GH2 20mm lens - which one to chose?

Phenixone

Phenixone

Well-known member
Hi, I am planning on investing in a 20mm or around 20mm lens. The issue is which one should I get?

Obviously, there is the 20mm pancake from Pana, but it doesn't look too adapted for filming with no hard stop. But its size is interesting.
The Voigtländer 0.95 is gorgeous and super fast, but super expensive (and probably out of my budget for now).
Finally I was looking at the Nikon Lens with adapter. With Nikon lens, it gives me confidence that I will be able to use it on various cameras, even non 4/3.

Any other ideas? suggestions? comments? Thank you.
 
The pana 20mm is a nice sharp lens. Its also more affordable now than when it first came out. There isnt many other faster lenses anyway. Look for a used one.
 
My vote is also for the Panny 20mm. It's the most bang for your buck, well under $400 at this point. The size is the best thing and the worst thing about it -- it's nice and light, but I constantly find my finger being in the shot when I'm focusing.
 
Keep in mind that the Nikon 20mm will end up more akin to a 35mm - 40mm due to crop factor. That being said, I tend to use Nikon lenses on my GH2 since I've got Nikon gear already & like keeping future options open.

I did however have the pleasure to use the Voigtländer 0.95 a few weeks back and loved it.

I have a hard time dropping $1000+ on a 4/3 lens though since this segment of the market changes by the day and in all likelihood either Nikon or Canon will have something in the next year or two that will make many of us consider ditching our GH2's & I don't want to be saddled with a lot of glass for a format that I'm not 100% sure will hold it's value well into the future.
 
I didn't buy my 20mm with an eye towards it's value a few years down the road. I bought a G1 a year ago and a recent GH2 and four other Panny lenses because they help me get the images I want. They will still be capable of those type of images five years down the road. Cameras may get better in that time but most memorable images have more to do with the subject and composition than they do with gear. Once you reach a certain level of gear the returns on spending more or having the latest diminish swiftly. The Voigtländer 0.95 in a different league as you stated. If that is what you need for what you are trying to achieve and you can afford it, get it.

There are plenty of images posted of what the 20mm Panny will do. If you like what you see buy the 20mm Panny lens now and enjoy it now.
 
While I bought the Voightlander 25mm f/0.95 for the speed and smooth manual focus, here is how I see things stacking up...

20mm f/1.7 Lumix : Compact "pancake" lens with electronic focus and aperture ( $300+ )

20mm f/2.8 Nikon AI-S : Compact manual lens with manual aperture ( sells in the $200+ range )

24mm f/2.0 Nikon AI-S : Medium size manual lens with manual aperture ( hard to find, sells in the $400+ range )

24mm f/2.0 Kiron Nikon AI-S Mount : Medium size manual lens with manual aperture ( hard to find, sells in the $100+ range )

25mm f/1.4 Lumix : New on the market. Fast AF with electronic focus and aperture ( $600 )

25mm f/0.95 Voightlander : Large manual lens with manual aperture ( super fast, hard to find, sells in the $1,200 range )

...If I was to buy another lens in this range it would be either the Lumix 25mm f/1.4 for fast AF focusing, or the Nikon 24mm f/2.0 AI-S because it has a manual aperture, smooth manual focusing, and it will fit almost any camera on the market. ( The Kiron 24mm f/2.0 would be nice to have as a cheap back-up to the Nikon 24mm. It's a good lens, not as good as the Nikon, but still pretty good )
 
If money is tight, Pancake.
If money is not tight, make sure you look at the new Lumix/Leica 25 1.4 coming out before buying
a Voigtlander or Nikon.
 
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