Original LUMIX technologies incorporated in LEICA DG lenses
Panasonic employs measuring equipment and quality assurance systems that have met Leica Camera AG’s stringent lens quality standards and have been approved by Leica Camera AG. Moreover, Panasonic has established its own standards and quality control systems for the inspection of lenses for coating color, bokeh effect and even sound of the motor for its stringent quality control.
1. Integrated manufacturing starting from metal molds to final product
An aspherical lens plays a role of multiple lenses, which enables reduction of the lens elements to be used in the unit. Fewer lens elements enables higher zoom power or downsizing of the lens. However, it is difficult to process aspherical lens because it requires high-precision technique Panasonic Yamagata Plant achieved production of aspherical lens from ED material. Now, special lenses including ultra-thin, dual-sided aspherical meniscus lens, extra-low dispersion (ED) lens, ultra extra-low dispersion (UED) lens and ultra-high refractive (UHR) lens are manufactured using its unique technologies.
2. Nano Surface Coating to minimize ghost and flare
Panasonic unique Nano Surface Coating provides highest-ever level of antireflection coating that assures clear description in addition to high resolution and contrast. By applying thin coating with nanometer-level microstructure that features ultra low-dispersion ratio, reflection of entire wavelength of 380-780mm including visual light range are reduced to minimize both ghost and flare.
3.POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) against both high and low frequency shake
The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) in the lens suppress not only high-frequency (quick, small movement) camera shake but also low-frequency (slow, large movement) camera shake by detecting them with a built-in gyrosensor at 4,000 times per second. Live view image displayed on the viewfinder or the rear monitor is corrected so that the user is free from shaky live view image and unintentional change of composition. The optical image stabilizer in the lens can be specially designed depending on the characteristics of each lens to get optimum correction effect. As a result, a telephoto zoom lens has its optimum stabilizer for maximum correction power, allowing handheld shooting.
* The Optical Image Stabilizer was invented by Panasonic.
4.Stepping motor and inner focus AF for stable, high descriptiveness
Stepping motor with a built-in screw is adopted for an actuator. Focus lens is directly moved by the screw integrating a motor shaft , which is called “Inner focus drive system”, achieves silent, high-precision operation by directly shifting the focus lens with the screw integrating a motor shaft. In addition, adoption of an encoder enables real-time feedback control of rotation angle of the motor and more accurate, higher-speed focusing with a sensor drive at 240 fps is achieved. Inner focus AF system is also suitable for video recording with its silent, high-precision operation while providing stable descriptiveness from the closest focusing distance to infinity.
* LUMIX G Series models newer than GH4 utilize a newly developed DFD (Depth From Defocus) technology to realize a faster and more accurate AF system.
Mother Plant of LEICA DG lenses: Panasonic Yamagata Plant
As a manufacturing plant of optical device, entire process of lens unit production is performed in Panasonic Yamagata Plant. It boasts industry-leading f technology in manufacturing of aspherical lens.
Uncompromised lens manufacturing acknowledged by Leica Camera AG
Panasonic Yamagata Plant began manufacturing glass-pressed aspherical lenses ahead of others, and now ranks among the world’s leading lens factories in terms of production volume. The plant has succeeded in the manufacture of not only double-sided aspherical lenses and meniscus lenses but also aspherical lenses made of an ED material that had previously been technically difficult to produce.
Original in-house developed lens inspection equipment
For lens inspection, Panasonic uses the originally developed UA3P (Ultra-Accurate 3D Profilometer). This instrument boasts measuring accuracy of 1/10,000 mm and is now used by many optical device manufacturers around the world for product development and production.
Production system established to produce high-precision, high-image-quality products that have earned worldwide acclaim
Panasonic employs measuring equipment and quality assurance systems that have met Leica Camera AG’s stringent lens quality standards and have been approved by Leica Camera AG. Moreover, Panasonic has established its own standards and quality control systems for the inspection of lenses for ghosts, flaring, coating color and bokeh effect, and also for checking the operating feel of the focus ring and aperture ring as well as the sound quality of the motor.
