Advice needed on GH2 lenses- tight budget for small business

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fracker

New member
Hi guys. Brand new here, i'd just like to say thanks to all the contibutors, i've learned a hell of alot from your forum.

I've been involved in short filmmaking for a few years, never really learning how to do any particular task very well- jack of all trades sort of man.

I recently decided to start a video tour busines starting with real estate video, corporate video and hopefully graduating to wedding videos in a year or so.

Right now i'm on a serious SERIOUS tight budget, broke as a joke really, but with some local community startup support. I'm building my own wensite, Quad core pc etc.
I have a gh2 with 14-140 mm with some basic sundries (sd cards, batteries).

I know nothing really but the basics on lenses etc. But i am determined to learn, which is why i will be starting with low end real estate video until i can be confident to move on to higher end work.

So, my questions-

1)can i get away with the 14-140 mm as my only lens, or will i need the 20mm pancake lens to give good quality work.? (the 7-14 is far out of my price range)

2) if i need the pancake aswell, should I be using this for the majority of the indoor video?

3) i've heard mention of the olympus 9-18 as a viable alternative, is this correct ? (as it's cheaper). (but it doesnt work with the GH2 touchscreen autofocus right?)

so, i know alot of this will come to me with practice, but i'd really appreciate any advice.

Kit i have DEFINITELY decided I need to get are a steadicam (not sure which yet), a good tripod+fluidhead- (or that versatile multitool manifroto monopod), and ND filters for outdoor shooting.

So in summary- i have a year to try and change my career for life, and do something i've always loved doing-creating, or i'll have to go back to working in an office for the rest of my life when the economy picks up again. The goal is to use my considerable free time to turn into a dslr video superhero over the next 5/6 months, while earning some cash, and slowly building a business. I'm rent free, no dependants, and have 1 year. If this is all Too much info i apologise!

Thanks in advance for any replies., please be gentle :grin:
 
If you are starting out and on a tight budget, the 14-140 will take care of about 70 percent. Indoors it's too slow. Stick will legacy nikon lenses because they are cheap and very good. At 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 is a no brainer. The Panasonic 20mm is nice but forget manual focus. Just get a used sigma 30 1.4 and you have lenses for indoor and outdoor.
 
I also have the GH2 with the 14-140, the 20MM pancake and the 7-14.
I shoot Motorhome walkthoughs but still use an HVX200 for the bulk of the shooting.
For some shots I use a GH2 with the 20MM for lowlight shots but
it is not good for interiors where you need to be wide.
I have used the 7-14 for some really tight interiors where even the HVX200
was not wide enough. I have one GH2 that is hacked shooting at 42 Mbits.
That seems to smooth out the higher ISO noise. At f-4 even shooting
at 1/30 or 1/40 I might still be at 1600 ISO.....at least it looks
a lot better than the HVX at 12 db.
If the GH2 had a servo zoom and decent audio inputs
I would have dumped the HVX by now......

My suggestion is to go shoot a demo with the equipment you have
and then decide what you might need.

I also shoot 360 Panorama Virtual Tours using HDR techniques.
What is cool is that I can use the 360 pano pics to make video
clips.
Here is a tour of an apartment complex I just finished:

http://izonemedia.net/VCO/vco.html

Here are some other samples:
http://izonemedia.net/360.html
 
bgundu said:
If you are starting out and on a tight budget, the 14-140 will take care of about 70 percent. Indoors it's too slow. Stick will legacy nikon lenses because they are cheap and very good. At 50mm 1.4 or 1.8 is a no brainer. The Panasonic 20mm is nice but forget manual focus. Just get a used sigma 30 1.4 and you have lenses for indoor and outdoor.
Click to expand...

Hi folks, thanks for he replies.

BGundu, that Nikon option is very appealing actually, partularly for the price.
I did a quick amazon search and came up with this. You're referring to the one on the left yes (for aound 100 pounds? )
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...=aps&field-keywords=nikon+legacy+50mm&x=0&y=0

Do you think i would have any problems (with focus, or any other considerations) while shooting walkthroughs on a steadicam with that lens and adapter?

I think that the both the nokia legacy and the Sigma wouldnt be an option really, so do you think i could be covered with the 14-140 and Nikon 50mm 1.8 in the amazon link above?

Actually, what do you reckon is the ideal lens for shooting house interior walkthroughs on a steadicam with a gh2? Not wideangle i take it?

And, this is probably a silly question, but what do you mean when you say forget about manual focus with the panasonic 20mm?

HVXGUY- i'd say i'll be doing a fair few demos till i get the hang of things alright! Unfortunately the 7-14 is far out of my price range, so i'm looking for the best lens/cheap option to go with the 14-140 so I can be covered all round for outdoor shots, and inside the house.

I looked at your 360 tours and while i think they look cool, personally, i'd much rather watch a well produced video of a business- that's just me personally of course.

Once again to both of you and anyone else chipping in, thanks i really appreciate it.
 
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The 50MM will be very limiting for interior shots. I have a Nikkor 50 1.4. It is great for interviews.
Go into a room and shoot at 14MM to see what you get. For the M4/3 format
wide angle view lenses are hard to come by. That is why I final bought the 7-14.
I know it is expensive but nothing else come s close.

I also have this Tamron 17-50 2.8 - It is pretty good.
Get it in A Nikon mount so you can control the aperture with a Nikon - M4/3 adapter.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamron-17-5...19X2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1312035685&sr=8-4
 
Generally, 14mm should be wide enough for getting interior shots. However because of the high f, you won't be able to get a shallow DoF with that wide. I've used a 16mm at f2.8 indoors and that gets plenty wide with an almost shallow look and feel.

The 50mm 1.4/1.8 Nikon is a must for general shooting. With your 14-140, you can get the shot no matter the circumstance with though it may lack a specific look. The 50mm is the best general purpose shallow DoF lens you can get at a low price.

Other options abound, and I would recommend a 16-50mm 2.8 for a good general purpose lens. But it costs. So if you only got less than $400~ to spend, get the 50mm and go shoot!
 
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