Leica 8-18mm on Panasonic GH5 (4K50p sample)

Posted by – May 6, 2017

Sample video at 4K50p filmed using the new Panasonic GH5 ($1998 body-only) with the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 8-18mm f/2.8-4 ASPH wide-angle lens ($1099), capturing the sound using my new Saramonic UWMIC9 dual UHF wireless lavs to single receiver (first time I use it, hopefully the sound levels are ok) ($399). Using Panasonic GH5’s intelligent auto mode, I am trying to show off some of the quality of this wide angle lens for my style of handheld video-blogging, filming at the Wex Photographic London Lens Show with Kevin Walker of Panasonic UK. Last month, I also filmed with him using the GH5 and the Leica 12-60mm at the Photography Show and I also just filmed a new video with him using the 12-60 Leica lens which I will upload and publish later today, check back for that. This 8-18mm lens doesn’t have Dual IS 2 in-lens image stabilization but the Panasonic GH5 has such good in-sensor stabilization that it can stabilize any lens that you put on it and this angle being so wide, it might need in-lens stabilization to look stable when used for video. The wide angle is useful for wide angle photography for architecture, landscapes, streets, groups of people and more. According to Panasonic, the Leica 8-18mm lens uses a series of low dispersion and aspherical elements to realize sharp and clear imagery with controlled fringing and aberrations, and a Nano Surface Coating also helps to minimize flare and ghosting for increased contrast and color accuracy. The durable metal lens body is splash, dust, and freezeproof and it has their fast 240fps autofocus drive for a hopefully good auto-focus performance. You can download the original 150mbit/s 4K50p camera video file on Google Drive: (I’ll add the Google Drive link here within a few hours as I get the 13.9GB file uploaded, check back)