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Anyone out there using the 14-150 Leica D Vario-Elmar?


erlin1

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All I've done so far is play around with it at home. I'm leaving on Wednesday for a 3-week trip to Europe, and will give the lens a proper workout there. One thing I can already tell you: even with OIS, I need plenty of light or bumped-up ISO to hand-hold at 150.

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Ernesto -

 

At full zoon the 14-150 would be the equivalent of 300mm. The rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed of the reciprocal of the focal length (1/300 of a second) or faster. Many of us can handhold at much slower speeds the rule of thumb, and perhaps you can too, especially if you employ the same techniques of stance, breathing and shutter squeeze as good target shooters do with firearms.

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The rule of thumb is to use a shutter speed of the reciprocal of the focal length (1/300 of a second) or faster. Many of us can handhold at much slower speeds the rule of thumb...
...of your thumb, I mean, of course ;)
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I have been thinking about the 14-150mm Vario Elmar to use with a Digilux 3. Has anyone purchased one? Any pictures out there with it, particularly at the higher focal lengths? Can you hand hold at 150mm?

 

:) I have had my 14-150mm for a few months now and have used it quite a bit on my Digilux 3. It diplays high IQ throughout the zoom range including the 150mm end. Hand holding is a breeze as the lens comes with Panasonic's excellent Mega OIS built into it which (on a SLR of Panasonic origin including the DL3) includes the highly effective mode 2 (see Panasonic - Digital Cameras - MEGA O.I.S. for a good explanation of this unique to Panasonic IS capability).

 

For sample pictures see my website where there are numerous examples, taken throughout the zoom range, in many of my galleries - in particular I added some photographs taken just this weekend to my Sculptures galley which were made using this lens.

 

Highly recommended optic.:)

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Thanks to everyone for your comments and advise. I went ahead and ordered the lens from Panasonic (online). The only place that had it available. I wanted to buy the lens in preparation for a trip to Sweden this Summer.

I have been trying out the lens for a couple of days now. I have been especially interested in the longer telephoto range (135 to 150mm). My initial impression is that the lens is pretty good and easy to use, particularly when shooting outdoors and with good light. I have taken a number of pictures at the 150mm focal length which have turned out well, particularly because I've shot everything handheld.

I was also interested to compare the 14-150mm Vario Elmar (at the higher focal lentghs) with the 135mm Elmarit R, which I've used with the Digilux 3 for a while. My impression is that the Vario Elmar is easier to use since it has auto focus and O.I.S., but the Elmarit at f2.8 is a lot faster and it also offers much nicer bokeh.

 

Here are a couple of examples (first 2 are with the Vario Elmar, the third and fourth shot are with the Elmarit R)

 

Flickr Photo Download: Redhead 2L1090527.jpg

Flickr Photo Download: Padling on a surfboard L1090522.JPG

 

Flickr Photo Download: squirrel L1080714.JPG

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I'm sad to say that my new lens broke on the 5th day of a 20-day trip. The zoom ring seized up and something inside broke to pieces. I've e-mailed Panasonic to see if I can get it replaced somewhere in Barcelona or Amsterdam, but I'm not expecting a positive reply.

 

Until it committed suicide, I'd been enjoying the lens quite a bit.

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  • 2 weeks later...
i really wish they did a 50-150 f/ 2.8-3.5 ........f3.5-5.6 really limits usualibility for me...

 

I'll second that, a lens of that range would suit me perfectly. I was under the impression some time ago that there would be one but it wouldn't make much sense now I guess

 

Karlitos

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