Preorders:
Black GX8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and Panasonic. In Eu at WexUK.
Silver GX8 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and Panasonic. In Eu at WexUK.
FZ300 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto and Panasonic.
Panasonic LUMIX Announces New Technology
Two New Lenses and Post Focus Function
Newark, NJ (July 16, 2015) – Panasonic is proud to announce the development of two lenses and a new technological function called “Post Focus.”
Post Focus will enable users to select an “in-focus” area after shooting with a simple interface. This function has been developed as a further evolution of 4K Photo technology to prevent out-of-focus errors and offer additional creative freedom.
By combining high-speed, high-precision DFD (Depth From Defocus) auto focus technology and the 4K Photo burst images in 4K resolution are shot at 30 fps while shifting the lens to set focus on approx.50 areas (*TBC).
With the Post Focus function, the best image can be selected from the 4K burst images shot with different focus areas. Once the composition is fixed, you are free from the job of serious focusing. In addition, this function can be used for creative photography such as landscapes or portraits. Users can pull different impressions out of one picture by changing the subject to enhance it with focus. The operation of the Post Focus function is quite easy – just touch the point where you want to set focus while playing back the image, no matter where the original focus area is, and the image with different in-focus area will be produced as a separate photo.
Panasonic will introduce this Post Focus function via a firmware update for LUMIX GX8, LUMIX FZ300 and some other models in late 2015 and 2016 will study to integrate it into upcoming LUMIX digital cameras as well.
•Service specifications are subject to change without notice.
New LEICA DG 200-800mm (35mm Equiv.) Zoom Lens Under Development
Panasonic is developing the first LEICA DG 100-400mm / F4.0-6.3 telephoto zoom lens (35mm camera equivalent: 200-800mm) for the Micro Four Thirds system standard to expand the lineup of DSLM (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless) digital interchangeable lenses.
The LEICA DG lenses are designed and developed under the stringent quality standard certified by Leica that boast excellent optical performance. Four single focal length LEICA DG lenses have already introduced to the market and have been highly acclaimed by users worldwide.
The new telephoto zoom achieves exceptional imaging performance over the entire zoom range. It also features high speed digital signal exchange at 240 fps to comply with the high-speed, high-precision AF (Auto Focus) with DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology on LUMIX G cameras. Together with the POWER O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer), it lets users to focus on the target quickly to capture crisp, clear images. In addition, the new lens is both light and small and is splash/dust-proof to withstand heavy field use. As the new telephoto zoom lens excels in size and weight, it enables handheld 800mm (35mm camera equivalent) telephoto shooting without using a tripod.
•The photos show images of the product which may differ from its final appearance.
•Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
•SUMMILUX, ELMARIT and NOCTICRON are all registered trademarks of Leica Camera.
New LUMIX G 25 mm/F1.7 Single Focal Length Lens Under Development*
Panasonic is developing a LUMIX G 25 mm/F1.7 single focal length lens.
This lens is a 50mm (35 mm camera equivalent) single focal length lens with a large diameter. The 50mm focus distance offers almost the same viewing angle and sense of perspective of human eyes which means users can enjoy shooting a portrait or scenery as they see.
The new lens also supports high speed digital signal exchange at 240 fps to comply with the high-speed, high-precision AF (Auto Focus) with DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology on the LUMIX G cameras.
Panasonic will continue to further advance its product development to meet the diverse needs of customers in the expanding digital mirrorless camera market.
* Details of the product specifications, the date of release and the price are not yet finalized.
• The photos of the product may differ from its final appearance.
116 Responses
don’t we have a few 25mm already?
This is probably much better optically.
The 25mm f/1.8 is optically better than the 45mm f/1.8 which the Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7 beat by a hair. I wonder what they would do with this one. Probably it has a closer minimum focus distance judging from the longer barrel of the 25mm f/1.7.
With a lens that big, its got to have IS built in.
