Panasonic lens announcement:
• LUMIX G 14mm / F2.5 ASPH (H-H014)
• LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS100300)
• LUMIX G 12.5mm / F12 (H-FT012)
Panasonic is pleased to introduce three new interchangeable lenses based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard from the LUMIX G Micro System. All lenses realise high optical performance and compactness with many technical advantages.
Single Focal Length Lens – LUMIX G 14mm / F2.5 ASPH (H-H014)
The world’s lightest* interchangeable single focal length lens, LUMIX G 14 mm / F2.5 ASPH, features a 14mm (35 mm camera equivalent: 28 mm) wide angle and F2.5 brightness with sharp, high contrast image rendering. Taking advantage of the wide angle of view and deep depth of field, the compact LUMIX G 14 mm / F2.5 ASPH, offers excellent performance in shooting not only landscapes but also snapshot or indoor shooting.
Comprising of six lenses in five groups including three aspherical lenses, the lens system achieves both high compactness with short overall length of 20.5mm and high optical performance. It also excels in shooting subjects with components of straight line including architectures thanks to the minimized distortion. The integration of stepping motor and inner focus drive system realizes the use of silent, high speed contrast AF.
Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. Highly reliable metal mount assures durability for active use, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimize ghosts and flare to further enhance its shooting performance.
*For a digital interchangeable lens as of September 21, 2010.
Telephoto Zoom Lens – LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS100300)
The new telephoto zoom lens LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. realizes 300mm (35 mm camera equivalent: 600 mm) handheld ultra-telephoto zoom shots with astonishingly compact and light weight profile. The LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. allows photographers challenge shooting subject they cannot draw near including sports, wild animals, aircrafts and so on without carrying a huge conventional ultra-telephoto zoom lens and a heavy tripod to set it on with high compression effect. Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) powerfully compensates for the hand shake which severely affect the zoom shots to suppress blur.
The new LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. is comprised of the lens unit with 17 elements in 12 groups including an ED lens. Adopting the ED lens in the first lens group, the chromatic aberration is effectively suppressed to render sharp, high contrast images with stable optical performance over the entire zoom range. The integration of stepping motor with exclusive zoom tracking control system and inner focus drive system realizes the use of accurate and high speed contrast AF, yet keeping its sound of action as silent as possible.
Seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. Highly reliable metal mount assures durability for active use, and uses multi-coated lens elements that minimize ghosts and flare to further enhance its shooting performance.
3D Lens – LUMIX G 12.5mm / F12 (H-FT012)
The world’s first* interchangeable 3D lens LUMIX G 12.5mm / F12 (H-FT012) realizes 3D shooting (35 mm camera equivalent: 65 mm**) ***. It features two optical systems installed within the diameter of the lens mount, creating stereo images from the left and right lenses, to be processed with a 3D image processing system. Despite its unique performance, the 3D lens keeps its size extremely compact thanks to Panasonic’s advanced optical technologies and consideration of image processing system as well as structural design.
Shooting 3D content with an interchangeable lens system camera was possible by using panorama systems or a combination of two lenses and two CCDs, but these systems have drawbacks including the need for a dedicated 3D camera and the difficulties capturing moving objects. However, this new compact 3D-capable interchangeable lens allows easier handling and instant 3D shooting with cameras without a special structure for 3D shooting. It produces 3D images without distortion or time lag between left and right images, even for moving objects. The 3D images, even close-up shots, taken with this lens are easy on the eyes when viewed on 3D VIERA televisions.
This year, the “First Year of 3D Era,” Panasonic has spearheaded the industry by launching 3D-capable VIERA televisions and 3D Blu-ray DiscTM players. While 3D content, including movies and sports, has become more widely available for viewing, there are many customers who want to enjoy 3D shooting themselves. This new lens will respond to such demands. This lens allows users to shoot landscapes, people, and a variety of subjects in high-quality 3D, to be enjoyed later with their 3D VIERA televisions at home.
As 3D content becomes ever more popular across a variety of media, Panasonic is leading the industry in bringing a true-to-life 3D experience to the customers, and even a fun of creating it by themselves utilizing the LUMIX G Micro System.