Panasonic has announced a new telephoto zoom lens. The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm f/2.8-4 ASPH Power OIS. It’s a bit of a mouthful, so let’s just call it the Panasonic 50-200mm f/2.8-4. Designed for Micro Four Thirds with a 2x crop it’s a nice long zoom for many Panasonic & Olympus shooters.
The Panasonic 50-200mm f/2.8-4 satisfies a nice niche in certain photography circles. With a field of view range similar to that of something like the Canon 100-400mm on a full-frame DSLR, it’s the ideal lens for your casual or pro wildlife shooter. It’s also quite a valuable proposition for sports shooters, too.
- Focal length: 50-200mm
- 35mm FOV equivalent: 100-400mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8-4
- Minimum aperture: f/22
- Format: Micro Four Thirds (2x Crop)
- Angle of view: 24°-6.2°
- Minimum focus distance: 75cm (2.46ft)
- Optics: 21 elements in 15 groups
- Diaphragm: 9 rounded blades
- Stabilisation: Yes
- Autofocus: Yes
- Filter thread: 67mm
- Dimensions: 76 x 132mm (2.99 x 5.20″)
- Weight: 655g (1.44lb)
As well as having a decent native focal length range, it is also compatible with DMW-TC14 and DMW-TC20 teleconverters. These give this lens a 35mm full frame field of view equivalent of 140-560mm and 200-800mm, respectively. Of course, with the 1.4x TC, you’ll lose a stop of light, and with the 2x TC you’ll lose two. Of course, if you’re shooting lenses with that kind of range, you’re often doing it in quite bright conditions.
The stabilisation, even with the teleconverters, apparently still works, though. So, you can afford to loosen off the shutter a little if you need to.
Panasonic also say that it’s pretty rugged, with a dust and splash-proof design. It’s even freeze-proof down to 14°F (-10°C) to withstand harsh conditions. Ideal for your next penguin or polar bear shoot.
The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 50-200mm f/2.8-4 ASPH Power OIS lens is available to pre-order now for $1,697.99 and is expected to begin shipping in May.
FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!