Best standard zoom lens for video on my GH2

stonebat said:
BTW how did you secure 14-35 on your rig? Does GH1 need a lens support?
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The Olympus 14-35mm f2.0 has no tripod collar and that's why I passed on it. The 35-100mm f2.0 has a nicely balanced rotating tripod collar that works beautifully with a Manfrotto 393 gimbal head (sure, you could use a panning head, but heavy lenses balance so much better with gimbals):

http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-393...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1301941010&sr=8-1

For anything too bulky to handhold, I've totally transitioned to rotating lens collar tripod mounts. This allows me to swap in GH1/GF1/G2 A and B cams just like replaceable camera backs. What's even better is I no longer have to painstakingly level the tripod and head for every shot. Simply rotating the lens works well enough to level the camera for most shots.
 
cam123 said:
Thanks stonebat.
Time to save until panasonic creates one. :)

I guess 14mm f2.5 is close enough but based on the reviews the autofocus is very slow.
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The AF is excellent with this lense....I shot a kids party with this lense and the focus kept up with the tikes running about.
Great lense...and underrated
 
tflak said:
Well, you could always just get the 35-100 too. :)
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It was not in stock unfortunately. I got a cheap solution for now, the 45-200. It seems ok. It's slow, but got reach.
PS I use an af101, thinking of a gh2, but I just realised it does not shoot 25p. A real disappointment
 
I basically have no need for OIS or AF. I wouldnt mind having it, but it is definitely not necessary and I wouldnt want to pay much more for it. Do you guys know if even Sigma's made for Nikon G will definitely have mechanical aperture control? Maybe I need a sigma 17-70 in nikon mount or something, I really do like the bokeh of sigma. That would be wide enough to be an all-around lens for m4/3 and also would cover S35 in the future... Although it's looking like the rounded aperture has the same shape problem as a lot of nikons including the 17-55. How hard can it be to just make an actually round "rounded" aperture shape without any internal vignetting wide open?
 
Hello all
I recently ordered GH2 and I decided to use it for mostly video with my Nikon G 17-55 2.8 , as you know the lens is heavy (750g) so I just wondering is there possibility that lens put pressure on the camera lens mount when I hold the camera body only and is that likely to make the camera broken some how ? or not ? is there anything to be worry about ? thanks
 
For what it's worth, since I'm trying to answer this question for myself as well.:
From the tech at Lensrental.com:

I asked why they dont recommend the olympus 12-60 or 14-35 for shooting video.
>

[TD="class: td1"]Tom,
One of the major problems is that we have no way of guaranteeing weither a copy of an Olympus 4/3 lens will work on your Panasonic camera/ camcorder. For some reason a lens that will work on one camera body won't work on another. We've tried camera and lens firmware updates, different adapters, and even magic and just can't get it to be consistent. Olympus has even contacted us because they too have no idea what's causing this and wanted to see if we had any insight for them. Sometimes you can get an image but you can't focus it, sometimes you can't control aperture and of course sometimes you can't even get an image at all.
Furthermore, when they do work, most of the Olympus lenses have electronically controlled focus drives, which means you can't control the speed with which you track through your focus (you cannot whip focus). On top of that, on the electronic lenses the focus wheel turns freely meaning you can never keep accurate focus marks for a follow focus.
Generally we recommend getting a Nikon G adapter and going with Nikon lenses so you can have full manual control over focus and aperture.
Best,
Erik Morrison

Video Support


end quote.<

So, that sounds like a possibly serious issue with the Oly 12-60 and the 14-35. Hmmm. I think I'm going to rent one of the panaleicasonic 14-50s and try it out. seems cool except that it's servo-drive focus, which blows for using a followfocus. Any experiences with that? CAn you make it work with a followfocus or is it just a waste of time trying.

Tom Guiney
airboxlights.com
[/TD]
 
i love my Oly 14-55. has the same electronic focus wheel which is great for focusing with just one finger (keep the rest of your hand gripping the camera). while it would not work the same as a true manual focus ring, it should work in the sense that it rotates and using an FF would allow for a more secure/stable/steady grip while focusing.

if you need rack focus or repeatable focus, follow their advice and go for true manual lenses.
 
Airboxlights said:

[TD="class: td1"] I think I'm going to rent one of the panaleicasonic 14-50s and try it out. seems cool except that it's servo-drive focus, which blows for using a followfocus. Any experiences with that? CAn you make it work with a followfocus or is it just a waste of time trying.

[/TD]
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Yes, I've used the Leicasonic 14-50mm f2.8-35 on GH1 and GH2 for over a year and it's one of my favorites. Not only is it currently the fastest GH2-compatible auto-focus OIS zoom, it is one of the very few that have a manual aperture ring on the len barrel, calibrated in 1/3-stop notches. (There's only one other lens of this type - the Leicasonic 25mm f1.4, in legacy Four Thirds mount - that also has a manual aperture ring.) What I really appreciate about the Leica-branded Lumix lenses is that they are not artificially sharpened by Panasonic's lens distortion-correction firmware. They are a combination of pure old-school optics and modern digital technology.

The downside of the Leicasonic is that it's a still photography lens that is not particularly video-friendly. The outer barrel extends a bit less than an inch and the focus shifts when zooming. Auto-focus is slow, and the narrow focus ring has no tactile feel and turns freely, making it unsuitable for use with a follow focus gear. In addition, the lens breathes noticeably when you focus it, which I've found is common with all Lumix zooms.

In use, I always pre-frame and pre-focus every shot, and never alter any settings while shooting video. The OIS, however, is the most stable that I've used on any lens, and makes monopod-mounted shots look like they were taken on a tripod.
 
I second lpowell's read on the leicasonic 14-50. I got it on his recommendation (and further research) after being a little disappointed with an Oly 14-54 zoom. After going on a bunch of hand held shoots I found OIS really does help a lot with rolling shutter issues. I don't pre-focus every shot on some projects because I don't find a bit of breathing terribly distracting. Shot with the lens a lot and have had no mechanical problems--and I move from freezing cold to very warm interiors frequently.
The OIS motor is not silent however. A compact shotgun mounted right on the camera hotshoe will pick up the OIS motor. A shotgun mounted on a should rig with the camera is far enough away so that it's not a problem.
The OIS on this lens is the best I've encountered. I can actually move with the lens at 50mm and the shots are still useable.

Wish there was a lens that did it all. Fortunately, I can have it all if I use more than one lens.
 
I think the Leicasonic is still one of the best options. It really depends on the vaporware Panasonic lenses as well. You just have to ask yourself, expensive zoom or bag o' legacy glass? And if you buy the zoom, why not buy the lens with a camcorder already attached to it? I've become dependent on my HF G10 for times when I need a real zoom, touch tracking, touch exposure, etc.
 
14-50 owners: so you use it without a followfocus then, since its a servo focus lens. That works out pretty well then?
and @dr.dave- sometimes that bag o legacy glass can be awful small if the glass is good, sadly.
 
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