How is this Nikon Lense?

[ethan cooper]

The 50 1.8 is a good starter lens for the money but it does tend to fringe some when opened up past 2.8 at 1.8 it's ok but not the best but it's a $120 lens for crying out loud. So you don't end up spending your money twice, go ahead and save up for a manual focus 50mm. Since you'll be pulling focus anyway you might as well get something that was designed for it. The old manual focus lenses are so much easier to mess with all around due to longer throws and smoother action. A used 50mm 1.4 is never a bad buy. See if KEH has any in stock.

I've never used the Samyang or Rokinon lenses but these might be worth looking into if you want manual glass. Not sure if they make a 50mm but the 35mm might be better for the GH2 anyway if you were going for a look thats closer to a 50mm on full frame.

If you can afford it, go ahead and buy the better stuff since you'll want to in a year or two anyway.

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

The 50 1.8 is a good starter lens for the money but it does tend to fringe some when opened up past 2.8 at 1.8 it's ok but not the best but it's a $120 lens for crying out loud. So you don't end up spending your money twice, go ahead and save up for a manual focus 50mm. Since you'll be pulling focus anyway you might as well get something that was designed for it. The old manual focus lenses are so much easier to mess with all around due to longer throws and smoother action. A used 50mm 1.4 is never a bad buy. See if KEH has any in stock.

I've never used the Samyang or Rokinon lenses but these might be worth looking into if you want manual glass. Not sure if they make a 50mm but the 35mm might be better for the GH2 anyway if you were going for a look thats closer to a 50mm on full frame.

If you can afford it, go ahead and buy the better stuff since you'll want to in a year or two anyway.

Since we are in the GH-1/2 section... 25mm is the approximate 'normal' lens focal length. A 50mm would be double that and more like a 100mm on a full frame 35mm still image.

There is one Nikon 28mm f/1.4 that seems pretty 'popular'... given that on e-bay the now discontinued model commands prices ranging form $2-3K... However, one can get 24mm and 28mm f/2.8 lenses for something less than that.

As a note, since these lenses were made for 'full frame' 35mm, and some reviewers will mention certain distortions... those distortions may be relative to the full frame 35mm. Because the GH-1/2 is using the more central portion of the coverage, the distortions may be less visible, or nonexistant. Testing of course is always recommended... but it is something to keep in mind.

[tommyp]

The 50 1.8 is a good starter lens for the money but it does tend to fringe some when opened up past 2.8 at 1.8 it's ok but not the best but it's a $120 lens for crying out loud. So you don't end up spending your money twice, go ahead and save up for a manual focus 50mm. Since you'll be pulling focus anyway you might as well get something that was designed for it. The old manual focus lenses are so much easier to mess with all around due to longer throws and smoother action. A used 50mm 1.4 is never a bad buy. See if KEH has any in stock.

I've never used the Samyang or Rokinon lenses but these might be worth looking into if you want manual glass. Not sure if they make a 50mm but the 35mm might be better for the GH2 anyway if you were going for a look thats closer to a 50mm on full frame.

If you can afford it, go ahead and buy the better stuff since you'll want to in a year or two anyway.

This is true. I do run manual focus FD and Nikon lenses almost all the time instead of the 50 1.8. I have the newer nikon 50mm mostly on my stills camera but i use it on the GH2 occasionally. For ease of VDSLR use the older manual focus glass is better you get the larger focus ring.