Yep, but remember that 25mm (50mm equiv.) is a basic building block lens. One used to ship with nearly every interchangeable lens camera.
So, now Panasonic has a basic, inexpensive model and a higher-end model.
Makes sense to me.
Why oh why isn’t this 25mm styled after their 15mm f/1.7? Instead we have a boring lens which offers nothing new to separate it from the Olympus equivalent. Could they have offered weatherproofed to go with the new camera?
And how many difference groups of lens designer do they have at Panasonic? They cannot seem to offer any consistency in styling or functionality.
If you use your eyes, you can tell that this new 25mm is aimed at the GM1/5, just like the 45mm. That’s a good combo, and such a small kit.
The new 25mm looks like a prety big lens to be a prime? The 20mm f1.7 is a pancake and seems like a much better fit?
Then you haven’t seen the P/L 25mm f1.4?? It’s larger than the Fujifilm 35mm.
The funny thing about this lens is that it looks very long. Maybe it’s just narrow, and that makes it look long. Or it has some limited macro capability.
I didn’t say “the biggest prime for the system”, I said, “pretty big to be a prime”
“Then you haven’t seen the P/L 25mm f1.4?? It’s larger than the Fujifilm 35mm.”
BS, Pana 25/1.4 is 54mm long * 63mm wide, while Fuji 35/1.4 is 55mm long * 65mm wide.
Boo… More crap from Panasonic fanboys. SO EASY.
If you used your brain you would noticed that it is huge for the GM series and lacks image stabilization.
It’s so that when you have a bag full of lenses of a similar size, you can quickly and easily pick out the one you actually want. On the other hand, are you buying lenses to pose with, or to photograph with?
Probably a typical Oly user who matches gear with shoes, belt and purse. These things ARE critically important! ?
Why are the slow folks online today? How about a consistent lens design with an aperture ring, built-in AF/MF switch and better built.
Lack of consistent design applies to both sides of the fence.
What??? How lack a lack of something have two meanings? Again, it is not that difficult to understand I prefer lenses that behave in a consistent manner. Your Voigtländers are a perfect example. Perhaps they should have the focusing or aperture rings move in different direction as you don’t seem to care.
Man, Jeff… when did you turn into a Panasonic troll? Been hanging out with MrALLCAPS too much?
I’m a Voigtländer freak and and don’t have any particular loyalty to anything.
I just like poking fun at Oly fanbois. Easy targets. ?
Fair enough 🙂 With my recent purchase of a Voigtlander 17.5mm f/0.95 I’m now in all 3 camps so I cheer for the entire system to do well, but fanboys are always worth a bit of entertainment.
And yet I use Panasonic so that makes you what? Prejudiced and dumb
Nope. Just making a joke.
Time for a chill pill, bub.
I want the lens to have the aperture ring like the 15 & 42.5mm. Is it that too hard to understand?
That 25mm is the most redundant and irrelevant lens I’ve seen in a long time. Unless they want to sell it at canon50mm 1.8 prices, it has no place in this library. Hell you can find their pl25 for $350 right now. Would have been better to make a new 14mm or a 12mm.
The new lens makes no sense. Bigger than the new (weather-sealed!) Fuji 35mm… Which is way more handsome as well.
I didn’t know Fujifilm joined the M43 consortium… huh.
Actually Fuji really is a member of the Four Thirds group. They just haven’t made anything.
You would think that an APS lens would be larger than a M43 lens though, all other things being equal.
Not the point I was making. Just weird a Micro 4/3 model loses out to APS-C in what is supposed to be its strong point, compactness.
A Pan Leica 100-400mm? Ah shucks…will be beyond my budget. Oh well. Hopefully they’ll bring out a consumer version that mere mortals can afford… (still a welcome addition though)
A consumer version? This is already f4-6.3! Any darker, it would be called a black hole.
Aperture isn’t the only thing that drives price. For all we know, the 100-400mm, being branded as a Leica could be stellar IQ wise. In which case, a consumer version with the same range and f stop could be designed but with slightly less IQ.
