In addition to the new Panasonic Lumix S5 II and S5 IIX mirrorless cameras, Panasonic has also announced a new S-series lens, the LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro. The compact, lightweight full-frame lens joins two existing “budget” lenses in the LUMIX S system, the LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and the LUMIX S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 Macro O.I.S.
These three lenses now cover nearly the entire focal length range from an ultra-wide 14mm to a telephoto 300mm. All three lenses are also designed with high-end video performance in mind, including designs that minimize focus breathing.
The lens is constructed of 14 elements in 10 groups, including one aspherical Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) lens, one aspherical element, three Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) elements and one Ultra High Refractive Index (UHR) elements. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 0.15m across the entire zoom range for a 0.25x to 0.5x magnification ratio at 14mm and 28mm, respectively (so not ‘Macro’ in the traditional 1:1 sense).
Other features include a weather-resistant design, a 77mm front filter thread and a seven-blade aperture diaphragm. The lens measures 84mm (3.3”) diameter by 89.8mm (3.5”) long and weighs around 345g (12.2oz).
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 Macro lens will be available by the end of March for $799.99.
Pre-order links:
Panasonic LUMIX S 14-28mm f/4-5.6 Macro Lens: $797.99 at B&H, Adorama.
Panasonic LUMIX S 14-28mm f/4-5.6 Macro Lens Features
Covering a versatile wide-angle focal length range, the Panasonic Lumix 14-28mm f/4-5.6 MACRO Lens is well-suited for everything from landscapes and cityscapes to street scenes and architecture. An excellent choice for travel photography and everyday shooting, this full-frame lens delivers beautiful images across the entire zoom range and is a great choice for still photography, vlogs, and other video content.
- Compact ultra-wide-angle zoom lens designed for use with full-frame Leica L-mount mirrorless cameras.
- Minimum focusing distance of just 5.9″ throughout zoom range for working with close-up subjects.
- Micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure change and professional quality video.
- Optimized for video, an advanced optical design minimizes focus breathing when changing focal lengths.
- Lens design includes one aspherical ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) element, one aspherical element, three ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) elements, and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) element.
- Dust and splash-resistant construction for use in inclement conditions, plus a fluorine coating on the front lens element to protect against dust, dirt, and smearing.
- Rounded seven-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.
Press release:
Panasonic Announces a New Compact and Lightweight Ultra Wide-Angle Zoom Lens with Macro Capability
Las Vegas, NV (January 4, 2023) – Panasonic is pleased to introduce a new cost-effective ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, the LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO based on the L-Mount system. The LUMIX S Series offers three budget-friendly lenses including the LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO (S-R1428), LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 (S-R2060) and LUMIX S 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 MACRO O.I.S. (S-R70300) to cover 14mm ultra wide-angle to 300mm telephoto. All of these lenses achieve high optical performance and stunning mobility fit to LUMIX S5 series cameras for both photo and video.
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO is comprised of 14 lens elements in 10 groups including one aspherical ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lens, one aspherical lens, three ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) lenses and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive Index) lens. The use of aspherical lenses realizes both high descriptive performance and beautiful bokeh. The three ED lenses effectively suppress chromatic aberration. Despite its compact size and approximately 345g of light weight, the LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO boasts 0.25 (at 14mm) – 0.5x (at 28mm) macro capability. Taking advantage of the minimum focusing distance of 0.15m at entire zoom range, it can be used for close-up shots with beautiful bokeh. It is suitable for versatile situations including sweeping landscape shots in ultra-wide-angle of view.
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO is capable of smooth, silent operation to work with the camera’s high-speed, high-precision AF system with the sensor drive at max 240 fps.
For the non-linear setting, focus is shifted with a variable amount according to the rotation speed of the focus ring. Focus is shifted with a designated amount according to the rotational quantum of the focus ring for the linear setting. Sensitivity (the amount of focus shift per rotational quantum) can be selected from 90 to 360 degrees to enable intended focus operation¹. The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was a fatal problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography. Together with a micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure change, professional quality video can be recorded.
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO and LUMIX S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 lens feature a common overall length and position of control parts to provide practical advantages in use. The weight and the center of the gravity of these lenses is similar, making it easy to exchange lenses quickly with minimum balance adjustment when the camera is on a gimbal.
The rugged dust/splash-resistant² design withstands use under harsh conditions even at -10° Celsius for high mobility. A fluorine coating is applied to the front lens element to secure water/oil-repellency. An ND/PL filter with 77mm diameter can be attached.
Panasonic and L-Mount system alliance is committed to the development of L-Mount lenses for the further expansion of its lineup to fulfill the needs of customers.
The LUMIX S 14-28mm F4-5.6 MACRO will be available at valued channel partners for $799.99 at the end of March.Notes
¹ The maximum sensitivity differs by camera model, up to 1080 degrees on S5II, S5IIX and BS1H (as of January 2023).
² Dust and Splash Resistant does not guarantee that damage will not occur if this lens is subjected to direct contact with dust and water.• L-Mount is a trademark or registered trademark of Leica Camera AG.
• Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
