Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 arrives, and 18mm on the way
The fourth of the lightweight S series f/1.8 lenses is now available, and Panasonic has promised to add an 18mm to the collection in the near future, says Damien Demolder
A mid-wideangle has joined the Lumix S series of lightweight and compact lenses to complement the existing standard, mid-tele and wideangle existing focal lengths. The Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 is the fourth in the Lumix S f/1.8 line, and will sit alongside the Lumix S 24mm f/1.8, Lumix S 50mm f/1.8 and Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 in a set of lenses designed to be a matching, set featuring identical sizes and positioning of vital controls.
Panasonic has also announced that an extreme wide angle 18mm f/1.8 lens is now in development and will be joining the series in the future.
The new lens offers manual focus as well as autofocus, and is compatible with the Lumix cameras’ Focus Ring Control function that allows users to customise the way the manual focus ring behaves. The ring can be set for Linear control or Non-Linear control. In Linear control focus shifts according to how far the ring is turned, and in Non-Linear control the focus shifts according to how quickly the ring is turned. In Linear control we can also adjust the amount of rotation that will take us from the closest to the furthest focus positions, with 30°-increments between 90° and 360°.
In AF mode the lens operates at 240fps, and will make the most of the Lumix S camera’s excellent acquisition and tracking capabilities.
As they are all a similar weight the Lumix S f/1.8 series lenses can be switched easily on a gimbal without the need for re-balancing, and as they have their focus ring in exactly the same place follow-focus kit won’t need repositioning either. The lenses look exactly the same, and can only be identified by the white markings on the side of the barrel.
Each has a 67mm filter thread as well, so the same filter will fit the whole series of lenses, making life very much easier for both still and video photographers. This means users will only need one size of ND, polariser or adapter ring, and will only ever need to carry one of each type filter, saving space in the bag as well as weight – not to mention cost.
Three aspherical lenses and three ED lenses are used in the eleven-element construction to ensure high resolution across the entire frame and that subject edges are free from coloured fringes. The closest focus position for this lens is 0.24m, and the angle of view is 63°. Each of the lenses is dust and splash resistant and is able to operate in temperatures as low as -10°C.
The 9-bladed iris uses a micro-step control system to produce tiny aperture adjustments and ultra-smooth shifts during filming that won’t be detected by the audience. The iris blades feature curved edges to ensure a circular opening at all aperture settings, and thus smooth transitions from focused to out-of-focus areas.
The smallest aperture achievable with this lens is f/22 – in line with the 50mm and 85mm models. The 24mm has a smallest aperture of f/16.
Each of the lenses in the Lumix S f/1.8 series measures 82mm in length, and has a maximum barrel diameter of 73.6mm. And at 295g the new 35mm lens is the lighter of the existing lenses, but still weighs much the same as the other focal lengths. The weight range between the four lenses spans 295-355g.
For comparison, the Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 is lighter than the Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Asph standard zoom for the Lumix G system.
These S series f/1.8 lenses of course are fully compatible with all the cameras in the Lumix S system, including the new Lumix BS1H box camera, but their small size and low weight make them especially suited to the tiny Lumix S5. Combined with this camera the lenses provide a remarkably compact full frame solution that rivals the Lumix G and GH series for portability.
The Lumix S 35mm f/1.8 will cost £579.99, and will be available from mid-November 2021.
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