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| Image: Panasonic |
Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS, a full-frame ultra-telephoto lens that the company says is made to be approachable to people who wouldn't necessarily consider larger, more expensive models.
The lens is made up of 19 elements in 12 groups, with two UED lenses, two ED lenses and two UHR elements. It has an 11-bladed aperture to provide circular bokeh. Panasonic says it worked to make sure the lens's minimum focus distances were manageable, so you won't have to be extremely far away from your subject at the short end. At 100mm, the lens can focus as close as 0.8m (2.6'), though that extends to 1.5m (4.9') at 500mm.
As its name implies, the lens is also optically stabilized. When working in tandem with a camera's IBIS system, Panasonic says you can achieve up to 7EV of stabilization, allowing for relatively long handheld exposures, even when you're zoomed in.
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| This lens isn't small by any means, but it's surprisingly compact for what it is. Image: Panasonic |
Despite all this, the lens is fairly small and light for its reach. It weighs 1285g (2.83lb) without the removable tripod collar, and is 196mm (7.7") long when it's not extended. It takes 82mm filters, and is water, dust and freeze-resistant.
The lens has a programmable function button, and, like the company's 24-60mm F2.8, lets you program the manual focus ring to control other parameters and features when you're in autofocus mode. It also features a switch that allows you to adjust the manual focus ring's tension, making it easier or harder to turn. There's also a focus limiter switch and switches to control the focus and optical stabilization mode.
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| Image: Panasonic |
Panasonic says that several technologies that it introduced in other lenses helped make this lens possible. This includes the dual-phase linear autofocus motor it launched with its 100mm F2.8 macro, and the optical encoder that can help the autofocus system and account for things like heat deformation. Panasonic told us the encoder is one of the reasons why it didn't feel the need to paint the lens with a reflective white paint.
The company also says it took design cues from its 100-400mm Micro Four Thirds lens to make the 100-500mm compatible with teleconverters. Even though the rear element is very close to the back of the lens, it has a mechanism that allows you to attach a teleconverter after you zoom in to 150mm and set that as the zoom limit with a switch. There won't be any damage if you forget to do that and then close the lens down to 100mm, but your camera will warn you that you can't take pictures until you zoom in a bit.
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| Image: Panasonic |
The company says the lens is made for people interested in getting into telephoto photography, but who don't want to spend a ton of money on a high-end lens or get something that will take up their entire backpack. For example, Sigma's 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 is around the same price, but is over 1kg (2lb) heavier and 80mm(3.1") longer.
Unsurprisingly, the company is also pitching it as a good option for videographers, especially those who are shooting or live-streaming events or concerts, potentially from the sound booth. Panasonic says the lens does a good job of optically compensating for focus breathing.
The Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS will go on sale September 25th for a retail price of $2099. It is available for L-mount.
Press release:
Panasonic Introduces the First*1 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens in the LUMIX S Series
LUMIX S 100-500mm F5-7.1 O.I.S. (S-R100500)
Newark, N.J. (September 24, 2025) – Panasonic is proud to introduce the new LUMIX S 100-500mm F5-7.1 O.I.S. (S-R100500) interchangeable lens based on the L-Mount system standard.
As the first*1 ultra-telephoto zoom lens in the LUMIX S Series lineup to cover a focal length of up to 500mm, this lens supports lens teleconverters*2 (sold separately), enabling ultra-telephoto shooting with a combined focal length of up to 1000mm. It delivers high resolution and beautiful bokeh across the entire zoom range, enabling photographers and videographers to capture stunning images and footage in a wide variety of shooting scenarios, including wildlife, motorsports, and landscapes.
With an optimized lens element arrangement and Dual Phase Linear Motor, the lens achieves a remarkably compact design with an overall length of just 196.1mm, while delivering impressive ultra-telephoto performance. High-speed, high-precision, and silent autofocus, combined with Dual I.S. 2 image stabilization supporting up to 7.0 stops*3, ensures exceptional portability and handheld shooting support, expanding creative possibilities in the field.
The lens is also designed for intuitive operation, featuring a customizable focus ring and a focus button. The focus ring can be used as a control ring, by assigning preferred settings such as aperture or other customizable parameters*4, while the focus button allows users to assign their preferred functions, enabling a highly personalized and responsive shooting experience. To meet the growing demand for video production, the lens also incorporates features such as focus breathing suppression and micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure transitions, supporting high-quality video performance.
With this product, Panasonic aims to expand the creative scope by providing a compact yet powerful ultra-telephoto shooting experience for both enthusiasts and professionals.
Main Features
1. The First*1 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens in the LUMIX S Series Covering Up to 500mm
- Maintains high resolution across the entire zoom range, delivering sharp detail and beautiful bokeh even at maximum aperture
- Covers focal lengths from 100mm to 500mm; compatible with lens teleconverters*2 (sold separately) for ultra-telephoto shooting up to 1000mm
2. Powerful 7.0-stop Dual I.S. 2 for Unshakable Stability and Enhanced Mobility
- Achieves highly effective image stabilization with 7.0-stop*3 Dual I.S. 2
- Ultra-telephoto zoom reaches in a remarkably compact 196.1mm design
- High-speed, high-precision AF powered by a Dual Phase Linear Motor
3. Intuitive Operability for Focused Shooting
- Focus ring can be assigned to control shooting settings such as aperture (Control Ring function) *4
- Focus button can be assigned to support intuitive operations such as Hybrid Zoom*5
Price and availability
The new LUMIX S 100-500mm lens will be available for pre-order on September 25th for $2099.99 at valued channel partners.
*1 As of September 24, 2025. Among interchangeable lenses for AF compatible full-frame mirrorless cameras.
*2 With optional teleconverter DMW-STC20 attached. The maximum aperture becomes two stops slower. When a teleconverter is attached, the focal length of this lens is limited to 150–500mm.
*3 Based on the CIPA standard [Yaw/Pitch direction: focusing distance f=500mm. When LUMIX S1RII is used.]
*4 Compatible cameras: DC-S1M2, DC-S1M2ES, DC-S1RM2 (Firmware version 1.2)
*5 This function combines optical zoom and crop zoom, allowing you to extend the telephoto range using only the zoom ring without changing the focal length at the wide end.
Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS specifications:
| Principal specifications | |
|---|---|
| Lens type | Zoom lens |
| Max Format size | 35mm FF |
| Focal length | 100–500 mm |
| Image stabilization | Yes |
| CIPA Image stabilization rating | 7 stop(s) |
| Lens mount | L-Mount |
| Aperture | |
| Maximum aperture | F5–7.1 |
| Minimum aperture | F29–40 |
| Aperture ring | No |
| Number of diaphragm blades | 11 |
| Optics | |
| Elements | 19 |
| Groups | 12 |
| Special elements / coatings | 2 UED, 2 ED, 2 UHR |
| Focus | |
| Minimum focus | 0.80 m (31.5″) |
| Maximum magnification | 0.36× |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Motor type | Linear Motor |
| Full time manual | Yes |
| Focus method | Internal |
| Distance scale | No |
| DoF scale | No |
| Focus distance limiter | 5m-Infinity |
| Physical | |
| Weight | 1285 g (2.83 lb) |
| Diameter | 92 mm (3.62″) |
| Length | 196 mm (7.72″) |
| Sealing | Yes |
| Colour | Black |
| Zoom method | Rotary (extending) |
| Power zoom | No |
| Zoom lock | Unknown |
| Filter thread | 82 mm |
| Hood supplied | Yes |
| Tripod collar | Yes |
from Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) https://ift.tt/0ijuEkL