Lumix G X 14-42mm & 45-175mm Power Zooms for Micro Four Thirds

August 26, 2011 | Zoltan Arva-Toth | Lenses | Comment |

Panasonic has unveiled a duo of power zoom lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system, including the tiny Lumix G X PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom and the Lumix G X 45-175mm f/4-5.6 telephoto lens.  The new lenses feature Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating, optical image stabilisation and aspherical and ED glass elements; as well as a motorised - yet smooth, quiet and precise - zooming mechanism. The Lumix G X 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens additionally features a collapsible design that allows it to be approximately as small as the 20mm pancake lens when not in use. In comparison to the existing Lumix G Standard 14-42mm kit lens, this lens provides “significantly improved optical performance” while being a lot smaller and 48% lighter. The Lumix GX 45-175mm f/4-5.6 lens has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 90-350mm and features a fast motorised Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System, which ensures that air and dust isn’t sucked into the lens during zooming or focussing. The new lenses will debut this September at the IFA trade show in Berlin. Panasonic Europe will also release a Panasonic GF3X kit including the Panasonic GF3 camera body and the new 14-42mm power zoom. Pricing to be confirmed.

Panasonic Press Release

Panasonic Launches World-First High Performance
Interchangeable Power Zoom Lenses for Lumix G Cameras

LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm and
LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm

26th August 2011 – Panasonic today announced the arrival of two new high performance interchangeable lenses for their Lumix G System cameras; the Lumix G X H-PS14042 and X H-PS45175. The new ultra compact electronic power zoom lenses are the first from the premium lens brand, ‘X’ for LUMIX G. Lumix G X lenses are a new breed of the highest quality zoom lenses, based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard. Their focal lengths complement each other perfectly for quality wide angle, portrait and landscape imagery,

The new LUMIX premium ‘X’ brand is at the forefront of the next generation of camera lenses; utilising the best in advanced optical performance. The new lenses feature Panasonic’s unique nano surface coating technology, optical image stabilisation (POWER O.I.S.) and aspherical and ED glass elements to achieve superb image quality while maintaining compact and light design.

Stunning, precise images and silent zooming
Both lenses utilise Panasonic’s nano surface coating to significantly minimise the reflection at entire visual light range. The results are incredibly clear pictures and a dramatic reduction in ghosting and lens flare. The zoom lever on the lens barrel, an industry-first for interchangeable lenses, provides the user with fast, precise and silent zooming especially when shooting HD video recording. Manual focusing is also available, with the manual focus lever for users requiring a more precise control.

Clear and sharp imagery
The new POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilisation) which is newly integrated in both the LUMIX G X lenses makes it easy to take images with great clarity even in low-light conditions. With the improved sensitivity of the gyro sensor, the new POWER O.I.S. dramatically improves the hand-shake correction power - resulting in visibly improved sharpness.

Small in your pocket, big in performance - The new 14-42mm X Zoom lens
Specifically, the new LUMIX G X H-PS14042 lens offers a versatile zoom range that extends from 14mm to 42mm (35mm equivalent: 28-84 mm) making it suitable for a wide range of scenes, from dynamic landscape shots to impressive portrait images. The collapsible power zoom lens is ultra-compact when not in use, and expands to a 3x zoom lens when switched on. It is approximately the same size as a 20mm pancake lens but with the added features that a zoom brings. The two ED lenses and four aspherical lenses correct a variety of aberrations to deliver excellent optical performance whilst minimising distortion levels and chromatic aberration even at the 28mm wide-end.

In comparison to the Lumix G Standard 14-42mm kit lens, these new lenses provide significant improved optical performance yet achieve a 58% reduction in size (when turned off) and a 48% reduction in weight.

So close but yet so far – The new 45-175mm X zoom lens
The new LUMIX GX H-PS45175 tele-zoom lens has a versatile focal range from 45mm to 175mm (35 mm equivalent: 90-350 mm). It features notably high contrast and resolution for images shot at its wider-end, which makes it great for taking portrait shots; meaning it complements the LUMIX G X H-PS14042 lens perfectly. In an industry-first, the adoption of its fast motorised Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System ensures that air and dust isn’t sucked into the lens during zooming or focussing, and downsizing in both size and weight is achieved while improving image quality.

The LUMIX G X VARIO lenses are available in the highly stylish and sophisticated colour options of black and silver, a perfect complement to the LUMIX G and LUMIX GF3 cameras. The GF3X kit containing the GF3 body and the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. will be available throughout Europe.

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