Fake Sigma 12-35mm lens rumor (20mm on top of rankings)
A website I know very well for posting false rumors started a buzz around a possible Sigma 12-35mm X lens. Many other websites picked it up. I am writing this post just to say that there is a 99% chance the rumor is fake. I say this based on the past fake stuff I saw on that website I don’t wanna link to it 
Meantime the first user review of the real Panasonic 12-35mm X lens is up at Amazon (Click here). This is really a great lens. Can’t wait to see what’s coming next week from Panasonic!
P.S.: The Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 is back in Stock at Amazon (Click here) and is on top of the Mirrorless ranking (Click here).
Bey
11 months ago |Too bad, competition would be nice since the price is rather hefty for the panny version.
The Master
11 months ago |I don’t want to be first anymore.
Cheese knuckle
11 months ago |What a nob
The Master
11 months ago |I got your nob, swinging.
Boooo!
11 months ago |It is NOT a great lens, it is almost entirely useless at wide focal lengths.
Andy Taylor
11 months ago |Based on which evidence? Everything I’ve seen is to the contrary. :/
Mr. Reeee
11 months ago |It’ll be okay, Booooo!
The headmaster promises not to beat you (so much) if you’ll only finish your gruel.
JHCCAZ
11 months ago |I’ve seen a few griping comments disrespecting this lens as a low-performing “kit” lens, but of course never from anyone who has one. I went back and looked at review summaries linked on this website:
June 1 link to DigitalKamera review (translated):
“…sharpness test shows that center and border resolution are practically always on a high level at any aperture. Vignetting is only slightly visible at f/2.8 aperture and almost negligible distortion. Overall a superb lens!”
May 27 links to:
CameraStuffReview:
“…The resolution performance of the Panasonic 12-35 mm is the best we have encountered with a micro-43 lens so far. It equals the resolution of the 24 megapixel Sony A-77 (APS-C) in combination with the Sony Zeiss 24-70 mm. Part way the resolution is equal to the resolution in the center. Even in the corners the resolution is high.”
PhotographyBlog: (the most critical review but hardly “useless”:”…Optically the lens is a great performer. At all focal lengths, it’s best to stop it down by one f-stop for optimum results – at F2.8 the center and edge sharpness is less acceptable.”
ePhotoZine:
“Highly Recommended… The lens delivers sharp, contrasty images with low CA and distortion, which should be expected of a pro-spec zoom.”
SLRGear:
“The Panasonic 12-35mm ƒ/2.8 offers very sharp results, consistent across all focal lengths. The lens offers almost tack-sharp performance when used wide open at ƒ/2.8, with only a bit of softness in the extreme corners; stopping down to ƒ/4 provides solid edge-to-edge sharpness…[CA] appears most at the wider end of the lens’ zoom range – 12mm – and is quite subtle…excellent performance across the board”
DSLRmagazine:
“…This pattern [slight aberrations at f/2.8 disappearing by f/4] is repeated for all focal lengths…”
So Mr. Boooo!, I can’t find anything to back up your statement that the lens is “almost entirely useless at wide focal lengths”. Quite the contrary, the lens almost entirely praised for excellent performance at all focal lengths. Not perfect – perfection is only approached by a few prime lenses that cost thousands of dollars – but hardly like your description.
Boooo!
11 months ago |You can read reviews, I can look at test photos:
http://www.cyberphoto.se/?http://www.cyberphoto.se/info.php?article=pana1235
There was another test of the lens with full-size photos on 43 recently, and it showed the *exact* same thing: at 12mm, the lens is bad. It’s decently sharp in the centre (though not the sharpest lens ever), and that’s just about it. I wouldn’t print larger than 40x30cm with the 12-35, and I have 100cm+ prints from my 12-60 (which makes the lens useful, unlike this one; oh, and they’re from a 10 Mpx E-3 and E-510).
Good lord, if those review sites are so mesmerized by the 12-35 and call it “very sharp” and “superb”, their brains would probably explode if they got their hands on a 4/3 12-60 or 14-35.
Pete
11 months ago |i can’t believe these swedish bastards! who pays them for this photos?!
JHCCAZ
11 months ago |Well, you know a Stradivarius violin can sound awful when played by a beginner. The Swedish scene is just a dismal picture from several points of view. To me the grass is much fuzzier than the buildings and cars, meaning perhaps the wind was blowing. One cannot count the number of test photos for a new product (often the manufacturer’s own samples) that have generated derisive comments, only to find that the camera or lens in question is considered a “classic” after a couple of years. Please continue using the 12-60 – I bought and occasionally continue to use a 50-200 (non-SWD) which is great optically, but simply not a good match for the micro 4/3 system. If absolute image quality and large prints are your goal regardless of size and convenience, then why aren’t you using medium format equipment?
I think you need to make an attempt to be open-minded and fair, stop ridiculing conclusions that have come at considerable effort. The evidence from measurements _and_ photos is that the 12-35 is a very good lens and complements the system properly. Is it the very best if size, speed, convenience and features are not important? Probably not. In my case, I have changed bodies but kept the 14-45 G1 kit lens in preference to the newer and obviously inferior 14-42 Lumix. The former is still not as good as my 4/3 14-50, but I still take good photos with it. I expect that the 12-35 could become the new choice (and should for the price).
jules
11 months ago |Jag ska inte överskätt alla (I shall not translate everything) suffice to say, it does mentions at the end that it is top class glass despite being a pre-production sample!
edit : answer is meant to Boo, referring to the Swedish link
bli
11 months ago |Robin Wong’s first impression of the 75/1.8 was published some 10 min ago (?).
Kaloksi
11 months ago |@ admin, could that site be http://e-p1.net/the-rumor-bin/a-sigma-12-35mm-f2-8-lens-is-coming-along-with-a-tamron-18-200mm-lens/ ?
Starred
11 months ago |Lensrentals tested the 12-35
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/06/a-weekend-with-the-panasonic-12-35-f2-8