Love the zoom range. Available i 2017 at an unknown price point. :-p
It will be interesting iif the 100-400 comes out before Olympus 300.
I may have a decision to make!.
With one being f4 at 300 or f5.6 at 420, and the other f6.3 at 400 (near the diffraction limit already), also adding in that one is a prime and the other is a zoom, I’m thinking it’ll just be convenience vs image quality.
That’s how I feel about it too, initially. However they’re both still unknowns to some extent and the 100-400 may well pleasantly surprise on IQ and AF. f/6.3 isn’t hugely worse than the f/5.6 I was expecting the long end to be at – same as the 150-600 lenses for FF & APS-C as well, though they give a little more “reach” on APS-C than this will on m4/3. Can’t see much point to adding a 1.4x to it either unless the light is very good. My own leaning is toward the 300 prime at present but it would be nice to know more details for both lenses before a proper choice can be made (like prices for one thing!)
So do I, I am off to the Kalahari in South Africa in February and need a long focal length to go with the 40-150 f2.8 Olympus. I had assumed it would be the 300 f4 if available by then, but the 100-400 range sounds interesting. The f6.3 sounds a little slow, but in the bright desert it probably would not matter too much.
Leaving aside the question of cost, Sod’s law dictates that both will arrive the day after I get home from the Kalahari!
Panasonic today announced the developement of the GH5. Price and date is unknown.
A link to your information please?
It is on the same page with the information about the 150mm f2.8.
Share the exact link please.
That is as well on the same page as the GH5 and 150mm f/2.8 lenses are.
Is it that hard to share the exact link? 🙂
Is it that hard to understand sarcasm?
Yes.
Life on the internet must be a long and winding road for you.
Eno, maybe you need to use a VPN? It might be region-locked. Try setting the flux capacitor to 88.
haha. Selling vaporware is fun
Ah well. It looks as if I will just be getting a Canon 70D or 7D II and a Tamron 150-600mm. Both Olympus and Panasonic have now announced the longer type of lens that m4/3 needs. But there is not even basic information on these lenses, and if and when they will ever appear. No basic information on weight, price, closest focus etc. It really is absurd having a system without the type of quality long lens that wildlife, nature and bird photographers need. Pentax not merely announced a 150-450mm zoom, but it’s now available. And I think it is possible Pentax announced the development of this lens after the Olympus 300mm f4. Olympus seems to have forgotten what a system camera is, and Panasonic have never learned.
There is a particular type of lens that most nature/wildlife/bird photographers use. This is a high quality lens of around 300mm-400mm, including zooms. Forget about this equivalent stuff. A 300mm lens is a 480mm equivalent on Canon 1.6x crop sensors, and on 400mm is 640mm. The majority of ordinary birders and wildlife photographers use crop bodies. So it’s no use saying the Olympus 40-150mm is a 300mm eqv, or 420mm eqv with a 1.4x converter, because it is not as long as a 300mm f4 on APS-C, and that’s before you stick a 1.4x converter on the 300mm lens. The one thing that has stopped me moving to m4/3 is the complete lack of a native quality long lens. I still have a Sigma 50-500mm in 4/3. But the only m4/3 camera it is even slightly useful with is the E-M1. I think Olympus and Panasonic have no idea how many photographers will not even consider m4/3, because of the lack of a quality long lens option.
I think you need a tissue. If you waited this long, then the fault is on YOU.
Don’t wait any longer, go get that Canon. That, or stop whining.
Go write Panasonic and Olympus a letter to tell them how you feel. I really don’t care. Do you know how many bird shots you missed for waiting this long??
Can you get me a tissue too?
I’ve had a good run with micro four thirds but have been patiently waiting for better longer glass. Would probably end up waiting 2+ years for Olympus 300 f4, and then this 100-400 with relatively slow glass doesn’t have a timeline yet
I’m relatively new to photography but as my skills /wants increase I finally realize that these companies just don’t have the demand for lenses in these areas so don’t have a priority to produce these as I thought they would , but I live a sheltered life.
