Image on to shows the current [shoplink 23962]Panasonic 14-42mm[/shoplink] and [shoplink 14816]Olympus 14-42mm[/shoplink] kit lenses.
Over a month ago I posted the rumor about a new 14-42mm lens coming from Panasonic. Now I got the bulletproof confirmation that those rumors were correct! Not only the 45-175mm lens is going to be announced but there will be also a new 14-42mm kit lens. Both will have an extremely compact size. I was told the 14-42mm lens is actually MUCH(!) smaller than the Olympus collapsible [shoplink 14816]Olympus 14-42mm[/shoplink] lens. I would not believe that if the rumor wouldn’t come from known sources!!!
Reminder: Announcement expected by end of August! And you are not going to see the GF7 soon (coming probably in December/January)
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51 Responses
Logical seeing GF series evolution.
+1
Hurray, more kit zooms! But let’s be appreciative: you don’t make money selling enthusiast’s gear! 😉
Exactly. We hate buying photo gear. And lenses? You only need ONE kit zoom. I can’t imagine ever wanting or needing another.
@Sören … Let’s market a lens bandolier for 14-42mm kit zooms.
Shoot photos like Pancho Villa! Si!
yeah, now people can make a nice collection of mFT 14-42 zooms. Hurray.
No, honestly this is a good thing for new customers, because the old kit-zoom was definatly too big for the GF-Cameras. And a GF with this new Kitzoom will make the Nex + 18-55 huge and that is what sells…
For mFT users that don’t need another slow zoom this is of limited use, of course. But who knows, maybe also the fast zooms will be made collapsable to achieve a good size, so at least the R&D would not be lost for us.
Of course you’re right – the kit zoom is a very important lens, since it’s the only one many people will ever own. Getting it as small as possible is crucial to adoption by the mass market and makes the size advantage over NEX more meaningful.
I don’t understand why people would be disappointed or annoyed by this announcement; really, the micro four thirds lineup is building both on the high and low ends, both from Panasonic and Olympus. Between the two of them they just released 25mm f/1.4 and the 12mm f/2, both of which are clearly aimed at the upscale market.
Sure, we all want bright zooms, but given the required size (and price) it’s no surprise that they’re lower priority.
Any rumor about the aperture ? I don’t think we have a 14-42 (or so) with continuous AF and nice aperture yet for the m43.
More slow zooms? As Soren has said, how many of those are available now? Can they just take the 12-60zuiko and shrink it? (Yes, I know it’s an Oly.)
Or shrink the Leica 14-50/2,8-3,5 !
+1. Give us good quality lens for m43.
So will the new lens still have optical image stabilization? I thought that was the reason why the Panasonic lenses are longer than the Olympus ones.
Also, let’s hope it won’t just have a plastic mount. :S
nothing is wrong with plastic mounts in Kit-Lenses. Never heard about trouble with the material and it is lighter and cheaper.
+1 – I’ve never had a problem with my plastic mount lenses on MFT – they have so little mass that it’s just a none-issue…
I hope these two new lenses have metal mounts. I wonder if they will replace the older lenses in GF and G camera kits.
Ok, they need these to keep selling GF but where is the third pancake and or 12-50 👿
WHOOAAAAA – a new 14-42!! I’ll start a collection of just this zoom range. Just what i needed. But, what, no pre-order links under this post? Admin?
Does that mean that 12-50mm f2.5-3.3 wont be one of the lenses to be announced at the end of august?
Haha, what did you think a stupid system like this will offer you? 😀
Besides few good lenses such as 12mm, 17&20mm and 45mm 1.8 the entire lens lineup is ridiculous consisting of either overpriced “Leica” lenses or slow crappy zooms.
If I’d wanted portability I’d pick something like XZ-1 or LX5 to get a very good quality in a small package and if I wanted DSLR-look alike (i.e. Panasonic), I’d get something like Nikon D3100 or D5100.
For example D3100/5100 + 35mm 1.8 cost 1/2 of the price of a G3+25mm 1.4 and they’re not much bigger either.
