GH2 Cambodia trip: 45-200mm? No current lens over 50mm

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peripatew

Well-known member
I'm heading out in a little over a week for two weeks in Cambodia, and my goal is to do as much filming as possible. That being said, I'm not going for filming, and so I'll jus have to squeeze it in while doing everything else (learning about child sex trafficking and cultural issues).

I'm taking: 14-42, 25mm/1.4, 50/1.4 and maybe my 35/2. I use the 25/50 99% of the time. But, I don't do a lot of traveling filming. I'm trying to pack light, as I can only have a backpack with me (Kata 205 bug).

I know the 45-200 is decent for photos, but what about outside video? I'll have a rig and my Manfrotto monopod and a gorilla pod for stability.

I'm worried that I might miss out on some shots from not having a telephoto. I try to shy away from using ETC, but I know that can help get some extra reach if needed.

I've got kids, so might be nice to have the reach as they start doing more sports/school stuff.

My hesitation is how slow it is. Low light is important for a majority of my filming, which is why I rarely use the 14-42. Thoughts?
 
The 45-200 for outdoors daytime use is a must have. Lots of reach, image stabilization, autofocus... I would definitely bring it. Is it going to help you for low light shoots? Nope, but I imagine you'll be out and about during the day, in which case it will be a perfect lens for grabbing stills and video.
 
You should ditch the 14-42 and get the 14-140mm instead. It is a fantastic lens for outdoor stills and video. It is pathetic just like the other zooms in low light. I just wish the 35-100mm F2.8 was here already.
 
+1 for the 14-140 in daylight. I'd look at a canon fd 200mm f2.8 for low light, as well as your 25 and 50mm.
 
mpgxsvcd said:
You should ditch the 14-42 and get the 14-140mm instead.
Click to expand...

I bought my GH-2 with the 14-140mm lens, but I ditched it for the 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair of lenses instead.

I found the 14-140mm lens to be big and clunky with a zoom action that was anything but smooth. The 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair are optically as good as the 14-140mm and provide 50 percent more reach on the long end.
 
TheDingo said:
I bought my GH-2 with the 14-140mm lens, but I ditched it for the 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair of lenses instead.

I found the 14-140mm lens to be big and clunky with a zoom action that was anything but smooth. The 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair are optically as good as the 14-140mm and provide 50 percent more reach on the long end.
Click to expand...

They're also a much cheaper than the 14-140 (combined even). Although you do end up having to switch lenses, which can be a killer if you're doing run and gun. Still, that's the option I went with (14-45 and 45-200). Cheaper and more range with the cost of having to switch lenses.
 
TheDingo said:
I bought my GH-2 with the 14-140mm lens, but I ditched it for the 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair of lenses instead.

I found the 14-140mm lens to be big and clunky with a zoom action that was anything but smooth. The 14-45mm and 45-200mm pair are optically as good as the 14-140mm and provide 50 percent more reach on the long end.
Click to expand...

The 14-140mm is better than the 14-45mm and the 45-200mm at all focal lengths. The 14-140mm has the smoothest zoom action of any of the lenses. The zoom lever accessory helps as well.

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews...izontal&&config=LensReviewConfiguration.xml?1
 
ErikTande said:
They're also a much cheaper than the 14-140 (combined even). Although you do end up having to switch lenses, which can be a killer if you're doing run and gun. Still, that's the option I went with (14-45 and 45-200). Cheaper and more range with the cost of having to switch lenses.
Click to expand...

How often do you use the 140-200mm range? I took the 14-140mm and the 45-200mm with me to India. I used the 45-200mm sometimes. However, when I went back and looked at the pictures and videos I just wished that I had used the 14-140mm and the crop function instead. The IS on the 45-200mm is the issue. It is very flaky and that is why I sold it. The 14-140mm is rock solid.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. I don't have the money for the 14-140. I'd prefer that lens, but I sold one 14-42 and only got a hundred from it, so that would leave me 300-400 short of the 45-200. And I'd rather spend that money on the 12/2.

The 45-200 seemed reasonable at $250. If I don't like it, I could always sell it.

I don't ever use the high zoom range... Because
I don't have anything yet.

I'd hate to get there, and miss some close up, intimate shots, or struggle with framing.

Unless someone has a 14-140 I could borrow?
 
I like my 14-140 for travel as well. Don't hesitate to use ETC, cropping video after the fact is usually very ugly. I use ETC on my GH2 extensively... it's the main reason I got it.