Guess I should of started a street photography hobby rather than birding. Time to pick another body and save on tissue expenses.
Between the two of them, they produced close to 50 lenses…how fast do you expect them to crank out lenses in 6 years? They are, of course, trying to crank out lenses that would make them the most $$ first and then get to the more exotic ones next. I think the fact that Panasonic is coming out with a 200-800mm (35mm equiv.) lens so close to the beginning (i.e. 6 years) is a feat by itself.
Don’t bother. This is the internet. You can give him a brick of gold, and he’ll be like, “that’s it? I wanted Platnium…” Let him find a new hobby.
“Go write Panasonic and Olympus a letter to tell them how you feel. I
really don’t care. Do you know how many bird shots you missed for
waiting this long??”
What a stupid comment. I already have a Canon system, and 4 macro lenses which I was using today. I think 5 of my photos have been on Flickr Explore in the last couple of months. I haven’t been waiting for this lens. I was already planning to update my Canon system when the macro season is over, and this is what I will be doing.
This is not an announcement for a lens, it’s a mock up of a lens where we don’t know the specification, the price, and when or even if it will come out. Vapourware doesn’t take photographs. Unlike you I use cameras as tools.
Really though??
“Ah well. It looks as if I will just be getting a Canon 70D or 7D II and a Tamron 150-600mm.”
So… What was the purpose of your Rant, If you weren’t going to purchase anything but a Canon product? If you were going to get a canon lens, why complain?
You appear to have a problem with English comprehension. I have had a 4/3 system for longer than I’ve had a Canon system and still own a 4/3 Sigma 50-500mm. As that system is obsolete, I either need to turn it into a m4/3 system, or use my Canon system for long lens photography. I have been interested in the Olympus E-M5 II and it’s high resolution feature for macro photography. Therefore I was considering that and the supposed Olympus 300mm f4, which has gone AWOL. As I really need the long lens gear before the year is out, it seemed the best solution was to use Canon for that. However, I was interested in this lens (100-400mm) and wanted to know it’s specification and likely release date, but neither were announced.
As I need an actual lens for photography, later in this year, I will have to go with the Canon option. I haven’t been waiting for a long time, I just needed to know which to do.
You really seem to have a serious difficulty with comprehension.
Wow, I feel sorry for those panny nerds who voted MrALLCAPS… only to see their idol got owned by SteB1.
If Panasonic was smart, they would make a 20mm that sits flush with the GM5. That would be the Street Photogs dream. At least mine.
Post focusing? It looks like related to the panasonic’s new light field camera system rumour.
Maybe that can be another reason for choosing panasonic glass over olympus along with OIS and DFD functions, even for olympus camera owners if they consider panasonic second body. Anyway, Post focusing is most interesting news I’ve ever heard. I’ve been not tempted by new products(higher MP, better video, faster AF things), and now I am.
And somehow, every commenter seems to have missed it.It’s the lytro-like that was hinted a while ago.
the 100-400 has a “full-limit” switch. Is it macro?
It is “Full – Limit” and not “Full-Limit”
Meaning it either has FULL range (No-limit) or Limited Range (infinity to something like 10m).
Well.. I am looking forward to know the minimal focus distance!
OMG, another 25mm ! m43 may be the system with the highest number of 50mm equivalent in the world ! I’m still waiting for a UWA f2 or f2.8, something similar to the oly 12mm: compact, bright, optically good, with distance scale and AF…
Isn’t that 100-400 a bit too slow at the end ? f6.3 at 800mm equivalent will result in high iso to counter shake…
Yes…another 25mm!?!? Makes no sense at all? Where is the 10.5mm f/1.4 Panny/Leica to go with the 15mm???
The 100-400mm is a hit no doubt…but ANOTHER 25mm?
