The best standard zoom lenses are some of the most versatile tools a photographer can carry in their arsenal. Designed for day-to-day shooting, a good standard lens will cover a focal range that provides a relatively natural perspective, neither too wide nor too long. They're often bundled in with cameras as a starter lens – though, as we'll see, there are much better standard zooms out there than these ones.
The kit zooms that come with most mirrorless cameras and DSLRs , while decent enough, tend to be made with a focus on affordability. This often means a plastic mounting plate, a lack of advanced features like weather seals, and fairly slow maximum aperture ratings.
Upgrading to a better class of standard zoom lens means you get more robust build quality, and better overall performance thanks to superior internal optics. While this does generally mean carting around a bigger lens without a retractable design, the results are worth it in terms of sheer image quality.
We've picked out the best standard zooms for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus and Panasonic system cameras, and divided the guide up into sections to make it easier to navigate. Lots to get to, so let's dive right in.
The best standard zoom lenses
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Canon
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A bit bigger and weightier than the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 for Canon DSLR cameras, this RF mount lens for full-frame mirrorless Canons weighs in at 900g, and its 89x126mm dimensions dwarf an EOS R or RP body. It’s not just the build that’s big, as the asking price is far higher than for Canon’s pro-grade zoom for SLRs and almost 2.5x that of the RF 24-105mm.
Build quality is first class and comes complete with a full set of weather-seals plus the now usual fluorine coating on the front and rear elements. The optical path includes no less than three moulded aspherical elements and three UD elements, plus Air Sphere Coating. Handling is enhanced by a customizable control ring, there’s super-fast Nano USM autofocus and 5-stop image stabilization. As well as the ‘de-click’ option for the control ring, another bonus for serious videographers is that there’s virtually no focus breathing (a small change in focal length when adjusting the focus position). Furthermore, the minimum focus distance is impressively short at the minimum focal length, shrinking to just 0.21m.
Optical performance is superb, with stunning centre sharpness throughout the entire zoom range, even when shooting wide-open. It easily beats the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 in this respect, as well as giving a noticeable improvement in corner sharpness. Colour fringing is reduced at short to medium zoom settings, as is barrel distortion at the short end. All in all, image quality is spectacular.
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM full review
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The closest thing that Canon has ever made to a pro-grade APS-C format lens, this one was originally launched back in 2006. Its starring attraction is a fast f/2.8 aperture rating that remains constant throughout the entire zoom range. Although the relatively fast, constant-aperture design is a bonus, the downside is that this is big and heavy for an APS-C format standard zoom. Even so, at 645g it’s still 160g lighter than the equivalent EF 24-70mm f/2.8 for full-frame SLRs.
With its gold ‘ultrasonic’ ring around the front, the lens has styling from a somewhat bygone era. Inside, the relatively old-generation image stabilizer only gives a 3-stop benefit. Canon has never made an L-series lens for APS-C format cameras but this one comes the closest. However, it still lacks weather-seals and you need to buy the hood separately.
The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is fast and accurate, complete with the usual full-time manual override. Sharpness is noticeably better than from any other APS-C format lens in Canon’s current catalogue, while colour fringing and distortions are better controlled and bokeh is better. All in all, this lens really does prove than ‘new’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘improved’. That said, we’d still like to see up updated version of the lens for use with Canon’s latest top-end APS-C format cameras like the 90D.
Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM full review
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Designed specifically for APS-C EOS R cameras, meaning the EOS R7 and EOS R10, this little standard zoom is ideal for street photography. Not only is it lightweight and compact, but the autofocus is fast and near-silent. Plus, having up to 6.5 stops of stabilisation at your disposal makes it easier than ever to shoot handheld in all different lighting conditions.
We've only given this lens an initial hands-on test, but from what we've seen so far, we're hugely impressed. The 1.6x crop factor of the APS-C sensors gives this lens an effective focal length of 29-72mm, which is a useful and versatile range for general-purpose photography. The only real compromise is the fact that it lacks weather sealing – understandable, as something had to give to keep the lens so small, but worth being aware of all the same.
Canon RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM full review
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Designed for the most demanding enthusiast and pro photographers, the original edition of this lens was launched back in 2002. This Mark II is the result of a major revamp and hit the market 10 years later. The upgraded optical design features three aspherical elements which aim for greater sharpness along with a reduction in distortions, colour fringing and colour blur. The aperture is also more well-rounded for enhanced bokeh when stopping down, based on nine rather than eight blades.
