Panasonic Announces the Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
Panasonic has introduced the Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro, the world’s smallest and lightest full-frame macro lens with a focal length greater than 90mm.
The 1:1 macro lens shares the chassis with Panasonic’s five f/1.8 L-Mount prime lenses, which the company claims provide efficient workflows for users of gimbals and movie equipment. Photographers may quickly switch between the 18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm f/1.8 primes, as well as the new 100mm macro lens. Beyond their size, all six lenses have similar centers of gravity and balance.
The optical design, autofocus motor, thinner aperture, smaller circuit board, and precise design combine to produce one of the most amazingly compact lenses in the L-Mount system, as well as one of the most remarkable “lens shrinking” efforts seen in any mirrorless lens.
The Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro’s full dimensions show its incredibly tiny size. It has a maximum diameter of 73.6 millimeters, a lens length of 82mm, and a weight of only 298 grams.
Shaving off almost half the weight of its competitors and reducing lens length by a third necessitated considerable engineering work, which can be divided into four major accomplishments. Starting with the optical design, Panasonic’s new macro lens features a twofold focus technology that reduces lens length by 25mm. The lens also has three aspherical lenses, which Panasonic claims reduces the lens by another 20mm.
The lens, as part of the overall optical structure, consists of 13 elements divided into 11 groups. In addition to the three aspherical elements, the 13 elements include two UED elements and a single ED optic.
The main focus group now has a new Dual Phase Linear Motor Actuator, which is related to the double focus system. The high-performance actuator boasts two to three times the thrust of traditional linear motors while being around half the size. The sub-focus group is powered by a stepping motor actuator.
Panasonic has also created a new, slimmer aperture with a smaller diameter. The company’s experts also created a new, high-density circuit board that takes up less area inside the lens.
Panasonic claims that sluggish, jerky, and noisy autofocus performance is a frequent drawback of most macro lenses, prohibiting them from being versatile and helpful in a wide range of photo and video applications. The business says that its proprietary autofocus mechanism will ensure that the new 100mm f/2.8 Macro does not fall victim to this flaw. Similarly, while some macro lenses experience significant focus breathing, Panasonic claims its new lens does not have this issue.
Even with the advertised autofocus capability, when shooting at or near 1:1 magnification, photographers will typically choose manual focus. The Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 features a novel focus ring mechanism and a giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor that detects ring rotation with six times the precision of traditional systems. By the way, the minimum focusing distance is 0.204 meters (8.03 inches), and the barrel has a focus range limiter switch.
The Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens will be available later this month or early next month, priced at $1,000.
