Panasonic announced two new MFT lenses today and the worldwide first preorders are now available at BH:
Panasonic LUMIX G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
Panasonic LUMIX G MACRO 30mm f/2.8 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. Lens at BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
32 Responses
but are they weather-sealed?
Its always prominently stated when a lens is weather-sealed just like when it has stabilization so my guess would be no
Thanks…that’s just ridiculous at this point in the game to produce another non-weather sealed lens in a similar focal length.
Also remember that a lot of Panasonic cameras aren’t weather proof either so its not too surprising (I think GH4 is but GX7 and the variations of GM1 are not)
Oh? Like the Olympus 25mm, in the same cheap plastic as the 45mm?
And these new lenses are metal. Not easily dented plastic.
Rediculous, you say?
Metal Dents plastic may crack not dent but there usually very resilient.
Yep still rediculous. I’d still prefer to shoot with weather sealed lenses. I do a lot of shooting on the coast line in northern lower michigan when the weather is less than perfect. As much as I love my 12-40, Id prefer to shoot with my 45 and 75…and later this year the 7-14 2.8
The plastic doesn’t get dents, metal does. Metal as well feels cold and gets same way scratches.
Much cheaper than I expected since they have Mega OIS. Not bad
Direct competitor to 45/1.8 – that’s good.
Great for us Pany body owners that it has OIS. Hopefully it will be better than the Oly 1.8 – I found it to be very good, but not great.
This lens has no ED elements, but does have one aspheric. The Oly has to ED-like elements, but no aspherics. We’ll see how they do head-to-head.
Perhaps Pany decided to start going head to head with Oly on lenses instead of filling gaps.
yes, a dumb move.
maybe dumb on panny, but always good for consumer to see competition. more options, and higher chance for price drop. 2nd hand oly 45mm probably gonna drop further if this panny 42.5 one does come out to be on par or even better in IQ.
Not a dumb move at all. I only have Panasonic bodies and I would gladly trade my Olympus 45mm for an image stabilized Panasonic 42.5 as long as it is not substancially larger.
I think the Oly 45 1.8 is a pretty great lens. It’s definitely not the 75mm but it’s tack sharp.
Tack sharp and great contrast, out of focus rendering and fast focusing. And prices being 129-149€ often makes it no brained as it is over half times cheaper than Panasonic one. But panasonic users need that OIS. So cool!
I’m still surprised about the 30mm macro. The working distance must be very low for 1:1, which makes it a bad option for living insects compared to the other mFT macro lenses from Olympus & Panasonic. Is there such a demand for this macro focal length? I could imagine more people being interested in longer ones like a 90mm.
The 42,5mm sounds interesting for people who prefer Panasonic bodies.
It might be better for product photography, with a little bigger products than 4/3 sensor. 1:1 is just an icing on the cake.
“I’m still surprised about the 30mm macro. […] Is there such a demand for this macro focal length?”
No. But I have read somewhere that it is cheaper to make a short FL macro, than a long FL macro. Thus affordable macro lenses have relatively short FL.
IMO, out of the two lenses, the 30mm as an affordable macro, makes more sense than the 1.7/42.5mm. But considering that the new 42.5mm is designed for GM cameras, and has only 31cm MFD, and is relatively cheap, it is not a complete waste.
A macro lens 60 mm in FF (30 mm in m4/3) is just the most used macro for flowers and mushrooms by macro photographers, because is simply the perfect focal length for this kind of subjetcs. Try to make a picture of a whole orchid plant or a big Boletus with the mzuiko 60 mm (120mm equivalent) macro of Olympus (which I have) and you would understand what I’m talking about. So, yes, the macro photographers were waiting for a 30mm macro in the system, it was a demand for a 30mm macro. I just hope the IQ would be as good as in the 60mm of Olympus and this little one will be among my next choices for nature photography (and my first Lumix lens).
does anybody at Panasonic suspect that the old 100-300/4-5.6 needs a modern remake?
The lens is so crappy beyond 200 I hate it – my worst lens. This does not need a remake but a complete new lens, best 150-300 if it creates better quality.
Agree, a 150-300mm would be a better choice if it’s optically good.
I agree. The Olympus 75-300mm II is much better.
Stop it down to F8 at 300mm and its slightly less bad
Nice to get 42mm instead of the Zuiko 45mm to get the OIS ..but if you already have the 45mm may as well just get EM5 for the IBIS
Do I understand correctly that neither of the lenses have actual OIS switch, and OIS have to be disabled in camera? Does it make them unoperable on Olympus cameras?
it is off on default on Oly camera, currenty Oly camera can set they want IBIS or OIS
If Panasonic would do a real update of the 20mm and include OIS I’d switch to Panasonic cameras. I could make do with the 42.5 and 20 if both were stabilized. I need OIS for video. Oh well, maybe in a year or two Panasonic will reintroduce the 20mm with OIS. One can hope.
While I would love to see 17.5MM/67.5mm F1.7 and 100mm Macro, but suddenly it makes sense – Panasonic building up a series of lens for GM series – we have zoom lens 12-32mm and 35-100mm, prime lenses we have 15mm F1.7, 20mm F1.7, 30mm F2.8 (macro) and 42.5mm F1.7, all are very compact and light, and the suggested price is relatively cheaper 😀
Exactly; I was complaining Panasonic did not have enough cheap lens / pancakes; so it is the spirit of m43
Then it announced GM1 and GX7, 12-32 pancake, 35-100, 15 f/1.7 and how 42.5 f/1.7
12-32, 15, 20/25, 42.5 f/1.7, 35-100 make a really good combo that cover all the important focal length, yet still very portable
Panasonic is pointing at the right direction;
m43 lenses make most sense if the price is under 400 USD, max 500 USD
Panasonic keeps reinventing the wheel in its lens lineup. Hey guys, how about a fast long tele zoom with modern AF? How about a new pro stills camera, like a GX8? Sheesh.
do they come with a lens hood?