The first ultra-telephoto zoom lens in the LUMIX S Series lineup with a focal length of up to 500mm, it supports optional lens teleconverters. For example, with the LUMIX STC20 2x teleconverter attached, the lens achieves a combined focal length of up to 1000mm.
The S-R100500GC delivers beautiful bokeh across the entire zoom range, enabling photographers and videographers to capture stunning and dramatic images and footage in shooting scenarios including wildlife, motorsports, and landscapes.
Aaron Waters, Product Marketing Manager Imaging, Panasonic, said: “This lens is incredibly mobile in its class, allowing photographers or videographers to carry a telephoto zoom in remote locations where portability is paramount. The new ‘tight-smooth’ ring, customisable function button and focus ring provide precise, intuitive control that aligns with the user’s creative intent.”
The lens has a remarkably compact design, with an overall length of just 196.1mm, while delivering impressive ultra-telephoto performance. The small size for its class is achieved via an optimised lens element arrangement and a Dual Phase Linear Motor.
High-speed, high-precision, and silent autofocus, combined with Dual I.S. 2 image stabilisation supporting up to 7.0 stopsiv, ensures exceptional portability and handheld shooting support to expand creative possibilities in the field. This is backed with a dust, splash and freeze-resistant design and a fluorine coating.
The lens is designed for intuitive operation, featuring a customisable focus ring and a function button. The focus ring can be used as a control ring, by assigning preferred settings such as aperture or other customisable parametersvi, while the function button allows users to assign functions such as Hybrid Zoomvii, for a highly personalised and responsive shooting experience. The new tight-smooth ring adjusts the zoom ring’s feel for optimal control, so from delicate framing to fast zooming, the operator can achieve precise handling while preventing unintended zoom movements.
To meet the growing demand for high-quality video production, the lens incorporates features such as focus breathing suppression and micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure transitions.
The LUMIX S-R100500GC is priced at $3,699 RRP. It is available in Australia in early November from photographic specialists and participating consumer electronics retailers.