Panasonic is continuing to expand its L-Mount lens lineup with the new Lumix S 24-60mm f/2.8 – a fresh take on the standard 24-70mm zoom lens, shaving 10mm off the tele end for an overall smaller and lighter optic.
Despite the slightly shorter overall focal length, the lens should still make for a versatile workhorse; 24mm is an ideal length for landscapes, architecture and group photos, while the 60mm tele combined with the wide f/2.8 aperture should be good for portraits with a nice background falloff.
Additionally, with Panasonic’s Hybrid Zoom feature (available on its most recent S models), you can extend the zoom range up to 187mm on 24MP equipped cameras like the new Lumix S1II and S1IIE, or up to 252mm on the larger resolution Lumix S1R II. The continuous f/2.8 aperture should also be perfect for employing faster shutter speeds in low-light conditions.
The new lens weighs just 544g, substantially lighter than the 935g of the Lumix S Pro 24-70mm f/2.8, and with the newer model measuring just 99.9mm x 84mm, it's 56mm shorter in length (although with the same width).
The size savings have been made with the introduction of Panasonic’s Dual Phase Linear Motor and a new optical encoder.
New features include a customizable focus button on the lens barrel, which can be assigned to a number of camera functions – including an easy way to flick into Lumix’s Hybrid Zoom.
Additionally, it is the first in the S series lens to support control ring assignment, which enables the use of the focus ring as a customizable control ring for key settings such as aperture control or exposure compensation. Other features include a minimum focusing distance of 19cm and a maximum magnification of 0.3x
Of course, as this is Panasonic, the lens is also optimized for video production, with an internal barrel structure made to suppress focus breathing. Also, to prevent sudden changes in exposure in high-contrast scenes, the lens employs a micro-step aperture control, which enables smoother F-stop transitions.
The Panasonic Lumix S 24-60mm f/2.8 will be available starting in June for $899 / £899 / AU$1,899 with pre-orders open now.
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Check out our guide for more of the best L-mount lenses, or pair this new lens with one of the best Panasonic cameras.
