Panasonic has announced its newest macro lens for its full-frame Lumix S series mirrorless cameras. The Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro (buy here) claims to be the world’s smallest and lightest medium telephoto macro lens in its class.

That’s a pretty narrow definition of lenses, but the ones that fit tend to be quite large and heavy. So, it’s nice to see the size and weight issues being addressed for macro photographers. Especially field macro photographers.

Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro – Ultralight

Weighing only 298g, the Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro is an extremely lightweight macro lens. For a full-frame lens of this focal length, I would’ve expected it to be around double that in the past, if not more.

In fact, let’s look at the competition and weigh them all in according to their spec sheets.

	Mount	Weight	Dimensions
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM	Canon EF	625g	77.7 x 123mm
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM	Canon RF	730g	81.5 x 148mm
Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED	Nikon F	720g	83 x 116mm
Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S Macro	Nikon Z	630g	85 x 140mm
Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro	Leica L	298g	73.6 x 82mm
Pentax HD Pentax-D FA Macro 100mm f/2.8 ED AW	Pentax K	348g	65 x 80.5mm
Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro Art	Leica L / Sony E	715g	74 x 133.6mm
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS	Sony E	602g	79 x 130.5mm
Tokina FiRIN 100mm f/2.8 FE Macro	Sony E	570g	74 x 123mm

As you can see, it’s a pretty light lens, weighing less than half as much as most of the other lenses on the list. The only one that even gets close to it is Pentax. There’s no two ways around it. Medium telephoto macro lenses have traditionally been on the hefty side.

This will be an attractive draw to the Panasonic L mount system for keen macro photographers who want to lighten their load. Especially for those macro photographers who take their cameras exploring the wilderness.

1:1 at 204mm minimum focus distance

The Panasonic Lumix S 100mm f/2.8 Macro offers up to a 1:1 reproduction rate. This means that the size of the subject in the image matches the same physical size as the sensor’s pixels. This means you can get extremely close to your subjects on the computer.

The higher the resolution of your camera, the greater you can zoom into a section of the image when viewed at 100%. You do need to be at the lens’ minimum focus distance of 204mm in order to get that 1:1 reproduction ratio, but it is capable.

Dual Phase Linear Motor

Panasonic says that a newly developed dual phase linear motor suppresses focus breathing. This means that video shooters should be able to rack focus from one subject to another without it looking like a zoom.

The new dual phase linear motor system also allows near-silent operation of the autofocus system. The benefits for video are obvious, but this will also benefit macro photographers who were worried about camera noise upsetting tiny nervous subjects in front of the lens.

Panasonic S 100mm f/2.8 Macro Specs

Focal length	100mm
Max aperture	f/2.8
Min aperture	f/22
Lens mount	Leica L
Format	Full-frame
Angle of view	24°
Minimum Focus Distance	204mm
Max magnification	1:1
Optics	13 elements in 11 groups
Aperture blades	9, rounded
Focus type	Autofocus
Stabilisation	None
Filter size	67mm
Dimensions	73.6 x 82mm
Weight	298g

Price and Availability

The Panasonic S 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens is available to pre-order now for $997.99. It is expected to begin shipping at the end of January.