# Panasonic Launches Three L-Mount Interchangeable Lenses for the LUMIX S Series Full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera



## Canon Rumors Guy (Feb 1, 2019)

> *LUMIX S PRO 50mm F1.4 (S-X50), LUMIX S PRO 70-200mm F4 O.I.S. (S-R70200) and LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S. (S-R24105)*
> *Newark, NJ (February 1, 2019) – *Panasonic is proud to introduce three new interchangeable lenses based on the L-Mount system for the LUMIX S Series Full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless Camera. Especially focusing on professional use, the LUMIX S Series pursues uncompromising photographic expression with its high-quality cameras and lenses.
> The L-Mount is a lens mount for mirrorless cameras that was launched by Leica and is equally suitable for both the APS-C format and full-frame cameras. Leica Camera, Panasonic, and Sigma are set to offer a user-friendly solution that will allow photographers to ‘mix and match’ any of the three manufacturers’ APS-C and full-frame cameras with any lens from each other’s product portfolios. The aim of the L-Mount Alliance is to provide customers with a diverse and future-proof range of products. The advantages...



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## luka28 (Feb 1, 2019)

I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?


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## Viggo (Feb 1, 2019)

2300 USD for a 50 f1.4, I would rather keep the RF50, thanks


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## Talys (Feb 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> 2300 USD for a 50 f1.4, I would rather keep the RF50, thanks


Wow, pricey!


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## Viggo (Feb 1, 2019)

Talys said:


> Wow, pricey!


Here in Norway the Pana 50 f1.4 actually costs 3142 USD.


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## Larsskv (Feb 1, 2019)

I welcome the competition, but I have a hard time figuring out this system’s selling point. Prices and specs seems too high to compete... two f4 zooms and a overpriced 50 f1.4. Perhaps the Leica brand will convince a few. They focus on lack of focus breathing, but I believe only few potential customers has lack of focus breathing as a high priority.


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## Viggo (Feb 1, 2019)

2400 USD (Norway)for a 70-200 f4, jeez....


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## Del Paso (Feb 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> 2300 USD for a 50 f1.4, I would rather keep the RF50, thanks



You could adapt the Leica 1,4/50 which costs even a bit more ($ 5295, a real bargain!)


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## Viggo (Feb 1, 2019)

Del Paso said:


> You could adapt the Leica 1,4/50 which costs even a bit more ($ 5295, a real bargain!)


Well, they have bit heavier pedigree and they will last a 100 years, are waaay smaller also. I think Leica is too expensive for sure, but Panasonic are in no position to get away this kind of pricing, the 70-200 f4 costs the same here as I paid for the RF50 with cash back. Or nearly 850 USD more than the EF 70-200 f4 IS MK2. I don’t know how many still photogs are willing to pay this insane amount of money for Panasonic.


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## jd7 (Feb 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> 2400 USD (Norway)for a 70-200 f4, jeez....


And it weighs almost 1 kg. Seems a lot for a 70-200 f/4.


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## jd7 (Feb 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> 2300 USD for a 50 f1.4, I would rather keep the RF50, thanks


Weight and filter size of the Panasonic 50/1.4 are about the same as for the Canon RF 50/1.2, although of course the Canon has an extra half stop to its name. Will be interesting to see how they compare for IQ, AF, etc.


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## Talys (Feb 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Here in Norway the Pana 50 f1.4 actually costs 3142 USD.


Yikes. Not for the faint of heart, for sure!


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## Don Haines (Feb 2, 2019)

But it has “Cat detection mode” in the AF system!

Now I will be able to take 187Megapixel images of my 15 year old cat sleeping in a box. You need a great AF system to be able to track a sleeping cat.....



Facebook needs some 187Megapixel cat pictures!


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## dak723 (Feb 2, 2019)

luka28 said:


> I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?