The scale, or rather proportions of the new 25mm pictures are very incorrect here on 43rumors. It looks longer than the recent 30mm. At the below link you can see the lens in what I guess are it’s true proportions. It looks like a slightly longer 15mm lens, made also to fit the GM1/GM5 cameras.
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9332927558/two-lenses-under-development-and-post-focus-technology-on-the-way-from-panasonic
OK, that _is_ much better. The photos here make it look like a big lens, which had me scratching my head a bit.
It appears that Panasonic Lens Design Group was taken over by the meh guys.
Instead of providing a a pair of lenses with specification that actually improve on the IQ, AF speed and aperture, they spend a good part of their design time on meh lenses.
The 100-400mm one will not be purchased by beginners, and the serious enthusiasts would like to see a better design/aperture there, a la Olly 40-150 f2.8 PRO but at f4 – even if this necessitates a 100-300mm range.
The 25mm one looks like a $299 design. For people at this range, there are other Panny choices out there. Many would have expected to have a 42.5 f1.2 – quality in a 25mm f1.4 design.
The 100-400mm is good, and looks rather compact. We don’t need another 100-300mm lens (there’s already two for the system). Also, constant f/4 in this focal range would be enormous. I have a Canon FD 50-300mm f/4.5L, which is slightly slower than what you’re asking for, and it weighs 4 pounds and is simply huge (see picture below). It’s a very nice lens to have for certain things (I shoot golf with it, with my OM-D as well as my Fuji X-T1 and Sony A7 II.) – AF and OIS and a more modern design would make it even bigger. Extend that to 400mm, and it becomes gargantuan.
The 25mm, I don’t understand at all. There’s already two 25mm lenses for the system, including a 25mm f/1.8, and then Panasonic also has the 20mm f/1.7 and a 30mm macro. How many primes do we really need in this range?
It might be that the new 25mm is built with faster AF for the new bodies (gh4, g7, gx8) .. How ever it would have been much more interesting to see say 25mm 1.2 IS lens. Then again what I would mostly like to see from panasonic is a 250mm 2.8 lens with all the bells and whistles. Allso a better macro would be welcome .. say 70mm f2 1:1 power OIS macro. How about 500mm f4
I don’t know why y’all don’t see that Panasonic is making smaller lenses for their GM line. They have the 12-32mm, the 35-100, the 45mm and the 15mm -all flush with the GM bodies. Panasonic is trying to create a very small system and y’all can’t see that?
100-400mm. Just what I was hoping for.
Okay, it’s a little slow at 400mm, but with the 100-300mm I’m forced to shoot everything at f7.1 to compensate for it’s not exactly exceptional optics! Weather=sealing is great, too!
I usually stop down to f8 on my 100-300, particularly at 300mm so assuming this lens will be OK wide open it will be 2/3 stop faster and 33% longer than what I have now. If it means the lens will be light enough for me to take hiking I would prefer f6.3 over a faster but heavier version.
For me “light enough to take hiking” means about 2.5 pounds. Looking at SLR lenses with a 400mm capability that is going to be tough to do even at f6.3.
That’s what you get for being a Panacrapic Fanbois! 🙂
That lens is a real dogger….
Crap, I was hoping the ‘other lens’ was going to be a 17.5/1.7, not another 25. For ‘the favorite focal length of most photographers’ (well, me, I prefer 50, not 35, but I hear that all the time), we have no choice of mainstream primes there.
How many 25mm do we have now?
Quite a hand full~
Olympus 25mm f/1.8
Panasonic 25mm f/1.4
Voightlander 25mm f/0.95 ( manual lens )
Which doesn’t seem like too many to me. A new affordable standard lens with better AF tech seems like a good idea to me. If it follows the 42.5mm f/1.7 lens, this new 25mm f/1.7 should be about the same price as the Olympus 25mm f/1.8.
I’m hoping that they include OIS for handheld video and low-light still photo work.
SLR Magic 25mm too 🙂
And we can actually add to that list because they are so close to that 25mm.
