GH3 50mm Lens = Looking for Great Modern Glass for GH3

J

J.F.R.

Carbonite Member
Has anyone used this lens?
Zeiss ZE 50mm F/1.4

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/583975-REG/Zeiss_1677_817_Normal_50mm_f_1_4_ZE.html

My main focal length I use is 20-28mm as well as 85mm, recently though I want to add a 50mm prime to my workflow so I can get that in between range I'm missing. I got rid of my Nikkor 50mm as the look just didn't match well with my Rokinon lenses.

Rokinon currently does not have a 50mm for sale so I am looking for a 50mm modern lens for my GH3. Looking to spend no more than $700 and that's the main reason which has lead me to the Zeiss 50mm F/1.4. If anyone has used this lens, please let me know

Thanks a lot
 
It works.

Many m43 users go for ZF (Nikon mount) over the ZE, but not much difference as far as I understand.

For native, the Olympus 45/1.8 is very very good. For legacy but still top notch and affordable, Leica Summicron-r and maybe Summilux-r make nice images with excellent mechanics
 
Ianscreations said:
What is the major difference? He is looking for the lens for an m4/3 cam after all!
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I am looking for a 50mm lens, not 25mm. I already own a Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 which I love. Also I personally like lenses that have the aperture on the barrel of the lens. Not a fan of electronic controlled lenses. Furthermore Rokinon lenses can be used on a vast majority of cameras just not M 4/3.

I am specifically looking for a manual 50mm modern lens with Manual aperture. My quick research brought up this Zeiss 50mm which seems to be good. My other option is the Olympus 45mm, but wanted to know if the Zeiss was really that much better?

Thanks
 
I owned the Zeiss ZF 50mm f/1.4 for a little over a year. The best feature of this lens is very smooth focusing, much better than any other 50mm lens I've used.

The drawbacks to this lens are: it's soft wide open ( lots of coma ) and it has more chromatic aberration than the Olympus 45mm f/1.8.

Today I would probably buy the Olympus over the Zeiss, unless I had somebody focus-pulling, where the manual Zeiss lens would be better suited.
 
TheDingo said:
I owned the Zeiss ZF 50mm f/1.4 for a little over a year. The best feature of this lens is very smooth focusing, much better than any other 50mm lens I've used.

The drawbacks to this lens are: it's soft wide open ( lots of coma ) and it has more chromatic aberration than the Olympus 45mm f/1.8.

Today I would probably buy the Olympus over the Zeiss, unless I had somebody focus-pulling, where the manual Zeiss lens would be better suited.
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Thanks for the Feedback. How is the Bokeh of the Olympus? I'm really a fan of Nice smooth Bokeh or totally off the wall abstrack since I do a lot of Music Video and Artistic projects.
How is the Olympus wide open, f 1/8 is still pretty good....
 
I had the Zeiss ZE 50 f/1.4 for a short while. Like Dingo said, it's got an awesome smooth focus ring. I hated the lens wide open and that's where I lived on this focal length with my Canon 5D3 and 5D2. The lens was soft and had really bad chromatic aberration. The Canon 50L just destroyed this lens on performance. That said, I LOVE my Contax Zeiss (C/Y) 50mm f/1.7. It's small, ultra sharp, focuses smoothly and is affordable. I've got two and it's an awesome lens. I'll probably wind up getting the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 for my GH3 but if you want manual control, the Zeiss C/Y is a lens to consider.
 
I've got the Nikon AIS and Canon 1.2 (actually don't use the Canon since getting the Sigma 50mm.)

After testing the Zuiko 45mm on the GH3 I have to say, it's in the same league image wise and so much smaller, lighter and really fast AF.
Really impressive wide open and nice bokeh for a relative 3.5 MFT.
 
I do NOT like the look of Old Lenses. This is the Main reason I got rid of My Nikkor Ai lenses. Low contrast and washed out..... The only old lens I own is the Hellios 44, reason being I love the bokeh.

I love flares on lenses so that's a good this. Also to dailhard that Sigma does not have an Aperture ring, which means adapter, which really means a Lens I would never buy to be used with the GH3.

Right now it's looking like the Olympus 45mm and possible when Rokinon releases their 50mm I will buy that one. Also it's sad that the Zeiss is soft wide open, seems like it's a no go then.....
Thank's everyone
 
Ianscreations said:
Lol! I'm serious.
His request aside, what is the difference between a 50mm 1.4 prime on a full frame vs a 25mm 1.4 prime on a 4/3?
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Please don't hijack my thread, if you have this question you are free to make your own......

Basically to answer your question real quick, here it goes. There is no difference as it would basically be the same view. Full Frame has a larger meaning when you place a 50mm lens on it , it gives a different view than when you place the same lens on the GH2/Gh3.

Full Frame being wider translates this same view where as the GH2/3 having a smaller sensor makes that same 50mm lens more telephoto. So if you want the same view that a 50mm does on a FF camera you would need a 25mm for the GH2/3. I believe the crop of the GH2 is around 1.8 and the GH3 1.9-2.0. In comparison the 7d has a crop of 1.6.
 
J.F.R. said:
I do NOT like the look of Old Lenses. This is the Main reason I got rid of My Nikkor Ai lenses. Low contrast and washed out..... The only old lens I own is the Hellios 44, reason being I love the bokeh.
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Yeah, the problem with using vintage 50mm lenses on GH cameras is the flare at wide apertures. These lenses were designed for film, which was far less reflective than digital image sensors. The unfortunate result is that light rays can be reflected back from the sensor to the rear element of the lens, which usually lacks the non-reflective coating used on the front lens elements. Modern lens designs use aspherical lens elements and coatings to eliminate this problem.

I have the Sigma 50mm f1.4 in legacy Four Thirds mount, very sharp in the center with nice bokeh as well. While it needs an MFT adapter, it will auto-focus on the GH2 and GH3, albeit slowly. It's a good choice if you already have the MFT adapter.
 
Ianscreations said:
what is the difference between a 50mm 1.4 prime on a full frame vs a 25mm 1.4 prime on a 4/3?
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The DOF is the main difference.

The DOF on the M4/3 camera at f/1.4 will match the DOF of the Full Frame camera at f/2.8.

You can take this two ways...

-You can shoot with the M4/3 camera at f/1.4 and get enough DOF to keep things in focus

- You can shoot with the Full Frame camera at f/1.4 and get very shallow DOF to blow out everything except the exact focus.
 
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