Let’s start with the updated preorder list. You can preorder the new 12-35mm X lens:
in USA at Amazon (Click here), BHphoto (Click here) and Adorama (Click here).
in Europe at FotoHanzKeuzekamp (Click here).
in Asia at Amazon Japan (Click here).
Finally I spent an hour to carefully read all four available reviews at Photographyblog, ePhotozine, SLRgear and DSLRmagazine. I guess most of you read them and from a technical point of view this lens really almost has no flaw. Resolution is perfect. The lens makes no noise when zooming or focusing, distortion is low and harmonic across the range. Only the (surprisingly) missing Powerzoom function can be problem for videomakers. Really didn’t expect that lens to not come along the Powerzoom and as this is an ideal lens for filmmakers some of them may be frustrated right now đ
I may add that the USA price is a bit higher than expected. American readers are used to get that special Euro-Dollar 1:1 coversion. So after reading that the lens costa 1.100 Euro I would have expected Amazon (Click here) to sell it for $1,100. Anyway, I think the price is ok if you look at all features. The lens has a super image and build quality and as Dpreview writes: “Panasonic’s excellent implementation of ‘focus-by-wire’ manual focus is responsive and precise, and streets ahead of some of its rivals“. This lens really sets the latter so high that it makes look the competition really bad! The Micro Four Thirds system really became a lot more mature and it will be hard fro Sony, Nikon and even Canon to surpass the m43 system for a long time coming! At that point I have to remind you that the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 X lens will arrive along the GH3 in late Summer while the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is coming out within the next couple of weeks. And that’s not all that’s coming đ
Great time ahead for us Micro Four Thirds users!!!
100 Responses
Great times indeeed, have both olympus and panasonic (+2great Voightlander lenses) making quality lenses for the same system will probably be inposible to to match by other companies in mirrorles market
This certainly does look like a great lens and I typically prefer primes. The price seems in line to me tho I can’t afford it at this moment. But we now have a semi-pro body in the E-M5 for a grand and a growing selection pro lenses in the $800-1300 range. A win win imho.
@Admin. Any news about the LX6 with the 1 inch multi-aspect sensor and a C(CCTV) mount with adapter for m43 lenses???
The kind of serious filmmakers who would most likely shell out the money for this lens would probably prefer a manual zoom ring so they can use a video rail system with a linkage to control zooming. A mechanical zoom ring has the advantage that a given focal length can always be set by rotating the ring to the same point on the barrel. Zoom-by-wire systems, even those that use a ring (as opposed to a rocker switch) have no fixed relationship between the position of the zoom ring and the selected focal length.
Not to mention the fact that the whole idea of zooming while recording is very much more the exception than the rule for most serious filmmakers.
The whole “power zoom is great for video” myth is for casual shooters only, and they’re not really the main market for this lens.
Nail on the head!
Zooming in video has a tendency to look really bad, even if done very smoothly. You hardly see it used in professional productions, and for good reasons.
So, what you mean is ENG videographers are “casual shooters”?
Typical interchangable camera lenses’ zoom ring have high friction, and pressure exerted to start a zoom can easily cause a visible disturbance in video.
For ENG videographers, they often need place camera and zoom to make up the difference to get the exact framing they want quickly, roughly, and stable. If they use these manual zooming lenses, disturbances will always visible during video recording.
I agree with you for the most part as all we do us video and with set productions shots are fairly rarely zoomed in and out but as an AF101 owner I am disappointed that Panasonic has given us the power zoom function for true ENG function with the AF101. A simple lanc controlled replacement grip handle on the side to interface with the power zoom motor would have allowed us to float easily between film style productions and broadcast news gathering. I’m still looking at getting the 12-35 and 35-100 but I feel the lack of power zoom here is a real missed opportunity especially with the planned firmware upgrade for live 1080 60p
To be fair, there are many MANY better choices for ENG work than and AF100 or MFT camera. I’m THRILLED that these aren’t power zoom…and Im a video producer that shoots on the GH2 and AF100
+1
I have been working as a technical director for an AV company for a good number of years now and powerzoom are, well, consumerish. Some professional gear use it, mostly for IMAG purposes but the speed is very linear and therefore hard to use to express an emotion or assit the narative, so filmaking and even reporting rarely use it. I say rarely because it is not systematical but I doubt videographers will really miss the feature.