Olympus at least gets it a bit (going small and stylish) while Panasonic makes ugly looking DSLR-esque cameras which don’t offer the advantage of a DSLR and cost more while being almost the same size.
Besides, NEX is a much better platform for legacy lens use than m43 due to a lager sensor which uses the lens better and peaking feature.
I might just get a NEX for my old glass! I just wish it had IBIS!!!
I would say the sony is a stop better ISO than the m43 so that closes the gap and kinda makes them on an even footing with that regard, but the nex has focus peaking and gives a wider fov and better res/iq…
28-84 (equiv) is the new 50mm, challenging throne as the most ubiquitous camera lens
The most important parts of the ubiquitous 50 are that it’s cheap and fast. The 14-42 are cheap but not so fast.
I’m new to MFT. My entry camera is my week old E-P3. I got the 14-42 because it’s new (the R II) and Oly’s 20mm has tested poorly. It’s a fine lens, but it’s slow (like all kit zooms). I picked up the Panny 14 2.5 which is great, but my first lens purchase for a new camera system had to overlap a a focal length I already had. Frustrating.
My absolute dream is a native MFT 35-100 f/2 or f/1.8. That along with the Oly 12mm f/2, PanLeica 25mm f/1.4, and (maybe) the Oly 45mm f/1.8 would make a perfect kit for me. If my dream 35-100 were available and performed I would strongly consider ditching my dSLR and it’s glass.
The portability of this E-P3 has put the fun back in photography for me. I had a NEX-3 but sold it for lack of lenses. The MFT situation is better but I do hope they get their heads out of the clouds. I realize the volume isn’t there for cheap lenses but there must be a market for high-quality pro lenses. Who else would be buying the 12mm f/2?
Well, digital camera nowadays seems to rely on better high ISO sensor for low light. That seems cheaper to make compared to building large aperture lenses to catch the moment in dim places.
Besides, it’s not just MFT. 28-82 mm equiv is about the same as the common 18-55mm APS-C kit lenses.
That sounds good. But I’d like to get prime lenses like a 12-50 F2.8. We’ve already got lots of standard zoom lenses.
The current Panasonic 14-42mm does not have a so good optical quality (much worse than original Panasonic 14-45mm, which was a good lens). The new lens will be much more smaller, so I expect it to be even worse in terms of optics. The new lens can be a good choice for pen cameras for extreme portability, but I would not want it on my GH2. I am still waiting for a fast zoom on that range.
I gave up waiting. Decided to use the 4/3 oly 14-54 mk ii. Works well n it’s a HG lens. Optics are so much better than my 14-42. You should consider it.
Interesting choice. Can understand that. I guess it’s slowish but depending on your subject, quality matters over speed of focussing.
More Zooms?
People who use zooms should be ashamed of themselves.. lol
Wow. This is the 6th mFT kit zoom. 3 from panny 3 from oly. Yep. Let’s start a kit zoom collection. I think the mFT system is nuts!!
A new, compact Lumix kit zoom would leave Sony as the only manufacturer without a compact zoom for their mirrorless system. While it does make sense for the mass market products, I’m disappointed that there are no further details concerning the bright zoom. And while the rumored specs of the 12-50mm bright zoom are interesting, I’d be even more pleased to see a less ambitious zoom range in exchange for a more compact and/or brighter lens.
Maybe they skip the Manual Focus & Zoom. They could then design it like a compact cameras lens
That is an interesting thought. Wasn’t there something on here recently about a power zoom?
If it is quite a bit smaller than the oly kit and has IS then this will be a good addition….
but i fear they will remove the IS and make it just marginaly smaller than the oly…
Its taken 3 kit lenses from each company untill they have a design they should have had on day 1…
Still i do like the original oly kit zoom with its nice usable macro capability!
I think the new Oly 14-42 II R is a pretty good lens. For a cheap kit lens it’s very good. Stopped down it’s as sharp as Nikon’s 18-55 kit.
If it’s just a little smaller than the Zuiko 14-42mm II than it’s still bigger than the Zuiko 14-42mm I (6.5 mm difference in length). And I don’t care about the width, as the camera is even more wide…
Who cares about another slow , ugly , economic , kit lens?
