[News] Panasonic’s New Ultra-Wide Angle Lumix Lens

Panasonic New Zealand has today introduced a new lens for its popular range of LUMIX G Micro Four Thirds System cameras – the 24mm Ultra-Wide Angle F1.4 High-Speed Single Focal Length LEICA DG SUMMILUX Lens (H-X012).

Meeting the needs of professional photographers and camera enthusiasts, H-X012 is LUMIX’s brightest and widest weather sealed LEICA Micro Four Thirds Lens, which has also been optimised for video shooting.

Suited to a range of photographic situations, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX Lens is perfect for shooting landscapes across an ultra-wide angle. It captures dynamic scenes with rich perspective and high resolution.

Because of its ability to produce crisp clarity and an impressive natural defocussing effect with its F1.4 large aperture, H-X012 is also ideal for capturing photos and video in low-light situations, such as astrophotography or shooting when indoors.

Andrew Reid, Product Manager for LUMIX at Panasonic New Zealand says the latest lens expands the line-up of high-quality LEICA Micro Four Thirds branded lenses.

“Photographers have been asking for a bright, high-speed and ultra-wide lens from LUMIX, and our latest LEICA DG SUMMILUX lens will meet the needs of photographers with its exceptional optical performance.”

“The new LUMIX G interchangeable lens also enables active photographers to go out shooting, even in poor weather or harsh conditions, thanks to its splash and dust-proof design,” says Andrew.

Comprising of 15 elements in 12 groups, the lens system features two aspherical lenses, two UED (Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses and an ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens to assure stunning picture quality with minimum distortion. The multi-coated lens elements minimise ghosts and flaring, enhancing shooting performance and maximising results – especially in night scenes.

Astrophotographers can capture true-to-life images of the night sky without blurring and distortion from the centre of the image to the corners, also known as sagittal flare. H-X012 suppresses sagittal flare which is commonly seen around the periphery of the point source with high-speed lenses when larger aperture is used.

The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 12mm/F1.4 ASPH Lens is equipped with an aperture ring for direct, intuitive control. The aperture consists of nine blades forming a round opening, which produces a beautiful bokeh effect in the out-of-focus area when shooting at larger aperture settings.

Offering an optimal performance when shooting 4K video, Panasonic’s new LEICA Ultra-Wide Angle Lens incorporates an inner focus drive system and stepping motor which delivers a focussing speed of up to 240 frames per second (fps). This ensures smooth, silent operation with LUMIX G’s high-speed, high-precision contrast AF (Auto Focus) system, which enables photographers to seamlessly capture film with minimal camera noise and no sudden jumps in exposure.

To match the strong build quality of LUMIX G cameras, the new ultra-wide angle lens includes a highly durable metal mount, barrel and hood.

Available in sleek, metallic black, the new LEICA DG SUMMILUX Lens’ design perfectly matches the wider LUMIX G Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM) camera range to offer uncompromising style.

Pricing and Availability

The LEICA DG SUMMILUX Lens (H-X012) can be purchased at the following retailers from mid-July 2016 with a market price of $2300 RRP.

• Photo and Video International
• Photo Warehouse
• Wellington Photographic Supplies
• Photo Gear
• Auckland Camera Centre

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