Fast alternative lens

[Mike@AF]

I'd like to keep my camera package as small as possible, as well as keep overall cost down. Is there a Micro 4/3 lens that's faster than the kit lens and will also allow for the auto aperture and auto focus controls? Basically a direct replacement to the kit lens that's faster. F2 or F2.8 would be ideal for me for the kind of low light shooing I might do. I looked at the two lenses Panasonic has, but they aren't fast enough.

[admactanium]

That's also a zoom? I don't see one. There's a Zuiko lens that's pretty fast a 2.0 but it's expensive and Panasonic says that with an adapter it's manual focus only. There are fast primes that are compatible though. At least one that I know for sure is my 25mm 1.4 and there's the mythical 20mm 1.7 that's supposed to come out later this year from Panasonic.

[Abstract Photog]

the Olympus' m43, E-P1 (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=172982) pancack lens will be close to what your looking for.
I dont think its available just yet, but should be soon...and prob before the Panny primes are released.

[Mike@AF]

Yeah, I was hoping to find a zoom with a similar range as the kit lens, or even better. Not sure I'd want to go below f2.0 because of possible focus difficulties. I'm not really that interested in investing in a bunch of primes at the moment. And after seeing how well the AF-C works I'd like a fully compatible lens. I guess I'll just stick with the kit lens for now and do more lighting, and hope something comes out later.

[Kholi]

Fastest zooms out are 2.8's and they're expensive for good quality. They also won't have auto functions unless you get a Panasonic cross-over adapter or something like that.

I'm really interested in panasonic's 25/1.4 based on the performance of the Kit Lens with the GH-1. Also, that 20/1.7 sounds nice too. =D

Check out the Sigmas -- 20/1.8, 24/1.8, 28/1.8 for fast wide primes with decent reputations.

They're also decently priced manual lenses that you can find on Ebay etc second hand in Nikon or Canon mount.

I'm using mostly fast Zeiss Contax primes, though. Most of the 1.4's. Quite nice.

[Martti Ekstrand]

Fastest zooms out are 2.8's and they're expensive for good quality. They also won't have auto functions unless you get a Panasonic cross-over adapter or something like that.

If going for really expensive there's always this Olympus f/2.0 14-35mm puppy that alone goes for more than a GH1 with the kit lens. I've been eyeing it but haven't dared look for a m4/3 adapter with aperture electronics because if there is one I might max out my credit card in an instance.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1334

[fishops]

I wish Tamron would release lenses for 4/3. The Tamron 17-55 2.8 and 28-70 2.8 are the best cheap zooms for crop bodies out there in my opinion.

[Mike@AF]

Yeah, I just found the four-thirds.org site and looked at all the options. Anything I'd want is just more than I'd want to spend right now, so I'm just going to stick with the kit lens for now. This is an intermediate solution anyways. After the Scarlet is finalized then I'll look at my options since I'd probably be going from the GH1 to that.

Thanks for the input tho guys.

EDIT: Also, if I was buying lenses I'd really want to retain the auto aperture and AF-C functions of the camera. Not so much auto aperture, but definitely AF-C. That seems to work wonders.