LUMIX S 24-60mm F2.8 Unveiled – PANASONIC

The LUMIX S 24-60mm F2.8

Diverse expressive potential thanks to the brightness of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range

This product is a hybrid type F2.8 large aperture standard zoom lens compatible with still and video shooting. It is characterized by its bright maximum F value and high image quality, while being compact and lightweight.

In terms of expressive power, the bright F2.8 aperture is one of the lens’s features. This allows shooting at a relatively fast shutter speed even in dark places, and also allows for a large bokeh effect. Therefore, this lens is expected to be used for a wide range of purposes, including snapshot photography and portrait photography.

Covers focal lengths from wide-angle 24mm to standard 60mm

The focal length starts at 24mm. The 24mm specification allows for wide-angle shooting in video production and post-processing such as cropping during editing. Also, considering the narrowing of the angle of view when using electronic image stabilization, it is advantageous for the lens to have high intrinsic wide-angle performance, so in that respect it can be said to be easy to use.

The telephoto end is 60mm, which is a little shorter than a typical lens with a focal length of 24-70mm, but it covers the standard range of 60mm.

Hybrid Zoom

One notable feature is the “hybrid zoom” that is installed on the LUMIX S9, S5II, and S5IIX. This combines optical zoom and crop zoom to achieve high-magnification zoom by operating the zoom ring while maintaining the focal length at the wide-angle end. When shooting still images and videos, telephoto zoom shooting equivalent to a maximum of 187mm is possible, and when using the S1RII, telephoto zoom shooting equivalent to a maximum of 252mm is possible.

By using hybrid zoom, the lens is designed to prioritize the wide-angle side optically while maintaining telephoto shooting up to about 187mm. The focal length of 24-60mm is considered to have a certain appeal in that it combines wide-angle performance with a compact size.

Lens Size

In terms of size, it is compact, with a total length of 99.9 mm and a weight of 544 g. There is no significant difference when compared to the company’s compact high-magnification zoom lens “LUMIX S 28-200 mm F4-7.1 MACRO OIS” and the highly mobile “LUMIX S 20-60 mm F3.5-5.6.” It is positioned as a lens with excellent portability.

The filter diameter is 77mm, which is slightly larger than other models, but it is still considered compact as a large-aperture lens.

Comparison of Lenses

Achieves high resolution performance from the center to the periphery across the entire zoom range

The lens consists of 14 elements in 12 groups, including three aspherical lenses. It is small and lightweight, yet designed to achieve high resolution performance from the center to the periphery of the screen.

It is considered to have performance comparable to that of the company’s flagship large-aperture standard zoom lens, the LUMIX S PRO 24-70mm F2.8. Considering its price range and compact size, it can be said to have sufficient performance.

In terms of bokeh, generally the more aspherical lenses there are, the more likely it is that ring-shaped bokeh will occur. However, this product uses aspherical lens technology to achieve smooth, nearly circular bokeh.

In depicting peripheral areas, the effect of axial chromatic aberration is a concern because this is a large-diameter lens. However, this lens is relatively compact, axial chromatic aberration is suppressed, and the bokeh shape is close to a circle, so it is considered to be suitable for expression that makes the most of the bokeh.

In terms of operability, the focus ring has been turned into a control ring and functions can be assigned to it, allowing you to call up and use any function you like even when using autofocus.

Focus Ring

The focus ring can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, allowing users to customize the operation to suit their needs. The lens body is equipped with a function button that can be assigned to any function. The lens is dustproof, weatherproof, and low-temperature resistant, making it suitable for outdoor use when combined with a compatible model such as the S1II.

Video performance is a common feature of the S series, and this lens has a similar design. It is equipped with functions such as suppression of focus breathing and micro-step control of aperture. In addition, when using manual focus, it is possible to adjust the focus and zoom at the same time. This allows for some of the same operating system as a camcorder, which may expand the diversity of video expression and the options for shooting techniques.