AF100 + 14-140 low light equal or lesser than ex3 or hmc150 etc

The first company has already made those lenses. There are already two "fast, bright zooms" for 4/3 (and, with an adapter, for m43).

Yes, the m43 sensor is smaller than those aforementioned, and that does open up the opportunities to make faster lenses in comparable size (which is why Olympus has f/2.0 zooms, when Nikon and Canon don't). So yes, if you're going to see an ultrafast zoom in a reasonable size, it's more likely to happen for m43 than it ever would for full frame or even APS-C. Which, as you say, is a case in point proven by the Olympus zooms already being on the market.
 
The first company has already made those lenses. There are already two "fast, bright zooms" for 4/3 (and, with an adapter, for m43).

Yes, but I think what is being asked for is a fast zoom lens that's appropriate for shooting video. Those Olympus zooms are not ideal for video. It would be nice if Panasonic or another company made a zoom lens besides the 14-140 f/4-5.6 that's at f/2 (we can dream) or f/2.8 that has continuous focus and is silent like the 14-140 f/4-5.6.
 
Thank you for coming back on topic. I had to chuckle how the topic shifted to magical phaerie lenses coated with pixie dust.

My intent is to use the af100 for shooting plays (2 camera shoots with one being the hmc150 for those smoother zooms) weddings and other general events where low light is a possibility. But my hmc150 does great in those situations, so if the larger sensor compensates for the lens being slower and was at least an equal in low light with the hmc, then it's a no brainer to get the af100 for it's extra capabilities and use my 14-140 when I need some of it's capabilities. The oly's sound liken great lenses but I'm kind of thinking instead of just running out to buy those, which are a compromise, it may be better to save that money and see what comes down the pipeline if more video driven lenses are on the way. I know it's a matter of need on whether to get it. But I'd personally be annoyed if I spent the $4000 on the oly 14-35 and 35-100 then had them release an updated design that gives much better video specific performance.

Then add in the birger which is supposed to support almost all the features of the canon lenses for $700 in February. So with limited budget may make sense to wait to see how all those perform.

By the way, does anyone know how often oly has their rebates? $300 off and $200 off is pretty significant, which makes me wonder if they're just trying to move glass or are clearing out for an updated release.

So then we still don't know if the 14-140 will be as good as an hmc etc? Thank you for all your input. I really want to make my money count!
 
Oh and with plays, I'd probably need the 35-100 range, if not more. I used the gh1 and got mixed results. The af was sucky in low light and the banding. But the zoom range was plenty for use as the wide with the hmc for tighter character shots.
 
Yes, but I think what is being asked for is a fast zoom lens that's appropriate for shooting video. Those Olympus zooms are not ideal for video. It would be nice if Panasonic or another company made a zoom lens besides the 14-140 f/4-5.6 that's at f/2 (we can dream) or f/2.8 that has continuous focus and is silent like the 14-140 f/4-5.6.
Understood. But ... that's also what video cameras are for. If you go with a smaller chip you can get faster lenses, and with a video camera you can get video-style lenses.

There's a reason there's no large-sensor video cameras in the world -- because the lenses don't exist for them. The 14-140 is the only video-style lens out there at any price for any large-sensor camera (with the possible exception of whatever Sony's using on that NEX thing).
 
Understood. But ... that's also what video cameras are for. If you go with a smaller chip you can get faster lenses, and with a video camera you can get video-style lenses.

There's a reason there's no large-sensor video cameras in the world -- because the lenses don't exist for them. The 14-140 is the only video-style lens out there at any price for any large-sensor camera (with the possible exception of whatever Sony's using on that NEX thing).

So true. Panasonic and Olympus need to get busy with making video lenses with a m4/3 mount. I think it will happen eventually. A lot of people would buy those lenses and they'd be worth the extra cost. We just need to be patient and wait.

OT: I think the 14-140 lens is too slow to give low light performance that would compare to the EX3 or HMC150. Put a faster lens (f/2.8 or faster) like those Olympus lenses on it and you'll see equivalent or better, although you won't get video focusing action so keep that in mind.
 
OT: I think the 14-140 lens is too slow to give low light performance that would compare to the EX3 or HMC150. Put a faster lens (f/2.8 or faster) like those Olympus lenses on it and you'll see equivalent or better, although you won't get video focusing action so keep that in mind.

I don't know, Timur's 1600 iso looked pretty decent, I'm guessing as clean or cleaner than an HMC 150 wide open with some gain.

Jan or Barry, do you know if anything faster m43 lenses are in development? Sure would be popular.
 
Unless your NASA.

Unless your NASA.

Huge Lense.jpg
And the laws of physics. And the size.

