14 DAY TRIAL // Today is the first day of CES, and most of the important players on the digital camera market have already made quite a few announcements regarding their camera and lens lineup.
One of the most expected lenses this year is Panasonic's Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 APSH, which the company has just revealed at the International CES show in Las Vegas.
The lens is designed for Panasonic and Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras and has an effective focal length of 85mm (35mm equivalent) if we take into consideration the MFT crop factor. With a maximum aperture of f/1.2, the lens is suitable for portrait shots as well as low-light artistic photosessions.
In terms of optical construction, the Nocticron is comprised of 14 elements and 11 groups including one UHR (Ultra High Refractive) lens, two aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element that provides enhanced optical quality and reduces spherical aberration and distortion.
The aperture has a rounded shape thanks to its nine blades that will produce a beautiful bokeh when used at larger aperture settings. The lens construction also features an aperture ring that gives you direct control over the aperture setting without the need to change it from the camera dials.
Featuring Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating technology, the Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 lens manages to reduce reflections, ghost, and flare to a minimum on the entire visual light range. Another great asset of this lens is the integrated Optical Image Stabilizer that will compensate the camera's movement, allowing you to capture clear shots even in low-light conditions.
In addition to that, the lens also comes with a newly developed stepping motor, which makes focusing smooth and silent in both still and image recording. The Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH will ship starting March at a price of $1,599 / €1,499 / £1,399. This is quite high if we take into consideration the $999 / €733 price of Fujifilm's latest XF56mm f/1.2 R lens.