F4 standard zoom LUMIX S 24-105mm MACRO

A review and sample photos using the PanasonicLUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S(S-R24105) with a LEICA SL Typ601.

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Table of contents

Gallery

The example photos were taken with a LEICA SL typ601.

Review

1．Overview

The LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S was released as a bundled lens for the LUMIX S1, Panasonic’s first L-mount camera with a 35mm full-frame sensor. It is a zoom lens that covers a full-frame sensor with a constant F4 aperture, and has a 4.4x zoom from 24mm at the wide end to 105mm at the wide end.

The lens has a structure where the lens barrel extends at the telephoto end, which is often used for inexpensive zoom lenses, with 24mm being the shortest and 105mm being the longest. As mentioned above, the maximum aperture of the lens is F4 throughout the entire zoom range, and the lens is equipped with an optical image stabilization mechanism.

The minimum shooting distance is 0.3m throughout the entire zoom range.

2．Usability

As mentioned above, the LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S was sold as a bundled lens with the LUMIX S1, and it seems that not many people purchased it alone. The maximum aperture is F4 throughout the entire zoom range, and it also has optical image stabilization, making it a luxurious build for a bundled lens.

I purchased the Leica SL typ601 (hereinafter referred to as SL) around 2020 to rescue my Leica R mount lenses. Since it is a Leica R mount lens, it only has manual focus (hereinafter referred to as MF) lenses, so I felt that it would be nice to have at least one lens to test the autofocus (hereinafter referred to as AF) performance of the SL. When I looked for a candidate, I passed on the Leica genuine standard zoom lens, the Vario-Elmarit 24-90mm, as it was expensive and not cost-effective. Just after the release of the LUMIX S1, several of these bundled lenses were lined up at Fujiya Camera in Nakano, so I purchased them.

My impression of using the LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S with the SL was that the focusing accuracy and focusing speed were on par; I didn’t think it was slow, but I didn’t feel it was particularly fast either, but it was sufficient performance for normal use. The speed and accuracy were comparable to the Leica L-mount AF zoom lens I used later.

The maximum aperture of F4 is not too bright, so it can be used at full aperture with confidence, and there were no major disruptions to the image quality during use. Since the lens becomes larger when a hood is attached, I used it without the hood, but no mysterious light was introduced even in scenes with a slight backlight.

As was my original purpose, I mostly use the SL with Leica R-mount lenses, so I ended up selling this lens without having much opportunity to use it. It’s not widely available on the second-hand market, but perhaps because it’s not popular, you can find it in stock if you look. However, there’s almost no difference between the second-hand and new prices, so it can be difficult to decide which one to buy.

3．Summary

In conclusion, to sum up the LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S , it is a standard zoom lens with a constant F4 aperture and a telephoto end of 105mm. The image quality is fine for a zoom lens, it is equipped with image stabilisation and has a minimum shooting distance of 0.3m, making it easy to use. It is a suitable lens for users who are comfortable with high ISO and want a longer telephoto end.

As it costs around 100,000 yen, photographers who place importance on brightness at full aperture would be better off with SIGMA’s constant F2.8 standard zoom lens.

Specifications, considerations, etc.

The LUMIX S 24-105mm F4 MACRO O.I.S costs around ¥100,000, so photographers prioritizing maximum aperture brightness would be better off with SIGMA’s constant F2.8 standard zoom lenses, such as the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Leica L-Mount Zoom Standard Full-Frame Mirrorless Art and the Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 DG DN Leica L-Mount Zoom Standard Full-Frame Mirrorless Contemporary. The original LEICA VARIO ELMARIT SL 24-90mm F2.8-4.0 is not recommended due to its older lens design and high price.

Items	S-R24105	LEICA VARIO ELMARIT SL 24-90mm F2.8-4.0	S-PRO2470
focal length(mm)	24-105	24-90	24-70
Maximum aperture	4	2.8-4	2.8
Minimum aperture	22	22	22
Aperture blade	9	?	11
Lens configuration	13群16枚	15群18枚	16群18枚
Minimum distance(m)	0.3	0.3-0.45 (24-90)	0.37
Lens length(mm)	118	138	140
Lens max diameter(mm)	84	88	91
Filter type	77	82	82
Image stabilizer	exsit	exsit	none
Weight(g)	680	1140	935
Release date	2019.3	2015.11.28	2019.9
Price	¥160,000	¥650,000	¥221,000

Reference links

• Panasonic Official page
• LEICA SL Typ601・Shige’s hobby
• LEICA VARIO ELMARIT SL 24-90mm・Shige’s hobby

Affiliate links

• Leica R lens・Ads by ebay
• Leica M lens・Ads by ebay
• Leica TL・Ads by ebay
• Leica SL・Ads by ebay

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Update history

• 2024.10.11
• 2023.08.27