Panasonic's new Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-150mm lens was announced at the end of August 2007 but has only recently become available locally. Although designed by Leica, it is fitted with Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. optical image stabiliser and Venus Engine LSI microprocessor. Developed for the company's Four Thirds System DSLR cameras, it is the first Leica D lens to extend to the equivalent to 300mm in 35mm format.
Optical construction is complex, with 15 lens elements arranged in 11 groups. Four aspherical elements are included to reduce size and weight and minimise distortion. One of the aspherical lenses is a large-diameter 30mm concave-meniscus lens, which is difficult to mass-produce with conventional glass moulding press methods. An additional ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens suppresses chromatic aberration. The lens surfaces are multi-coated to minimise flare and ghosting.
The new lens is the first Leica D lens to incorporate Extra Silent (XS) technology for driving the autofocusing motors. It uses supersonic oscillation to ensure silent, seamless operation, while the system's high torque improves responsiveness, accuracy and focusing stability. When mounted on the new DMC-L10, it supports the camera's contrast AF system and allows the photographer to use new functions such as face detection. Maximum aperture ranges from f/3.5 at the widest position and f/5.6 at full tele zoom.
The metal lens barrel feels solid and is nicely finished. Finely-ridged rubber coatings on the focusing and zoom rings give a secure grip. The broader zoom ring is towards the front with engraved settings for 14, 18, 25, 35, 50, 70 and 150 millimetre positions. Zooming from 14mm to 150mm requires a quarter turn of the ring.
more : photoreview
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