Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS

The Panasonic Lumix S 100-500mm F5-7.1 OIS is an ultra-telephoto zoom for L-Mount cameras with a full frame sensor. Panasonic announced it in September 2025 and calls it the first Lumix S zoom to reach 500 mm. It is aimed at wildlife, motorsport and landscape photographers and at video shooters who want long reach without a prime-lens sized setup.

Optical design

The lens has 19 elements in 12 groups, including two UED elements, two ED elements and two UHR elements. The diaphragm has 11 blades and forms a circular opening. The aperture runs from f/5 to f/7.1 at the maximum and closes down to f/29 at 100 mm and f/40 at 500 mm.

Autofocus and handling

A Dual Phase Linear Motor drives autofocus. Panasonic quotes up to 7.0 stops of Dual I.S. 2 stabilization, measured to CIPA with the S1RII at 500 mm for yaw and pitch. Further controls include a focus switch with FULL and LIMIT settings, a switch for the stabilizer modes, a tight-smooth ring that adjusts the feel of the zoom ring and a focus button that can be assigned functions such as Hybrid Zoom. The focus ring can be used as a control ring, and the lens offers focus breathing suppression and micro-step aperture control for video. The minimum focus distance is 0.8 m at 100 mm and 1.5 m at 500 mm, with a maximum magnification of 0.16x at the wide end and 0.36x at the long end. Panasonic lists the DMW-STC14 (1.4x) and DMW-STC20 (2x) teleconverters. With one attached the zoom range is limited to 150 to 500 mm, and the 2x converter costs two stops.

Build and size

The lens weighs about 1,285 g without the tripod mount, measures 92 mm in diameter and 196.1 mm in length and takes 82 mm filters. Panasonic lists a dust, splash and freeze-resistant design with a fluorine coating, and a removable tripod mount is supplied.

Where it fits

The Sigma 60-600mm is over 1 kg heavier and 80 mm longer. In our database, relevant alternatives for L-Mount are the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS, the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS (Sports), the Sigma 60-600mm F4.5-6.3 DG DN OS and the Leica Vario-Elmar-SL 100-400 f/5-6.3. The shorter Panasonic Lumix S 70-300 F4.5-5.6 Macro OIS is the lighter choice.

Pros and cons

Pros

• 500 mm reach on L-Mount in a 196.1 mm body
• Up to 7.0 stops of stabilization, according to Panasonic
• Dust, splash and freeze resistance
• Focus limiter switch and a tight-smooth ring for the zoom
• Supports 1.4x and 2x teleconverters

Cons

• Slow aperture of f/7.1 at 500 mm
• Weight of about 1,285 g plus tripod mount
• Minimum focus distance of 1.5 m at 500 mm
• 82 mm filter thread

Verdict

A long zoom for L-Mount users who want 500 mm with strong stabilization and without the weight of a 600 mm class zoom. The slow aperture at the long end is the trade-off.