CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH is the third and final lens in the company's lineup of high-end variable aperture zooms, which was announced back in CES 2017. Alongside the 8-18mm F2.8-4 and 12-60mm F2.8-4, users have a total equivalent focal range of 16-400mm with this series. As expected, the 50-200mm F2.8-4 has similar styling and design cues to its siblings, and feels every bit as premium as the Leica name would imply.

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

Like the 12-60mm F2.8-4, the 50-200mm F2.8-4 zooms externally via a zoom ring placed closer to the camera body than the focus ring. Even on this pre-production sample, both rings are well-damped, and the all-metal body feels extremely solid.

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

Despite its fairly compact size, the 50-200mm F2.8-4 has a complex optical design. There are 21 elements in 15 groups, which includes two Ultra Extra-low Dispersion lenses (that's a mouthful), two Extra-low Dispersion lenses and two aspherical lenses.

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

As with the rest of the range, the 50-200mm F2.8-4 is fully weather-resistant. There's a rubber gasket around the lens mount, and the lens is designed to stand up to inclement weather but is obviously not designed to be submersible in water.

Additionally, the 50-200mm F2.8-4 is compatible with both 1.4X and 2.0X teleconverters from Panasonic, offering either a 560mm or 800mm equivalent maximum focal length, respectively.

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

The Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 comes with optical stabilization and is compatible with newer Panasonic models' Dual I.S. mode. This means the stabilizer in this lens can work in tandem with the sensor-shift stabilization in camera bodies to further combat hand shake.

CP+ 2018: Hands on with the Panasonic Leica 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH

We're excited to get a production copy of the 50-200mm F2.8-4 back to the DPReview offices for testing as soon as we can; both the 8-18mm and 12-60mm F2.8-4 lenses have impressed us with the quality of their build as well as the quality of the imagery they produce. To be sure, these are premium-priced lenses, but we also think they feel and perform like premium products should.

The Panasonic Leica DG Vario 50-200mm F2.8-4 ASPH will be available in June for an MSRP of $1700.

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