Panasonic Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8 Review

June 25, 2020 | Tim Coleman | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8 lens for L-Mount is an exceptionally well-made lens that shines brightest as you use it across photography and video disciplines.

Focusing is a dream, whether that is manual focus via the focus clutch, or the AF motor that is geared intelligently through the Lumix S1 camera for photography and video. You'll get fast AF for photography and a smooth AF transitions for video, crucially all performed silently.

We'd expect the lens to withstand the inevitable battering endured through a life of use by a seasoned professional photographer, plus it simply feels great in use.

Tack sharp images are a reality from centre all the way to corners, with an unbelievably good control over lens distortion, especially chromatic aberrations. You may not even need to make any lens corrections to raw images post capture. Bokeh is also pleasant all the way from the maximum aperture down to f/5.6.

So, the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8 lens passes all the tests with flying colours. But now comes the reality of its retail price. It's the first Panasonic S zoom lens going head to head with an existing Sigma equivalent and its competitor is less than half the price and five star rated no-less.

Is the Panasonic lens worth the extra cash? Commenting on features and handling alone, there are differences, the majority of which favour the Panasonic lens; its manual focus clutch, build quality, plus it is a proprietary lens for the Panasonic system. The Sigma lens is more versatile for close up work, with a superior minimum close focusing distance. If video handling is a concern, then we'd go for the Panasonic lens.

Overall, we have been majorly impressed by the Panasonic Lumix S PRO 24-70mm F2.8 lens for L-Mount. If the asking price is accessible, then it ticks all the boxes.

5 stars

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