The Mark II is more robust and sturdy than the original, and is weather-sealed. Fluorine coatings are applied to the front and rear elements to repel moisture and grease, and to enable easier cleaning. Given that Sigma and Tamron have built effective image stabilizers in their latest 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses, it’s disappointing that this Canon lacks stabilization. The f/2.8 aperture enables fast shutter speeds under dull lighting conditions, so stabilization is less of a ‘must have’ feature. However, you might often want to shoot at narrower apertures to gain extra depth of field.
Sharpness is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, although it generally doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of Canon's RF 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. It also loses out to this lens for levels of colour fringing and barrel distortion at 24mm, although there’s less pincushion at the long end of the zoom range.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM full review
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Available in kit form with EOS R and RP bodies, this lens is shorter and lighter than the EF 24-105mm f/4L, at 84x107mm and 700g, making it an ideal match for a sleek mirrorless. Typical of L-series rather than more modest ‘kit’ zooms, it has excellent build with extensive weather-seals and comes with a hood.
Highlights include aspherical and UD elements, a 9-blade diaphragm and fluorine coatings. As in the RF 24-70mm lens, there’s a 5-stop image stabilizer that outperforms anything in Canon’s range of standard zooms for SLRs. Like the EF-S 18-135mm, this lens has Nano USM AF, which is rapid for stills and enables super-smooth focus for movie capture. An extra handling benefit featured in RF mount lenses is the customizable control ring. This is mounted at the front end of the lens and operates with click-stops. Canon offers a ‘de-click’ service for videographers who will prefer stepless control. The control ring can be assigned to functions like aperture, shutter speed and ISO.
At short to medium zoom, this lens wins out over its EF 24-105mm L-series counterpart for SLRs in maintaining impressive sharpness across the entire image frame. Centre-sharpness is better towards the long end, although both lenses are equal for corner-sharpness. The RF lens also keeps tighter control over barrel distortion at short zoom settings.
Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM full review
6. Canon EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
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This kit lens is the only non L-series full-frame standard zoom from Canon. Unlike all of its other EF and RF stablemates, it lacks the red stripe around the front and the weather-seal on the mounting plate. It’s slightly smaller than the EF 24-105mm f/4L lens, and noticeably lighter in weight. Autofocus is driven by a stepping motor, rather than being based on an ultrasonic system and, typically, there’s no focus distance scale. There is Image Stabilization though, with 4-stop effectiveness.
AF is fast and virtually silent, and despite lacking L-series credentials, the lens is impeccably turned out. It looks and feels solid, and its zoom and focus rings operate with smooth precision. As usual for STM lenses, the focus ring is electronically coupled and enables fine adjustments.
Although it’s light for a full-frame lens, this lens punches above its weight in terms of image quality. There’s plenty of sharpness on tap throughout the zoom range, even when shooting wide-open. Distortions, colour fringing and vignetting are minor and automatic corrections are available in the 6D Mark II and most other recent full-frame SLRs.
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Pro photographers generally opt for a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens as their go-to standard zoom. However, these lenses are typically big and hefty, often weighing in at around a kilogram. The f/4 aperture of this lens enables a smaller, more lightweight build but, at 600g, it’s still 75g heavier than the EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.
L-series trappings include weather-seals and a supplied petal-shaped hood. The ring-type ultrasonic AF system is typically quick and whisper-quiet, and features the usual full-time manual override and focus distance scale beneath a viewing window. Build quality feels very good and fluorine coatings are on hand. A lesser-known attraction is that the zoom lock switch has an extra push-action position that unlocks an extended range for macro shooting. This boosts the max magnification factor to an impressive 0.7x, which is two to three times greater than in most standard zooms. Better still, ‘hybrid stabilization’ is available in Macro mode, which corrects for vertical and horizontal shift as well as the more usual angular vibration. As featured in Canon’s latest dedicated 100mm macro lens, this makes stabilization much more effective when shooting extreme close-ups.
On paper, the lens looks like it should be a star performer. In our tests, however, sharpness proved lacklustre across the zoom range, at all apertures. The IS is typically effective and there’s good control over distortions and fringing, but it’s not the sharpest tool in the box.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM full review
Nikon
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This up-market f/2.8 zoom is hard to resist for mirrorless Z-mount Nikons. The optical design includes four aspherical elements, two ED elements, plus dual Nano Crystal and ARNEO coatings, which virtually banish ghosting and flare. Keep-clean fluorine coatings are added front and back, there’s an electromagnetically controlled diaphragm, and even multiple AF actuators to boost speed and accuracy.
Customizable extras include an additional control ring, an L-Fn (Lens Function) button and an OLED display. The last of these can show aperture setting, zoom position or focus distance, complete with depth of field indication. Suffice it to say, handling is a dream, and the lens is lighter than the equivalent AF-S zoom for Nikon SLRs.
