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What just happened? Panasonic has announced what it claims to be the world's smallest and lightest mirrorless zoom lens, designed for the Lumix S9 full-frame camera. The 18-40mm lens is compact and portable, measuring only 2.7 inches (67.9 mm) in diameter and 1.6 inches (40.9 mm) in length when retracted. It is also lightweight, weighing just 5.5 ounces (155 g).
According to Panasonic, the Lumix S 18-40mm zoom lens is the world's smallest and lightest autofocus-compatible interchangeable zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. The zoom range can even be extended to 18-120mm with the Hybrid Zoom function on the Lumix S9. It has a closest shooting distance of 5.9 inches (15 cm), allowing photographers to capture macros in all their glory.
The lens has an f/4.5 maximum aperture, which drops to f/6.3 at 40mm. The relatively small aperture suggests that it might not be ideal for bokeh shots or low-light photography, but Panasonic insists that it will still offer a subtle depth of field effect when shooting with the maximum aperture and at the minimum focusing distance. Another notable feature of the Lumix S 18-40 lens is suppression of focus breathing to allow for the perfect shooting angles.
The lens is designed with eight lens elements in seven groups, including three aspherical elements, two extra-low dispersion (ED) elements, and one ultra-high refractive (UHR) element. It is dust-resistant, splash-resistant, and freeze-resistant up to -10°C (14°F), making it ideal in hostile environments and harsh weather. Panasonic has also used a fluorine coating on the front element of the lens to repel debris.
The Lumix S 18-40mm f/4.5-6.3 zoom lens will be available for purchase from mid-November for $499. It will also be bundled as a kit lens with the Lumix S9 mirrorless camera for $1,799. Panasonic also announced a new Smokey White color option for the Lumix S9, priced at the same $1,499 as the other colors.
Alongside the new launches, Panasonic released firmware version 1.1 for the Lumix S9. The update removes recording limits and introduces multiple new features, including in-shot aspect ratio frame guides, remote shooting with the Lumix Lab app, and frame markers for up to three aspect ratios simultaneously.