Panasonic PZ 45-175mm F4.0-5.6 OIS

The Panasonic PZ 45-175mm f/4.0-5.6 OIS is a compact, 3.8x telephoto servo zoom lens for the Micro 4/3 system. Key features include:

• 3.8x Servo Zoom

• Inner Focusing Stepping Motor.

• Optical Image Stabilization

3.8x Servo Zoom. This relatively small 3.8x telephoto zoom offers 90-350mm equivalent focal length post-sensor crop factor, which is quite impressive for a lens with f/4-5.6 aperture. It has Panasonic’s Power Zoom technology, which is marketing for servo zoom. The toggle switch on the side of the lens controls the power zoom, yet you still have the manual zoom option if needed. With some Panasonic cameras (not the AG-AF100), you can adjust the power zoom speed in the menu. This offers the user the flexibility of a quick zoom for fast action or a slow, smooth zoom for a dramatic effect.

Inner Focusing Stepping Motor. Multi-Actuator Floating Inner Focus System, which allows the lens to stay at an overall length of 3.54 inches, regardless of zoom or focus setting. This in combination with a stepping motor and contrast autofocus gives an ultra fast AF telephoto lens for nearly any use.

Optical Image Stabilization. The in-lens stabilizer uses a gyro sensor to help to combat camera shake in both still and video shooting.

This small, lightweight telephoto zoom offers a power zoom feature, allowing smooth zoom transitions. That’s its claim to fame. Image quality is about average for a low-cost consumer lens. If yo…

This small, lightweight telephoto zoom offers a power zoom feature, allowing smooth zoom transitions. That’s its claim to fame. Image quality is about average for a low-cost consumer lens. If you don’t need the power zoom feature for shooting video and don’t mind the increase in size, the offers slightly better image quality.