United States Patent 8693110 discloses a couple of Panasonic Micro Four Thirds lens designs:
25mm f/1.4 (current Leica 25mm lens?)
34mm f/1.8 (could become a 35mm f/1.8)
43mm f/1.4 (could be the current 42,5mm Nocticron)
64mm f/1.8 (could become 65mm f/1.8)
98mm f/2.0 (could become a 100mm f/2.0)
Obviously what you see on a patent don’t mean it will get into production. But…
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61 Responses
Not just 42.5/1.2 but also 43/1.4 or 45/1.2???
There already is a 25mm 1.4, a 43mm 1.2 – so these shouldn´t be on the survey. 35mm equals 70mm which is a weird focal length and 65mm 1.8 could be a nice macro or portrait lens. 100mm 2.0 is the only design that is interesting to me.
imnsho there is no such thing as a weird FL (#academicrulesvsdirtyharry)
Thanks Ulli, for schooling me 😉
That’s right, only a lack of creativity and imagination. 😉
I use an adapted Voigtländer 35mm f1.4 as a street and subway shooting lens and find the 70mm equivalent very natural, slotting nicely between 50mm and 85mm equivalent lenses.
One that doesn’t cost more than a second-hand kidney?
Other guys that Sony, Panasonic is flying by releasing pieces of art .. See GH4 for example. The size M43 has the largest optical affordable 🙂 I’m very happy with M43
Looks my vote same as major readers , 100mm F2.0 . This could be the lens to compete against the exceptional 75mm F1.8 in such long focal length .
Make it F1.8 ( if possible ) & Leica branded ( a must ) , definitely will have my money on it .
What is there to compete against? What more do you need than the excellent Olympus 75mm f/1.8? Are you never happy? None of these lenses are interesting to me. I have all the lenses I need for years to come. The current collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses and cameras is more than sufficient for my needs. I know everybody has different needs, but I’m under the impression that many people suffer from serious G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I know it, I’ve been there too. It’s even easier to get addicted to buying stuff for this system of cute little lenses and cameras than it is for a full frame system. Before you know it your money is gone, and so is your creativity…
Go out and create photographs.
100mm f2.0 MACRO!
I use an adapted Nikon 105mm f2.8 AI-S macro for both macro and telephoto shooting. It’s a fantastic lens, if a bit heavy.
I use a native 60mm Olympus macro lens and a 4/3 Sigma 105mm macro lens with Panasonic 4/3 to m43 adapter. Shooting wildflowers with the 60mm at 12-18″ is quite relaxed with very adequate depth of field but magnification is sometime too little and bokeh. could be better. The Sigma lens is long enough and sharp enough but the adapter adds 5 oz. No net weight advantage over the Nikon D5000 and Tamron 90mm macro that I was using.
I’d like a < 12 oz. native m43 90-105mm macro.
100mm is by far the most interesting. But it is f/2.0 meaning that it would largish and expensive. (Or in case of Leica badge – very expensive.)
100mm f/4.0 macro – compact and affordable – I’d buy it.
7mm F2 please!
the 35-100mm, whys it taking so long?
I’d rather see professional revisions to their existing ultrawide and super telephoto zooms. The old versions have been around for a while but are not pro quality and could use upgrades to optics, build quality, and weather resistance. Why not expand their flagship X-series zooms and make a 6-12mm at the wide end and a 100-300mm at the tele end, with both at a constant f/4? These lenses would basically complete the focal length spectrum! If they can sell these at a similar price to their current pro zooms, I’m sure they will be top sellers and welcome additions to both still and motion photographers.
7-14mm f4 is not wide enough?
Not so much that it isn’t wide enough, but 12-14mm is already covered by the 12-35mm, so why not get more out of the wide end if you limit it on the tele end? Going slightly wider would also give a point of differentiation from Olympus’s planned 7-14mm f/2.8. Plus, many out there appreciate an even more extreme, rectilinear wide-angle perspective.
If such isn’t possible, then how about refining the existing optical design with better coatings, improved build quality, Power OIS, weather sealing, filter compatibility, and a design consistent with their other constant-aperture X-series zooms. I bet it would be an amazing piece of glass.
I fully agree on the needed better coating on the 7-14mm. I’ll sell mine to get the Oly faster version, which will also be weather sealed.
It’s not the lens. It’s the camera. Try a GX7. I bought this camera only for this reason, had problems with the em5. Same with the em1. The lens is perfect.
I correct green and purple fringing in two clicks, in Lightroom, it’s not a problem. What really bothers me are the lensflares and most of all the “light dots” that appear when shooting indoor: you can waste hours (as I did for a shooting in an ancient hall in a hotel in Venice, surrounded by candles) to fix pictures, but it could be avoided with a better coating.
Yes – but exactly this is a camera-issue. Bring your lens and your Oly to your dealer and compare it with a GX7. HUGE difference. It’s the engine? It’s not the coating.
Already tried: the above mentioned issue, the ghosts of lights, is a lens issue: they bounce inside the lens while a better nano coating would prevent it..
Really? I tried it twice and saw a big difference. First i also thougt it’s the coating. The guy frohe Olympus said, it’s the engine.
EM1 has a Panny sensor. But it works not with the lens. The GX7 does…
I was told, that there were also some promblems with the GH3.
Did you test it with the GX7?
