Any new Lens coming this year from panasonic or olympus?

anatusa

Veteran
Hello

Does any one know if there will be any new lenses available this year from panasonic or olympus? as i understood NAB was for pro tech only....., but is there is going to be something like NAB for prosumers or consumers products? especially interested in lenses! maybe there is something special like nab just for the glass?

may be Jan can share some info?
regards

panasonic af101 + 14-140 lens
 
I hear rumors about a new Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 for Micro FT mount coming this year. It might receive the Leica DG designation. Currenly there is the Panasonic/Leica L-X025 [25mm f/1.4], which is in FT mount only with MSRP $1,100. The L-X025 feedback has been excellent to date.

EDIT 1: There are other less likely rumors for both Panasonic and Olympus MFT lenses, but, at this point, they are largely speculations and/or wish lists. One thing is certain: more MFT lenses will be produced over time. I do not let this become an obstacle for creative work and recommend you do the same.

EDIT 2: With PMA canceled and rolled with CES, lens manufacturers may decide to introduce new models earlier rather than traditionally wait until PMA (originally slated for Fall 2011). No point in waiting now.
 
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I hear rumors about a new Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 for Micro FT mount coming this year. It might receive the Leica DG designation. Currenly there is the Panasonic/Leica L-X025 [25mm f/1.4], which is in FT mount only with MSRP $1,100. The L-X025 feedback has been excellent to date.

EDIT 1: There are other less likely rumors for both Panasonic and Olympus MFT lenses, but, at this point, they are largely speculations and/or wish lists. One thing is certain: more MFT lenses will be produced over time. I do not let this be an obstacle for creative work and recommend you the same.

EDIT 2: With PMA canceled and rolled with CES, lens manufacturers may decide to introduce new models earlier rather than wait until Fall. No point in waiting now.

I would love to see a 25 f/1.4, but if they going to ask $1k for it, forget it. Might as well get the voigtlander for the price, and for what is a 1K still lens, I am sticking to lenses that will atleast cover s35 so I can use them with other cameras.

Now, 25mm f1.4 for $300-$400, SOLD... and I will pick up the 20mm f/1.7 as well and save my slower FF lenses of that lenght for other cameras, but otherwise, not interested.

So please, panasonic, make them $300-400 a pop new for fast 4/3 primes in reasonable focal lenghts... and get rid of the stupid fly-by-wire focus and make them mechanical... if you have to get rid of the other electronic BS to do that, no complaints here. I have a feeling others here will agree.... Then again, I do know that panasonic professional does not make lenses, but yea, that is what I want to see for m4/3... untill then, gonna be sticking to my nikkors.

Also, I really want to see a sub $1K 7mm f2.8 prime, and a reasonably priced 14mm f/2 prime. Would snatch them up in a heart beat.
 
If you look at the MFT target customer and the direction, in which Panasonic has been taking its MFT products to date, this may suggest a few things. For example, Panasonic will likely continue to push automation, miniaturization, and relative affordability. Panasonic is also cognisant of the partner ecosystem and, likely, won't compete in the professional segment with its MFT systems. If I may speculate, the rumored new 25mm f/1.4 lens will have same fly-by-wire focus, no manual aperture ring, 46mm front filter thread, and priced between $400-800 (if the 20mm f/1.7 is any indication). Just my 0.02.
 
There's also a "reliable" rumor that the lovely 7-14mm will get stabilization.
I've heard that rumor, but frankly it makes no sense. Why on earth would they spend time adding stabilization to the 7-14? You'd likely never even know it was on. Wide-angle lenses don't need IS, and they don't come any wider than the 7-14...
 
I've heard that rumor, but frankly it makes no sense. Why on earth would they spend time adding stabilization to the 7-14? You'd likely never even know it was on. Wide-angle lenses don't need IS, and they don't come any wider than the 7-14...

I think it would be pretty difficult to do too. Micro-fine positioning of the elements. I would rather they spend their collective
engineering expertise on other (more pressing) problems (e.g. faster MFT glass) .

jeff
 
Ha ha...you obviously don't shoot underwater. This is one application were OIS will be useful...particularly at the 14mm end for "fish interviews"...i.e. close-ups.

Even at the 7mm end OIS will even out some of the three dimensional, unwanted movement which comes with swimming/currents/changing depth while shooting video. Paradoxically, the incredibly wide field of the 7mm underwater (when used behind a large glass optical dome) exaggerates slight up/down camera movement...which can ruin an otherwise great acquisition. It's a lot easier to keep the 7mm steady above water.... even without a tripod.

I'm using two 7-14mm lenses...but I intend to only replace one with the new stabilized version, exclusively for uw work.
 
I've heard that rumor, but frankly it makes no sense. Why on earth would they spend time adding stabilization to the 7-14? You'd likely never even know it was on. Wide-angle lenses don't need IS, and they don't come any wider than the 7-14...

That was what I was wanting to say. Who really needs OIS on a 7mm... the 20mm, yea, but at 7, or even the 16mm tokina, it is pretty easy to hold it steady... Just saying, not being able to have OIS on any of their ultra-wides is not really a deal breaker... I think most people really can deal and dont care about not having OIS on lenses 14mm and wider, like as they are now... franlky, it is on the longer lenses focal lenghts where it makes the diffrence.

on a side note, even on the craptastic 14-42, at 14mm I can hardly even notice if I have the OIS turned on or not (and if I do notice, it is usually because I notice the icon is not on before I notice any shaking when zoomed out, lol)... I only really notice it if I am handholding it zoomed in past 24mm.
 
