Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens

Presenting the Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens, a Micro Four Thirds lens that defies its size with an impressive zoom range. This lens, developed in collaboration with Leica, offers an expansive focal length equivalent to 200-800mm while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for the Micro Four Thirds system. Its advanced optical design incorporates aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements, effectively minimizing chromatic and spherical aberrations across the entire zoom range for exceptional image clarity and sharpness. Furthermore, the lens features a POWER O.I.S. system, which works seamlessly with Lumix G cameras’ Dual I.S. function to counteract camera shake, resulting in sharper handheld shots at longer focal lengths.

Designed to excel in both still photography and video recording, the lens is equipped with a high-speed AF motor capable of operating at 240 fps. This motor ensures precise and silent autofocus performance, and a focus limiter function allows you to limit the focusing range for even faster focusing. The lens’s physical construction employs a gapless design that offers dust and moisture resistance, enabling its use in challenging weather conditions. Despite its lightweight and compact size, the 100-400mm f/4-6.3 lens includes a removable rotating tripod collar, allowing for swift switching between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations when working with a monopod or tripod.

Key Features:
– Telephoto zoom lens specifically designed for Micro Four Thirds system cameras, providing an equivalent focal length range of 200-800mm.
– Developed in collaboration with Leica, the optical design comprises 20 elements in 13 groups, incorporating one aspherical extra-low dispersion element, one Ultra Extra-Low Dispersion element, and two extra-low dispersion elements. This combination effectively reduces spherical aberrations and color fringing throughout the zoom range, resulting in improved sharpness, clarity, and color accuracy.
– The POWER O.I.S. mechanism effectively compensates for camera shake, enabling sharper handheld shooting. It is also compatible with the Dual I.S. function available in select Lumix G cameras, which combines sensor-shift and lens-shift stabilization methods for even more effective shake reduction.
– The high-speed AF motor operates at 240 fps, delivering rapid, precise, and near-silent autofocus performance suitable for both stills and video applications.
– Focus Limiter function allows you to restrict the focusing range of the lens, providing quicker focusing response from either the minimum focusing distance to infinity or from 16.4 feet to infinity.
– Minimum focusing distance of 4.3 feet and a maximum magnification of 0.5x enable close-up photography.
– The rounded nine-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality, ideal for selective focus and shallow depth-of-field techniques.
– The gapless construction of the lens ensures dust and moisture resistance, making it suitable for outdoor and challenging shooting environments.
– The quick-shift, two-part rotating tripod collar enables rapid switching between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations, while keeping the lens controls conveniently positioned.
– An integrated hide-away lens hood can be retracted when not in use or deployed to prevent stray light from causing lens flare and ghosting.
– The zoom ring lock prevents unwanted lens creep when carrying the lens.
– Dedicated levers are available for selecting the Focus Limiter position, choosing between AF or MF focusing methods, or deactivating the lens-based POWER O.I.S. function.