Panasonic L-mount lenses
INITIALLY there will be three lenses available for Panasonic’s S-series cameras based on the Leica L-mount, these being the Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4 (£2,299.99), Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/4 OIS (£1,749.99) and Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS (1,299.99).
The Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4, with its focal length considered ‘standard’ for the full-frame format, features an optical construction made up of 13 elements in 11 groups. To counteract chromatic aberrations, two aspherical lenses and three extra-low dispersion lenses are used in its design and unlike many 50mm prime lenses that have nine aperture blades, it differs in that it has an 11-bladed iris in an attempt to produce the most attactive bokeh possible. An aperture ring is also present, while switching to manual focus requires the focus ring to be snapped forward. Priced at £2,299, it works out just £50 less than the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM (£2,349.99) for the Canon EOS R system.
As for the Lumix S Pro 70-200mm f/4 OIS, this telephoto zoom optic is fully compatible with Panasonic’s 5-axis Dual IS II system, offering up to six stops of image stabilisation. Construction-wise, it combines 23 elements in 17 groups with nine aperture blades and has one aspherical lens and three extra-low dispersion lenses to minimise chromatic aberrations and maximise sharpness. Like the Lumix S Pro 50mm f/1.4, manual focus is activated by snapping the manual focus ring forward.
Last but not least is the kit lens – the Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 macro OIS. This general-purpose standard zoom with its 0.5x magnification and minimum focus distance of 30cm teams up with S-series cameras to offer up to six stops of image stabilisation. The lens features 16 elements in 13 groups and incorporates two aspherical lenses as well as two extra-low dispersion elements.
Among the ten lenses due to be released by 2020 are a 24-70mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 and 16-35mm f/4. Two teleconverters (1.4x and 2.0x) will be coming too, along with a super-tele lens, two primes and a macro lens. Focal lengths are still to be announced.