Panasonic unveils new 24, 35, 50 and 85mm F1.8 L-mount primes

So they are all the exact same size? How's that work?

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Clyde Thomas

Should work well for video shooters who rig and cage their cameras. Don't have to readjust the focus puller mechanism or matte box distance. Easy swap.

Should work well for manufacturing too. Just stamp out a bunch of shells that can be shared between multiple lenses.

Still togs appreciate it too because the swapping lenses can share the same belt case.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

I'm just surprised they can do it from an optical perspective.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

TN Args

Size is just one of the parameters that you put into a lens design specification. What comes out will be compromised by each of the parameters.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

fmian

Focus puller? These are designed as autofocus lenses.. right? And there are no focus scale markings.. and there is no aperture ring.. I seriously doubt these are made for focus pulling in mind. Unless there's some digital readout.. but then why pull focus with a set of gears anyway when it could be done electronically?

Cage.. maybe.. but you could just build your cage to suit the largest lens you are going to use for the job and that solves that problem. And if they aren't optically the same in terms of contrast, colour, out of focus rendering, etc then they aren't really a cinema lens set.

Technically as Clyde mentioned they would be using the same shell as the biggest lens in the set for economic reasons,, with internal differences to accommodate for the difference in glass sizes.

Sep 3, 2020*permalink

Panachromic

This is not new, specially on mirror less. They fix by software what they cut in glass when designing the lenses. So they made some non perfect designs that fitted in that body, then use built in profiles to fix each problem.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

(unknown member)

There are cinema lens kits for other systems that are all sized the same. As another said for purpose of easy rigging follow focus controls.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Jonathan Mac

Maybe it's to make it easier for Amazon to lump them all together when looking at reviews, which they seem to like to do for completely un-related lenses so that you have no idea what the review stats are for the lens you're interested in buying... :)

Sep 4, 2020permalink

attomole

I was thinking that Nikon's highly regarded 1.8 primes set apart there competing Z5 and Z6. Looks like Pana did as well. Good call I think.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

I'm a big a fan of the small 45mm f2.8 Sigma
https://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens-item/45mm-f2-8-dg-dn/

Wonder if they will make other smaller f2.8 L-mount lenses...

Sep 3, 2020permalink

A bit disappointed with the Leica lenses in terms of pricing and bulk.
And even the l-mount APS-C TL lenses are bit pricey for crops:
https://store.leica-camera.com/uk/en/leica-tl-lenses

Sep 3, 2020permalink

attomole

Panasonic seem to be offering it free with the S5 after purchase through UK dealers

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Great offer! I’ll probably take them up on that.

Laowa is also offering some native L-mount lenses, although quite specific...
https://www.dpreview.com/news/3537938177/venus-optics-is-now-offering-six-of-its-most-popular-laowa-lenses-for-l-mount-cameras

Sep 3, 2020permalink

David610

all four primes as being the same size ... this will be important for those shooting video.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Why? Just curious

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Clyde Thomas

Good question. The reason is because lenses can be much more easily swapped when the camera is rigged/caged. Don't have to reset the focus puller mechanism or the matte box distance. It's preferred and will be appreciated.

Still togs appreciate it too because the swapping lenses can share the same belt case.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Thanks!

Sep 3, 2020permalink

duchamp

Urbex Mark, when on a gimbal you calibrate the balance to a specific position. To be able to swap lenses (read: change focal lengths) without recalibrating the balance every time is very appealing.

Sep 3, 2020*permalink

Francis Sawyer

Except of course for the fact that they still don't have teeth on the focusing ring.

Sep 5, 2020permalink

spidermoon

I don’t see the 35mm on the roadmap

Sep 2, 2020permalink

dereken

I wonder if the F1.8 lenses will be lightweight and cheaper like the micro 4/3 F1.8 lenses, or if they will be more pro and weather sealed like the Nikon Z F1.8 lenses.

So far Panasonic has aimed this system at the higher end, so I would guess the latter.

Sep 2, 2020*permalink

Sylverphoto

Are Nikon Z F1.8 pro lenses?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

dereken

Pro was probably the wrong word. My question was whether Panasonic will prioritize lightweight and budget, or more robust build and weather sealing. Modern F1.8 lenses for mirrorless all generally have very good image quality.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Impulses

I think there's room in between, rather than being either/or, Sony has a few lenses that rival or best those Nikon f1.8 primes optically and they're still a bit smaller and cheaper despite the E mount limitations (the 20mm & 35mm f1.8 both come to mind), some of those aren't even any larger than their closest M4/3 equivalent.

Samyang has been making some pretty small but pretty solid FF primes too (albeit w/o sealing) like the 18, 45, and 75... All those recent releases along with Tamron's zooms are a large part of what got me to take another look at FF. I dunno if Pana has the incentive to go that direction with L mount when they're still supporting M4/3 too, but they're certainly more than capable.

Most of the most interesting yet compact lens designs for M4/3 came from Pana IMO...

Sep 2, 2020permalink

TN Args

Those Nikon 1.8's with an S are effectively their top line. I don't think you will get a higher grade of 1.8 out of them, but you will probably find more pro – oriented faster lenses available from Nikon, now or in the future.