Personally I think the power zoom would be great for the little ENG work some do with the AF100 while discreet comosition changes in live enviroments and from a narrative point of view the power zoom could certainly help with Dolly/slider Zoom shots aka vertigo and Jaws. Too many just profess DOF for the cinematic look and yet I hardly hear any arguments in favour of helping adjust parallax to suit a shot which is more important anyway, the power zoom could of been great for adjusting parallax within a crane shot to create speed in the background for example but im probably talking about something that your average youtube director has no idea about. Oh well, just have to whack the remote follow focus gear on it to obtain the same “consumer” shots that make up the most parts of any Hollywood blockbuster but then if I’m going to do that why not just use the excellent Tokina 11-16 F2.8 at half the cost and compatible with other camera, auto focus? LOL
Where is the G5 Announcement?
“And thatâs not all thatâs coming”
PEN updates?
PEN updates will also come (and the G5), but I think Admin was talking about lenses with his suggestive remark. At least the 60mm f/2.8 macro will be coming along soon (already unveiled by Olympus).
Yeah, lower end Olympus bodies really need that E-M5 sensor.
I agree that with this crop of 2012 lenses m4/3 starts to look like a serious system, but there’s still nothing in the 600 EUR price range to rival NEX 5n and various entry level DSLRs based on Sony 16 Mpx sensor. Maybe I’m a bit impatient, but that’s the price point where enthusiasts will enter into a system, not two times that.
Anyway, it’s looking really good in the m4/3 world now.
P.S. Put PDAF on sensor and add all those 4/3 lenses to the system, and m4/3 will be dead serious đ – covering wide range of photo needs.
Sneye, that is a very broad >_<.
Remember, there’s a new E-XXX coming soon as well. 16MP sensor, 5-axis IS, in a 4/3 DSLR. Damian reckons it’s better than an E5:
http://www.damianmcgillicuddy.com/journal/2012/4/10/olympus-the-om-d-and-me-part-2.html
If it’s weather sealed and not too pricey, I reckon I might try to track down a second hand HG telephoto for wildlife and sports….
Nah, I don’t believe it for a moment, unfortunately. “Better than E-5” may be interpreted in more than one way. e.g. “faster AF than the E-5’s”.
We’ll wait and see ehh? Olympus did say some time ago that they will make another mid-level four thirds body. They just haven’t been in any hurry!
@Sneye, did you read the jounal entry I linked to?
In this, he talks about the E-M5, talks about using the E-5, and then states that tbe “new stuff” under NDA is actually better than the E-5. He then tags the article with E-xxx.
Given that this guy uses these cameras professionally, tests new “stuff” for Olympus under NDA regularly….I’ll take his word that he is trying out a new four thirds body, that will be better (for the moment) than the E-5. Remember, even the “lowly” E-PL1 was better than the E-P1 at the time of release.
The most important thing he said a couple of months ago was that he cannot yet talk about the E-7, if such a thing even exists.
I wouldn’t expect an E-xxx body, but an E-7, yes, that one is definitely coming out, based on the hints so far.
@Boooo! Have you read the journal article? There are two entries tagged E-xxx. I very much doubt that is accidental. I know you have a lot invested in 4/3 lenses, thought you would like this kind of news?
I know about the tags. I also know that he mentioned the E-7, got a *huge* box that couldn’t have been m4/3 gear, and there was someone else “famous” (can’t remember who) that said on their blog comments that the E-M5 is great, but they’re going to wait for the E-7, then backtracked a bit when people started asking questions.
