Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200 mm f/2.8-4 ASPH. review - Vignetting

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Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200 mm f/2.8-4 ASPH.

25 June 2018

Arkadiusz Olech

8. Vignetting

First let’s check the vignetting performance in JPEG files – appropriate thumbnails, produced with the help of the Olympus O-MD E-M5 Mark II you can find below.

E-M5 II, JPEG, 50 mm, f/2.8	E-M5 II, JPEG, 50 mm, f/4.0

E-M5 II, JPEG, 100 mm, f/3.6	E-M5 II, JPEG, 100 mm, f/4.0

E-M5 II, JPEG, 150 mm, f/3.9	E-M5 II, JPEG, 150 mm, f/5.6

E-M5 II, JPEG, 200 mm, f/4.0	E-M5 II, JPEG, 200 mm, f/5.6

At the shortest focal length and the maximum relative aperture the vignetting amounts to 39% (−1.43 EV). On stopping down the aperture to f/4.0 it decreases to 19% (−0.61 EV), and by f/5.6 it becomes imperceptible (6% and −0.17 EV).

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At 100 mm the performance is better. By f/3.6 the vignetting level reaches 25% (−0.83 EV), then it decreases to 16% (−0.50 EV) by f/4.0 and by f/5.6 it gets to a quite imperceptible level of 4% (−0.12 EV).,

In the case of the 150 mm focal length and f/3.9 aperture the brightness loss in frame corners amounts to 32% (-1.12 EV). By f/5.6 and f/8.0 we got the following results: 12% (−0.36 EV) and 4% (−0.12 EV).

Similar results you can observe at the maximum focal length. By f/4.0 the vignetting reaches 34% (−1.18 EV) and by f/5.6 it decreases to 14% (−0.44 EV). After employing f/8.0 that aberration disappears practically completely (4%).

The results reached in RAW files are very similar – typically they don’t differ from JPEGs by more than 1-2% so can be considered the same within the margin of error.

In this category the results of the Panaleica should be described as sensible. Slower full frame 100-400 mm lenses can experience brightness loss of 40% or even slightly higher at their maximum relative apertures so the tested lens compares rather favourably with them.

Olympus O-MD E-M5 Mark II, JPEG, 50 mm, f/2.8