic 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Mega OIS lens.

 

This is the second time I got this lens.   That in itself should tell you something!

 

Olympus E-P5
1/320, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 18mm

Handling/Size/Weight

This pancake zoom, when collapses is small. Just a few millimeters stick out from the front of the camera. When taken out of the lock position, it does telescope a bit.

Made primarily of plastic, the lens is light. Almost imperceptible. Within this plastic, you’ll find a set of glass elements that provide for excellent image quality. 

Way better than the build and price would suggest to you.  However, if you are at all familiar with micro four thirds lenses, you'll know that they produce excellent results for 99% of the lenses produced.

Fully Extended

There is no manual focus ring on this lens. It was designed to be manual focused from a Panasonic camera body using camera controls. If you need a lens that will manual focus on an Olympus body, then this is not the lens for you.

I use this lens AF only, so not an issue here.

 

Olympus E-P5
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 22mm

Weather Sealed

This is not a weather sealed lens, but to be honest a light rain or snow shower would most likely not hurt this lens.

 

Olympus E-P5
1/500, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

Olympus PEN-F
1/1600, F/5.6, ISO 200 @ 18mm
Las Vegas, NV

Image Quality

This is a sleeper of a lens. A slow aperture, inexpensive, pancake lens does not generally scream high image quality.

It’s great to be proven wrong!

The contrast, color and rendering from this lens are just out of this world. IQ wise, it’s hard to fault this lens. Even wide open, it is sharp everywhere it needs to be.

If the sharpness or aperture are not to your liking, then you’ll need to look at the higher end Panasonic 12-35/2.8 or Olympus 12-40/2.8 zooms to be the superior. Although, I will say that at equivalent aperture and focal lengths, you’ll need to pixel peep to see much difference.

 

Olympus E-P5
1/200, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 30mm

 

Olympus E-P5
1/500, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

 

Olympus E-P5
1/500, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

Focusing

The Panasonic pancake zoom lens focus’ fast and has positive lock-on results on the Olympus E-P5 and PEN-F.

 

Olympus E-P5
1/320, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

 

Olympus PEN-F
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

OIS

There is OIS (optical image stabilization) in the lens for those cameras that need it and for those that do not have IBIS, you can use that system instead.

Olympus E-P5
1/250, f/5.6, ISO 200 @ 32mm

 

Olympus PEN-F
1/60, f/8, ISO 1600 @ 32mm

Bottom Line

I can count on one hand the number of micro four thirds lenses I would not recommend. Just about every lens in the system has great qualities.

This little Panasonic is one of those that I whole heartedly recommend and a "I can’t believe it is that good", lens. Looking at it, first inclination would be to dismiss it.

 

If a small, kit lens is in your future, then this is the lens that you would definitely want to consider. Just remember that, on an Olympus body, you have no manual focus capability and this is an all plastic body and mount.

Beyond that, you have one stellar kit lens.

 

I recommend this lens.

 

Olympus PEN-F
1/60, f/5.6, ISO 1600 @ 12mm

Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV

 

Olympus PEN-F
1/60, f/5.6, ISO 250 @ 32mm

[Hugh_3170 498]

Thanks for the review - BTW some nice sample images.