The Australian site Photoreview tested the new Panasonic 100-400mm lens:

Subjective assessment of images taken at other focal lengths implied image sharpness was maintained up to about 250mm, after which it began to tail off a little. However, images were still nice and sharp at 400mm and judicious application of unsharp masking before printing yielded excellent results.

Some people may think AU$2199 is a lot to pay for a fairly specialised lens. However, we feel this lens represents excellent value for money, particularly when compared with similar lenses for DSLR cameras, which weight several kilograms more and cost at least four times the price of Panasonic’s 100-400mm f/4.0-6.3 lens.

Mirrorlessons writes:

I’ll say it up-front: the Panasonic 100-400mm really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting the lens to be that sharp at all focal lengths and the fastest apertures. Although I used 300mm and 400mm most of the time for my wildlife photos, I also found it helpful to be able to pull back to 100mm. It can be an excellent choice not only for birds and wildlife but also for outdoor sports and other applications where a long lens is required.

Camerastuffreview writes:

The resolution (in lp/mm) of the Panasonic 100-400 mm is so high that a 24-megapixel camera with a larger sensor takes pictures that aren’t any sharper. You will not be bothered by vignetting and distortion. Thanks to the built-in image stabilization, you have a quiet viewfinder image when you shoot by hand, are less likely to get a motion-blurred shot in low light and get quiet video recordings. The robust construction and the extra sealing against dust and splashwater make this super-telephoto zoom perfectly suited for use under the most extreme conditions. Micro-43 users had to wait a long time for this lens, but it is worth the wait. This is an absolute winner.  

Really a great lens!

Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm preorder links at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera and Panasonic. In EU at Technikdirekt, Cyberport, WexUK. Fotosidan.

43rumors reader Dave sent me a huge file (download the PDF here) whcih collects all the MTF charts from MFT lenses (Some of the MTF charts are from DxO and ePhotozine). Dave writes:

“The object of the exercise is to present the bulk of the Olympus, Panasonic and third party lenses for the Micro Four Thirds (mFT/m43) compact system camera mount in one place, grouping lenses that might be the subject of some comparison prior to purchasing. (You can cut and paste rows if  necessary.) Only lenses native to the m43 system and the prior Four Thirds (FT) mount – which can be used with an official system adapter – are shown. Bear in mind that FT lenses from third parties are usually re-purposed full frame and APS-C sized lenses and as such are often significantly larger and heavier than even their native Four Thirds counterparts, let alone their m43 descendants. The point of considering older FT and compatible lenses really comes down to two features: the fact that some older lenses can be had quite cheap and that lenses designed for a larger format utilise just part of the image circle. This second aspect means that those lenses that typically score poorly when paired with a larger sensor can actually be quite good on the smaller FT sensor *, as the corners and edges are cropped away.
Equally, some of the more modern native mount lenses with large, fast apertures (for example the Voigtlander Hyperprimes) are big and heavy by m43 standards. Other specialist lenses, such as those for cine and special effects are not shown, as I think people wanting those will not really want or need to compare them with standard lenses, nor may sharpness be the starting point for a comparison.

* Note that the FT and mFT sensors are exactly the same size – it is just the flange distance that differs. You can use an older four thirds lens on the newer micro four thirds bodies with an adapter, but not the other way around. However, focussing performance is generally significantly poorer for the older lenses.“

The new Panasonic TZ100 is not a MFT camera but one of the best fixed lens compacts on marked. CameraLabs posted their TZ100 review and writes

There are 1in class cameras with pocket bodies and brighter lenses, but their zoom range is much shorter, typically 4x or less – for example the Canon G7X, Canon G9X and Sony RX100 IV. There are 1in class cameras with longer zooms, but their bodies are much larger too – for example the Canon G3X or Sony RX10 II. But right now there’s nothing out there which couples a 1in sensor with a 10x zoom in a pocketable body, and impressively also gives you a built-in viewfinder and 4k video.
As of early 2016, there’s nothing to match it if you desire the quality of a 1in sensor with a longish zoom that will fit in your pocket.

TZ100 store links: [shopcountry 58630].

Dpreview posted the full Panasonic GX8 review and writes:

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 is a impressive mirrorless camera that ticks most of the boxes that many enthusiasts are seeking. Its new 20MP sensor is impressive, Depth from Defocus AF system top-notch, and Dual IS system innovative. The camera’s touchscreen and Wi-Fi features are both well-implemented, and its weather-sealed body is solid.
Still shooters will need to decide whether having to use the electronic shutter to avoid blur is worth its potential trade-offs, while videographers who want to hook up an external mic or HDMI cable may not enjoy losing the flexibility of the camera’s rotating rear screen. It’s for these reasons – especially shutter shock – that we are unable to give the GX8 our highest award.

GX8 store links to [shopcountry 58445].

The new Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens will finally start to ship next week on March 15 according to BHphoto.

Daniel Cox just returned from Japan where he met with the Panasonic Lumix team and spent ten days photographing Japan’s Winter Wildlife. Most of the work was with the Lumix GX8 and the new Leica 100-400mm zoom. You can see the image gallery here http://archive.naturalexposures.com/proofing/C00003nDou.nKOU0/G0000gFSGHEV7FMk
He also produced a short video on shooting the GX8 in some very wintery conditions:

Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm preorder links at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera and Panasonic. In EU at Technikdirekt, Cyberport, WexUK. Fotosidan.

Sigma Japan (here) posted a series of full size JPG image samples shot on the E-M1 (and some on the A6000).

The Sigma can be preordered at BHphoto at Adorama at WexUK at Jessops and Calumet Germany.

The new lens on the GX8 (Image courtesy: ePhotozine)

ePhotozine tested the lens and writes:

Sometimes there are few choices in certain niches. This Panasonic Leica DG 100-400mm lens fits its purpose very well indeed, at a price which, although high, is reasonable in its class. If we want a high quality optic for sports, birding, wildlife, photo-journalism and other long range applications then this is it. The close focusing that brings closer subjects into range is a bonus.

Daniel Cox posted a new Leica 100-400mm Dual IS test with the Lumix GX8

The new Olympus lens is getting rave reviews for it’s Dual IS with the Olympus bodies so I thought I should try something similar with the new Leica 100-400mm and the GX8. I have given permission for downloading these images in their full size JPEG form. Below is the link and the password for download.
Leica 100-400mm Dual IS with Lumix GX8
Password: leicalensIStest

Panasonic-Leica 100-400mm preorder links at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, FocusCamera and Panasonic. In EU at Technikdirekt, Cyberport, WexUK. Fotosidan.