GH4 anyone like Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Lens? - on sale $99

R

robfilms

Veteran
i'm new to the m4/3 world so i have been reading up on lens choices for my newly acquired g7.

the g7 came with the 14-42 kit lens which has been nice as i walk about taking snaps to see how the camera handles.

last week, i found the panasonic 25mm/1.7 for $148.

and yesterday, i saw that b&h was running a holiday special on the oly M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Lens for $99.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=invoice&A=details&Q=&sku=827291&is=REG

thoughts on the quality/value of the Oly?

i know it has no ois and neither does the g7 body and at longer lengths and slower shutter speeds that might indeed be an issue.

then again, folks made lovely images pre-ois!

i look forward to any and all thoughts.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions
 
I had that lens for about a year, picked it up on a $119 special brand new and at that price considered it a "no brainer". I felt like it was a good lens and was not at all disappointed with it. I used it with GH3 and GX1 bodies and also had an Olympus OMD E-M5. The 5 axis IBIS in the OMD came in handy but I had no problem with it on the GH3's and GX1 with no IS. As you pointed out a lot of us got decent images without IS for decades before IS came along.

I sold off the E-M5 and then the Oly 40-150, replacing that lens with the Panasonic version that did have OIS in it. Optical performance of both lenses is comparable and at $99 I would consider it a "no brainer". After the holiday season it will go back up in price.

So if you think you want it, don't hesitate. It's a decent lens.
 
bruce-

thanks for the feedback.

as i stumble my way thur m4/3 land, i find myself needing to invent my new eco-system.

i had been a sony aps-c/ex1/fs100/fs700/a6000 shooter but was never completely satisfied with some of my images.

having sold off all of those camera bodies which by now are three and four generations old, i latched onto the g7 because of it's supposed kinship to the gh4.

but price definitely played a part in wanting to find an entry point to a small-non-threatening interview rig along with 4k capabilities.

with the panasonic kit 14-42 and the oly 40-150, i believe i am covered for exteriors where there is plenty of light.

i am hoping the panasonic 25/1.7 will act as my "nifty-fifty" and offer me a go-to interview option, even in less than ideal lighting conditions.

i have done some stills with the g7 and the images look good even when played on a 50" plasma.

yesterday, i put together a double system audio rig employing my tascam dr60d as the pre-amp and mounted the g7 on both a mid-level cheapie tripod and on a monopod and the rig did not feel too unwieldy.

i am not sure i would feel that way once out in the field on a production but that is why we practice.

this week, i am hoping to shoot some g7 motion b roll and bring the footage into final cut and see if this entire grande experiment could indeed be a viable option to my sony experience.

sorry for the long gab, too much coffee on an early saturday morning.

oh, i did buy the $99 oly 40-150 and yes, it was a "no-brainer"!

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions
 
As far as I know, the panasonic fourthirds have inbuild image stabilizer, the olympus lenses don't (because the camera does that).

FOr that reason I use Panasonic lenses.
 
Rob,

You will find the G7 to be one heckuva good video camera. I get my best results using the NATURAL profile on both the GH4 and the G7, on both I shoot in 4K, edit on a 4K timeline, and render to a 1080 MP4 file which seems to give some of the nicest looking 1080p footage with excellent tonal depth. The G7 is an exceptional camera at the original price I paid for mine so if you got it for the Black Friday price you got a tremendous bargain.

It should work for you.

The 25mm f1.7 should work as a "nifty fifty" equivalent just fine in interview work. I have both the Lumix 20mm f1.7 and the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 and use them both. A "mix" of Panasonic and Olympus optics works well for me; the Oly 12mm f2.0, Lumix 14mm f2.5, 20mm and 25mm mentioned, Lumix 42.5mm f1.7, Oly 75mm f1.8, Lumix 45-150mm f4-5.6, Lumix 45-200mm (when longer reach is needed), a couple of 14-42mm "kit" zooms and a couple of 14-45mm "kit" zooms.

Good luck
 
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