I’m happy I’ve bought an X100 and a Ricoh GXR with both APS-C modules , I’m really sad thinking to sell this system , that seems doomed
Even if I prefer my m43 system (GF1 12 f2 14 f2.5 20 f1.7 25 f0.95 45 f2.8 macro elmarit) , even if some of my best pictures , and some of my best works (I’m a pro) did come out from this CSC
Congratulation, Panasonic , you’re killing what was a great system, you’ve totally lost the right direction
My GF1 still working fine (after somewhat like 90.000 shots) but I’m starting to think there will never be a true GF2
Do you think it was difficult to understand that this system could be sponsored by some pro?
And the top products could draw the lower lines?
This could be the very first serious compact system camera….
Of course, there are some “missing lenses” that you’ve should filled some years ago
Like a 50 f1.4 , or, better , 50 f1.21.0
The “famous” 12-50 f2.5-3.3
A 100 f2 OIS
A 90 f2.8 Macro OIS
A 10 mm f2.4
A 200 f2.8 OIS and a less expensive 200 f4 OIS (or a 200 f3.3 OIS)
No way , it’s better another micro, pointless, useless zoom kit , to get the best from the ugliest and pointless camera of these year , the GF3
And, I forgot, you should dismiss who called these cameras GF2 and GF3 , the worst strategy ever seen , I think
You’re going to lose your war against Sony and Samsung ’cause your sensors are not evolving as fast as the Sony ones
And your suicidal strategy isn’t clear at all , meanwhile Samsung’s roadmap is very tempting , let’s see what NX 200 will be….
Wrong names, wrong products, wrong times….wow….not bad
You’ve lost your great advantage rightly gained during the first two years
Congrats, it wasn’t so easy
The only reason to continue with this system is the Ep3 , at the moment
Thanks Oly
Pablo, are you hiding in there somewhere? 😉
But I think there is some sense in the comments.. the GF 2 & 3 naming is obviously done by incapable marketing folks. The needed lenses are not developed.. instead we get a 6th kit lens. And I do find the GF3 fugly. The e-p3/epl3 is so much better looking..
“Do you think it was difficult to understand that this system could be sponsored by some pro?”
– Um, they do… Check the David Eustace campaign for the G3…
“This could be the very first serious compact system camera….”
– It IS the first serious compact camera system – the lenses *you* own attest to that…
“Of course, there are some “missing lenses” that you’ve should filled some years ago.”
– Out of the lenses you list, all but the 12-50 are niche, and hardly ‘gaping holes’ that would sell in numbers. Besides, how are they suppose to have filled these holes ‘some years ago’ when the system is only 24 months old?
I think people need to give Panasonic and Oly some credit – they’re building a system from the ground up and it’s bound to need fine-tuning. You can’t base a system on enthusiast sales (unless you want to charge Leica prices), so the consumer-level stuff needs to be sorted if you want the system to be viable… Once it’s stable, they can release all the enthusiast stuff they want.
People need to understand that there’s a difference between what they want and what makes good business sense, and without good business sense MFT is dead in the water.
Nick.. its more than 2 years.. and still no fast std zoom? no fast wide zoom? no fast tele zoom? These are all quite standard in any lens collection.. and only after 2-3 years do we even get a portrait lens announced .. 45mm/f1.8. And what do the lens product marketing folks do? They produce 6 kit lenses in the 14-4x range! Whether its smaller or lighter or has power zoom is not the point. Which other system has 6 kit zooms?
> system is only 24 months old
M4/3 was announced soon three years ago, meaning R&D surely was going on by then. (and did Oly kick out whole development team which produced so many DSLR models in years before 2009?)
While m4/3 was first to give promise of cameras free from analog era’s limitation like lack of full time live view with histogram or problems of integrating video shooting it looks like it’s Sony who realizes that first, and ironically that’s despite of most bodies being built on top of mirror system!
> they’re building a system from the ground up…
Definitely, Oly just still hasn’t gotten it figured out how to build anything above basement and Panasonic really never had anything above consumer class in still cameras leaving road full open for cameras like Sony’s A77.
