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Panasonic brings seven Micro Four Thirds lenses to HD standard

Sep 13, 2011 at 16:42:23 GMT

UPDATE PANASONIC

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Panasonic has reclassified seven of its existing Micro Four Thirds lenses as 'HD' lenses, four of them following a firmware update. Firmware v1.1 aims to improve the image stabilization performance and reduce the focusing noise during video capture. An apparent reassessment of its 'HD' standard sees these four, plus three other existing lenses, reclassified. The firmware can be downloaded immediately from the Panasonic website.

Press Release:

Panasonic expands HD lens line-up with firmware update for LUMIX G series interchangeable lenses

SECAUCUS, NJ (September 13, 2011) – Today, Panasonic announces the availability of a new firmware that enables seven of its LUMIX G Series interchangeable lenses to be HD lenses, meaning they can shoot exceptional HD video. Specifically these HD lenses excel in tracking focus in video recording while offering silent auto focus and exposure control. In addition, there is enhanced stability of O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) in video recording.

Panasonic’s LUMIX G Series of lenses are compatible with the company’s line of Compact System Cameras, including the 2011 line-up of the LUMIX GF3, LUMIX GF2, LUMIX GH2 and LUMIX G3. The new 1.1 firmware, available at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/, enhances the following seven LUMIX G Series lenses:

(1) LUMIX G 14mm / F2.5 ASPH. (H-H014)
(2) LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042)
(3) LUMIX G FISHEYE 8mm / F3.5 (H-F008)
(4) LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS100300)
(5) LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm / F4.0 ASPH. (H-F007014)
(6) LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014045)
(7) LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm / F4.0-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS045200)

The lens (1)-(4) offers more comfortable HD video recording by improving the video recording performance with the firmware update.

Firmware Update Program Version 1.1
-Enhanced stability of O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabiliser) in video recording.
-Reduced sound of auto focusing in video recording

The firmware programs is available at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/

Comments

Total comments: 43

Again no update for the G2? Either the G2 is the best Panasonic camera ever, or Panasonic just doesn't care... Or was the the G2 just a trial?

0 upvotes

Seven lenses?

http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index.html
http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index2.html

I see four lenses that are upgradable.

8mm fisheye, 100-300mm telephoto, 14mm pancake and 14-42.

On the two links above, the other three lenses do not show that they have new firmware to update.

Am I missing something?

0 upvotes

What about the 20mm pancake lens?

0 upvotes

Ok, nice, but this firmware still doesn´t make the lenses zoom smother. Zooming with 14-42mm is choppy because it doesn´t zoom smoth. The only lens with real smooth zooming for filming is the 14-140mm. So don´t expect too much, the only thing they can improve is the AF for filming.
Hope the 14-42mm PZ lens will zoom smoth.

0 upvotes

Why would a firmware update change the purely mechanical zoom operation of a lens? If that's bothering you, I suggest buying or making a zoom lever.

The power zoom X lenses sure better zoom smoothly!

0 upvotes

who uses zoom for filming? really? lol

1 upvote

MaikeruN,
Those who are non-professionals.
Which happens to be staggering majority.

0 upvotes

lot's of hollywood movies with the use of zoom.

0 upvotes

Hollywood doesn't use zoom, they use a Dolley on rails or cranes to just move the whole camera in or out

0 upvotes

@ Prime_Lens

non-professionals is the term for people who have no money for a crew and and a few million $ worth of machinery :)

And of course for those fools who have all that, but fail to bring it along for vacations, birthdays, visits to the park etc...

0 upvotes

I'm only seeing 4 lenses listed for updates on the Panasonic website now...

0 upvotes

Ah, hold on, I get it.. Seems my 'old' 14-45mm lens has always been HD!

1 upvote

yes, just like laptop screens at 1366x768 pixels became HD one day...

0 upvotes

Far as I can see this firmware is not supported on the GH2 - anyone loaded the firmware with a GH2 body and one of the mentioned lenses?

0 upvotes

Yes, it works fine.

1 upvote

Looks like that's a Mac Issue, it would't work from my mac system, but when downloaded and extracted on an old PC it uploaded fine

0 upvotes

It worked flawlessly with my GH2 body and my iMac.

