About to buy a GH1 – please help!

[Jean Dantes]

Hi guys,
I am about to purchase a Panasonic GH1. I have a few questions in regards to accessories, and was wondering if you guys could please help me out?

1. I own a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 lens. Which is the BEST adaptor that I can buy so that it can be used with my GH1?

2. Which is the best SD card for the GH1?

3. I have never used ND filters before. Could someone please direct me to the best ND filters that can be used in accordance with the stock GH1 lens, and the best ND filters that can be used in accordance with my Canon FD 50mm lens?

Thank you for your time! Much appreciated!!

[PhilD]

1) Ciecio7 adapter on eBay
2) A Panasonic SD card is probably the best. Do not buy Transcend because many users report card errors.
3) You can buy a Cokin P adapter then either buy Cokin ND filters or Singh-Ray or other companies that make ND filters that are compatible with the P system. That will save you a lot of money if you have multiple lenses.

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks so much for the reply PhilD!

1. Cool, I'll check that adaptor out. Do you know if it has infinity focus? (could you please give me the link to this ebay item too?)

2. I will definitely buy a Panasonic SD card. Is there a certain write speed I should look out for?

3. What is a Cokin P adaptor, and the "P system" in general?

Thanks again!!!

[ryansheffer]

Not to sidetrack the thread too much but I have used the transcend class 6 16GB without any issues.

What issues are people reporting?

[simonclivehughes]

I've also been using Transcend 8GB cards for many months in a pair of G1 cameras and in my GH1 for a couple of weeks with no issues whatsoever.

Cheers,

[DonalDuc]

Not to sidetrack the thread too much but I have used the transcend class 6 16GB without any issues.

I am the next in row - a lot of Transcend 16 GB class6 cards without problems.

COKIN filters, haha, if you get regulars for $ 6.29 incl. free shipping ...

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=nd+filter+62mm&_sacat=See-All-Categories

[DChang]

I believe one of the vendors on this board mentioned that out of 750+ Transcend cards they've sold, only 3 or 4 have been returned. And remember most people don't remember to format the card in camera before using it.

[yslee]

Seesh, for SD cards, just buy what's common and cheap. If you're worried, buy a Sandisk or a Lexar.

[Ben_B]

Sandisk Ultra II Class 4 works great! Good prices too. If you have a costco membership and there's one nearby you can pick em up locally for a decent price close to internet...$30 or so for 2 x 4GB cards.

Agree on Ciecio7 adapter...I got my nikon one from Jack Daniel Stanley but I am pretty sure it is a Ciecio7.

For ND filters I am using a Tiffen 62mm thread 0.9 ND filter and plan to get a 0.3 and a 0.6. I also have a step up ring, 52mm to 62mm so I can use it for my nikon lenses, and plan to, at some point, get a step down ring so I can use it with this sigma lens I have that is 77mm (but the glass is closer to 52mm.) I know people prefer the mounts and variable ones and such but this works great for me and is very simple and cheap and you're not committed to buying lots of filters...so far just the 0.9 has been working well for me....I figure if I need to cut fewer than 3 stops I will just stop down...but I will probably pick up a less intense filter @ some point.

[yslee]

Jean is in Australia, where Costco is not prevalent. :P

I'm still undecided if a filter holder (like the Cokin, Lee systems) make more sense or screw-on filters are better. I'm using some cheap Hoyas for the time being with the kit till I decide. But for screw-on filters I can highly recommend Hoya SHMCs; very little flaring and ghosting with the SHMC coatings.

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

I will look into all the memory cards suggested. I don't mind what brand I end up with, I am only concerned with getting a memory card that has the correct write-speed.

Can somebody please provide me with a link to where I can purchase a Ciecio7 adapter?

What do you guys think of this adapter:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FD-Lens-To-panasonic-G1-GH1-Olympus-E-P1-Micro-4-3_W0QQitemZ250472828283QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLens_Acc essories?hash=item3a51580d7b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Will I have to only buy one set of ND filters for both my Canon FD lens and the stock lens that comes with the GH1? (sorry for the n00b questions, I'm new to this!)

[simonclivehughes]

I'm using step-up rings on my lenses to get to 77mm then I have a B+W circular polarizer and then a Cokin P holder into which I mount Hitech ND and/or Singh-Ray ND grads. Simple and a whole lot less expensive than outfitting multiple lenses.

Cheers,

[Jean Dantes]

Also, is there an official GH1 to FD mount adapter available anywhere?

[Martti Ekstrand]

Nope, not likely there will be one. Here's ciecio7 on eBay:

http://myworld.ebay.com/ciecio7/

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks for the link Martti!!

So this one is crap compared to the ciecio7 one?:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FD-Lens-To-panasonic-G1-GH1-Olympus-E-P1-Micro-4-3_W0QQitemZ250472828283QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLens_Acc essories?hash=item3a51580d7b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[yabyum]

I have a whole set of NDs myself. Hoya's HMC, pretty cheap but good. They've worked well for me thus far. Oh and I followed the advice of someone on here and got two ND8s (.9 I believe) because actually in full on bright summer sun the double ND8s are needed. Stacking a .9/.6/.3 will probably result in vignetting.

IF I could do it over again I would've picked up the Fader ND that's on ebay for $100. Basically with a twist of a ring allows you to change the ND level to whatever you please. Really cool because it allows for a pseudo manual iris change while you are shooting. Do a search for Fader ND on the forums and I'm sure you'll find the link. Sorry don't have it offhand.

Oh and twisting a ring > twisting and replacing delicate filters. Boy that can be time consuming.

