Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. Review
The Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. ($349.95 direct) is a compact zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. It was introduced as the standard kit zoom for the pocketable Lumix GM1( at Amazon), but is also available for purchase on its own. Its slim design is made possible by its collapsible design, but it also omits a few common features (including a manual focus ring) in order to maintain its figure. It's not quite as slim as a power zoom lens like the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ($299.00 at Amazon) or Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH.($349.00 at Amazon), but it's sharper than either of those lenses and offers a slightly wider field of view.
The 12-32mm($305.61 at Amazon) offers a full-frame equivalent field of view of about 24-64mm, placing it in the wide-angle to long standard-angle category. It's a bit wider, but lacks the telephoto reach, of most Micro Four Thirds kit lenses; they are typically 14-42mm designs. When collapsed, the 1...
The Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. lens makes some compromises to achieve its small size, but it's impressively sharp and optically stabilized.
Sharp throughout zoom range; Very compact; Optically stabilized
No manual focus ring; Distortion at wide angle; Modest zoom range; Pricey