I personally have no use for an E-720, being a tall man with large hands who really, really needs a grip on his E-3, but I think Olympus should definitely get both the E-7 and the E-720 out. In fact, the E-720 should be weather-sealed. If Pentax can have the K30 and WS kit zooms, Olympus can do it too. I just wouldn’t hold much hope in them doing so đ
As for my stuff… I don’t have THAT much invested. Here’s what I own:
Zuiko 25 (for my E-510)
PL25 + Zuiko 50 (for my gripless E-3)
Sigma 105 + EX-25 (when I use my E-510 for macro)
14-54 (mostly unused since I got the 12-60)
12-60 and 50-200 + EC-14 (those go on my gripped E-3)
borrowed 7-14 (until the owner manages to sell it)
2x FL50R
I’m dreaming of the little tuna and the EC-20, and I’ve grown to like the 7-14. If Olympus shows commitment to 4/3, those are the lenses I’m going to purchase with the E-7 (don’t tell the wife, please – she has no idea about my plans). I think that’s the sentiment of a lot of Olympus owners – if there’s commitment, many people are going to invest in a bit more than just the body.
Maybe, maybe not. I’m having a lot of fun with my E-5 and won’t need anything “better”. For the first time in the history of 4/3 the quality is there (for my needs). Thus, my interest in those recent comments is merely academic. For all I care the E-xxx could be a somewhat larger m4/3 camera with PDAF support. Eventually Olympus will realize the “one beautiful system” vision and everybody will be happy.
Yes, I second the “One beautiful system” dream. Hopefully they try out a PDAF on sensor system, that will enable the 4/3 lenses properly. In the meantime, I’m personally happy with a very basic m43 primes set-up. I don’t really need to shoot sports or birds right now.
Even if Olympus has solved 4/3 lens focusing and tracking AF problems (both involve lack of phase detection) in mirrorless body I could see place for E-7 to let EVF tech evolve little more.
But beyond that making other 4/3 bodies would be spending smaller resources of Oly to something which isn’t going to stay in long term now that with E-M5 Olympus is finally getting m4/3 machine going after all PEN only stumbling in shadow of Panasonic.
75mm f1.8 will be out in 2 days.
As for the price, that’s the problem with printing money – it’s not worth much. Finally gear is starting to cost the same across continents.
Let’s see how it works on an Olympus body. Hope without any quirks.
Tempted for this lens but for 1300,you’ll also have enough to buy these sets (street/ebay prices)
14mm $150, 20mm $350, 25mm $600, 30mm $200
or
12mm $750, 20mm $350, 30mm $200
At f2.8 (reviews says 12-35mm is a bit soft) these primes would have sharper IQ?
Which review writes that the 12-35 is a bit soft?
Photography blog – dunno how they got a review up so quick they are usually the slowest.
“it is a little soft at F2.8 though, so it’s best used stopped down to F4 for the best results”
“Optically the lens is a great performer. At all focal lengths, it’s best to stop it down by one f-stop for optimum results – at F2.8 the center and edge sharpness is less acceptable”
But yeah, relative to the IQ of the canon/nikon zooms compared to their high quality primes I guess in that sense it is consistent.
I have not made a detailed, comparitative study but based on SLRGear blur graphs the zoom at least equals the Oly 12mm at 12mm and the Pana 25mm at 25mm. This is a performance that can be compared to, f.i. the Nikon 24-70/2,8 which performs like the Nikon high end primes from 24 through 50mm.
Professional quality in that sense – and this lens requires a Pana camera housing on the same level….. (Would do great on an Oly EM-5 too)
The quality of this lens suggests that the GH3 will be a very nice camera.
You can use this lens on any mFT body, it doesn’t require a new body at all.
