Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 ASPH Review

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 Asph. Handling and Features

The first impression is of a very well made lens, solid, quite heavy for its size, and with controls that operate very precisely and smoothly. There is an excellent round lens hood supplied that very slickly bayonets onto the front of the lens. There is a 62mm filter thread. The pinch design lens cap is also well made and can be removed and replaced easily with the hood in place, something that can often be quite a fiddly operation.

The first control ring is for the aperture. This can be set to an A position, in which case the aperture is controlled by the camera. It can also be set via the ring to a selected aperture, and with the Panasonic Lumix GX80 supplied for this review this was actually the most convenient way to work.

Closer to the camera body is the fairly wide, ribbed focusing ring, electronic in operation and perfectly satisfactory in practice. The only other lens control is the AF/MF switch.

The lens has nine diaphragm blades giving a circular aperture, this design tending to improve the look of the out of focus areas in an image, described as the bokeh. There are 15 elements in 12 groups, including two aspherical, one ED (extra low dispersion) and two UED (ultra ED). Focusing is down to 0.2m (0.66 feet) giving a maximum magnification of 0.1x. The lens weighs 335g.

The “dust proof and splash proof” designation indicates the ability to stand perhaps a light shower or a degree of spray and this feature is so useful as to almost be a requirement of a modern lens.

In terms of handling, the Summilux has no particular quirks and does the job just as it's supposed to. The positioning of all the control rings and switches is well thought out and the whole integrates very well with the Panasonic body provided. The 24mm-equivalent field of view is a very versatile one, lending itself well to getting right into the action. This gives a more involved and intimate feel to street photography, very different to standing remotely with a long lens. Landscapes, architecture and travel all fall within the range of this type of lens and the bright f/1.4 aperture adds night shooting to the list of possibilities. The lens is a pleasure to use.

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