Panasonic GF3X, Power Zoom lenses unveiled

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Panasonic's GF3 camera, shown with the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens attached. Copyright © 2011, Imaging Resource. All rights reserved.

Panasonic GF3X, Power Zoom lenses unveiled (UPDATED)
By Mike Tomkins
(Friday, August 26, 2011 - 01:01 EDT)

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co. has today announced its first two models in a new line of Power Zoom lenses for the Micro Four Thirds format, as well as the first camera bundle to include a Power Zoom lens, the Panasonic GF3X.

The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. and LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lenses both include zoom rocker controls on the lens body, and thereby allow powered zooming with variable speed. The function, while it may prove familiar for photographers stepping up from fixed-lens compacts, is of most use to those looking to take advantage of the high definition video capture capabilities of compact system cameras. As many a would-be videographer has learned, it's quite tricky to adjust lens zoom by rotating a ring around the lens barrel without jiggling the camera, unless mounted on a solid tripod (which in itself can reduce your ability to track a moving subject). A power zoom lens, while it can introduce some zoom drive noise into the video, largely solves the problem of shaky video during zoom operation, by allowing your handhold to remain basically unchanged as you zoom. In addition to the Power Zoom function, the new 14-42mm lens has a powered telescoping design that allows it to be significantly lighter and smaller than the company's previous 14-42mm lens, but doesn't require the photographer to manually retract the lens on first use, like Olympus' competing design.

We had a brief hands-on with the new 14-42mm and 45-175mm PowerZoom lenses, and generally liked what we saw. It's certainly nice having a compact 14-42mm that extends automatically whenever the camera is powered on. For some of us, extending the telescoping kit lens on Olympus PEN models has become second nature, but for others it's an ongoing annoyance. The telescoping mechanism on the sample of the Panasonic 14-42mm we had operated very smoothly, and the telescoping element seemed well-fitted and stable.

A really nice feature of these powered-zoom lenses is that the zoom toggles operate progressively; the more you move them the faster the lens zooms. With a light touch, it's possible to get a nice, slow zoom that'll look great on movies, without the camera jiggling that invariably accompanies attempts to zoom via a lens ring. With our preview sample of the 14-42mm, we could repeat the motion quite easily with just a little practice, though, and the control on the 45-175mm sample we had was less touchy. With a quiet background, you could hear a little noise from the zoom motor in the audio track, but it wasn't too bad and we do very much like the ability to do slow zooms.

We're looking forward to getting production samples into our lab so we can test and review them for SLRgear, and rest assured we'll do so as soon as they're available. Optical quality has been a strong suit of Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds lens line, so we have high expectations for these new models.

The new Panasonic PZ 14-42mm lens will ship from October 2011 priced at around US$400, and the PZ 45-175mm lens will cost $450 when it ships this September. Both lenses are compatible with all Lumix G-series cameras, with no firmware update needed.

Alongside the new lenses, Panasonic has unveiled a newly-designated bundle of its existing Lumix GF3 digital camera. The Panasonic GF3X includes the PZ 14-42mm power zoom lens, and will ship in color-keyed black or silver body / lens kits from October 2011. US market pricing for the Panasonic GF3X kit is set at around US$750.

The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S.
Photos provided by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co.

UPDATED 2011-08-26 16:29ET: The original press release for the power zoom lenses incorrectly stated that a firmware update was needed to support the lenses on current bodies. A correction has been issued, and this article has been updated to reflect that fact.

Original Source Press Release:

Panasonic Announces Brand’s First Digital Interchangeable Power Tele-Zoom Lens

Panasonic’s New Premium LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm Lens Offers State-of-the-Art Design to Achieve Increased Functionality and Spectacular Image Quality

SECAUCUS, NJ (August 26, 2011) -- Today, Panasonic announced the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. (H-PS45175), the company’s first cutting-edge digital interchangeable lens with electric-powered zoom operation. This marks the launch of the company’s premium lens brand “X” which is compatible with the Panasonic LUMIX G Series and complies with the Micro Four Thirds™ system standard. This lens introduction accompanies another LUMIX X lens announced today, the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S.

The new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. lens features superb image rendering for lifelike textures and crisp, edge-to-edge contrast. A unique Nano Surface Coating technology minimizes reflections at entire visual light range (380nm-780nm) for a dramatic reduction of ghosts and light flare, resulting in outstandingly clear picture quality.

