Lumix S 100mm f2.8 MACRO review: IN-DEPTH!

[@cameralabs]

My Panasonic Lumix S 100mm Macro lens review! Check prices on the Lumix S 100mm at B&H: bhpho.to/3SaYCfp // WEX UK: tidd.ly/3NVPjx9 Sell your used gear to MPB at: bit.ly/3ULU9yL Buy used gear from MPB at: prf.hn/l/YLqwRAP Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop Gordon’s retro gear channel: kzbin.info Equipment used for producing my videos Panasonic Lumix S5 II: amzn.to/3Hf5IcI Sony A6400: prf.hn/l/pRO0wp5 Sony e 24mm f1.8: amzn.to/2TqWNzk Rode NT USB mic: amzn.to/3AdHcUp Rode Wireless Go II mic: amzn.to/3xkCvGo Rode Lavalier Go mic: amzn.to/3ygzzKY Godox UL150 light: amzn.to/2VpVbXE Godox QR-P70 softbox: amzn.to/3yQfGdF MacBook Pro 14in (16GB / 1TB): amzn.to/3PrKbPV 00:00 - Lumix S 100mm introduction and rivals 01:37 - Lumix S 100mm design and controls 02:40 - Lumix S 100mm autofocus 03:08 - Lumix S 100mm bokeh balls and rendering vs 85mm f1.8 04:10 - Lumix S 100mm macro quality 1:1 06:08 - Lumix S 100mm focus breathing 06:42 - Lumix S 100mm focus stacking 08:44 - Lumix S 100mm portrait quality vs 85mm f1.8 10:05 - Lumix S 100mm landscape quality 10:53 - Lumix S 100mm sample images and verdict Music: www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

[@kamilpotato3764]

Grabbed one today. Official Panasonic UK store sells it for £599. On the top I got my hand on 12% referral code.

[@kamilpotato3764]

Hi. I received today my copy of Lumix S 100mm f2.8 macro. I never owned macro lens. There is a weird sound coming from lens when tilting it up and down. Like something is moving inside and making this gentle “thud” noise. Is it normal or I got wonky copy of the lens?

[@cameralabs]

@@kamilpotato3764 does it happen when the power is on? It could be a floating AF group.

[@kamilpotato3764]

@@cameralabs Only when powered down. I guess it’s designed like this. Glass element moves without power.

[@cameralabs]

@@kamilpotato3764 yep, quite a few lenses do that.

[@DanielCurious]

I would welcome more reviews of L mount lens and products.

[@cameralabs]

Thanjs, I'll see how this one performs as a video... hopefully enough people will watch to justify doing more. it's a great system. I do test almost all the Sigma lenses though as they're available for Sony and L.

[@woodykeiko]

I just got the S5II so I would like more L lens reviews, including if possible the Leica 24-90. Thanks.

[@reinhardbecker284]

Please do more tests on l-mount. The system is ignored by many and offers a lot!

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, if this video is successful, I'll definitely do more lumix lenses.

[@cmmarcoux]

​@@cameralabs I can only subscribe once, but I've done my part. I don't know if 2024 is the year when Samyang starts to release lenses on this mount...if it is, I think there will be a spike in interest for l-mount lens reviews...simply because there will be more comparison shopping. Right now, it's basically Lumix S vs Sigma DG vs major credit card debt (Leica FF)

[@fellowcitizen]

Capt. Gordon Tiberius Laing: photographer, educator, and soul-peerer extraordinaire. HNY!💎

[@cameralabs]

Happy New Year to you too! Here's to strange new cameras and lenses!

[@imagesbirds5066]

Wow. Kudos Panasonic for making it so small. It's quite an acheivement to make it so much smaller than the usual suspects from Sigma, Canon and Nikon.

[@cameralabs]

Yep, it's surprisingly short and light - I was concerned it may impact the quality, but as you can see in my tests, it's very good.

[@kamilpotato3764]

Sadly with this price tag out of my budget for a while.

[@BobWilliams-kk1zz]

Just when I thought Gordon couldn't get any better with his lens reviews he goes ahead and actually demonstrates how the focus positions from stacking reduces subject magnification on a macro lens, something many potential owners of this lens would be left to wonder about since no other reviewer would never even think to demonstrate this.

[@cameralabs]

Always happy to delve into the details!

