Press Releases

Panasonic Announces LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm

Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S.

Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S.

ANNOUNCING PANASONIC’S FIRST DIGITAL INTERCHANGEABLE POWER TELE-ZOOM LENS

LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm Lens Offers State-of-the-Art Design to Achieve Increased Functionality and Spectacular Image Quality

MISSISSAUGA, ON (August 26, 2011) – Panasonic Canada Inc. today announced the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. (H-PS45175), the company’s first cutting-edge digital interchangeable lens with electric-powered zoom operation. This marks the launch of Panasonic’s premium lens brand “X” which is compatible with the LUMIX G Series1 and complies with the Micro Four Thirds™ system standard. This lens joins another LUMIX X lens announced today, the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./ POWER O.I.S.

The new LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. lens features superb image rendering for lifelike textures and crisp, edge-to-edge contrast. A unique Nano Surface Coating technology minimizes reflections at the entire visual light range (380nm – 780nm) resulting in a dramatic reduction of ghosting and light flare, and outstandingly clear picture quality.

Using a Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System to control three lens groups separately the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. achieves a downsize in both size and weight without compromising picture quality. Boasting outstanding compactness the lens is approximately 90mm in length and 7.4oz in weight, resulting in ultra-high mobility.

Offering a versatile zoom range of 45-175mm the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. allows distant subjects to be captured sharply at the tele-end. Also notable, the lens is extremely suitable for portrait and landscape shots, as its high contrast and resolution helps images shot at the wide end maintain exceptional quality and the zoom lever allows for quick and stable zooming, even while shooting a moving object or while in movie mode. The H-PS45175 also offers a zoom ring, allowing for manual zoom control.

The new lens system features two Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) lenses which suppress chromatic aberration (a type of distortion to image colour) and contributes to sharp and detailed images throughout the entire zoom range of 45-175mm. The POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) integrated into the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. makes it easy to shoot sharp images even in low-lit situations. And with an improved sensitivity of the gyro sensor, the new POWER O.I.S. also suppresses large, slow movements two times more effectively2 while small, fast movements are compensated by the conventional MEGA O.I.S.

LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. contains seven aperture blades to help produce an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas even while shooting at large aperture. Adopting an inner focus system driven by a stepping motor, the superior optical design of the lens supports Light Speed AF of approximately 0.15 of a second, and fast aperture control results in a shortened shutter time lag of approximately 20 per cent when compared to the LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S.

The Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 45-175mm/F4.0-5.6 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. (H-PS45175)
will be available in black starting September 2011 with a suggested retail price of CAD $549.99.

1DMC-GF3X; and DMC-GF3, DMC-G3 and DMC-GF2 with a firmware upgrade.
2Compared with the conventional MEGA O.I.S.
Four Thirds™ and Micro Four Thirds™, and Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds Logo marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Olympus Imaging Corporation in Japan, the United States, the European Union and other countries.

Panasonic products are marketed in Canada by Panasonic Canada Inc. (PCI). PCI is an affiliate of Panasonic Corporation (PC) of Japan, one of the world’s largest producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business, and industrial use. Consumers seeking more information on the company’s products can call Panasonic’s Customer Care Centre at 1-800-561-5505 or access Panasonic’s home page at www.panasonic.ca.