The Panasonic Leica D Vario-Elmarit 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 ASPH Mega OIS is an interchangeable camera lens announced by Panasonic on February 26, 2006. It was the first Leica lens with optical image stabilisation.
History Initially, the lens was sold bundled with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and the Leica Digilux 3 Four Thirds System digital single-lens reflex cameras.
Design The lens uses 16 elements in 13 groups; two elements have aspherical surfaces. It is equipped with an aperture selection ring which is usable exclusively with the DMC-L1/Digilux 3 and DMC-L10 camera bodies.
There are some variations in lens markings, depending on which camera it was bundled with initially; engraved on the ring around the front element for the version bundled with the Panasonic DMC-L1, the brand ("LEICA") is by itself on one side, opposite the lens name and data ("D VARIO-ELMARIT 1:2.8–3.5/14-50 ASPH. Φ72"), while in the Digilux 3 bundle, the brand and name are grouped together ("LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT") with the lens data opposite ("1:2.8–3.5/14-50 ASPH.E72"). Other variations in markings exist, including prominent "LUMIX" branding on the side of the Panasonic-bundled lens.
Reception Popular Photography praised the lens' "superior sharpness and distortion control" while Camera Labs additionally emphasised the "superior build quality".
See also Contemporaneous lenses with similar coverage: Panasonic Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm f/3.8-5.6 Mega OIS, slower speed but similar features Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5, similar coverage and speed
References
External links