So would anyone make a half-million-dollar, 8-foot-long, two-feet-in-diameter, 300-pound lens? No. So whether it's a technical impossibility or not, it's impractical enough for me to say that it will never exist and is therefore no different from "impossible." :thumbsup:

And this Canon I think is 1000mm, f 8, not sure. Used for launch documentation/tracking cameras at KSC. Who knows how much it cost. Obviously designed for a specific purpose. But could retrofirt for micro 4/3rds
 
Back in 1974, my Beaulieu 5008S Super 8 film camera came with an Angenieux 6-80mm, f/1.2, T/1.4 servo zoom, auto-iris lens. Modern in every respect except lacking autofocus, and very sharp compared to anything else I ever owned for the S8 format, it was no bigger than typical 2/3" ENG zooms are today, although I no longer have it to measure for size. And I bought the whole camera/lens bundle for somewhere south of $2,000 (in 1974 money). So yes, it's possible to make a wide range (13:1 in this case) zoom with that speed which performs well. The rub, of course, is that it only covered the Super 8 film frame, which is roughly the size of a 1/2.5" electronic sensor today. If you scaled it up to 4/3 size, it would no doubt be as big, heavy and expensive as Barry estimated. But not physically impossible -- just mechanically and economically impractical.

If you need a wide-range (more than 5:1 or so), very fast zoom, then you also probably want something with a smaller sensor than 4/3 to make it viable. There are many news/documentary/industrial settings where this is a more important factor than the image quality and control of m4/3 -- and why my latest camera purchase was an HMC80 (although I'm saving for an AF100 as well and definitely see a place for both in the work I do).

- GDS
 
I don't know, Timur's 1600 iso looked pretty decent, I'm guessing as clean or cleaner than an HMC 150 wide open with some gain.

Jan or Barry, do you know if anything faster m43 lenses are in development? Sure would be popular.
Only one I know of is the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95. Just ordered one from PhotoVillage, who says that he has a shipment inbound that could very well be here before Christmas (pending how long it takes to clear Customs). Says that they will all sell out in a day, but if you paypal the price in full beforehand, you'll definitely unquestionably get one. Lots of folks have expressed interest, but few have paid in full beforehand, so if you desperately want one, that seems like a way to get one sooner than later.

I asked Panasonic about the rumored "bright zooms" while we were in Osaka, but the folks I was talking to were from the broadcast side, not the consumer company. The consumer company makes the Lumix lenses, so there was no firm information offered. Jan may know more, of course.
 
Only one I know of is the Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95. Just ordered one from PhotoVillage, who says that he has a shipment inbound that could very well be here before Christmas (pending how long it takes to clear Customs). Says that they will all sell out in a day, but if you paypal the price in full beforehand, you'll definitely unquestionably get one. Lots of folks have expressed interest, but few have paid in full beforehand, so if you desperately want one, that seems like a way to get one sooner than later.

I asked Panasonic about the rumored "bright zooms" while we were in Osaka, but the folks I was talking to were from the broadcast side, not the consumer company. The consumer company makes the Lumix lenses, so there was no firm information offered. Jan may know more, of course.

I guess I was the first person to present the idea of paying in full to them to guarantee getting one. I paid in full a while ago and am #1 on their list. Yesterday they told me it's expected to be another week, so that jives with what you were told today.
 
I don't know, Timur's 1600 iso looked pretty decent, I'm guessing as clean or cleaner than an HMC 150 wide open with some gain.

Jan or Barry, do you know if anything faster m43 lenses are in development? Sure would be popular.

I always try to think of it when you're at the native ISO, which is 400 on the AF100 isn't it?
 
Okay so then the consensus is that no, the af100 and 14-140mm will not be as sensitive as the hmc150 in low light?
 
Hmmm, I think I asked this question a few weeks ago, but comparing to the HVX.

It would be great to get a definitive answer, but it seems to be apples and oranges because the gain on the AF100 is so much cleaner than the HVX.

The Lumix is slower than I would like, but it's really the only option for me at the moment, so that's what I went with. If it's slower than the HVX, I won't be thrilled, but I will deal with it.
 
The problem with most 2/3" ENG style cameras (in my mind) has always been the one-lens-does-it-all philosophy.

The advantage of having a camera with interchangeable lenses is that you can, well, interchange them. With super16/16mm cameras most people carried a short wide angle zoom (ie Cooke 10.4-52mm or Angenieux 9.5-57) for handheld and a longer or faster (Angenieux or Canon) for limited handheld and tripod use - as well as a couple of primes - usually a wide and a couple of telephotos... (I used to love shooting 16 with just a 10).... all packed neatly in a Haliburton case or two.

That is the attraction of the 4/3 format for me (as much or more as the shallow depth of field) - finally a camera with lenses to chose from depending on the specific need.

In answer to this thread, as with the film days, there will certainly be lens solutions for almost any situation... But not one lens for everything. That's a good thing.
 
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