Panasonic has announced the longest telephoto zoom yet for its L-mount full-frame mirrorless system, in the shape of the Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS. It’s impressively small and lightweight given its 500mm range, being similar in size to conventional 100-400mm zoom. It’s a lens that should appeal to photographers shooting distant subjects, including sports, wildlife, airshows, motorsports, or other kinds of action photography.
At a glance:
- $2100 / £1799
- Ultra-telephoto zoom
- Dust and splash-resistant construction
- 7 stops image stabilisation
- 196.1mm long, 1285g
- For L-mount cameras only
Optically, Panasonic has employed 19 elements in 12 groups, including 2 extra-low dispersion (ED) and 2 ultra ED (USD) glass elements to suppress colour fringing due to chromatic aberration. In addition, 2 elements made from ultra-high refractive (UHR) glass are used to correct for field curvature. Panasonic is also promising “industry leading” optical image stabilisation, with up to 7 stops of shake reduction when shooting hand-held.
The lens boasts dust and splash-resistant construction, and should work in temperatures down to -10° C. A fluorine coating helps keep the front element clean of raindrops or fingerprints. It comes with a removable tripod mount ring, with an Arca-Swiss compatible foot that will clamp directly onto many heads.
Physically, the lens measures 92mm in diameter by 196.1mm in length and weighs in at 1,285g on its own, or 1,595g with caps, hood and tripod mount. This means it’s very similar in terms of size and weight to its closest L-mount rival, the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS. It’s also smaller and lighter than other 500mm telezooms, such as the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM, or Tamron 150-500mm F5-6.7 Di II VC VXD.
Panasonic has employed a Dual Phase Linear Motor for autofocus, which promises silent focusing and suppressed focus breathing. Equally importantly, Panasonic says the lens supports manual focus while zooming. In practice, this means the focus won’t drift off your subject as you zoom in or out (in technical terms, the lens behaves as if it’s parfocal).
Looking at the controls, Panasonic has added a new ring for adjusting the zoom tension between ‘smooth’ and ‘tight’. A single lens-function button is provided, although it’s distinctly small. There are also AF/MF, OIS mode, and focus distance limiter switches.
The lens is also compatible with teleconverters. To use them, the wide end needs to be limited to its 150mm setting via a Zoom Limit switch, to prevent the rear element of the lens contacting the front of the teleconverter. With the DMW-STC14 1.4x converter, you get a 210-700mm F8-10 lens, while with the DMW-STC20 2x converter, it’s a 300-1000mm F11-14 combination.
The Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS is due to go on sale towards the end of October 2025 for $2100 / £1799.
Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 IS full specifications
| Price | $2100 / £1799 |
| Filter Diameter | 82mm |
| Lens Elements | 19 (2 UED, 2 ED, 2 UHR) |
| Groups | 12 |
| Diaphragm blades | 11 |
| Aperture | f/5-7.1 – f/29-40 |
| Minimum focus | 0.8-1.5m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.16-0.36x |
| Length | 196.1mm |
| Diameter | 92mm |
| Weight | 1,285g (1,595g with caps, hood, tripod ring) |
| Lens Mount | L-mount |
| Included accessories | Caps, hood, tripod ring |
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From Panasonic:
Panasonic Introduces the First Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens in the LUMIX S Series: LUMIX S 100-500mm F5-7.1 O.I.S. (S-R100500)
Wiesbaden, 24th September 2025: Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new LUMIX S 100-500mm F5-7.1 O.I.S. (S-R100500) interchangeable lens based on the L-Mount system standard. As the first1 ultra-telephoto zoom lens in the LUMIX S Series lineup to cover a focal length of up to 500mm, this lens supports lens teleconverters2, enabling ultra-telephoto shooting with a combined focal length of up to 1000mm. It delivers high resolution and beautiful bokeh across the entire zoom range, enabling photographers and videographers to capture stunning images and footage in a wide variety of shooting scenarios including wildlife, motorsports, and landscapes.
With an optimized lens element arrangement and Dual Phase Linear Motor, the lens achieves a remarkably compact design with an overall length of just 196.1mm, while delivering impressive ultra-telephoto performance. High-speed, high-precision, and silent autofocus, combined with Dual I.S. 2 image stabilization supporting up to 7.0 stops3, ensures exceptional portability and handheld shooting support, expanding creative possibilities in the field.
The lens is also designed for intuitive operation, featuring a customizable focus ring and a focus button. The focus ring can be used as a control ring, by assigning preferred settings such as aperture or other customizable parameters4, while the focus button allows users to assign their preferred functions, enabling a highly personalized and responsive shooting experience. To meet the growing demand for video production, the lens
also incorporates features such as focus breathing suppression and micro-step aperture control for smooth exposure transitions, supporting high-quality video performance.
With this product, Panasonic aims to contribute to expanding the creative scope by providing a compact yet powerful ultra-telephoto shooting experience for both enthusiasts and professionals.
The First1 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens in the LUMIX S Series Covering Up to 500mm
- Maintains high resolution across the entire zoom range, delivering sharp detail and beautiful bokeh even at maximum aperture
- Covers focal lengths from 100mm to 500mm; compatible with lens teleconverters2 for ultra-telephoto shooting up to 1000mm
Powerful 7.0-stop Dual I.S. 2 for Unshakable Stability and Enhanced Mobility - Achieves highly effective image stabilization with 7.0-stop3 Dual I.S. 2
- Ultra-telephoto zoom reaches in a remarkably compact 196.1mm design
- High-speed, high-precision AF powered by a Dual Phase Linear Motor Intuitive Operability for Focused Shooting
- Focus ring can be assigned to control shooting settings such as aperture (Control Ring function)4
- Focus button can be assigned to support intuitive operations such as Hybrid Zoom5
1 As of September 24, 2025. Among interchangeable lenses for AF compatible full-frame mirrorless cameras.
2 With optional teleconverter DMW-STC20 attached. Sold separately. Maximum aperture becomes two stops slower. When a teleconverter is attached, the focal length of this lens is limited to 150–500mm.
3 Based on the CIPA standard [Yaw/Pitch direction: focusing distance f=500mm. When LUMIX S1RII is used.]
4 Compatible cameras: DC-S1M2, DC-S1M2ES, DC-S1RM2 (Firmware version 1.2)
5 This function combines optical zoom and crop zoom, allowing you to extend the telephoto range using only the zoom ring without changing the focal length at the wide-end.