@Kylberg: If you look back at ePhotozine’s October 11, 2011, review of the Olympus 12mm you’ll see that the Olympus lens is totally off the charts when it comes to resolution. The new Panasonic lens is rated very, very good, which is fine, but it’s not in the same league as the Olympus if you believe the two reviews. This comparison is borne out by the photos that are posted in the respective galleries, e.g., the scene with the Novotel building. The shot taken with the Olympus appears distinctly sharper to me.
I was REALLY excited for this lens, seeing the sample pictures and the softness wide open you mentioned, plus a $1300 price of admission…I’ll pass ans stick with primes.
It’s overpriced – for 1.1k i’d expect a f2.0 aperture.
Those lenses are tiny afterall – plus optical corrections done in software make them so much cheaper to produce.
Topped off with regular skimping on QA …
I’d expect to see some more of those savings propagate to the consumer.
What planet do you live on where f2 zooms cost $1100?
Indeed!
The 4/3 Olympus 14-35 is $2200 USD!
It is a premium lens that is not intended for the average consumer. If it doesn’t sell then the price will come down.
Compared to the $900 Oly 75-300, I consider it a bargain.
Did you miss the news about Panasonic’s record loss? They’re not exactly making a mint on these. $1100 lenses aren’t exactly a huge market.
It may be less costly than Canikon comparable zooms, however the price is a bit steep if the quality will not match at least the HG lenses from 4/3.
I have the ZD 12-60, less costly, better reach, stellar quality, a bit slower, quite heavier and larger. Hard to decide…
Nice to see the lens is quiet. But what about the noisy shutter in all Panasonic bodies. I hope the GH3 makes a big improvement in this area, otherwise the quiet lens won’t mean much.
Waiting for electronic/global shutter! đ
I’m also waiting but I think that will take at least one more generation.
It will be hard to see a global shutter sensor very soon because as far as I know, with a global shutter, you end up losing ISO performance and DR and now, m4/3 is finally been able to catch up with APS-C sensors, they cannot afford to lose all that just for the sake of global shutter.
so, it will take some time.
+1
Or Panasonic should get quieter shutter from Olympus.
Now with finally competetitive sensor in E-M5 (though might not be Panasonic sensor) it would be stupid to sacrifice performance back to old level just for the sake of global shutter… Which isn’t same thing as electronic shutter.
It won’t happen until its firmly established in the pro video line, global shutter is a pipe dream for the next few years in afraid, the GH camera series will never have tech mainly aimed at video cameras before the AF line, does not make business sense
Any word on low-light performance? Given the constant f/2.8, I’d be interested to see what it can do in lower light conditions. Especially in comparison to the lacking low-light capabilities of the current M4/3 zooms available.
….Um. Here’s how it does in low-light: f/2.8.
It’ll depend far more on the imaging capabilities of the camera you’re using it with.
Wondering if this could be a kit lens with the GH3 noting that the cost of the kit would likely be along the line of the GH2/14-140 or maybe a little more.
That’s what I’m hoping for.
Too much money. It’s $300 overpriced. Photographyblog would seem to agree given they list it at 999. Pany is going to have a hard time moving much stock in the US at that price beyond initial enthusiasts. The Olympus high end kit costs the same.
that precise focus-by-wire was what people were expecting from Fuji XPRO1, that and a quicker AF.
I wouldnt worry about the price too much given the past history of these two companies and the m4/3 format because just like everything else they have produced in six months, a year or even two years time what you paid $1200 dollars will be worth less than half. Seriously go back and look at previous product releases over the past two years and you’ll see what I mean. A classic pump and dump sorta like Facebook stock. They capitalize on the newness of the product and the emotional anticipation of their customer base and within a year when the so called latest and greatest comes out your left holding something you can barely sell on eBay because it’s considered old technology when in fact there is nothing wrong with it. And this is my biggest complaint with them….no price support because there is nothing like throwing money away sorta like with my GH2.
The Panasonic 20/1.7 still costs as much as when I bought it over two years ago.