As for performance, the Z 24-70mm f/4 lens is a tough act to follow but, this f/2.8 raises the bar even higher, with ace overall performance and image quality, more befitting a selection of best-in-class prime lenses. Centre-sharpness is simply epic and it’s well maintained right out to the extreme corners of the frame. There’s virtually no colour fringing at 24mm and even less at the mid to long zoom settings, while distortion is is essentially non-existent.
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S full review
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Measuring 155mm in length, this is one of the biggest standard zoom lenses on the market, and it weighs over a kilogram. You’d be forgiven for assuming it had an internal zoom, but it extends even further at both ends of the zoom range.
Completely redesigned a few years ago, this latest edition adds 4-stop stabilization whereas the previous incarnation had none. It also gains a new optical design, incorporating four ED elements, an HRI (High Refractive Index) element, Nano Crystal Coat, plus fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements of the lens. The 9-blade diaphragm is also upgraded with electromagnetic control.
The lens is capable of magnificent results but proved uninspiring in our lab-tests. It loses out to full-frame Z-mount standard zooms for sharpness, and has much more noticeable colour fringing, distortions and vignetting. However, it’s difficult to gauge just how much extra help the Z-mount lenses are getting from in-camera corrections.
Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR full review
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This lens combines an effective yet conventional ring-type ultrasonic AF system with a new-generation electromagnetically controlled diaphragm. It helps maintain accurate exposures in continuous drive mode, especially when using speedy bodies.
The zoom range is an ‘effective’ 24-120mm in full-frame terms, which works out the same as with Nikon’s kit lens for the D750. However, while that one has a constant-aperture rating of f/4, the DX lens is up to a full f-stop faster at short zoom settings. High-spec glass includes four ED elements, along with Nano Crystal Coat for minimizing ghosting and flare. Like current kit lenses for DX-format SLRs, it has a seven-blade diaphragm, which is well-rounded, and a 4-stop stabilizer.
The lens is super-sharp at most zoom settings but drops off substantially at the longer end of the range. There’s noticeable fringing at 16mm but it mostly dies away as you stretch through the zoom range. Barrel distortion and vignetting are also quite heavy, but for quality, versatility and performance, this is still the best DX format standard zoom on the market for SLRs.
Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR full review
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The up-market build of this, Nikon's more affordable Z-mount standard zoom, includes an aspherical ED element, three further aspherical elements and one additional ED element. A Nano Crystal Coat is employed to fend off ghosting and flare, and there’s a fluorine coating on the front element to repel moisture and grease. The stepping motor AF system works with speedy precision in almost complete silence, and the customizable focus ring is a useful addition. There’s no optical VR, however.
This is the first Z-mount lens that we ever tested and it impressed us at the time. Despite a number of top-drawer Z lenses that have followed, image quality and performance continue to be spectacular for a kit zoom lens. Centre-sharpness is scintillating across the entire zoom range, although it drops off a bit towards the corners. There’s essentially no noticeable colour fringing to be seen, even in the extreme corners of the frame, and distortion is also a non-issue.
5. Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
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Tipping the scales at just 135g and measuring a mere 32mm when retracted, the kit lens for the Z 50 looks and feels tiny. Indeed, the optical path is dwarfed by the enormous diameter of the Z-mount flange. Even when extended for use, the overall length is only 55-60mm, depending on zoom setting. The only minus point is the f/6.3 aperture rating at long zoom settings.
The design includes four aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element. New-generation optical VR has 4.5-stop effectiveness, beating that of every other stabilized Nikon standard zoom. Build quality feels good and, although the mounting plate is plastic, it’s pretty durable.
Sharpness is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at the shortest zoom setting, beating the Nikkor AF-P DX 18-55mm lens in this respect. However, both lenses deliver very similar levels of sharpness throughout the rest of the zoom and aperture ranges. Levels of distortion and color fringing are flattered by automatic corrections.
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Building on the success of Nikon’s original AF-S 24-120mm VR, this second edition has a constant rather than variable aperture rating and an upgraded stabilizer. Even so, it’s been on sale for a decade now, and the 3.5-stop stabilizer is less effective than in most newer Nikon lenses.
As with the newer Z-mount 24-70mm f/4, it comes complete with weather-seals and a hood. Quality glass includes three aspherical elements and two ED elements, along with Nano Crystal Coat. Conventional internals include mechanical control for the diaphragm and a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system. As such, there are no incompatibility issues with older Nikon SLRs.