Ha ha...you obviously don't shoot underwater. This is one application were OIS will be useful...particularly at the 14mm end for "fish interviews"...i.e. close-ups.

Even at the 7mm end OIS will even out some of the three dimensional, unwanted movement which comes with swimming/currents/changing depth while shooting video. Paradoxically, the incredibly wide field of the 7mm underwater (when used behind a large glass optical dome) exaggerates slight up/down camera movement...which can ruin an otherwise great acquisition. It's a lot easier to keep the 7mm steady above water.... even without a tripod.

I'm using two 7-14mm lenses...but I intend to only replace one with the new stabilized version, exclusively for uw work.

Where else are you finding large sensor OIS lenses in focal lenghts under 14mm? I am not doubting your application (although specialized, and cant comment much as the only underwater work I have done was with an 1/3" sensor with and OIS lens), I am just saying I dont think there is even a lens that will do it for large sensors. Frankly, for underwater, I think there are better cameras for that which you can get stabilized lenses. I am just saying you are asking for something for an extremely specialized application.

On a side note, what kind of housing and controls are you using for the AF100 underwater? I am really curious about that.
 
Panasonic Underwater Video Kit

Panasonic Underwater Video Kit

The underwater video kit from Panasonic is called Lumix DMC-TS3. And it comes with O.I.S. and GPS too. :) Sorry, I had to get this out of my system.

Seriously, 7-14mm stabilization under water might be a legitimate wish list item, but seems like a highly specialized application, which alone is unlikely to prompt Panasonic to consider adding O.I.S. After all, Panasonic has historically aimed its MFT products at enthusiasts with common use patterns. All of this is just speculation at this point.

Any other ideas where 7-14mm lens might benefit from O.I.S?
 
could u guy explain why u dont need ois on wide angle ? i dont understand it. i still hold my cam in hands and i shake it same with 14mm as i would with 7mm. i use 14-140 and mostly film at 14 as i need it to be indoors light sensitive. not sure if 14 mm concidered to be a wide angle, but i must say it does shakes, especially cause i dont have any shoulder stabilization (and af101 does not designed to be a hand held, its just not balanced at all). so u say the wider i go the less shakes i ll get? plz explain
 
OIS is far more valuable at telephoto than at wide angle. The more telephoto the lens, the more any motion is magnified -- and therefore, the more visible any shaking is. The wider-angle the lens, the less the motion is even apparent, and the less visible any shaking would be.
 
could u guy explain why u dont need ois on wide angle?

Personally, I do not mind stabilization on wide angle lenses. Anything that can help me achieve better content acquisition is welcome. There is, however, the issue of cost vs. performance. And by performance I mean the product optical advantage, dimensions, weight, reliability, etc. We know this and lens manufacturers know this too. As Barry wrote, in most applications, the impact of O.I.S. is minimized at shorter focal lengths to the piont of imperceptible. Therefore, manufacturers must prioritize their decisions when designing a lens. Regrettably, in most cases, O.I.S. makes little sense in wide angle glass from this perspective.
 
could u guy explain why u dont need ois on wide angle ? i dont understand it. i still hold my cam in hands and i shake it same with 14mm as i would with 7mm. i use 14-140 and mostly film at 14 as i need it to be indoors light sensitive. not sure if 14 mm concidered to be a wide angle, but i must say it does shakes, especially cause i dont have any shoulder stabilization (and af101 does not designed to be a hand held, its just not balanced at all). so u say the wider i go the less shakes i ll get? plz explain

I think you got the answers you awere seeking but can I add...

They use production cameras to shoot feature films but they dont hand hold them unless they actually want a degree of movement, motion, action effect....
An experienced camera operator using a camera hand held ..does not "shake". He / she has the skills and techniques to eliminate shake / wobble but it still will look hand held. (thats usually the intention of hand holding)

Mostly scenes are shot where a device is used to obtain image stability. Primarily a tripod / dolly.

They dont use OIS /IS (per se)
 
An experienced camera operator using a camera hand held ..does not "shake".

When I was in film school at UCLA, long time ago, I used to treat handholding the same way I would a sport. When I played football I didn't expect to be able to not show up at practice and then just run on to the field and make great tackles. I would spend at least an hour every day practicing controlling my breathing and walking with my legs flexed to absorb shock. I did 50 pushups every day and worked with weights. I designed and built my own shoulder braces that fit my style of shooting. Still do, and I've been doing it for 40 years.

It amuses me that people just want to be able to pick up a camera and handhold like a pro - with no training or practice. Fine, get a lens with OIS, but I've seen plenty of examples of dreadful handholding even with it. The zoomy, jerky, tweaky stuff that shows up on TV is doing a real disservice to the true skill of being an operator.
 
I would also boast that I feel I can hand hold and operate a cine camera pretty well myself.

I also practised it and developed techniques to do so ...that I eventually took into steadicam work.

Note: My studio is surrounded by still photographers who have taken up film work with their DSLRs. They are always discussing "devices" to enable steady , smooth shots but they never get around to buying head and legs. Tripod with light fluid heads (toys) maybe.

Hand hold is everything to them by nature of what they are used to. Must admit they dont talk OIS /IS because their pro lenses dont have it probably.
 
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