Yeah just wait until the new 20mm f1.7 comes out or some newer version of it, you won’t be able to give that lens away. Trust me I have it also. Great product. Definitely one to have but I thought the same thing two when I bought the gh2. Arrogance sucks.
I bet the price comes down on that lens or at least there is a rebate period with in a year of release.
Hey, Bob, did you get your silver E-M5 yet?
When you figure out that menu system, let me know. My head is spinning??? đź
JEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZ!!!!! Thank God you posted that. I am just about insane here. I had to call Olympus today just to make sure that their menu system is as silly as I think it is. And they confirmed it. Got the camera yesterday. HOLY SHIT! I have to say the menu system on the GX-1 is sooooooooooooo much better for a seasoned photographer who knows what he is doing. The custom functions, just EVERYTHING is easier to use and more straight forward on the Panasonic.
I REALLY like the OM camera..the build, the dynamic range, IBIS, etc….but the function buttons don’t even hold the function when you push them in…you have to hold them and shoot the picture at the same time?????? WTF????
I have figured some work arounds… I never thought I would praise the Canon and Panasonic menus ….but Oly just gave me reason too. LOL. What a mess.
My battery grip arrives tomorrow…with TWO MORE Fn buttons I can try to hold while I press the shutter release. LOL. Its REALLY a stupid menu system. Thanks for restoring my sanity!!!!!!
Your are the BEST!
It took me all of 15 minutes to get the camera set up to my liking. Check out the dpreview article on this very subject.
Obviously I have greater needs than you! đ
(OH…and thanks for the link!).
I struggled to get highlight/shadow to show in liveview/EVF. At some stage, it just showed up. Don’t ask me how⊠But I’m relatively happy now :-).
Charlie…this might help (but not too much…LOL):
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/9115179666/user-guide-getting-the-most-out-of-the-olympus-e-m5
It is well known fact that lenses retain worth and value much better than bodies does. Specially on the high end spectrum.
Price will drop. They all do. But no where near to 50% of the initial cost. If you are willing to wait a whole year, I expect the retail price to stabilize to about 1000 USD by then.
For anyone having the money loose who wants it badly, I say its not worth to wait.
“The Micro Four Thirds system really became a lot more mature …”
Very true.
“… and it will be hard fro Sony, Nikon and even Canon to surpass the m43 system for a long time coming!”
With all due respect: This is typical fanboy nonsense. Unfortunately, this is very common in the MFT community.
Donât know if the ‘Dr’ recommended that we ‘Trash’ this comment.
It is a typical fanboy ‘comment’ but not nonsense by any yardstick!
Depends on how you read the statement! Obviously the statement does not relate to standard systems — both Nikon and Canon have far more lenses then the m43 system. The only really sensible interpretation is that the comment relates to mirrorless systems, and if so it is perhaps a quite realistic assessment?
Yes, I was of course referring to mirrorless systems!!!
Well, it’s true in this sense, but it did not require the new 12-35/2.8 to offer a much broader selection of lenses than Sony NEX, Nikon 1 or Canon’s mirrorless system. Oh, wait, which Canon mirrorless system? đ
Panasonic has not given the US an official price. The $1300 is being set by the dealers. EM-5 were being sold above the official list price. I still think the price will end up near $1000.
There are cases of lens prices falling. For instance The PL 25mm f1.4 seems to have cost about ÂŁ500 initially, now it is available at typically ÂŁ429-450, and there is a ÂŁ50 cashback available as well.
I expect the 12-35mm will become available with a cashback in a few month’s time. If everybody delays buying the lens, expecting the price to fall, Panasonic will have stock to shift and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Unless Panasonic has made some major changes in time to market you wont even be able to find it in a store a few months time. Give it a year and you might see it in stock.
@ Alan
How do you know Panasonic hasn’t given US dealers a price? B&H and Adorama have never, to my knowledge, sold a product above retail. While Amazon allows other sellers to post above retail prices on its site, I have also never seen a product that was filled directly by Amazon sold above retail.
