- Panasonics longest reached Telezoom, up to 500 mm
- Working with 1,4x and 2x Teleconverters that extend range up to 1000 mm
- Industrial-leading 7ev optical image stabilization performance
Panasonic finally has a super telecommunications lens in its L-Mount lineup after the introduction of Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS
Designed to work with full frame cameras like Lumix S1 II, 100-500mm is the first lens of Panasonic, which zooms up to 500 mm, plus it works with Panasonics 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, increasing this zoom row up to 1000 mm.
I have used several telezooms with this type of focal length range pre-pinling nikon z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S-and they are a versatile choice for enthusiast-animal life photography and grassroots sports.
100-500mm has several features that grabbed my attention as Panasonic presented the lens to me. First, it is especially compact and light for this type of lens that measures only 7.72 inches / 196.1 mm in length and overturns the scales of 2.83 lb / 1,285g.
It also looks like it will handle really well with a robust weather-resistant design, a number of useful external controls for zoom and focus, plus what Panasonic says is industry-leading optical stabilization (OIS) performance.
Thanks to a new double ball support, OIS is rated up to 7ev. Paired with a lumix camera and sensor-based stabilization I would expect unmatched image stabilization performance (in the full frame sensor format), ideal for handheld use.
A brand new dense-smooth ring adjusts the zoom voltage, giving the answer you need based on the scenario, from delicate smooth zooms for film recording to quick changes. The lens can also switch between a linear and non-linear response, which means it is possible to focus manually while zooming.
The minimum focus is 2.62ft / 0.8 mi the wide end or 4.92ft / 1.5 m when zoomed in, and delivers a maximum magnification of 0.36x – these are some decent close focusing skills. Autofocus is reportedly fast, accurate and silent, while also suppressing focus on focus.
Generally, the lens looks like it will handle beautifully for still images and video and for a variety of scenarios. However, there is a major disadvantage to me – the maximum aperture.
At 100 mm, the maximum aperture is f/5, while at 500 mm it is reduced to F/7.1. I have no problem with the aperture in terms of depth of field – it will be low enough to insulate topics and create lovely background blur in these focal length.
The problem I have is the shutter speeds available in these focal lengths. If I photograph wildlife, I will have the greatest possible aperture for the fastest possible shutter speeds to freeze the action and 100-500mm is limited in this regard.
This maximum aperture also limits the utility of the teleconverters, which only reduces the maximum aperture of 1 and 2 stops respectively.
I haven’t had my hands on the lens yet, so I can’t comment on the optical quality either, but let’s review its price and where it sits among the other telecommunications lens settings now available to L-Mount cameras.
A persuasive tele?
Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS lens costs $ 2,099 / £ 1,799 and sales start in October (Australia Pricing TBC). This pricing when considering the limited maximum aperture indicates the kind of super sharp optical quality I would expect.
It fills a large hole in Panasonic’s full-frame lens series and becomes the top SuperTelefoto L-Mount Panasonic lens with the longest range. However, the L-Mount Alliance includes 10 members, most of which do lenses that are directly compatible with Panasonic cameras. These included Sigma, Leica and most recently Viltrox.
Sigma alone offers a number of alternatives: 500mm F5.6 Prime, which is just a little heavier and longer than Panasonics, but much more expensive by 50%.
Then there is the versatile 150-600mm F5-6.3, which is much heavier and much larger, but about 50% cheaper-expect not that optical quality matches Panasonics.
The most obvious alternative is probably Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3, which costs only 10% more and has a wider zoom area. However, it is 100% heavier and 50% longer.
When considering these alternatives, it is clear that Panasonic has prioritized a compact and robust design and excellent handling at the expense of a light aperture. If the big disadvantage does not expose you, Panasonics 100-500mm could be worth investigating.
