In May this year Panasonic announced the first premium, constant maximum aperture zoom for a mirrorless system, the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm ASPH Power OIS. Now, after months of teasing and showing of prototype models at trade shows and press events, it's come out with a telephoto companion, the Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 OIS. Clearly both lenses are designed to complement the company's new flagship camera, the Lumix DMC-GH3, and feature a matching dust- and splash-proof design.
The 35-100mm is impressively compact in size, and significantly lighter and more compact than notionally-similar 50-150mm F2.8 lenses for APS-C SLRs, let alone 70-200mm F2.8s for full frame. However this comes with a trade-off in terms of its ability to isolate subjects by blurring the background - in this respect it'll give similar results to an F3.5 lens on APS-C, or an F5.6 lens on full frame.
Naturally the lens is designed with movie shooting in mind, with a linear stepper motor for near-silent autofocus, and Panasonic's video-optimised 'Power OIS' stabilization system. The complex 18 element / 13 group optical system features elements crafted from Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion (UED) and Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass, and uses Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating to minimize internal reflections and flare. The diaphragm uses 7 rounded blades to give a circular aperture for attractive rendition of out-of-focus backgrounds. On paper this all adds up to a tempting specification.
Being a Micro Four Thirds lens, the 35-100mm will work on Olympus cameras just as well as Panasonic's Lumix G models, and it looks like particularly interesting match to the Olympus OM-D E-M5 - one of our favourite cameras of the past year. Of course it's also likely to appeal to users of Panasonic's enthusiast bodies, such as the DMC-G5 and GX1.
Headline features
- 70-200mm-equivalent focal length; constant F2.8 maximum aperture
- 'Power OIS' optical image stabilization
- Dust- and splash-proof design
- Nano surface coating for suppression of flare and ghosting
- 'HD' designation - near silent operation during video shooting
- Micro Four Thirds mount for Panasonic and Olympus cameras
Angle of view
The pictures below illustrate the focal length range from wide to telephoto (taken from our standard shooting position).
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35mm (70mm equivalent) | 100mm (200mm equivalent) |
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Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm F2.8 Power OIS specifications
Product Code | H-HS35100 |
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Maximum format size | Four Thirds |
Focal length | 35-100mm |
35mm equivalent focal length | 70-200mm |
Diagonal angle of view | 34° - 12° |
Maximum aperture | F2.8 |
Minimum aperture | F22 |
Lens Construction | • 18 elements in 13 groups • 1 UED glass element • 2 ED glass elements |
Number of diaphragm blades | 7, rounded |
Minimum focus | • 0.85m / 2.8ft |
Maximum magnification | • Approx. 0.1x (0.2x 35mm-equivalent) |
AF motor type | • Linear Stepper Motor |
Focus method | Internal |
Zoom method | Internal |
Image stabilization | • Power OIS |
Filter thread | • 58mm • Does not rotate on focus |
Supplied accessories* | • Front and rear caps • H-HS35100 Lens hood • Lens storage bag |
Weight | 360g (12.7 oz) |
Dimensions | 67.4mm diameter x 99.9mm length (2.7 x 3.9 in) |
Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area
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