Panasonic and Leica are working on a new Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-150mm/ f3.5-5.6 zoom lens for the Four Thirds system. This will have an equivalent zoom of 28-300mm in the 35mm format.
Aside from providing a longer telephoto range, the new Leica lens also incorporates Panasonic’s Mega O.I.S. optical image stabilizer – which uses the Venus Engine LSI – allowing for easy super-telephoto shots without using a tripod.
When used with the Lumix DMC-L1 or the Leica Digilux 3, the aperture ring provides intuitive control along with the focus and zoom rings.
Panasonic says the new lens is the first Leica D lens to incorporate Extra Silent Motor (XSM) technology, which assures quick, quiet, accurate auto focusing control.
Price and availability of the new lens are still to be announced.
[Site Panasonic Japan]