[@dima1353]

Great review ! At first I was confused by this lens and did not understand how they did it. But i get it now. This is a different kind of 100mm macro. Naturally, primes breathe forward and usually 100mm macro rely heavily on this to get 1:1 at ≈ 0.3m. At macro distances, lenses like 100mm macro are not 100mm at all. I find it difficult to measure precisely, but my 100mm canon extends quite a lot. And I guess this is common for most 90-105 lenses. But this Panasonic is breathing corrected lens, and this is probably what made it possible to maintain such a modest length, but the macro experience will be noticeably different with 0.2m focus distance. And this is not necessarily a bad thing, at least for what I do. I use 100mm macro mainly up to 1:2 magnification for food and product photography and I think that in fact I work more with 110-120mm range and it is not as convenient and gives a slightly flatter picture than it would be if working with " real" 100mm. It would be interesting to compare the real angle with other 100 macro lenses. And this is a really new design, maybe this lens has more surprises. A drop in brightness, the influence of diffraction - who knows, the behavior in these parts may be different too.

[@clintjohnson5914]

Great comprehensive review Gordon.. Nobody else does it like you do as far as detail and real world use examples.. Thanks...

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, I always prefer real life scenes over charts as the characteristics of a lens can change quite a lot when focused far.

[@PepPayo]

Thank you very much for your in-depth and honest review. It is appreciated that you are one of the less privileged who have been able to access it before, that it does not say: 'it is the lens you need and have been waiting for'. I find the comparison with the rest of the alternatives on the market very exhaustive and accurate. And the tip of the comparison with the 85 f1.8 is the icing on the cake. Thank you very much again and keep up the good work!

[@cameralabs]

Glad to help!

[@ToolCraze]

Great review Gordon! And I've always been a big fan of the Panasonic cameras and lenses. I currently own several of their Panasonic m43 bodies and lenses. I think they knocked it out of the park with this macro. The size is very compact compared to other FF macros. Too bad the price is not tiny. 1k USD is quite a bit. But I'm happy with my Olympus 60mm macro. That's one thing where m43 is better at full frame - at shallow depth of field which is better for macro work.

[@SalvagedCircuitry]

What is the working distance of this macro lens? Edit: minimum focus: 20.4cm, working distance: ~11cm. Thanks!

[@cameralabs]

You're welcome! I made sure I included that!

[@BrittleMoon]

as someone considering switching from L Mount to Z for the ZF, this is certainly giving me pause! I just wish the alliance had a retro style body to go with the fantastic collection of compact lenses - though I understand that panasigma don’t really have the heritage to call on in that regard. Fantastic review in any case - always my first port of call for new (and old!) gear :)

[@cameralabs]

I agree, it'd be great for Panasonic to make a really stylish body for the system. They have some history in this regard too, as the LX series looked pretty good. I'll suggest it to them!

[@ampspedalspickups]

Awesome photo stacking section, exactly what I was looking for!

[@cameralabs]

You're welcome!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I switched from Canon to M43 for most of my photography but i have an S1R with Sigma's adaptor so I can continue using my TS-E lenses. I have also bought the 20-60 and 50 F1.8, and recently the 14-28. I can do focus bracketting very well with my Olympus OM-D E-M1x, and I can do 50 megapixels, but I can't do both together. L mount is viable now, for most photographers willing to pack a FF kit, Christian Fletcher is shooting Leica SL2, Joe Cornish has Sigma bodies, Ken Duncan has been using Lumx S for years. U am interested in gear that extends wat I can do, less with gear that "improves" what I can do but only marginally.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Great thorough review as always Gordon! You may not know but I quite often use your review as a sanity check. And I am glad to find out we pretty much have the same results and conclusions Happy New Year!

[@cameralabs]

Thanks Richard, I love your reviews too! HNY!

[@stevechmilar1215]

Hi Gordon. I just subscribed. I just bought a Lumix S5iiX, for archiving detailed oil paintings at various sizes (nothing ever bigger than 5' or 6'), shooting dioramas, photoshoots with real people and youtube content as well as live-streaming. I only have the 20mm - 60mm kit lens so far and would like to invest in a prime lens or two eventually. I was wondering what an expert like yourself would think of this question: I see there is also an 85mm Panasonic regular lens for less money than this 100mm Macro. Do you think the extra money for this macro is worth it compared to the 85mm? I'm mainly concerned with very crisp, accurate, detail when shooting a painting (in sections if I have to). I have about 20 feet of space in my studio (more if I need to go outside the room) from the painting and am also concerned that the 100mm would make me stand too far away. I'm still learning and can not rent an L-mount lens to try where I live. I'm not concerned about slightly slower autofocus on a macro lens. Most of what I do is not fast action, but careful in-studio work on a tripod. Any help at all is much appreciated, even a two word answer. Thank you and cheers from Vancouver Island. I look forward to more great content.

