At Cine Gear 2019 we got to opportunity to check out the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH Micro Four Thirds lens. With a f1.7 constant aperture throughout the entire range, one can bet this lens will become a favorite of GH5 and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K shooters.

Here are some quick highlights of this new lens: no focus breathing, step-less aperture, and a 9 blade aperture. The Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH., first mentioned last year, during Photokina, is now confirmed to be available after the 15th of July.

The Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH. lens is, as Panasonic’s marketing presented it, the world’s first standard zoom lens achieving full-range F1.7. More importantly, Panasonic put some key videography features built into the 10-25mm f/1.7.

One feature photographers will love is the adoption of a focus clutch mechanism that enables instant AF/MF switching and accurate manual focusing. Pulling back the ring reveals the classic distance markings in feet and meters, to better adjust focus. There is more, though, as Panasonic states that the lens “also excels in video recording performance with a mechanism that suppresses focus breathing, which was previously a fatal problem of all interchangeable lenses designed for still image photography.”

The lens is expected to retail for $1799 USD, which puts this lens into the slightly expensive category for MFT shooters. The lens is expected to ship after the 15th of July.

Panasonic 10-25mm Leica Features

• LEICA DG VARIO-SUMMILUX – LEICA Camera strict quality standards optimized for photo/video has been developed into this ruggedized mirrorless Micro Four Thirds mount lens.
• F1.7 FULL RANGE – F1.7 high-speed aperture brightness is available across the entire zoom range of 10-25mm
• STEPLESS APERTURE – A stepless “de-clicked” aperture ring and micro-step drive aperture system provide smooth transitions when scene brightness changes rapidly.
• REDUCED BRIGHTNESS SHIFTS – The optical design achieves exceptional barycentric stability to minimize image shifts during zooming.
• CLUTCH FOCUS – A focus clutch mechanism enables instant AF/MF switching and accurate manual focusing plus an inner focus drive system provides near silent operation.