Sharpness holds up pretty well throughout the zoom range, right out to the edges and corners of the frame. If uncorrected, however, colour fringing and distortions are much more noticeable than with new-generation Z-mount lenses. This lens is well suited to the D750 and older full-frame SLRs but won’t get the most out of high-res Nikons like the D850.
Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR full review
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By far the largest of Nikon’s kit zooms for DX cameras, this one is also 2.5x to 3.5x the weight, at 490g. The main contributing factor is its supersized zoom, which stretches from 27-210mm in full-frame terms. Two concentric inner barrels stretch the length of the lens to achieve this, although focusing is done internally. Autofocus is driven by a conventional ring-type ultrasonic system, featuring the usual full-time manual override. Switches are on hand for auto/manual focusing and for VR on/off, and the aperture is controlled via a mechanical lever. This makes the lens Nikon’s only DX format standard ‘kit’ zoom that’s fully compatible with the whole back catalogue of digital SLRs. It’s also the only one that has a weather-sealed metal mounting plate.
Considering the extended zoom range, there’s minimal compromise in image quality. Sharpness is ace at the short end and good at the long end, although it drops off a bit in the middle sector. Autofocus is brisk and VR lives up to its 4-stop billing.
Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR full review
Sony
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Sony arguably didn't need to improve much on its original G Master standard zoom, but they decided to do so anyway, and the result was one of the finest lenses that E-mount users can buy. With a completely redesigned optical path, the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II delivers absolutely exceptional sharpness throughout its zoom range and aperture settings. Fringing is minimal, and all types of distortion basically non-existent – and what you do see is instantly fixable with software.
We discovered all this through our extensive lab testing of the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II, and we can report that it handles brilliantly in the field as well. It's smaller and lighter than its predecessor, even with its new aperture ring, and having adjustable torque on the zoom ring allows you to get it functioning just the way you want it to. It's expensive, naturally, but it's an utterly superb standard zoom lens.
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G Master II full review
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As a standard lens with a classic zoom range, the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G ticks nearly all the right boxes. Designed to work with the Sony A6000 range of cameras, it delivers sumptuous image quality with fabulous sharpness and contrast, along with pleasant bokeh.
Handling is very refined, with the addition of a customizable focus hold button, strong build quality and weather-seals. Autofocus is super-fast and deadly-accurate.
The only downsides are the lack of optical stabilization and the extreme barrel distortion at the short end of the zoom range, if uncorrected in-camera or with raw processing.
Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G full review
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This lens is a popular kit lens option with A7-series bodies. It’s pretty compact and light for a full-frame compatible standard zoom lens, at 73 x 83mm and 295g, despite lacking a retractable design. It also includes a three-stop optical stabilizer, which comes in very useful on older-generation A7 bodies that lack in-camera stabilization. Build quality feels good overall, and it has a dust/moisture resistant design, although without a rubber ring round the metal mounting plate.
Three aspherical elements and one ED element help to boost image quality and the seven-blade diaphragm is fairly well-rounded. Outright sharpness is disappointing, though, making it a bit of a mismatch with any of Sony’s full-frame cameras that bump up the megapixel count such as the Alpha A7R IV or A9 II.
Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS full review
Fujifilm
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At around four times the price of Fujifilm's more basic XC15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ lens, this constant aperture 16-55mm f/2.8 standard zoom is the pick of the crop for any APS-C Fujifilm user upgrading from their kit lens.
Sure, it doesn’t feature optical stabilisation, but it does have a tough weather-sealed build, a rapid ‘linear motor’ autofocus system, a constant f/2.8 aperture and a control ring. Three aspherical and three ED elements help to boost image quality, while dual HT-EBC and Nano-GI coatings do a great job of minimising ghosting and flare. Two f-stops faster than Fujifilm's 15-45mm kit lens at the long end of the zoom range, it gives a tighter depth of field.
This is fairly big and heavy for an APS-C format lens but build quality, handling and image quality are all epic, as you’d expect from one of Fujifilm’s ‘red badge’ best-of-breed lenses.
Fujinon XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR full review
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We've seen a few exciting releases from Fujifilm lately, not least of which is the super-speedy Fujifilm X-H2S, but this versatile zoom lens is worth some attention too. It's early days, with the lens still out for pre-order, but we've given it an initial test and have been impressed with the smoothness of its zooming action. The lens is actually able to suppress the change in angle of view during focusing and optical axis shift, meaning it can keep a shot looking natural throughout the zoom. This is ideal for video.
Controls have clearly been designed with the zooming action in mind – there's a variable zoom/focus control ring as well as a zoom button. Updated aperture drive control also prevents the exposure from noticeably shifting when aperture is adjusted. This 460g lens will mount perfectly to a lightweight body like the X-H2S, making for an agile, run-and-gun video setup.