[@cameralabs]

Hi Steve, thanks for the follow. I think you already know the answer! The 100 is definitely a better-corrected lens, and by far the better choice once you start to get closer than portrait distances. The 85 really is a general portrait short tele lens with the benefit of f1.8 aperture, but the 100 will outperform it for what you want, while giving you the chance to focus much closer if you like. And you'll be archiving at around f8 anyway. Try out the high res mode too.

[@stevechmilar1215]

@@cameralabs Hi Gordon, thanks for the help! You rock! Your review with high-res mode of this camera was one of the biggest selling features for me - the comparison with all the little stripes. Very excited to keeping learning and do more shooting.

[@cameralabs]

@@stevechmilar1215 happy to help!

[@alx4nex]

Many thanks for the video review Gordon! Are you aware of any compatible flash rings made by Panasonic or third parties. This is for dental photography.

[@cameralabs]

I don't use them myself, but I'm sure any of them would work if they're triggered by a central hotshoe pin - and have an adapter ring to fit the barrel.

[@wmpx34]

Thanks, as a beginner I hadn’t quite realized that stopping down increases the depth of field like that, but your examples made it clear. I’ve been practicing manual focus on the 50-mm prime with focus peaking, and I was wondering what defines the depth of the focus plane. Makes a lot more sense now. Looking forward to this lens arriving tomorrow. Your photos here were impressive

[@cameralabs]

You're welcome!

[@kamilghazi240]

Thank you for the amazing video, just want to ask, how to know/set the magnification to 1:1? Greatly appreciated if u can answer 😁

[@cameralabs]

You just position the subject as close as the lens can focus

[@kamilghazi240]

@@cameralabs thanks, keep sharing your content 😁

[@JoshCameron]

Fantastic video Gordon, always the most thorough explanations and examples out there. Love it!

[@cameralabs]

Thanks Josh, you are as always too kind!

[@janromo9753]

Thanks. Looks like a cool lens. Yes would love more L mount love

[@georged822]

I went to an S1r + 50mm 1.4 s pro + 70-300 "macro" and i am sooo satisfied with the ergonomics and image quality. I expect great performance at a reasonable price from everything panasonic releases in L mount

[@joeaddison]

You might have heard of a Dutch tilt or a dutch angle, allow me to introduce you to the Brighton angle

[@cameralabs]

Ha ha, I might adopt that!

[@cyrilhamel8289]

Excellent review, as always 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Especially complete with all the macro tests and comparisons with Panasonic 85mm

[@GatorheadLuis]

Great review! Best review of this lens I’ve seen so far. Most appreciated was the comparison between the 85mm. I already own the 85 and will be picking up this 100mm and was curious if it could substitute as a portrait lens. Looks like I’ll keep the 85mm for portraits and use the 100mm for everything else. Super excited about this lens! Bravo LUMIX.

[@andy.photoandfilm]

Gordon! THANKS for showing the comparison between the 85mm 1.8 in terms of bokeh 😍 i'm really considering the 100mm instead of the 85mm as its close enough focal range and not having to carry an additional macro for weddings would be amazing.

[@cameralabs]

You're very welcome!

[@_benjimouse_]

For me FF macro has been less fun than it was on m43 was with the Oly 60mm. A lot of that I put down to the 600g+ lenses. As an FE userr I jealous of this one.

[@cellphonehistorian1491]

Again ,highly appreciate your work here❤❤❤. But what do you think about this lens versus Canon RF L 100mm , and also the other player in L mount alliance - Sigma 105 Marco? For me I don’t have Marco lens in L mount, but I find the Z 105MC and Canon RF L is super versatile and very high level optical quality

[@cellphonehistorian1491]

Like I used these two Marco lens more like a portrait lens or pet portrait lens

[@cameralabs]

If you already have a decent macro lens, like the Canon, then I wouldn't say you need this one.

[@zahifar3936]

Concise and fully informative review. Great! And a great lens too. No chromatic aberrations in sight.

[@cameralabs]

Thanks, and yep, it performs very well!

[@cornellouis]

top tier review as always

[@cameralabs]

Thankyou!

[@AjaySingh-228]

Good Sir..Beautiful clicks too

[@cameralabs]

Thankyou!

[@AjaySingh-228]

@@cameralabs you are welcome sir

[@SlavGuns]

Fantastic review.