Panasonic 20mm
Sigma 30mm
Olympus 25mm f/2.8
I would say that we are very very filled with the range.
For 17mm range we have what?
Olympus 17mm f/1.8
Olympus 17mm f/2.8
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7
Sigma 19mm f/2.8
Voitgländer 17.5mm f/0.95
We are so full for anything between 12-60mm now (Sigma 60mm and Olympus 60mm, count as well Oly 75mm there) that it is sickening.
We have two 7-14mm, few fisheyes (samyang, panasonic, olympus etc), enough 12mm etc.
And these doesn’t even include the zooms like 12-35mm, 12-40mm, 12-50mm, 14-150mm, 14-140mm.
ARGH!
And yet we hear almost monthly “It would be nice to have a xx-yy f/2.8-4” or something in the ranges we have.
I’m not interested in any prime slower than f/2.0, and I do find that the 5mm focal length difference in either way to be a big difference. ( i.e. 20mm or 30mm are quite different than shooting with a 25mm )
I also wish that Panasonic would make a 17.5mm f/1.7 lens, as this is my favorite “standard” lens focal length. ( i.e. wide normal )
How does the SLR Magic lens stack up against the Voightlander ?
I’m guessing it’s a little cheaper, and does not have the Voightlander build quality. ( everything on the Voightlander lenses feels solid )
I haven’t had the pleasure of comparing the two, but I’m very happy with the SLR Magic. It’s all metal and heavy and solid. Well built. The focus ring is a bit stiff on mine, which is annoying since it’s used a lot with a manual lens. However that could be due to intended use with follow-focus systems, which would make it practical since the focus isn’t so “slippy” and keeps its position. I have seen some reviews claiming the SLR Magic is sharper at 0,95 but that’s also hard to compare since one is in T-stops and the other in F-stops. Basically I’d say it’s better value than the Voigtlander since it’s very close in both image and build quality, but costs less. I got mine on Black Friday 2014 and I saved so much money there’s basically no discussion value-wise 🙂
I was hoping for a super wide prime. We are already flush with 25mm primes. oh well. That 100-400 looks great though!!!
Where are the weather sealed primes for the GX8?
Little surprise because the cat is already out of the bag, and what’s this?
If the 25mm f1.4 couldn’t do DFD well enough, why not produce a MkII lens? Answer: the price pressure from the plethora of excellent 25mm alternatives hurt sales and the f1.7 costs less to make.
profit = n * (price-cost); // newbies are gonna love it…
It was wondering about the wonderfully sharp, but slow AF 20mm f1.7. Are there any metrics to test whether DFD speeds it up a bit? It would have made more sense to me, to fix the pancake, but the profit math suggests the popularity and profitability of the 20mm may have fallen off.
Several commentators continue to remark about 25mm vs 20mm vs 17mm as regards the most natural angle of view. I like the 20 to 25mm range as most natural, but admit to having the 17mm mZuiko on camera more often by a considerable margin. This does not mean I like the angle of view better, but that I often find myself in situations where distance from subject cannot be optimal, particularly groups of people indoor (constrained space). When I want creamy bokeh, I invite my subjects to a more spacious venue, often outside, and use the delicious 45mm (with ND filters, at times, to get the aperture as wide as possible).
I didn’t find the 20mm f1.7 got any faster while autofocusing, when I upgraded from a G2 to a GH4. I reckon the focus-motor in the pancake lens is just physically too slow to perform any better, and some have suggested it’s the size of the motor in the tiny lens that sets this limit.
I love that 20mm 1.7.
I have most “pro-esque” lenses made for m43 but that 20mm is constantly my go-to on assignments.
Discreet & rugged but horrendously slow and struggles to focus at all in low light.
I constantly find 25mm is too tight, 17 is just slightly too wide and the subject separation drops right off unless you push into that subject closeness that gets just a little too close for most people. Facial features also start to bulge the centre when that close.
