A Tale Of Two Lenses II: Lumix 12-32mm

Whenever I get a chance to try out a new camera, the first thing that I want to know is how good or bad is the lens that comes with it. I can usually work around the camera body but if the lens is mediocre I quickly lose interest. I’m partial to a sharp lens but a crappy lens can be just as good and is often more interesting.

Last September as part of my job for Panasonic I had a chance to use a pre-production Lumix GM-1 with the new Lumix 12-32mm kit lens. We happened to be in Seattle on a sunny day so we headed to the top of the Space Needle at sunset. Since I was new to the camera I set it on Auto and just pressed the shutter. When I had a chance to look at the photos in Lightroom I was amazed at the sharpness and detail of this very small lens.

At WPPI in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago I had a chance to take a Lumix GM-1 with the 12-32mm lens out shooting again. I was equally impressed with the results and have ordered the lens to use on my personal Lumix GX-7. Between this lens and the 9mm Olympus that I wrote about last Friday I‘m set for a while. Oh shoot, I forget about the upcoming Micro Four-thirds Leica 15mm f/1.7. Guess I need to start saving my pennies for that one.—Mark Toal