World’s first Leica Micro Four Thirds lens Compatible with Panasonic’s Award-Winning LUMIX G Series of Digital Cameras, Plus a New, Ultra Lightweight  F1.7 Lens

Secaucus, NJ (September 2, 2009) – Today, Panasonic introduced two new Micro Four Thirds digital interchangeable lenses – the LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH, a compact and lightweight “pancake” lens with outstanding brightness, and the world’s first Leica Micro Four Thirds lens, the LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. which features exceptional image quality in a compact size. Both lenses are compatible with Panasonic’s LUMIX G Series Micro Four Thirds standard digital cameras, which include the award-winning LUMIX DMC-G1 and LUMIX DMC-GH1 models; and the LUMIX DMC-GF1, also introduced today.

“We are pleased to announce the expansion of our growing LUMIX G Micro System line with two new Micro Four Thirds lenses,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “We believe these additions will help photographers of all skill levels take stunning, detailed photos while enhancing their photo-taking experience.”

The LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH lens is dramatically compact and lightweight, featuring an outstanding F1.7 brightness which allows consumers to create stunning photos with beautiful, soft focus. Comprised of seven lenses arranged in five groups, the LUMIX G 20mm lens actually uses two aspherical lenses to effectively minimize distortion and achieve super high resolution. The versatile 20mm focal length (equivalent to 40mm on a 35mm film camera) is suitable for all applications – from scenery shots to dimly-lit indoor environments. 

The second lens added to the line, the LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. (equivalent to 90mm on a 35mm film camera), features outstanding image quality that meets the renowned LEICA standard. The new Leica lens uses both an aspherical lens and an ED lens comprised of fourteen lenses arranged in ten groups. This lens takes advantage of the Micro Four Thirds specifications to achieve a dramatic size decrease, while also minimizing distortion and glare. Panasonic's Mega Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) suppresses the blurring that is commonly caused by hand-shake, making it easy to shoot sharply-focused macro shots even in dimly-lit places without the need for a tripod.

The LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens incorporates an inner focus motor system that makes action smooth and silent when capturing still and video content. By flipping a switch on the lens barrel, the minimum focus distance can instantly be changed to 150mm or 500mm (approximately 5.9 inches or 19.7 inches respectively).  This lens excels when taking portraits, mid-range snapshots and landscapes, in addition to macro shots. 

When mounted on LUMIX G Micro System Cameras, both the LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH and the LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lenses allow for use of the advanced contrast Auto Focus (AF) system, which includes Panasonic’s Face Recognition functions. Both lenses are comprised of seven blades, which produce an attractive and smooth background blur effect when shooting at larger aperture settings. These lenses also feature a highly-reliable metal mount, and use multi-coated lens elements to minimize glare and further enhance optical performance.

The LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH lens will have a suggested retail price (SRP) of $399.95 and the LEICA DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens will have an SRP of $899.95.  Both lenses will be available in early October 2009.

For more information Panasonic’s LUMIX G Micro System digital cameras and accessories, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

• LEICA is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH. ELMARIT is a registered trademark of Leica Camera AG. The LEICA DG lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
• Four Thirds™ and Micro Four Thirds™, and Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds Logo marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Olympus Imaging Corporation, in Japan, the United States, the European Union and other countries.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos. Panasonic is honored to support OUR PLACE – The World’s Heritage, a project that will create the world’s largest photographic collection of UNESCO World Heritage sites, with acclaimed photographers exclusively using LUMIX digital cameras to capture all images.

Leica DG MACRO-ELMARIT 45mm/F2.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. (top) and Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH (bottom) lenses. Photos provided by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co.