Panasonic announces 8mm Lumix G Fisheye lens

Posted on 2 Jun 2010 at 12:14

Panasonic has announced a new lens for its micro four-thirds system which offers an impressive 8mm fish-eye view.

The Lumix G Fisheye 8mm - designed for the eponymous Lumix G range of micro system cameras which feature compact-sized bodies and interchangeable lenses - brings a F/3.5 fish eye lens to the range, offering an impressive 180 degree diagonal field of view for those who need to capture as much of a scene as possible.

Panasonic is particularly proud of its new fisheye lens, and it has good reason: according to the company, its latest creation is the smallest and lightest interchangeable fisheye lens for digital cameras in the world - which is good news for those making the transition to the micro four-thirds format for reasons of portability.

Despite its compact size, Panasonic claims it hasn't skimped on performance: the Lumix G Fisheye 8mm uses multi-coated ED optics which the company states minimises distortion and chromatic aberration between the closest focus - 0.1m - and infinity. A specially designed lens hood is also included to ensure strong sunlight is no barrier to fisheye shooting.

Auto-focus is fully supported on Lumix G Micro System cameras, and the use of a stepping motor keeps things moving silently - which will remove the bothersome motor whine that can be detrimental to the use of certain lenses in video recording modes.

While Panasonic has been quick to trumpet its achievement, it has been less forthcoming with the expected pricing or a firm availability date.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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