Well, Panasonic, by reputation, has the best video. Never tried a Panasonic, so I have no personal knowledge. Bu, as you can see in the other new thread, their camera is loaded with specs! We know how much some folks will be drawn to the specs, even though we have no idea of how well theose specs work. Based on how well Sony has done with loading their camera with specs (that often work sub-par) , they might succeed.

It will be interesting to see some reviews by actual, reliable reviewers.


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## BeenThere (Feb 2, 2019)

luka28 said:


> I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?


Lenses, lenses, lenses ..... system needs more, and larger focal range, of reasonable priced lenses. Perhaps Sigma will supply when they start producing for the L mount.


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## [email protected] (Feb 2, 2019)

luka28 said:


> I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?



ANSWER WHY:
I think 50mp and 6fps with servo focus is a big deal, and hopefully Canon will be able to double its full frame mirrorless frames per second in servo AND double its megapixels simultaneously, but until it does, this is quite a reach above the EOS R - at least for the sorts of things I shoot (reach-limited nature/wildlife).

It seems squelched by thin-aperture lenses with Leica prices, yes, but that gets solved once Sigma releases its L-mount versions, the timing of which I'm slightly more optimistic about than the release of a pro R version. 

The S1R + Sigma lenses appears to be the best first-try full frame mirrorless of any vendor to date. You could make a real system out of this thing. 

CONS:
The thing I'm skeptical about is the autofocus, which we won't really be able to suss out until it gets into peoples' hands. My impression is that it is attempting to use a deep learning process to enable old-style contrast AF to be able to have the same function as phase-detect AF. That could either work brilliantly, or suck. Early reports are that it sucks, but there isn't a production version being tested yet. 

Vlogger reviews seem to get hung up on video disappointments, such as potential overheating issues with 4k 60fps, crop in 4k 60fps, etc., etc., all of which are features not even present the Canon competitor. I'm not a video guy, so I'm sort of ignoring all that, but if I were to care, Canon wouldn't be the alternative. 

UPSHOT:
I've been saving up for a mirrorless full frame upgrade, and I'm not entirely positive this slug of capital will go to Canon or Panasonic. Provided the AF is good (significant liability), if the Sigma lenses come out before the Canon pro body, I'll probably give the Panasonic system a go. Sigma is also developing an L-mount camera, but their camera body track record is pretty bad on the factors I care most about (fps, for instance), so I'm assuming I'll be interested only in their lenses, unless they really surprise - and you never know with Sigma. While the Canon R lenses are easily the best launch-with-camera set of lenses ever offered in more than a decade, I still need >3 fps in servo for me to allow the body in the house. 

The upshot: if Canon waits a year to launch a pro-performing body, I'll likely be fooling around with a second system by that time. Will still be open minded to selling 2nd system and come back completely to Canon with a deserving pro mirrorless body, but it'll require the new Canon body to outperform the 2nd system, which will probably be coupled with a wide range of Sigma L-mount lenses that are akin in capability to the fast/bright lenses Canon is putting out geared to the short flange distance. In other words, Canon likely won't be able to answer lower-specced body issues with a simple "it's the lenses." 

THINGS TO LOOK FOR:
- AF performance of the SR1 (quite unknown now)
- Adapter performance on the L system (not optimistic)
- Sigma lens launch timing


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## JBSF (Feb 2, 2019)

Sigma is a partner in this, so I assume we’ll see their lenses soon. A good adapter for EF lenses might sell a lot of the Pany bodies if Canon doesn’t add IBIS to their R bodies.


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## Don Haines (Feb 2, 2019)

For just about any mount, when it started, the lens selection was terrible.... and then it wasn’t.....


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 2, 2019)

luka28 said:


> I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?


It is a bad time for launching new camera models, with industry sales dropping and FF gaining more users, it was likely a case of step up or give up. They had already invested a ton of money in development costs, so lets hope they gain some traction in the market, even if we are not a user, more players means more competition.


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## deleteme (Feb 3, 2019)

luka28 said:


> I have no idea why would anyone buy this, what do you get with this system, what are the advantages compared to canon nikon sony, how will panasonic stand out?



