Panasonic Japan announced the release of a new “Matte Black” MFT lens series. The first three “Matte” lenses will be the 14-42mm, 45-150mm and 14-140mm lenses.
Source: DC.watch.
Panasonic Japan announced the release of a new “Matte Black” MFT lens series. The first three “Matte” lenses will be the 14-42mm, 45-150mm and 14-140mm lenses.
Source: DC.watch.
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65 Responses
should just be called the meh series
+1
+2
So just updated styling?
Already placed the order for the “classical” 14–140 II. Moreover, with the HD mark on it, in the 4K World! What a big tragedy! 😀
Yup the HD sticker will make it go faster…….zzzzzzzzz
yes, put it on your GH4 and the 4k will not work anymore! Be warned.
😀
WOW
ANOTHER 14-140…..zzzzzzzzzzzz they could have at least made it worthwhile by making it f2.8 ffs!
A 14-140 f2.8 would weigh 2+ lbs, hahaha…
How exactly do you propose upgrading an existing design from f3.5-f5.6 to f2.8?
i knew about OIS jitter on 14-140mm II,
this len will solve the problem?
Good question – will these have same model # (and compatible firmware) as existing ones?
It would be bigger than the 40-150 PRO and weigh who knows how much.
That’s not matte, it’s satin finish.
isn’t that almost like the older ones?
You mean the ones with the plasticy gunmetal grey color?
Can we get a free trade-in/trade-up for new cosmetics?
I mean, cosmetics ARE of ultimate importance, right? ?
The hardware store will have black spray paint .. but why stop at black? 🙂
It seems that Panasonic is running out of ideas and innovations. There are quite a bit of lenses, which needs an update, because their performance and features aren’t on par with the competition (P 100-300mm, P 7-14mm, PL 45mm macro, P 1.4/25mm), but just changing the design is far away from what customers expect.
7-14??? 25mm????
wait!!
7-14mm: no OIS, prone to flair, only f4
25mm: no OIS, prone to flair, rattlesnaking aperture, slow aperture, not too fast focusing, not very sharp in the corners up to f4
enough?
Using now the O 1.8/25mm and will get the O 2.8/7-14mm. So I know the problems quite well, and have a pretty good idea, of what has improved and what will improve.
There is a 7–14 with OIS.
BTW on the other hands Oly has no counterpart for 42.5/1.2, actually it doesn’t even have anything faster than F1.8. (45/1.8 is an incredibly value lens, I own it, but it cannot match 42.5/1.2 and is slightly worse even compared to 42.5/1.7)
Not so fast the Zuiko 45 is a tad sharper wide open (where I use it for portraits) and I see no evidence that panny is any sharper at f8 or wider,
The 45 has a tad longer FL which I like for head and shoulders (I always liked 100mm over 85 in the film days)
The Zuiko is also smaller, cheaper and lighter – all not by much. The Panny focuses a bit closer, though I doubt EITHER lens is well corrected for close-up work
So .. Panny has no counterpart for IT – they made something slightly different. To say one is “better” when all you are displaying is your preference is stretching credibility.
I prefer the Zuiko, but could live with either as my bodies (so far) all have 5-axis IS.
On IS ..
It is impossible for lens IS – at any price – to correct rotational movement.
Be serious, all current tests do report that the Panny 42.5/1.7 is slightly sharper than Oly 45/1.8.
I am .. I used the SLRGEAR tests. their tests are fairly methodical, instead of presenting a lot of opinion. That’s our job 🙂
The 45’s ahead there, it certainly needs softening for women, if you want to sell portraits …
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests/Zuiko-45mm-f18/
I also like the 75 (same “problem” – too sharp for some people pics)
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests/Zuiko-75mm-f18/
Sometimes soft is good … http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Places/Fog-and-Mist/i-CCqHrWv/0/X3/P6270001-X3.jpg
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Places/Fog-and-Mist/i-tvDkmh5/0/X3/P6270022-X3.jpg
Have you ever used the Panny 42.5? Or how can you be so sure the Oly is tad sharper wide open? Many testers report the contrary.
I used the SLRGEAR tests. their tests are fairly methodical, instead of presenting a lot of opinion. That’s our job 🙂
The 45’s ahead there, it certainly needs softening for women, if you want to sell portraits …
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests/Zuiko-45mm-f18/
I also like the 75 (same “problem” – too sharp for some people pics)
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Gear-tests/Zuiko-75mm-f18/
Cheers! http://photohounds.smugmug.com/Still-Life/GlassAndMetal/i-QmFQpFp/0/X3/P6250029-26-X3.jpg
We need more ‘slower’ good quality lenses like the Panasonic 7-14mm for those of us who want quality but not the size/weight of the Olympus Pro F2.8 zooms. Or smaller F2.8 zooms like the Panasonic 35-100mm.
The ‘need’ for wide apertures when we can shoot at ISO1600 or 3200 baffles me. Especially for wide angles where the DOF is deep anyway.
I can understand it for a portrait lens but 7-14mm ?
I agree, have no need for heavy Olympus PRO lenses on my lightweight E-M5 but would welcome an f/6.3, 300mm that weighs 280grams!!!! Are you reading this Tamron/Sigma?
Shoot hand held indoors (especially a building itself) and you’ll see that a stop faster, less astigmatism and better IS are WELL worth the 200g.
Wow… did Olympus send you to Turks and Caicos to write that?