I’m not expecting full blown out product line with all the weather sealed models and big as brick integrated vertical grip pro models a’la Canikon or successors for all high quality 4/3 lenses but is it too much to ask for one not pocket size limited enthusiast model with full controls and ergonomy offering also good balance for use with existing high quality 4/3 lenses?
Your gripe is understandable, but your expectations exceed any reasonable rate of technological evolution. Panasonic’s strategy with m4/3, just like Oly’s, is to saturate the low-end before tending to the needs of the fewer advanced photographers who use m4/3. While more slow zooms are not a priority to us, Panasonic has to deliver them in order to capitalize on the size advantage of the GF3 and its successors. For the same reason I seriously doubt it that any of your required lenses materialize any time soon. As a side comment, m4/3 will never make an ideal platform for large telephotos. You are better off with a top-of-the-range DSLR for such glass.
Still, if you wait for a few months there may be more advanced m4/3 products on the market. Or you could switch to Samsung who has some decent lenses and solid ergonomics.
Yep…saturate with 6 kit zooms !! Dont you people understand that their strategy has some major flaws?
> As a side comment, m4/3 will never make an ideal platform for large telephotos.
Future will be sooner or later fully digital without some old flopping mirrors in the way of light so what’s so hard in understanding the idea of larger than pocket size body with full controls and ergonomy which can also handle bigger existing high quality 4/3 lenses with decent balance?
That would solve two problems because long flange back distance was never design problem for teles so you couldn’t even shrink them to balanced size for current tiny m4/3 bodies… at least if you care anything about optical quality.
What are you guys thinking of? m43 is not strictly pro system! It’s more aimed for consumers and prosumers. All the primes and pro-lenses are nice but come on, if you go shooting sports and such you still need phase-AF so no need for fast zooms or teles there. We have many nice primes, and if you can’t get good pictures with a kit zoom you should look into a mirror, not blame the system/body/lenses. A smaller kit zoom is EXACTLY what Pana needs to couple with GF bodies.
You’re right about the GF – but the GH Series deserves “Pro” zooms…
+1
A smaller 14-42 for the GF series was definitely a priority – I personally know two buyers who ended up going with an EPL1/2 simply because the GF kit was too big.
But, I think a fast 12-50(ish) should definitely be #1 after that. There’s a heap of keen photographers buying the GH series, many of whom come from systems where a fast standard zoom is a given.
Look at the popularity of the 14-140 and people obviously aren’t adverse to big, expensive zooms in mirrorless.
“I would not believe that if the rumor wouldn’t come from known sources!!!”
Why are you so excited about just -another- iteration of the standard kit lens? We already got several versions of both Panasonic and Olympus. Small, very fast primes is what we (me!) want to see, together with a camera based on the DMC-L1 appearance.
@Finn
If, and when I’m going to shot sports I get my Nikon D3 and other DSLR
When I’m working on a production (example : production of a promotional campaign , I have to get some street shots to come with the film andor promotional use andor projection , etc) I need a discrete , unobtrusive, fast camera
Others times I need a total silent camera (shooting while recording with actual sound ) to work with (fuji X100)
Different cameras for different needs
It’s just an example but many very well paid works I’ve done in the last two years were made with a GF1
The smaller lenses and smaller bodies ARE NOT the answer for every kind of photography
Panasonic seems to invest everything in this direction
It’s a big mistake , from my point of view
It’s forcing me (and other pro or advanced amateur) to get others camera….
This is the first (!9 good News from Panasonic!!! The only reason to be interessded in a Pana cam!
This is great news!! Good bye E-pl2 and hello panasonic. Well not yet but in a few years. I bought the E-pl2 over the NEX and Panny because it offerd the smallest overall package. This move will have a huge impact on the mass market. Good Job Panasonic.
Great news for new customers!
Why dont people understand people want a small camera. something you can fit in your pocket with good quality pictures. the Nex-3 is too big for pockets the Gf1,2,3 with this lens will make it pocketable at last a true m4/3 thats pocketable.