I know I sound picky but I use these lenses day in and day out and know them pretty well.
A weather sealed fast focusing 20mm 1.7 would get $600 from my pocket in a heartbeat. Even if it were a touch larger/heavier/whatever.
Disappointed at the 25mm 1.7 news too.
Another 25mm–bummed. I understand what they’re trying to do but I’m disappointed.
On the bright side hopefully this means a commitment to hit all of the traditionally popular focal lengths with primes and a 17mm isn’t too far behind. There’s still not a stellar 17mm AF lens (Olympus’s 2 lenses are OK-to-good) so an optically outstanding 17mm f/1.7 would be welcome, but I’m still hoping to see a premium f/1.2 as a companion to the lonely Nocticron.
Agree. And clearly they want to bite 25/1.8’s cake too…
IF the 25mm f1.7 is closer to a pancake it might be attractive. But with that size, I’ll pick up the 25mm f1.4 first.
The image is stretched on this site. Bad image handling on 43rumors site.
OK, if anything was not necessary in this system, is this 25/1.7. Unless it is priced at $200 or below, which I bet it is not.
100-400 is so slow at the long end, it should be below $500. But adding Leica name is a hint that Panasonic will go crazy again and price it at $1000+.
Yeah I dunno about that 25mm 1.7 – I see no point. The Panasonic Leica 25mm 1.4 is faster (aperture), can step to 1.7 anyway, and I have no issues with its autofocus speed. As someone else already said, why not just make a MKII of that one if they really think the AF speed needs to get faster?
The 100-400 is a really welcome addition and.appears to have similar build as the Olympus ‘pro’ series – so how much? I’m scared. They won’t do it, but I’d love it if the made the foot Arca compatible out of the box.
I wonder if Panasonic will be smart enough to include “focus stacking” as an additional feature to this 4k post-focus technology in their camera bodies. Would be extremely handy for increase of DOF for macro photography.
my thoughts exactly
re-defining focus in post sounds marginally interesting to me
remember – it’s 4k images / 8mp – so you lose resolution compared full res still. Between a 4k/8mp image, “fix focus in post”, and a 20mp image “focus nailed when shooting”, I believe the second one will be considerably better. Just make sure to check on the spot that you nailed focus.
If it’s a one button preset to make the post focus shot with current settings, than it would be a good safety option, and I could imagine getting used to doing this for every time you are a bit uncertain about focus, but I’m afraid it will be it’s own particular mode and a couple of buttons to access – so a mode quickly forgotten.
But an automatically focus stacked, extremely deep focus image – now there’s something that could interest me. And then the 8mp is an acceptable compromise.
Why only Olympus does that, and them only in their TG-4 and not in the large-sensor mirrorless which need it more? Such an obvious feature to have.
And their Air SDK does not have APIs necessary to implement it cleanly through smartphone control either, I checked. The best what could be done if the user specifies all points to focus on for every frame, instead of just 1 point and a distance or 2 points – basically the same amount of manual effort like with manual focus bracketing.
“100-400mm / F4.0-6.3”
I am afraid it is f/6.3 already at 300mm.And at f/6.3, it cannot possibly be very sharp because it is diffraction territory already. And how is it significantly (or any, depending on sharpness) better than 100-300/4-5.6 plus a little bit of cropping from the sharper center to go to 400?
If Panasonic does not know what lenses are still needed in the system, it could have asked customers, instead of almost copying existing lenses (like with 42.5/1.7 and 25/1.7 and 20/1.7 II and 14/2.5 II) or releasing baffling BS like 12-32, 35-100/4-5.6, 30/2.8 and this one.
How about 90 or 100mm/2.8 Macro, 200/2.8, 300/2.8, 400/4, 500/4, 100-300/2.8-4, all weather-sealed and with mechanically-coupled focus (like Oly 12/2 and 17/1.8) and aperture rings and a single matching teleconverter? Preferably with weight-saving tech like DO/Fresnel and usual digital correction for distortion/LoCA. All of them would benefit from OIS Panasonic has and Oly does not, so they are safe focal lengths with no competition. How about real collapsible weather-sealed normal zoom, like 11-70/2.8-4 or 11-110/2.8-5.6 or anything in between?
