Panasonic LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm F2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. Review

December 27, 2010 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Conclusion

The LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm F2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. is a very good macro lens that's actually more affordable than some of Panasonic's more specialist Micro Four Thirds lenses, offering true 1:1 magnification in a small yet solidly-built package.

As you'd expect given the premium price tag, build quality is excellent, with the ability to fit filters on the front of the lens very welcome. As with most other Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lenses, it's fast to focus on the new DMC-GH2 camera and almost virtually silent too, making it well-suited to both stills and video. This lens is also small and quite lightweight, fitting in size-wise between the 14mm and 20mm pancake lenses and the standard kit zooms.

Optically the lens is an excellent performer. You can safely use it wide open or for optimum results stopped down to F/4.0, with even the edges of the frame looking sharp. Chromatic aberrations are almost completely absent, while distortions are automatically corrected on both Olympus and Panasonic bodies. It also doubles up as an effective short telephoto lens, important given the current absence of a 50mm lens in Panasonic's range.

£599.00 / $899.99 is quite a lot of cash for a macro lens for any system, but given the excellent results and performance, we feel that it's just about justified and a good investment for Micro Four Thirds who want to get up close and personal with their subject.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 4