Well, it looks like the announcement wasn’t delayed, after all. Amazon just jumped the gun a little yesterday when they made the listing public early for a brief time. Now, though, it’s official. Panasonic has now officially announced the Leica DG Vario-Summilux 25-50mm f/1.7 ASPH lens for Micro Four Thirds.
According to Panasonic, this lens is “The world’s first telephoto zoom lens that achieves an open f/1.7 over the entire zoom range”, although, a field of view equivalent to 100mm on full-frame is kind of a short telephoto. Still, for things like weddings, events or portraits, it’s a great focal length range with a nice wide aperture.
The new Micro Four Thirds lens offers a field of view equivalent to that of a 50-100mm lens on a full-frame body with that fast constant f/1.7 aperture. This makes it ideal for subjects such as portraits, fashion, weddings and events. But with a splash, dust and freezeproof design, it’s also good for outdoor shooting, even in some extreme conditions.
| Focal Length | 25-50mm |
| Maximum Aperture | f/1.7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/16 |
| Lens Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format Compatibility | Micro Four Thirds |
| Angle of View | 47° to 24° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 28cm @ 25mm / 31cm @ 50mm |
| Maximum Magnification | 0.21-0.42x |
| Optical Design | 16 Elements in 11 Groups |
| Diaphragm Blades | 9, rounded |
| Focus Type | Autofocus |
| Image Stabilization | None |
| Filter Size | 77 mm (Front) |
| Dimensions (ø x L) | 87.6 x 127.6mm |
| Weight | 654g |
Panasonic says that the lens uses linear motors for focusing to give high speed, high precision and quietness when shooting video. They also say that focus breathing has been suppressed over the entire zoom range with a smooth clickless aperture that offers microstep control for smooth exposure changes while shooting.
The main body of the lens is water-resistant and it also offers dust and freeze resistance for use in harsh weather conditions with a low-temperature limit of -10°C (14°F). It’s designed to pair up with the Panasonic Leica DG Vario Summilus 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH lens, and while the two together would offer you a very decent focal length range at a fast aperture, it’s not an inexpensive pair of lenses by any means. They’re certainly not intended for the casual shooter.
The Panasonic Leica DG 25-50mm f/1.7 ASPH is available to pre-order now for $1,799 and is expected to start shipping on either August 24th (according to Amazon) or August 26th (according to Panasonic).
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