What you get is a system that offers ALL the features. Enthusiasts have been complaining loud and long about Nikon and Canon's omission of some features. Most notably IBIS in the Canon.
Panasonic have introduced a full featured body with virtually every box checked. The only real question is AF for some as it has not yet been determined whether they have mustered enough processing power to bludgeon DFD AF to success.
The lack of lenses is not a surprise. Canon offered four lenses, only one with any real flexibility (RF 24-105) while Panasonic offered two flexible lenses. Their 50 is uncompetitive price-wise and I suspect that even the most craven pixel peepers will now concede that we have long since passed the point of any meaningful IQ improvements in this class of lens. Canon's 28-70 F2 is also no bargain but arguably is a better value.


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## Graphic.Artifacts (Feb 3, 2019)

Is it safe to assume that Canon EF and other third party lenses will not be adaptable to these cameras due to the DtD contrast AF system? It sounds like the AF system needs deep awareness of the OOF characteristics of the lenses to operate.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 3, 2019)

Graphic.Artifacts said:


> Is it safe to assume that Canon EF and other third party lenses will not be adaptable to these cameras due to the DtD contrast AF system? It sounds like the AF system needs deep awareness of the OOF characteristics of the lenses to operate.


No, its not a safe assumption.

EF-L Mount Adapter


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## Don Haines (Feb 3, 2019)

Graphic.Artifacts said:


> Is it safe to assume that Canon EF and other third party lenses will not be adaptable to these cameras due to the DtD contrast AF system? It sounds like the AF system needs deep awareness of the OOF characteristics of the lenses to operate.


Yes and no.....

Yes it needs deep awareness to operate as fast as possible, but without it, it should operate slower.


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## Graphic.Artifacts (Feb 3, 2019)

Thanks. I knew there were physical EF-L adapters but I think the Leica's use phase detect AF. I'll be curious to see if EF lenses work reasonably well on the Lumix S's without full support from the AI software. Maybe it's not a big deal. Hopefully there will be some data sharing between Panasonic and Sigma so the Sigma L mount lenses work at full AF speed. 

Not perfect but a pretty good effort for their first full frame. Sounds like they might be able to acheive both 5DSR quality stills and Panavision quality video which is impressive if the AF is workable. 

Glad I'm in no hurry to go mirrorless so I can let the various players sort out the market for a while.


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## tmroper (Feb 4, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Well, they have bit heavier pedigree and they will last a 100 years, are waaay smaller also. I think Leica is too expensive for sure, but Panasonic are in no position to get away this kind of pricing, the 70-200 f4 costs the same here as I paid for the RF50 with cash back. Or nearly 850 USD more than the EF 70-200 f4 IS MK2. I don’t know how many still photogs are willing to pay this insane amount of money for Panasonic.


The Leica L mount 50mm 1.4 is huge and weighs 1065g!


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## Viggo (Feb 4, 2019)

tmroper said:


> The Leica L mount 50mm 1.4 is huge and weighs 1065g!


Yeah, I was talking about M-mount lenses. That’s the real Leica  and some of the medium format lenses ..


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## Del Paso (Feb 4, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Well, they have bit heavier pedigree and they will last a 100 years, are waaay smaller also. I think Leica is too expensive for sure, but Panasonic are in no position to get away this kind of pricing, the 70-200 f4 costs the same here as I paid for the RF50 with cash back. Or nearly 850 USD more than the EF 70-200 f4 IS MK2. I don’t know how many still photogs are willing to pay this insane amount of money for Panasonic.


Even if the Panasonic did cost less, It would have a hard time competing with the EF 70/200 F4 IS II...


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## Andrei (Feb 7, 2019)

Panasonic s sitem show how a camera should be in terms of ergonomics. 
The layout it's perfect. 
Learn canikony...this is what a pro should have...and also enthusiasts
The price... Well... The price make you buy the canikons


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