Using a Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System to control three lens groups separately the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. achieves a reduction in both size and weight without compromising picture quality. Boasting outstanding compactness, the lens is approximately 90mm in length and 7.4oz in weight, resulting in ultra-high mobility.

Offering a versatile zoom range of 45-175mm the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. allows distant subjects to be captured sharply at the tele-end. Also notable, the lens is extremely suitable for portrait and landscape shots, as its high contrast and resolution helps images shot at the wide end maintain exceptional quality, and the zoom lever allows for quick and stable zooming, even while shooting a moving object.

The new lens system features two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) lenses which suppress chromatic aberration and contribute to high descriptive performance across the entire zoom range 45-175mm. The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) integrated into the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. makes it easy to shoot sharp images even in low-lit situations. With improved sensitivity of the gyro sensor, the new POWER O.I.S. also suppresses large, slow movements two times more effectively** while small, fast movements are compensated for by the conventional MEGA O.I.S.

LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. contains seven aperture blades to help produce an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas even while shooting at large aperture. Adopting an inner focus system driven by a stepping motor, the lens’ superior optical design supports Light Speed AF of approximately .15 seconds and fast aperture control results in a shortened shutter time lag of approximately 20% when compared to the LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S.

The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. (H-PS45175) will be available in black and silver starting September 2011 with a suggested retail price of $449.99. For more information about Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras and lenses, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.


The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens, shown retracted (left) and extended (right). Photos provided by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co.

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. Panasonic is pledged to practice prudent, sustainable use of the earth's natural resources and protect our environment through the company’s Eco Ideas programs. Company information for journalists is available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

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Panasonic Announces The Lumix GF3X, The Company's Smallest Compact System Camera Complete With A New Retractable Power Zoom, Lumix G X Lens

Panasonic’s New Premium LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm Lens Features a Retractable Design to Achieve Ultra-High Mobility and Stunning Photo Quality

SECAUCUS, NJ (August 26, 2011) -- Panasonic today announces a newly designed and innovative LUMIX G “X” lens that retracts to help minimize its size, without compromising its focal length or image quality. Panasonic’s new premium LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S. (H-PS14042) lens, will be available with the company’s smallest and lightest compact system camera as a lens kit option in the DMC-GF3X model. With electric-powered zoom operation, the retractable Power Zoom H-PS14042 lens is extremely compact, approximately 26.8mm in length, and weighs approximately 3.35oz, offering ultra-high portability.

Panasonic’s new premium LUMIX ”X” Series of lenses, including the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S., offers a versatile zoom range of 14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-84mm) suitable for a wide range of scenes, such as dynamic landscape to portrait. Also announced today is another LUMIX X lens, the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. Crystallizing Panasonic's optical technologies, the LUMIX X lenses feature superb image rendering for lifelike textures, crisp edge-to-edge contrast, a unique Nano Surface Coating to help minimize ghosts and flaring in natural settings with remarkable transparency.

“Panasonic continues to innovate in digital photography by offering advanced features in small and compact bodies, thus addressing the consumer’s need for camera equipment to be lightweight and easy to carry,” said Darin Pepple, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “With the new LUMIX X Series of premium lenses, we do not sacrifice size for quality and Panasonic still offers top-of-the-line image quality for our G Series, but in a smaller design that makes it extremely mobile.”

With the LUMIX GF3X, the camera and lens combination can achieve Light Speed AF of approximately 0.1 second -- making it an extremely quick and high-performing digital camera. The LUMIX GF3X with the new 14-42 PZ lens also features POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer), to make it easier to shoot clear photos even in low-lit situations. The convenient zoom lever on the lens barrel gives users a stable way to zoom. Manual focusing is also available with a manual focus lever for even more precise control.

The LUMIX GF3, like all the LUMIX G Series of Compact System Cameras, captures high-quality photo images with real-to-life details through excellent resolution, image rendering and color reproduction. With its stunningly small compact profile, the LUMIX GF3 boasts high-speed, precise Contrast AF system and quick response times. The LUMIX GF3 is also capable of 1920 x 1080 Full High Definition video in the AVCHD format.

The LUMIX GF3X will be available in a black body and black lens or a silver body and silver lens kits options in October 2011 for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $749.99. The new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S. (H-PS14042) lens will also be available separately for an SRP of $399.99 and will be compatible the Panasonic LUMIX G Series. For more information about Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

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