Panasonic, working with Leica, has introduced the Leica DG VARIO-ELMARIT 50-200mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH, a telephoto zoom lens for mirrorless Micro Four Thirds mount cameras. Similar to the other lenses in the same series, it features Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating tech for minimal ghosting and flaring, along with a rugged, dust / splash-proof design and a freeze-proofing to -10?.
Panasonic claims the 50-200mm f/2.8-4.0’s Contrast AF makes it exceptional for video.
When the lens' sensor drive is at max 240fps, Panasonic says that it’s able to take “full advantage of cameras with high-speed, high-precision Contrast AF for exceptional video recording performance.” And with an inner focus drive system, they promise smooth and silent operation.
The lens is also packing a micro-step drive system to help smoothly capture the brightness changes when it is zooming or panning.
This lens can shoot well in a variety of situations.
With an effective zoom range of 100mm to a super telephoto 400mm, Panasonic claims that the 50-200mm f/2.8-4.0 ASPH can be used for situations varying from “wildlife and indoor sports to portraits.”
Additionally, its Optical Image Stabilization corrects for hand-shaking and it works with Dual IS when mounted to Panasonic LUMIX DSLM cameras.
It also seems to have a tough design.
The lens has 21 elements that include two aspherical lenses, two UED lenses and two ED lenses. As said above, the lens is dust- and slash-proof, and it can operate down to -10?.
Pricing and Availability
You can expect to see the Leica DG VARIO-ELMARIT 50-200mm ASPH released at the end of June for the price of 1699 dollars.