I own the 25mm 1.4… it has no flare, it’s the fastest lens I own in M43, at night it’s great, and it’s quick to focus. I’d bet you never even used it.
In fact, the Only complaint I have for it, is the Plastic non-reversible lens hood.
Love how you downplay the Panasonic lenses, then quickly refer Olympus ones… what a sad, sad fanboy… guess what, if the Panasonic lenses so bad, then Why are they always on the top selling lenses on amazon? If you had to chose a lens for the fave of M43, the 20mm is IT!
But hey, keep trying…
The one I’d like to try at night is the 42.5/1,2 …. it’s big than the 45/1,8 , but who cares, next to fast CaNikon lenses it is tiny.
The PL25 f1.4 is still faster than f1.8 the last time I checked, rattlesnaking only on some camera bodies
7-14mm f4… smaller, lighter and cheaper than the f2.8… neither take filters, BTW. A complaint that sort of disappeared when the filterless Oly 7-14mm was announced. Flaring only occurs on Oly bodies, which don’t correct it in software for some odd reason.
Even the 100-300 is a questionable addition to that… It’s not like the 75-300 is any better.
Wild speculation alert: I suspect these are lenses to ‘go with’ a body – a specific yet to be released body. I think this means the GX8 will have a satin/matte body styling.
Agreed that your list of lenses could use an update. A simple cosmetic refresh is kind of lame, but “running out of ideas and innovation” is a real stretch.
When Olympus does something similar, like release a titanium colored EM5ii or yet another 14-42mm, what’s that called? Forward thinking innovation?
The titanium OMs were not “titanium coloured” they WERE titanium..
They were significantly lighter and stronger/tougher cameras – weather sealed too, from memory. 1980s!
Super….YAWN…….
what different from old version?
N
O
T
H
I
N
G
(Apart from the text and the surface finishing. Not even the design is changed.)
meh…
matte black; I prefer cash back
I like how it still has bright red on a matte black lens.
Jeez, I have all three in the old metal casing.
I don’t think I’ll survive this…
?
I Don’t need new colors…. why don’t release Leica 17.5 25 67.5 F1.2 series….
I may be going out on a limb here, but I suspect designing lenses and setting up the production lines may take a little longer than changing the colour of an existing design. It may cost a bit more as well.
Why not champagne? 😉
once you go black you never go back! (or another marketing information nonsense).
come on Panasonic, do better lenses not fashion statements.
So Olympus can charge a Premium for a Black cosmetic upgrade to a lens, but Panasonic can’t and not even charge extra?
The Bias here reeks…
Everyone thought that was stupid, too.
You have a bad memory.
MrALLCAPS’ hatred deforms his memory… that’s why.
No bias … we whined then, too and the hundred bucks was only while they were new.
They are much the same now.
.
What’s happening HERE, is panny are flogging OLD (but quite OK) lenses that have merely been given a paint job. the 35-100 is a nice little lens, but I sold it for something better (and bigger).
The Zuiko 40-150 kills it and is worth the size for the 50% extra reach (100% with the 1.4x TC). 35-100 was a good travel lens – that’s it for me.
http://photohounds.smugmug.com/People/Models-ink-/i-ZdbPTTX/A – shot with the 40-150
Oh! How exciting! Said no one, ever, about this announcement.
Apparently there’s a free gift that comes with these. For every one ordered, a Panasonic shareholder comes and gives you a warm handshake and a hug.
Is it me, or does “Matte Black” sounds like the name of the hero protagonist in a series of dire action thrillers?
They’d all have awful titles based around the Black theme – Blackout, Blacklight, Black Operartions. Urgh.
That said, they probably fly off the shelves. So if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and knock up some storylines on the back of a beer mat.
Lol….APSC and FF compagnies bringing out some amazing and grounbreaking stuff while M43 is offering a new finish on the lenses. Bravo M43. You should focus on lowering the Price of those small sensor size devices. So admin……..Lets start deleting.
I’m glad they’re doing this. Always hated the metallic purple hue of their lenses. Really makes the 12-35 look cheap. More annoying is their product images are just black, but you get these lenses and their purple.
Anyway, the 14-140 is $500 at B&H, which is the cheapest I’ve seen it so I snatched one up. These matte lenses are probably the reason for the discount.
Come on, why not the 35-100 2.8?! I mean, its violet!
Yeah ! What the hell is this grey-ish purple-ish ugly-ish color… I hope they release a new version for the 12-35 and 35-100 as well. If they can include manual aperture ring and real manual focus (not by-wire) I would be really happy too 😛
Optical innovation.
Instead of wasting time on repainting lenses, they’d better adjust the prices for new realities (like yen rate and competition), work on OSPDAF (or at least enabling DFD with ALL AF lenses) and global shutter…
Amen. And here I was, thinking maybe I’m the only one who sees Panasonic’s lens pricing as consistently over the top. As in, “Yeah, but if we ever sell one, hey, break out the champagne!”
Don’t whine. Panasonic had sold all 45-150mm, 14-42mm and 14-140mm they had, and unfortunately (?) had to manufacture some more. Somebody, very commendably, suggested that maybe we try a different look this time. Even though this was a good idea, everybody is now upset! Nobody (absolute nobody) would have whined if the new batch of these lenses had looked exactly the same as the earlier ones (because nobody would have even known that there is a new batch coming.)
someone explained black to them finally
haha