[Ozpeter]

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Light-Craft-Workshop__W0QQ_sidZ146221611QQ_trksidZp4634Q2ec0Q2 em14?_pgn=1 is the Fader ND site I believe - and they seem to be out of stock.

[Jean Dantes]

Thanks yabyum, I didn't even know there were such things as "Fader ND filters". Sorry for this n00b question, but if I have the stock GH1 lens, and a Canon FD 50mm f1.4, what thread sizes am I looking at? I don't mind buying a Fader ND for each lens.

Thanks for link too Ozpeter!

Thanks again to the replies, much appreciated!

[yslee]

See the inside of the lens caps. Should be 62 and 52 respectively.

[Martti Ekstrand]

Oh and twisting a ring > twisting and replacing delicate filters. Boy that can be time consuming.

This is where my Cokin set-up shines. I have a ring adapter on each lens and then it's just a snap-off snap-on operation to move the NDs between lenses.

Fader / Vari-NDs are a good fast solution in many situations but they can make the sky shift in colour and lightness when panning / tilting. Ditto for reflections in objects like cars and streets. Gets even more noticeable when handheld and dutching the cam around the optical axis.

[snicky]

Jean you can get that Ciecio7's FD adapter with a discount if you will contact him by e-mail and decide to buy outside of ebay.

[Jean Dantes]

See the inside of the lens caps. Should be 62 and 52 respectively.

Thanks for answering my ultra n00b question :)


Fader / Vari-NDs are a good fast solution in many situations but they can make the sky shift in colour and lightness when panning / tilting. Ditto for reflections in objects like cars and streets. Gets even more noticeable when handheld and dutching the cam around the optical axis.

Hmmm, that doesn't sound good...


Jean you can get that Ciecio7's FD adapter with a discount if you will contact him by e-mail and decide to buy outside of ebay.

Awesome! Thanks for the tip!!

So Ciecio7's FD adapter is the one everyone swears by?

Thanks again guys! Much appreciated!! :)

[danny dale]

Awesome! Thanks for the tip!!

So Ciecio7's FD adapter is the one everyone swears by?

Thanks again guys! Much appreciated!! :)

Did you get in touch with Ceicio? And if so did you get a discount?

[Jean Dantes]

Did you get in touch with Ceicio? And if so did you get a discount?

Nah, not yet. I'm still trying to find out if the Ceicio7 is the best adapter for FD lenses at the moment...

I have a FD 50mm F1.4, but I'm not sure what type of breech-lock it has...(I don't know much about lenses, I'm new to all this). So I gotta make sure Ceicio7's adapter is right for my lens before I buy it...

[Martti Ekstrand]

I have FDs with both type of locks, the silver ring and the later type twist-back-and-forth-into-place ones. Both work fine with the ciecio7 adapter.

[danny dale]

I have FDs with both type of locks, the silver ring and the later type twist-back-and-forth-into-place ones. Both work fine with the ciecio7 adapter.

nice... that is info I needed to know. Do you happen to know if it works with the older FL lenses? I sent Ciecio7 a message through eBay but haven't heard back from him. Does anybody have an email address for him? Hoping to get a discount... :thumbsup:

[Jean Dantes]

I have FDs with both type of locks, the silver ring and the later type twist-back-and-forth-into-place ones. Both work fine with the ciecio7 adapter.

That is very comforting to know Martti! Thanks for that! :)

[Tim M]

Sandisk Ultra II Class 4 works great! Good prices too. If you have a costco membership and there's one nearby you can pick em up locally for a decent price close to internet...$30 or so for 2 x 4GB cards.

Agree on Ciecio7 adapter...I got my nikon one from Jack Daniel Stanley but I am pretty sure it is a Ciecio7.

For ND filters I am using a Tiffen 62mm thread 0.9 ND filter and plan to get a 0.3 and a 0.6. I also have a step up ring, 52mm to 62mm so I can use it for my nikon lenses, and plan to, at some point, get a step down ring so I can use it with this sigma lens I have that is 77mm (but the glass is closer to 52mm.) I know people prefer the mounts and variable ones and such but this works great for me and is very simple and cheap and you're not committed to buying lots of filters...so far just the 0.9 has been working well for me....I figure if I need to cut fewer than 3 stops I will just stop down...but I will probably pick up a less intense filter @ some point.

Hey Ben_B are you using the single or multi-coated Tiffens? I know multi-coated is better and highly recommended, but the single coated ones are so much cheaper and I think they would probably be good enough for me for now.

[FarinHeight_Productions]

The ciecio7 FD adapter works great but I did have a couple issues that are more like personal peeves.

1. The screws holding the silver lens mount mysteriously loosened 5 minutes after installation. Initially I thought it was a defective adapter because the lens began wobbling 1mm up/down/left/right. Easy fix. Took a jeweler's phillip screwdriver and snugged all screws. That cured the massive lens wobble. When you receive the adapter, make sure all screws are tightened before use.

2. The aperture locking ring on the adapter (ring with the green dot) rotates too easy. It needs a more defined "click" so to speak. I find myself accidently nudging the ring occasionally, especially when I'm fidgeting with the lens aperture. Maybe it's me being careless and unconsciously grabbing the wrong ring, but in my opinion the adapter ring that locks the aperture into place shouldn't loosen that easy. When the ring loosens, the lens aperture ends up closing down.

Other than those issues, the FD adapter works awesome. I'm currently using a Canon 50mm f1.8 with an ND4 in the sun but I need an ND8 since 1.8 is still over exposed.

Good luck with your setup.

[Martti Ekstrand]

That's the old ciecio7 FD adapter you are talking about. The new one is made from just two solid aluminum parts.