They may have given the dealers a price but the price has not been published publicly. DPreview and the other sites have not said what the suggested list price is. Only PhotograpyBLOG has said $999.00 US.
@Alan – I wish you were right, unfortunately; B&H, Adorama and Amazon all have it listed at $1,299.
It is way too high. It should be $900-$1,000. Panasonic is clearly not very good at marketing.
The dealers will try to get what they can. I feel the price will be near the $1000 to stay competitive. The 7-14 started high but has lessen with time.
As I stated before, B&H and Adorama do not sell above retail. You are impugning their reputations with your unsubstantiated comments.
Yes, the 7-14 started at a high RETAIL price that Panasonic reduced. That fact in no way supports your claim that B&H, Adorama and Amazon are trying to gouge customers by charging above retail. Furthermore, these sellers have a policy of not charging your credit card until your order ships. Since the lens won’t be available for several weeks, it would make no sense for them to advertise a higher than retail price.
Mine is not unsubstantiated comments. I am not trying to undermine these dealers. I am just saying there in no website that has published a US Price from Panasonic. Not DPrevew. It said “It will be available in August, pricing details are not yet available.” Not SLRMagazine. Not DCresouce. It said, “The 12-35 will ship in August for a price to be named later.” ePhotozine has the price listed in pounds only ÂŁ999.00. Only PhotographyBLOG gives a US price, “The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH lens is available for ÂŁ999 / $999 in the UK and the US, respectively.”
I think it will come down over time, but apparently this is their way of making sure it is perceived as the top system lens. Overpricing it that is. That said, with each new set of image samples I see, I like it more and more.
I picked the 25/1.4 up for ÂŁ429 within a few weeks of availability…
I bet this lean stays above ÂŁ899 for a good year
panasonic better sort out their prices. i might just go back to mirrors if m43 keeps gouging, or at least wait for canon mirrorless. at least i get some resale value.
Agreed. The prices are often a nuisance. I could afford them, but i just don’t want to.
Prices are exactly in line with high end zoom lenses.
As long as GH3 didn’t appear on the horizon, it seems that Panasonic in going to push the sales of Olympus E-M5 by releasing the 12-35mm beast! Jokes apart, it’s a great job by Panny!!! Sure I’m repeating many, but still it is the glass that makes the system to work, maybe we need to give Sony another 3 years to understand that omission with NEX? đ
Give Sony a break, they can only release that many Zeiss a year. A couple year from now, they will still be behind m43, even if Panasonic and Olympus freeze, which is unlikely. Nevertheless, I am confident that they will have enough good lenses to choose from.
My guess would be that powerzoom levers would be on the next camera bodies, as you have them on compacts. Then you could really use a Lumix G with one hand! (Am talking about still photography.)
Would love to know if this new zoom could be an alternative for some primes like 12 mm and 25 mm, given that you only intended to use f2,8 and less. But maybe the magnification factor is much worse than on a prime?
What do you mean by ‘magnification factor’? 12mm on this lens will have the same field of view as 12mm on a prime. Do you mean minimum focus distance, or resolution, or what?
Hi Coby, yes, sorry for my non-native drivel. Minimum focus distance was what i wanted to say – but that information must come together with the focal length. I like close-up shots, also with very wide angles, so it would be interesting to know if the 12 mm and 25 mm primes get me closer than the 12-35 at its respective focal lengths.
It’s actually pretty awesome that Panasonic with basically not history of photography builds such awesome lenses. As we can see with Sony, this does not always work.
Panasonic have been big in commercial video since 1985. Matsushita (Panasonic) owned JVC until 2008. JVC was originally an American company started in 1927, and introduced VHS in 1976. Panasonic have been producing Lumix compact stills cameras since 2001, and interchangeable lens cameras since 2006. They have significant history in photography, and it shows in their well executed products.
While Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta, Konica, Mamiya, Bronica, Miranda, Cosina, Fuji etc. are better known from their ascendency in SLR days, the depth of design and manufacturing skills that exist in the giant electronics companies Panasonic, Sony and Samsung, increasingly give them the competitive edge. Of the traditional Japanese brands most are already gone, and it is only Canon and Nikon that have a chance at re-inventing themselves for long-term survival in this era of electronics dominated photography. Olympus have bought themselves significant insurance by getting into bed with Panasonic.
However, new lenses do not have to be electronically controlled, and often can be better applied if they are strictly manual (like the m43 Noktons from Cosina-Voigtlander). I do look forward to ordering a GH3 with this new 12-35 as the kit lens, as it will do even better as an everyday “walk-around” lens than the 14-45.
+100
Exactly. Cameras are no longer the beautifully crafted mechanical devices of yore, akin to clocks, but microcomputers that control electronic lenses. Electronics and interface design are now ruling factors nearly as much as optics are.
Let’s see MORE VoigtlĂ€nder lenses!
> Panasonic have been producing Lumix compact stills cameras since 2001
Which really were same basic run off the mill models every bigger name was making… And basically those who had most marketing muscle won.
I’ve followed digicams since 2003 and maker who actually put lots of thought into making actually new type of camera but wasn’t strong in marketing was rewarded rarely.
Sony bought camera division of KonicaMinolta. Without that they would be surely far from their current position.
Mr. Reeee: “Cameras are no longer… but microcomputers that control electronic lenses.”
So no wonder using them starts to feel like some Gameboy/PSP with all those on screen menus for dummies control interfaces.
@Esa
“Which really were same basic run off the mill models every bigger name was making”
You are wrong on this point. I and my family were mostly buying Canon and Nikon compacts, but once we started buying Lumix found them to be better performers and better built, with zero repair. Lumix, apart from Leica’s collaboration on lenses, were and are all Panasonic, except for components like LCD screens which may be Epson or someone else.
In addition to what pdc mentions about Panasonic’s history in imaging, you seem to forget that Panasonic formed strategic alliances with BOTH Olympus AND Leica. Knowledge flows in many directions.
+ Nikon and Panasonic have a history of collaboration.
For example,
“Nikon’s Still Video Camera (SVC) prototype was first showcased at Photokina 1986 in Cologne, Germany. But despite the fact that Nikon was already working on their own technology, this first prototype was made by Matsushita Electric (Panasonic). Nikon did not have sufficient technologies for video signal processing at the time.” http://www.nikonweb.com/qv1000c/
Wow what a lens.
So glad it’s ‘only’ f2.8 and not f2. F2 would have made it too big and too expensive.
Sony need a high quality zoom like this to stay in the game….
Can’t wait to slap this on the EM5 or New EP-5 (guessing this is around the corner!)
The data sheet from the german web side shows a price about 429,00 EURO. *eeek* http://www.panasonic.de/html/de_DE/Produkte/G+Micro+System+Zubehör/G+Micro+System+Objektive/H-HS12035E/Ăbersicht/9592024/index.html – Data sheet: http://www.panasonic.de/to?exlink=%20http://pdfprinting.panasonic.de/pdf_printing_neu/datenblatt_ph.asp?model=H-HS12035E
Oooohh la la… probably too good too be true?
Preis*: 1.099,00 EURO
$1300 US preorder? That bums me out. It’s even more in Europe at current exchange rates. That number really bums me out. I agree that it’s overpriced, in comparison to its current body only and other lens prices. Around $999 as Photography Blog states sounds about right to me. At that $1300, I would rather get a Voigtlander (I have the 25mm, would love the 17mm), those are still higher quality lenses than this one I’m suspecting.
I’ll wait to see some more reviews and hopefully the price will drop, because I think Panny will soon see that the current pre order price isn’t going to bring in many orders.