[@cameralabs]

Thanks!

[@mouse3355]

I didn't know that coin is engraved with tiny 'ONE POUND' around it's rim. crazy😆 It is of course a remnant of history, but still, looking through macro glass is very much cool thing to do. Nice job! ...Is it Raspberry Pi Zero near the end?

[@cameralabs]

Well noticed! Yes, the detail on the coins is amazing up close, they all have lots of little details. And yes, that is a raspberry pi, mounted onto a PiTrex, which lets the old Vectrex games console do extra things. I'll be making a video about it on my vintage channel Dino Bytes.

[@mouse3355]

I'll check it out later!☺

[@stephanr.244]

Nice review, many thanks.

[@cameralabs]

You're welcome!

[@rogeryoung3587]

Highly competent and well presented review as always. What interested me was the focus breathing/stacking test, which made me wonder what, if any, difference there might be in the final image if, rather than racking focus in camera, a macro rail was used (StackShot perhaps), with the lens set to a fixed focal point and the resulting images stacked in Helicon (or my own preference - Zerene)..

[@mugushi54]

Very informative, thank you.

[@cameralabs]

you're welcome!

[@Capture262]

Thanks for your video

[@AntonisK]

internal focus?

[@cameralabs]

Yep

[@billgreen1140]

Any word on when it’ll be available?

[@cameralabs]

I think soon

[@maZec31]

Thank You Gordon for your reviews!

[@cameralabs]

Thankyou for watching!

[@bbasleigh6149]

Great reviews as always giving a vote of confidence on this new LUMIX S lens; in good company with growing family. Given the advantages of full-frame one is tempted to cross over from Fuji APS-C system. LUMIX colours provide unique experience that one cannot ignore.

[@thshof7447]

Love your reviews, Gordon. I would be interested to hear more about the SIGMA 14-24 F2.8 DG DN Art for L mount. Thank you & keep up the great work.

[@cameralabs]

Hi there, i have a written review of it at www.cameralabs.com/sigma-14-24mm-f2-8-dg-dn-art-review/ and a video about it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/Znbdd2Cjo9GDmpY

[@vic_the_roman]

These lenses seem small enough. 😎 Tempted to switch.

[@cameralabs]

This and the other Lumix 1.8 primes are really nice.

[@andgainingspeed]

Considering how small the lens is, I thought the vignette/distortion might be worse.

[@cameralabs]

Me too

[@vlcheish]

no vlog test???

[@cameralabs]

I do a piece to camera test in the portrait section

[@JustAaronJoshua]

its smaller than the sony 90mm f2.8

[@cameralabs]

It certainly is. I wish they'd update that lens.

[@SinaFarhat]

nice! Keep up the good work!

[@Skill_Issue92]

Given the price I'm not surprised by the quality of the lens.

[@andrerenaud1759]

Just commanded mine today…

[@TheDka1]

Thanks Gordon, this is an impressive release by Panasonic.

[@kjltube]

Very complete review as always Gordon, you are the benchmark. The Sigma 90mm f2.8 dg dn is also one to consider as a small flexible telephoto that goes close. Either way, great lens Panasonic.

[@cameralabs]

Thanks!

[@apocalypso1564]

Ah focus stacking, the area Lumix is still miles behind on because they won't do it with third party flash.

[@cameralabs]

I could put in a word for you - which lights doesn't it work with and do you know why?

[@apocalypso1564]

@@cameralabs I'm pretty sure any third party flashgun - personally I use Godox for my macro set up. The reason I was given was due to their worries that they don't think such flashes can keep up with their high frame rates like their own flashes can... I promptly got hold of a Lumix flash, and that couldn't even do higher than 3fps; the Godox can achieve 10fps on the Olympus bodies. Feels like just a firmware update and they open up their cameras to a whole new crowd of invertebrate photographers where this tech is now seen as a must.

[@cameralabs]

@@apocalypso1564 I'll try to find out more.

[@apocalypso1564]

@@cameralabsreally appreciate that. I must come across as a broken record, but for such an amazing system I just want it to work for everyone equally!

[@diversityandcomicsbear2625]

L Mount 👍

[@DelmaRaySmithJr]

Running Dog

[@cameralabs]

Crouching tiger

[@NetvoTV]

So small! By the way, anyone here need a logo? I'm a freelance logo designer and currently really need more opportunities right now because I really need a hard drive right now to back things up and help me get back on track, if anyone can offer me some work or help will be really appreciated! :-)