Conclusion

The new Lumix S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S. is the king of convenience - this is a compellingly small, light yet incredibly versatile lens that is perfect for vacations and holidays.

It can cover almost every conceivable subject when shooting both stills and video, with quick, almost silent auto-focusing and very little focus breathing.

It also offers the bonuses of very close-focusing coupled with half-size magnification (although only at 28mm), plus effective image stabilization when paired with a more recent Panasonic camera body.

There are some obvious caveats to be aware of, though. Firstly, the maximum apertures on offer range from slow to glacially slow, rather limiting both its use in low-light situations and its bokeh-generating qualities.

Secondly, it's not the sharpest lens that you'll ever use, especially at the longer telephoto lengths - so at 200mm, for example, you're restricted to shooting at f/8 or f/11 to get acceptably sharp results, with f/7.1 too soft and diffraction already kicking-in at f/16.

Thanks to the in-camera processing (which can't be turned off) there's not too much barrel or pin-cushion distortion or chromatic aberrations, but this lens does suffer from flare when shooting directly into the sun, and it doesn't produce good sunstar effects with sharp points.

The build quality is very good for this price-bracket, with the built-in weather-proofing offering some peace of mind in more inclement conditions and a good quality lens hood supplied in the box.

With a full retail price of £899.99 / €999.99 / $799.99, the Panasonic Lumix S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO O.I.S. offers good value for money.

If you don't mind making some sacrifices on the image quality side of the equation, then its size and versatility certainly add-up to make it a great carry-everywhere and anywhere all-in-one zoom for photographers and videographers alike.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	5
Features	4
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	3.5
Value for money	4