Today, Panasonic introduced two new lenses to its digital interchangeable lens camera system the G Micro System, the Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. and the Lumix G Vario 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. These two new lenses are compatible with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and the newly announced Lumix DMC-GH1, which can record High Definition (HD) AVCHD 1080/24p video.
The Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. lens is available separately or as part of the DMC-GH1 kit. It features an inner focus direct-drive linear motor for focusing, which is a necessity for video recording. It also features a long zoom of 14-140mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-280mm) and Panasonic’s Mega O.I.S.
The Lumix G Vario 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH lens features a wide-angle zoom range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm). Both lenses are compact and lightweight and when used with the Lumix DMC-GH1, users can take advantage of the advanced contrast AF system including Face Recognition.
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Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. Lens
Panasonic Lumix G Vario 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH Lens
Way to go, Panny!
How much, where and when ??
What are the limitations if these lenses are used on Lumix G1?
They are quite expensive on their own, on eBay they are selling for more than $900, while 65-200mm lens for G1 would be selling for around $400.
JeanB-
I would be wary of anyone selling these lenses on eBay since the new GH1 isn’t even available yet. The likely reason the 14-140mm lens costs so much is that it has a specially-developed silent auto focus motor. It was designed specfically for the Lumix GH1 so that people could shoot video with continuous auto focus and no AF motor noise. Auto focus motor noise is a big problem with compact consumer camcorders. And Panasonic knew it was going to be a problem with the GH1 so they invested in a lens that would work really well for people who wanted to shoot video with the new camera.