Fujinon XF18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR full review
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While there's the excellent but pricey XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR (above) and the very dependable XF18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS, there's been a lens missing that bridges the gap between the two. Step forward the XF16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR. Covering a very practical 24-120mm focal length in 35mm terms, this compact standard zoom enjoys a constant f/4 aperture. Not as fast as the 16-55mm then, but it also means it's lighter and more affordable. It sports an excellent optical image stabilization system that's rated up to 6 stops, while it's been weather-sealed in 10 places to ensure it's a match for the weather-sealing on Fujifilm's high-end cameras. Optical performance is very good - we'd like to have seen sharpness in the corners at 16mm stand up a little more, but otherwise there's not much to fault here. A great lens for those looking for a versatile general purpose lens.
Fujinon XF16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR full review
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Available in black or silver, this Fujifilm standard zoom isn’t as tiny or featherweight as similar Micro Four Thirds lenses, but it still boasts a space-saving retractable design that's remarkably small and light for an APS-C format standard zoom. It has a motorised zoom mechanism and the lens automatically extends and retracts when you switch the camera on and off. Fast and slow zoom speeds are available, depending on how much you twist the zoom ring. It’s useful for video capture, but less than ideal for very precise adjustments while you’re shooting stills.
The minimum focus distance is unusually short at the wide-angle end of the zoom range. The electronically coupled focus ring works smoothly, and the stepping motor autofocus system is quick and quiet. Image quality is very good overall - centre-sharpness is strong in the short half of the zoom range, but drops off at 45mm.
Fujifilm XC15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ full review
Micro Four Thirds
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Coming in at three times the price of Olympus's 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake lens and four times the weight, this is very much the pro-grade big brother for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Indeed, the constant f/2.8 aperture rating makes this lens two f-stops faster than the Olympus pancake zoom at the long end of the zoom range. The weather-sealed build quality is excellent, while handling luxuries include a physical focus distance scale and a neat customisable Lens-Function button.
Optical highlights include two aspherical, one dual surface aspherical, one ED aspherical , two ED and two HR elements, along with A Zero coating. Sharpness and contrast proved excellent in our real-world testing - this lens delivers pictorially gorgeous results.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro full review
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Compared with Panasonic’s Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Asph Mega OIS retractable kit lens, this one costs about three times the price and is a much more hands-on affair. Whereas the smaller lens lacks any control switches or even a manual focus ring, this one has AF/MF and stabiliser on/off switches for instant control, plus a smooth-action, electronically coupled focus ring. It doesn’t have a retractable design, and is somewhat larger and heavier, at 68x86mm and 320g, but still entirely manageable. Unlike all the other upgrade zooms on test, this lens doesn’t have a constant-aperture design that enables the widest aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range.
Thanks to the inclusion of four aspherical and two ED elements, plus a three-stop stabiliser, image quality is highly impressive in all respects.
The jumbo zoom range and effective optical stabiliser are two of the biggest attractions in this lens, making up for the aperture shrinking from f/2.8 to f/4 at the long end.
Panasonic Leica G 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Asph Power OIS full review
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This lens comes in silver or black finishes and has a retractable design. It collapses to a mere 24mm long and is unbelievably light at just 70g, yet Panasonic has still manage to cram in a three-stop optical stabiliser. There's a manual rather than motorised zoom mechanism: you have to manually extend the lens for use when you switch on the camera, which is not so convenient for movie capture, but offers greater zooming precision for stills.
There’s no manual focus ring, but autofocus is quick, ultra-quiet and very reliable. Image quality is good for such a tiny lens but, as usual, the widest available aperture of f/5.6 at the long end of the zoom range can be a challenge.
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Asph Mega OIS full review
4. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake
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This ‘pancake’ zoom from Olympus is available in black or silver and has a retractable design with a motorised zoom mechanism. The speed of the zoom motor increases if you twist the zoom ring further, but precise adjustments for stills capture can be tricky. Build quality is good: surprisingly for such a lightweight kit lens, the mounting plate is made from metal rather than plastic. Upmarket optics include three aspherical elements, one aspherical ED element and a Super HR (High Refractive index) element, along with Olympus’s A Zero coating.
Outright sharpness is a little mediocre, but image quality on the whole is good for a lens this small.
Adding to the slimline, travel-friendly credentials of Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, this is a neat lens that takes up next to no room at all when it’s retracted.
How we test lenses
We test lenses using both real world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. We find the combination of lab and real-word testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics. See more on how we test and review at Digital Camera World.