Well they make some odd decisions, no doubt. But I reckon they’ll manage to keep it at f5.6 at 300mm since it’s been done before. As for how it’s going to be sharper, I think they learned something from the old 100-300 and have improved the optical elements and their configuration.
Maybe, but how much sharper? f/6.3 already introduces a little bit of diffraction softening which is visible on 16mpix, let alone the new 20mpix and future higher res sensors.
For example, have a look at the tests of 25/1.4:
http://www.photozone.de/olympus–four-thirds-lens-tests/740-pana25?start=1
Center sharpness starts to fall slightly even at f/4 compared to f/2.8, falls further at f/5.6, and further at f/8 (and without doubt at f/6.3 it is somewhere in between f/5.6 and f/8). Meaning they are hitting diffraction limiting even with 16mpix sensors with AA (the test was done on GX1). So I would not expect any miracles @ f/6.3, maybe 2500 LW/PH in the center max on GX1 etc.
I’ve only found it annoying/noticeable at F16 and above, ie. ND for outside filming. Around F8 I think the lens quality will have way more of an effect.
Everything is in “the diffraction territory”. Diffraction doesn’t magically start or stop.
A 16Mpix current gen sensors are for standard image print sizes suffering from sharpness at f/7.2. But we are talking again at very big prints and viewed from normal sighted person and viewed from long distance. But you can get f/11 with excellent results without really diffraction problems, that hits only after f/16 really and f/22 is very very usable.
But of course 20Mpix makes the diffraction problem little bit sooner, maybe a half a stop.
That lens will be used anyways almost always wide open because it is so slow at tele end.
Serious question: what does “development” in Panasonic-speak mean? Is it in the R&D sense (design exploration) or is it production engineering development (tooling and manufacturing scaling).
Also, wouldn’t the Post Focus function require an even more static scene than the 40MP mode in Olympus EM5ii? Let’s say we pull 1 picture out of 5, at 30FPS that means the subject can’t be moving for 1/6 of a second. If so, I don’t have the imagination to figure out what this is useful for.
Thanks.
You’re welcome.
On a Panasonic camera the camera will use 4K photo mode to shoot 30 frames per second, but that doesn’t mean the shutter is open for 1/30th second. The shutter speed can be much faster, the frames are shot 1/30th second apart. Then, in 4K photo mode, you can select the one (or several) you like best and extract that frame as an 8MP still image.
The G7 and G8X already have 4K photo mode. The new function here is that the autofocus will be changing during the sequence of frames. Then you can pick the one (or several) with the in-focus area you like best and extract that frame as an 8MP still image.
So, it will take over a second to hit 50 different autofocus positions. I think the article says this is best for still life and landscapes.
The 100-400 looks a little Nocti-esk…no?
Great news that it’s Leica branded. Should be high quality yet portable.
I was pretty excited about a 100-400, until I saw the “Leica” tag, because as far as I can tell, it costs a fortune to write the word “Leica” on something.
Noob question coming through … well.. I’m not really a noob, I just don’t know to be honest – ignorant maybe? 😉 Anybody know what that “Full/Limit” switch is for on the 100-400?
It is a focus limiter, handy when shooting where you’ll be focusing a good distance away as it stops the AF motor from racking all the way in to the close focus distance. Pretty common on super tele lenses.
thanks 🙂
Nice. Call me when I can actually buy it.
This looks like a great combination. The Leica branded lenses always have great color, contrast and sharpness even wide open. So this should be an ideal tele zoom for MFT. Premium IQ with relatively small size.
I want it! It’s slow as dirt, but who cares…it says Leica on the side! No, but seriously- I want it. Price please.