Panasonic today introduces two new lenses for its LUMIX G Micro System

Panasonic introduced two new lenses for its LUMIX G Micro System – the innovative digital interchangeable lens camera system – the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. and the LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. Both lenses are compatible with the newly announced LUMIX DMC-GH1 digital camera, which can record High Definition (HD) AVCHD 1080/24p video, and its award-winning sister camera, the LUMIX DMC-G1 digital camera.

“Panasonic is excited and proud to expand our LUMIX G Micro System – with the addition of these two new Micro Four Thirds lenses, as well as the LUMIX DMC-GH1, which can record superb High Definition video, “said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “We firmly believe that consumers of all skill levels can benefit from the advanced features we are able to pack into these new compact lenses and camera bodies.”

Click photo to download hi-res version

The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., available as part of the kit with the DMC-GH1, or separately, incorporates an inner focus direct-drive linear motor for focusing. This allows fast and accurate contrast auto focus (AF) to operate smoothly and silently – a necessity for video recording. Adopting the Micro Four Thirds System standard, the new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. offers a long zoom of 14-140mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-280mm), suitable for a wide range of shooting situations – from scenery to portraits to telephoto shots – all possible with a compact and lightweight lens.

The LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. uses four aspherical lenses and two ED lenses to achieves dramatic downsizing – despite its powerful 10x optical zoom – and still minimizes distortion and chromatic aberration. Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) is incorporated in the lens, making it easy to shoot clear shots even in telephoto shooting or in low-light situations – as this feature minimizes blur caused by hand shake.

Click photo to download hi-res version.

Panasonic’s other new lens, the ultra-wide-angle zoom interchangeable lens LUMIX G VARIO

7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH features an astonishingly wide-angle zoom range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm). Its compact and lightweight size makes it easy for users to carry while they are on the go. Taking advantage of its 114-degree wide-angle view, users can fit more subjects in a frame – even when the shooting distance is limited, for example, while shooting indoors. This expansive view gives users great flexibility and a rich perspective when shooting photos or video.

The high-performing, yet lightweight LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. achieves its compact size by incorporating two aspherical lenses and four ED lenses in a unit of 16 elements in 12 groups. The resolution of the images is high, even at its wide-end and features F4.0 brightness through its entire zoom range thanks to a large diameter glass-molded lens embedded within the body.

When both of these news lenses are mounted on the LUMIX DMC-GH1, users can take advantage of the advanced contrast AF system including Face Recognition, offering a variety of convenient and fun shooting. Seven aperture blades give the aperture a rounded shape that, when shooting at a larger aperture, produces an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas. Featuring highly-durable metal mounts, the new lenses use multicoated lens elements to reduce ghosting and flares, helping to deliver a positive user-experience – whether shooting HD videos or taking beautiful digital photos. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

From Panasonic press release

Panasonic Lumix G Micro-System: Best Of Both Worlds

The Lumix G Micro-System combines the ease of use from ultrazoom and compact cameras and the interchangeability of lenses and power of DSLR cameras. The Micro Four Thirds standard offers a wide selection of lenses and good optical performance.

The models are based on the new Micro Four Thirds System standard that greatly reduces camera size and weight. The DMC-G1 with Full-time Live View LCD and Live View Finder bring you to the new horizons of creative possibilities.


Here is the list of compatible lenses:
"Even with their extremely small size, these high-performance lenses feature Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. (optical image stabilizer), which makes it easy to shoot super-clear shots even in low lighting by suppressing hand-shake blur. Characterized by their compact size and light weight, both lenses bring out the full capabilities of the 4/3 image sensor, and support the Contrast AF function of the DMC-G1."

LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. (details)

• Minimum focus distance of 30 cm over the entire zoom range
• MEGA O.I.S. - Panasonic's advanced hand-shake correction technology
• Circular aperture diaphragm
• Multi-coated lens elements minimize ghosts and flare
• Contrast AF system support
• Utilizing a durable metal mounting

LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S. (details)

• 3 ED lenses for a superb optical performance
• MEGA O.I.S. - Panasonic's advanced hand-shake correction technology
• Circular aperture diaphragm
• Multi-coated lens elements minimize ghosts and flare
• Contrast AF system support
• Utilizing a durable metal mounting

About the Micro Four Thirds System

The Micro Four Thirds System is an interchangeable lens camera system that was designed and developed to optimize the characteristics of digital technology. It carefully preserves the image quality of the 4/3-type image sensor, while reducing the size of the camera body and particularly the size of wide-angle lenses. The Micro Four Thirds System also offers excellent expandability and adaptability to future functions.

Visit the Micro Four Thirds System standard website

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 reviewed by digitalcamerareview

As the first production Micro Four Thirds camera, the G1 represents both a revolutionary product and a fundamentally new overarching technology. Using interchangeable lenses, a large sensor, and a traditional shutter mechanism, but no mirror or optical viewfinder, the G1 is part DSLR and part point-and-shoot. The obvious concern with this "hybrid" design approach is that the resulting device will simultaneously compromise the best aspects of both point-and-shoots and SLRs: in trying to be a jack of all trades, as the saying goes, the G1 runs the risk of ending up a master of none. If the road to a final version of the G1 was paved with potential trouble spots, however, Panasonic seems to have successfully steered a course to a polished camera that feels, in our experience with the device, anything but cobbled together.

Read the full review here.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Blue)

The LUMIX G1 is as easy to use as a compact digital camera,
with the stunning photo quality of a digital SLR camera. It's a new-generation digital interchangeable lens camera that does away
with the mirror box and complies with the new Micro Four Thirds System standard. In short, the G1 writes an entirely new chapter in the evolution of the digital interchangeable lens camera.

Full-time Live View shows you before you shoot how the settings change the photo
The G1's Full-time Live View is revolutionary. It lets you see in
the LCD how adjusting the exposure, white balance, aperture and
even the shutter speed will affect the photo. This kind of super-easy
live view shooting has never before been possible with a
conventional digital SLR camera.

Micro Four Thirds: The open standard that led to the mirror-less body
The G1 adopts the Micro Four Thirds System standard, developed as
an extended version of the Four Thirds System standard for digital
camera systems. Using this standard, and developing a camera
body that eliminates the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit,
we managed to reduce the lens mount diameter by about 6 mm
(compared with the conventional Four Thirds camera) and shorten
the flange-back distance* by about half. The result is a digital
interchangeable lens camera that's both extremely compact and
highly mobile.

Check full specifications and more details at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 product page.