Leica D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm f2.8-3.5 lens reviewed by CameraLabs

Pretty old article, but worth a read...

When Panasonic announced its debut digital SLR, the Lumix L1, back in February 2006, it’s fair to say a great deal of attention was focused on its kit lens – after all this was no ordinary bundled optic. The D Vario Elmarit 14-50mm was not only Leica’s first lens designed specifically for a digital SLR, but by sporting optical stabilisation, also became the first Four Thirds lens to actively combat camera-shake.

In the months following the announcement, existing Olympus DSLR owners wondered if the Leica zoom could be an option for their cameras; indeed such was the hype behind the lens some even discussed the possibility buying the Lumix L1 kit just to get hold of it. Their prayers were answered in September 2006 when at Photokina, Panasonic confirmed the Leica lens was not only fully compatible with existing Four Thirds DSLRs, but would also be sold separately in the near future. Now that time has come, we’re pleased to publish our full test report of the Leica lens.

Read the full review here.