Leica Lumix 100-400mm Zoom Getting Closer? Robert Pothorcki spotted the new Leica/Lumix 100-400mm MFT prototype lens behind some glass at the Panasonic/Lumix booth at IFA Berlin. Could the release of this lens not be far off? I’m truly hoping it’s sooner rather than later.
Photo from the Facebook page of Robert Pothorcki showing the new 100-400mm zoom from Leica/Lumix at the Berlin trade show.
I’m not sure if others have heard of the other interesting MFT development regarding Olympus putting their 300mm F/4 on hold. I was originally told it was coming out in November but now I’m hearing that Olympus has seen the light, so to speak, on the benefits of in-lens Image Stabilization. Panasonic/Lumix, Nikon, and Canon have been saying all along that in-lens IS is better suited to telephoto lenses and in-camera IS is not sufficient for lenses with serious magnification. Well it seems they may all have been right. Olympus and Sony have received lots of tremendous press and tons of accolades for their revolutionary In-camera Image Stabilization (ICIS). However, neither of them had produced any serious telephotos that would challenge the ICIS until the Olympus 40-150mm F/2.8. Once this lens got out in to the hands of users we all of a sudden hear the 300mm F/4 has been put on hold. Could Olympus have learned something from the release of the 40-150mm they didn’t know before?
Another great possibility is the amazing Dual IS that Panasonic has introduced in their gorgeous new Lumix GX8. I’m testing this camera now and have shot nearly 10,000 frames so far. It’s phenomenal with the 35-100mm F/2.8 attached with its in-lens IS working in tandem with the GX8’s in-camera IS.
Olympus patent graphic showing a new patent from Olympus to combine in camera IS with in-lens IS just like the Dual IS we currently have in our Lumix GX8. Image courtesy of 43Rumors.
Interestingly, just a week or so after the GX8 was launched, Olympus announces a new patent for in-lens Image Stabilization that will work in conjunction with in-camera image stabilization (ICIS). Sound familiar? I can’t help but think this is going to be virtually identical to the Lumix’s Dual IS we now have in the GX8.
When I first heard about the Olympus OM-D EM-1, having in-body IS, my first thought was, wow, I wonder if my Lumix lenses with in-lens IS would give me double IS on an Olympus camera? That was a couple of years ago and when I tried it, I found, no, the Olympus camera didn’t recognize the in-lens IS. Even so, obviously I wasn’t the only one thinking this would be an interesting technology.
Hats off to Panasonic. Just one more amazing tool that comes from a company that is known for groundbreaking electronics and applying that technology to all kinds of popular products. This is one of the major reasons I’m betting on Panasonic. They have phenomenal people and years of history in the electronics industry to bring these new ideas to market faster than many, if not all, other companies. Their ideas and technology just keep on coming and we as photographers. videographers, and storytellers all benefit.