Sep 3, 2020permalink

Raist3d

I am curious about the size & price.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Hubertus Bigend

Now that Panasonic "unveiled" those five lenses, why can't we see them? Shouldn't journalists, even web journalists, be at least halfway familiar with the language they use in their profession?

Sep 2, 2020*permalink

Shrug. I don't think 'unveiled' is a big crime here, in context. Maybe 'previewed' or 'teased' is better, but I just don't think it's a huge issue. (And I am a journalist, off and on, for 20 years.)

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Show some love for 28mm, for god's sake!
Panasonic, Nikon, Canon ... why hating 28mm?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Jon555

Canon have a stabilised 28mm for EF, plus Sigma have an epic one for assorted mounts...
It's a great focal length for video on FF, amongst other things...

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Yeah, I like 28mm as a focal length, too, but it's fallen out of fashion in the camera industry, going back 25 years or more. It became uncool; real men insisted on 24mm at least, but ideally wider. Lamentable, from my point of view.

Funny that 28mm (equivalent) is the standard in the smartphone world -- hundreds of millions of cameras churned out with them.

Sep 2, 2020*permalink

Jon555

That's probably more because as sensors get bigger lenses have to get wider to stop phones getting too thick...
28mm, 7x crop -> 4mm lens...

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Jon555; I'm talking about native lenses for mirrorless cameras, while I do own and use the 28/1.4E NIKKOR on my D850.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

mrpuggy

Just crop a tiny bit and you have your 28mm!

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Cropping is for girls. I'm a boy.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

mrpuggy

Haha!! Thats a little restrictive but each to their own

Sep 2, 2020permalink

real342

I'll second that, 28mm is awesome on FF video! And for that I'll add the Canon FD 28mm f2.8 to the list. With an ultra smooth focus ring, light weight and low price, you can't go wrong!

Sep 3, 2020permalink

EXkurogane

Panasonic announcement:
We have a new entry level full frame camera and 5 new lenses

Nikon announcement: we have a new entry level camera, a dinky 24-50mm overpriced kit lens, and two teleconverters which you wouldn't want to buy yet because there is only one telephoto lens for the Z mount

Nikon needs to hurry the F up with their lenses

Sep 2, 2020permalink

J A C S

Nikon still sells better than Panasonic? Or should I say that Panasonic sells worse?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Nikon has put out 11 FF and two crop sensor lenses in two years. Including all of the above announced primes. How many has Panasonic put out? 6, I believe?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

In addition to what Urbex Mark wrote, you're counting lenses that Panasonic has listed on a roadmap as if they were available.

Nikon also has many more lenses on its roadmap. Shall we count those, just as you did for Panasonic?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

noirdesir

Including those four primes, Panasonic has put out 11 lenses. Though for a fair comparison, one should compare these 11 lenses with the full Nikon set including stuff on their roadmap. And to be even more precise, compare Panasonic’s current offering with what Nikon offered about half a year ago, as Nikon started about half a year earlier.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Panasonic has not "put out" those four primes. They are now listed on a roadmap, and only one of them even has a date (3 months in the future).

The simple fact is that Nikon (and Canon) have been developing and releasing Z-mount (and RF-mount) lenses at the historically maximum rate for the camera industry -- about 6-ish lenses per year. Nobody has ever done better with a new lens system.

Panasonic, so far, has released about 4.5 L-mount lenses per year (7 lenses in 19 months). There's perfectly fine -- it's in the ballpark of Canon's EF system introduction in the late 1980s and Sony's E-mount introduction this past decade.

And the rate of introduction is not critical in the long run -- it will not make or break any system. Two years from now none of it will matter -- all 3 manufacturers will have good, comprehensive systems.

But the idea that Nikon (or Canon) are slow to introduce lenses for their new mounts is simply and provably false.

Sep 2, 2020*permalink

Impulses

Doesn't Nikon have a couple tiny or ultra compact lenses on the roadmap? I mean, I wouldn't expect these Pana primes to be much cheaper than Nikon's existing f1.8 range anyway... And you can already buy those (20, 35, 50, 85, etc.) from Nikon.

Sep 2, 2020*permalink

noirdesir

My point would be that Panasonic is investing amounts of money that, judging from the mere number of products, is not very far off compared to what Nikon is investing. Though Nikon has released more non-Z-mount lenses than Panasonic has released non-L-mount lenses.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Yes, Panasonic is investing serious money in FF mirrorless, relative to their current sales. If you're a photographer, you've gotta' be happy about that.

I hope it works out for them. It looks like they'll give the system the time, energy, and resources it needs to have a chance in the marketplace. From there, it's up to customers.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

peterwr

Ach. No 40. :-(

My fave focal length, but the 1.4 Sigma version weighs a ton. A lighter 1.8 version would be very interesting.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Tamron 45/1.8 VC SP?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

mrpuggy

Just crop the 35mm a bit!

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Any estimates on the size and weights of these new 1.8f lenses?

Sep 2, 2020permalink

milkod2001

Very likely very tiny, compact and light at f1.8.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

UnfetteredWandering

I wonder how these will compare to the Nikon Z-mount's f/1.8 primes in price, size, and performance.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

My guess would be similar size and performance, slightly more expensive price. Time will tell.

Sep 2, 2020permalink

Henning W

Hopefully rather smaller. Nikon's are huge.

Sep 2, 2020permalink