At the very end of the CP+ show in Japan, Panasonic surprised us all by announcing two new prime lenses: the 30mm f/2.8 Macro and the 42.5mm f/1.7. The first becomes the third native macro lens for the Micro Four Thirds system while the second lens will certainly attract lots of attention because it goes into direct competition with a lens that gives you the best bang for your buck, the M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8.
The Lumix G 30mm f/2.8 macro
Announced with a price of €399, the lens does not promise to be cheap and this is mostly due to its construction: it has an all metal build, optical stabilisation (MEGA O.I.S.) and a fast autofocus drive motor. It includes a 1:1 macro ratio with a minimum focussing distance of 10cm and multi-coated lenses to minimise flare and reflections.
The lens is the second macro lens designed by Panasonic and the third in the Micro Four Thirds system. It has a shorter focal length (60mm equivalent on full frame) than either the Panasonic Leica 45mm f/2.8 or the Olympus 60mm f/2.8.
The Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7
This second lens might be the most interesting. We already know how good its bigger and more expensive brother, the Leica Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2, is. (Check out our review here). It is a lens that many photographers praise for its stunning image quality but this doesn’t negate the fact that it is a very expensive piece of equipment that only professionals would normally consider. Instead, by announcing the 42.5mm f/1.7, Panasonic decided to go head-to-head with one of the best portrait lenses in its category, the Olympus 45mm f/1.8, an inexpensive option with great performance.
The lens has some interesting characteristics: it has a metallic finish and a minimum focus distance of 30cm, two things that make it superior to the M.Zuiko version. Of course we will have to wait and judge the IQ before coming to a conclusion. The new Panasonic lens also has optical stabilisation, something that the Olympus lens was obviously lacking but remains important for Panasonic users who own bodies without internal stabilisation.
The lens is set at a similar price to the new 30mm, so you might find the Olympus 45mm for a lower price. This makes sense since the Panasonic lens has been just announced while the M.Zuiko lens has been around for years now.
Both lenses will be available in May 2015 according to the press release and will come in black and silver. You can check out the two lenses on the official Panasonic website.
Are you curious about these two new lenses? Tell us what you think!
I still use a legacy 50mm/1.4 for that focal range, but the Panasonic actually interests me more than the Olympus for it’s close-focus distance, which is much better than the 45mm.
Given that it costs the same, is the same size and weight, is a smidge faster, has OIS, and better close-focus…it seems like the Panasonic is sort of a no-brainer.
Five 40x range lenses: there’s also a Voigtlander 42.5 in mft mount. I think there might be a place for this one, though -it would pair well with the non-stabilized GM series and the Oly AIR. The 30mm is an affordable tiny macro, probably also good on tiny bodies.
I wish them luck with that 42.5 1.7 lens. I am sure I am just one of many Panasonic camera owners who has already picked up that Oly 45mm lens. Which works fine without stabilization on my older cameras as well as on my GX7.
I agree about a 90mm macro, it would be an interesting lens.
Wow, OIS… I’m sold.
Wondering about the marketing strategy: There’s now 4 models in the 40x Range: Pana Nocticron 1.2 (High End), Pana 45 F2.8 (Macro), Olympus 45 F1.8 and now the new one … possibly the market for portrait lenses is already eaten up by the nice Oly 45.
The 30mm Macro seems to be ok for nonliving macro things, but there’s already good macro options available (Oly 60mm, Pana 45) > Maybe the 30mm it’s a nonpricey alternative with the options to shoot portraits.
What would be cool to have for MFT: Telemacro for insects/critters > I’d be thrilled to have something like a 90mm F3.5 with 1:1 magnification … maybe there’s simply no market to gain from the folks who love to look at insect eyes (but this is no issue, as you can mount nearly every non native MFT mount to a MFT Cam 🙂 )