0 upvotes

It's a kind of magic.

0 upvotes

there can be only one?

0 upvotes

lol.. if a dinky 14-42/3.5-5.6 is an HD lens, what about Carl Zeiss CP.2s.. what a bunch of marketing garbage

0 upvotes

The HD designation just means the lens made by Panasonic offers silent autofocus and silent, stepless aperture, making the lens more suitable for video recording.
Carl Zeiss CP.2s aren't designated to be anything by Panasonic (it's really not their place to, as Panasonic is not Carl Zeiss), but they're listed under the Micro Four Thirds CINE system.

10 upvotes

so if by some lucky chance you MAY have hacked your GH1 into a super-duper GH13 which records video properly, the following sentence on Panny's site may just cause a slight problem:
"In advance to any lens firmware update, please make sure that your camera body firmware is latest"... could this be a smart ruse to relock all those wild GH13s back into their latest firmware, which will re-cripple the cameras?
hmm, just a thought....

1 upvote

If true, that's very sneaky.

0 upvotes

hmmm, after the update on my 14mm (body is GF3)
touch outfocusing control with slider does not work properly. (iA / iA+ mode)
when i press the record button, the aperture always goes back to wide open(f/2.5) no matter where i place the slider.

does anyone has the same problem?

0 upvotes

I can confirm that this update has made the aperture adjustment of my 14-42 silent and stepless when in Auto or any priority mode that allows the aperture to vary.

1 upvote

"HD" lenses. What a marketing joke. 1080p video is just 2 MP - wow that is really high definition! LOL.

0 upvotes

If you had read the copy it mentions that the firmware is for smooth and silent AF tracking and image stabilization in video. They didn't mention anything about optics or image quality.

8 upvotes

new firmware that enables seven of its LUMIX G Series interchangeable lenses to be HD lenses, meaning they can shoot exceptional HD video.
======================
That is Panny's story, so I think you need to understand what they are saying . I agree with the O/P

0 upvotes

RedFox,
"HD" is really stands for video. It has nothing to do with Resolution.
All Panasonic is saying that those lenses are HD video grade so they will work better when taking video. (silent movement, etc)

0 upvotes

Is it possible to update the lens if you don't have a Lumix body? I have an EPL-2 and the Lumix 100-300.

0 upvotes

Yes. Attach the lens to your E-PL2 and use the Olympus Updater. It will show if an update is available for the camera or body. Make sure you have a fully charged battery in the camera, and don't touch anything until the Updater gives you a big OK window.

1 upvote

I just used Olympus Updater on my E-PL1 + 100-300. Took about two minutes to complete, just like the Updater predicted.

0 upvotes

Many thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.

1 upvote

But will the Olympus body be able to take advantage of the AF and IS features for video?

0 upvotes

All this firmware update means is that the HD logo really didn't mean much all along. The 14mm and the other lenses were already silent for video and their IS systems worked well.

The HD logo was nothing more than a marketing scheme. What would really make for an "HD" lens would be a nice fast 50mm prime with Image Stabilization or a fast zoom lens with a constant aperture and IS.

5 upvotes

>The HD logo was nothing more than a marketing scheme

Well DUH. Thank you Captain Obvious for coming to that conclusion for us...

2 upvotes

If I'm not mistaken, the firmware update only covers the 14-42, 100-300, 14, and 8mm. Does not include 14-45, 45-200, and 7-14. Care to clarify this?

0 upvotes

Right. Only FOUR lenses are updated.

0 upvotes

Wrong. 7 Lenses

0 upvotes

No, wrong. The Panasonic website says 45-200 was updated 2009/11/25. Only four lenses on the pages are updated today, those in bold: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/download/fts/index2.html

2 upvotes

The lenses that were not updated today didn't need an update. They already had it. Again this is all just marketing hype.

2 upvotes

so i really don't need to update my panny 14mm f/2.5?

0 upvotes

This needs clarification IMO, there are only 4 firmware updates for the 13-9-11, what are panny saying, that the other lenses were HD lenses on the last firmware update, if so they didn't mention it when i updated my 45-200 last time.

0 upvotes

Total comments: 43

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