PANASONIC EXPANDS ITS LUMIX MICRO G SYSTEM WITH TWO LENSES COMPATIBLE WITH THE NEW DMC-GH1 DIGITAL CAMERA

New Micro Four Thirds Lenses Offer Increased Range and Flexibility for Taking Professional-Quality Photos and High Definition Video

Las Vegas, NV (March 3, 2009) – Panasonic today introduced two new lenses for its LUMIX G Micro System – the innovative digital interchangeable lens camera system – the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. and the LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. Both lenses are compatible with the newly announced LUMIX DMC-GH1 digital camera, which can record High Definition (HD) AVCHD 1080/24p video, and its award-winning sister camera, the LUMIX DMC-G1 digital camera.

“Panasonic is excited and proud to expand our LUMIX G Micro System – with the addition of these two new Micro Four Thirds lenses, as well as the LUMIX DMC-GH1, which can record superb High Definition video, “said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “We firmly believe that consumers of all skill levels can benefit from the advanced features we are able to pack into these new compact lenses and camera bodies.”

The new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., available as part of the kit with the DMC-GH1, or separately, incorporates an inner focus direct-drive linear motor for focusing. This allows fast and accurate contrast auto focus (AF) to operate smoothly and silently – a necessity for video recording. Adopting the Micro Four Thirds System standard, the new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. offers a long zoom of 14-140mm (35mm camera equivalent: 28-280mm), suitable for a wide range of shooting situations – from scenery to portraits to telephoto shots – all possible with a compact and lightweight lens.

The LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. uses four aspherical lenses and two ED lenses to achieves dramatic downsizing – despite its powerful 10x optical zoom – and still minimizes distortion and chromatic aberration. Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) is incorporated in the lens, making it easy to shoot clear shots even in telephoto shooting or in low-light situations – as this feature minimizes blur caused by hand shake.

Panasonic’s other new lens, the ultra-wide-angle zoom interchangeable lens LUMIX G VARIO

7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH features an astonishingly wide-angle zoom range of 7-14mm (35mm camera equivalent; 14-28mm). Its compact and lightweight size makes it easy for users to carry while they are on the go. Taking advantage of its 114-degree wide-angle view, users can fit more subjects in a frame – even when the shooting distance is limited, for example, while shooting indoors. This expansive view gives users great flexibility and a rich perspective when shooting photos or video.

The high-performing, yet lightweight LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm/F4.0 ASPH. achieves its compact size by incorporating two aspherical lenses and four ED lenses in a unit of 16 elements in 12 groups. The resolution of the images is high, even at its wide-end and features F4.0 brightness through its entire zoom range thanks to a large diameter glass-molded lens embedded within the body.

When both of these news lenses are mounted on the LUMIX DMC-GH1, users can take advantage of the advanced contrast AF system including Face Recognition, offering a variety of convenient and fun shooting. Seven aperture blades give the aperture a rounded shape that, when shooting at a larger aperture, produces an attractive smoothness in out-of-focus areas. Featuring highly-durable metal mounts, the new lenses use multicoated lens elements to reduce ghosting and flares, helping to deliver a positive user-experience – whether shooting HD videos or taking beautiful digital photos. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.