I tested this extensively for months with an E-M10 and a GX7. The lens sucks on both cameras. It’s worthless to me. Unpredictable results. Purple blobs and strong CA and flare. A remake would be nice.
Wide enough for me, but unfortunately the horrible purple blobs and strong CA made me ditch the Panasonic 7-14mm shortly after I bought it. It’s unusable for more serious purposes. The Panasonic 7-14mm is nothing but an overpriced failure. People still ask ridiculous prices for it second hand.
+1 on a premium 100-300 F4
Yup, improved optics and add weather sealing… It’d be a birder’s dream lens.
But would that be still small enough? The current 100-300 is already very large. But then some 14-140 II magic could help a lot! 😉
Not interested in any of these: 100mm f2 could be nice but I’m not into bird photography. MZuiko60mm serves me well, along with 75mm f1.8. Nice to see that Panasonic is working on lenses though.
But a 100mm tele (200mm equiv. in the old film days) used to be standard photojournalist fare, issued by all press agencies to their photo-correspondents – I believe it still is. Not everyone works in crowded Venice (but I can take your point that it is not a lens for you).
On the other hand it too short for wildlife or BiF.
Yes, you’re right, but I would use it on a second body, being such a long focal lenght. The risk of missing closer subject would be too high. I wonder how big it would be: yesterday I handled the great Olympus 150mm f2 and that jewel is really massive.
What about an option for ‘none of these’.
+1
None of the above for me as well. More fast zooms, please.
Agreed, IMO Panasonic continues to release boring lenses. A nano-coated/weather resistant ultra wide or high quality long zoom would get my attention and likely my credit card.
100mm f2 macro would be nice for sure
I thought Panasonic recently announced they were pulling out of Micro four thirds.
No. But they did finally pull out of your mom!
Whoops.
BAZINGA!
I’ve pretty much got every lens I need. The only thing I would possibly consider buying now would be if they updated the 100-300
Yup, that is all I am waiting for. If Panasonic cannot do it then I’ll get the 300mm f4 from Olympus next year.
Yes, weather resistant and nano coating.
I agree… a lightweight alternative to the Canon 100-400mm L would be perfect…
Will these lenses also follow the ugly trend of under-designing based on the assumption that digital correction will fix the flaws ?
I’m really glad, that they don’t follow biased old fashioned folk. Software correction included in lens design is superior to full optical correction. Especially if you don’t want to trade size and price, look at zeiss otus, they tried to correct everything optically. Really few people need or can afford it.
Some premium m43 lenses (or at least sold at a premium price) show distortion percentages of over 6% like the panasonic 12-35 f2.8 and olympus counterpart. Correcting such a distortion has a clear impact on image quality.
The patent states that each lens has OIS – so it may be describing a PL25 Mk2…
100mm f2 could be a 2.8 please and a Macro 🙂
That 65 will make a nice equivalent to a 135 F2, which would be awesome
Hope Pany finally produces a good 100mm/F2. This is the smallest moderate length tele lens for FF so same applies to m4/3 where it will be 200/F2 equivalent. The perfect lens for any m4/3 and hope they follow with quality 2x extendar which would make this lens equivalent to 400/F4!.
If the above sketch is from the patent is Pany also revealing something about a potential new camera model or why did they even show one for lens patents and why not several features on the sketch notation? Note the camera definitely a different shape from the G or GH series. It retains a fully swivel rear screen but includes a very large viewfinder but the body is more rectangular than the typical DSLR shape. I predict that Pany in not releasing a G7 actually has a high end model similar to that shown in rough drawing but not as bulky as the GH4. It is however large enough to contain all the GH4 innards large heat sink for 4k video and predictive AF system and larger viewfinder
A high quality super-telephoto zoom is desperately needed. 100-300, 200-400.
indeed the current 300mm zooms are just mediocre at 300mm.
And i dont mind the weight, you cant shirk physics, the lenses will be big anyway.
i have a sigma 300mm on my gx7, great lens 🙂 comparison vs the tiny 45-175
too bad i count find my gf3 to take the shot with the gx7 mounted, it looks bad-ass!
I choose 100mm f2.0 cause it is “interesting”
But really 100mm f4 1:1 macro si what is lacking.
Maybe even a 150mm f4 macro to gain some working distance…
Oh and a m43 TTL ring flash that is m43 sized…
+1 on the 100mm f4 1:1 macro weighing 12 oz. or less.
Why not have both? I’d prefer the macro, but I fully understand why one would want a fast mid tele.
100-300 f/4 please
nice to hear because the old canceled 150/2.8 is not enough wide. 100/2 is perfect! Hope it will be released.
Voted for the 100/2, but really wanted the 150/2.8 that won’t be coming from Panasonic.
The 100/2 is a bit close to my 75/1.8 Oly, but I might buy one anyways.
What is taking them sooo long to make these tele lenses…
How long is the m4/3 platform there …..and still theyre not listening.
Both Oly and Pana… come on get some speed and length.
40 – 150 f/2.8 please ….or larger. 🙂
None of these lenses are interesting to me. I have all the lenses I need for years to come. The current collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses and cameras is more than sufficient for my needs. I know everybody has different needs, but I’m under the impression that many people suffer from serious G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I know it, I’ve been there too. It’s even easier to get addicted to buying stuff for this system of cute little lenses and cameras than it is for a full frame system. Before you know it your money is gone, and so is your creativity…
Go out and create photographs.