I would think that the OM 12/2 or SLR-Magic 12/1.6 + 25/1.4 or 20/1.7 + 14-140 would be the perfect travel kit.
 
I like the 45-200, though I generally shoot more photos with it than I do video. Make sure you have the stabilizer, though. On a recent Indian trip I have a few animal videos that are nearly nausea inducing. When I could get a good brace though, things looked pretty good even at above 200mm (using ETC mode).
 
mpgxsvcd said:
The 14-140mm is better than the 14-45mm and the 45-200mm at all focal lengths. The 14-140mm has the smoothest zoom action of any of the lenses.
Click to expand...

Actually, on lens bench tests both the 14-45mm and the 45-200mm equal or outperform the 14-140mm lens, especially when it comes to vignetting and chromatic aberration control.

Photozone.de Review : Panasonic 14-45mm Lens

Photozone.de Review : Panasonic 45-200mm Lens

Photozone.de Review : Panasonic 14-140mm Lens

...I hated the zoom action of my 14-140mm so much that I put it up for sale within the first 2 weeks of buying my GH-2. I would never buy that lens ever again. It's a sharp lens, but I find it very clunky to work with.
 
"(learning about child sex trafficking and cultural issues)"

What on earth does this mean? Cambodia today is no different to any other developing country and thankfully bears no resemblance to the lawlessness that existed many years ago.

I won't hazard a guess what country you are from or where your views have been gathered from... but if you are really interested in learning about new cultures then start with being sensitive to them. Cambodia is an awesome country and deserves to be reflected in a positive light especially in a forum such as this.
 
Roderz said:
"(learning about child sex trafficking and cultural issues)"

What on earth does this mean? Cambodia today is no different to any other developing country and thankfully bears no resemblance to the lawlessness that existed many years ago.

I won't hazard a guess what country you are from or where your views have been gathered from... but if you are really interested in learning about new cultures then start with being sensitive to them. Cambodia is an awesome country and deserves to be reflected in a positive light especially in a forum such as this.
Click to expand...

You are right, Cambodia is beautiful. And so are the 50,000-100,000 children currently being exploited in the commercial sex industry. And that's the nice way of saying it. You're right, Cambodia does suffer from some of the same cultural issues that allow sex trafficking to exist. We're suffering from similar problems and numbers here in the states, but Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and the genocide that took ~20% of the population have created some unique factors contributing to the countries growing problem. I'm in no way any sort of expert on the country, but nonetheless, the problem is still very real as it is for surrounding countries like Thailand and Vietnam. It's estimated that 1.2 million children will trafficked this year (an aging Unicef number).

I appreciate the advice about being sensitive to the country and her people, I was just briefly trying to mention why I'm going, and didn't allow enough space for details. Thanks for allowing me to do that. I very much care for Cambodia, which is why I'm going to learn. There are several great documentaries about these issues in Cambodia. Redlight and Baht being two of them. If your interested watch Baht (30 minutes) let me know and I'll send you a link. www.raphahouse.org is who I'm partnering with, who have about 350 girls and boys, ranging in age from 4-18 in their safehouses, and as an organization, has a recidivism rate of only 5-10%.
 
And I appreciate the advice from other's given. I'm still on the fence about the lens, I'm going to check with a local guy to see if he has a FD 100mm f/2 or f/2.8. That would be cheaper (the 2.8 that is) and would allow me to wait for the hopefully-soon-to-be-release panasonic, tamron, and tokina lenses. My only concern is taking the time to swap lenses. I have a Kata 205 Bug, which is an amazing bag, but isn't super-fast for lens switching. I might trip to add a small pouch to the front for a second lens to quickly switch too. That still doesn't get me beyond 100mm w/o ETC mode though.

I'm going to be testing my packed gear a lot this week.
 
peripatew said:
You are right, Cambodia is beautiful. And so are the 50,000-100,000 children currently being exploited in the commercial sex industry. And that's the nice way of saying it. You're right, Cambodia does suffer from some of the same cultural issues that allow sex trafficking to exist. We're suffering from similar problems and numbers here in the states, but Cambodia's Khmer Rouge and the genocide that took ~20% of the population have created some unique factors contributing to the countries growing problem. I'm in no way any sort of expert on the country, but nonetheless, the problem is still very real as it is for surrounding countries like Thailand and Vietnam. It's estimated that 1.2 million children will trafficked this year (an aging Unicef number).

I appreciate the advice about being sensitive to the country and her people, I was just briefly trying to mention why I'm going, and didn't allow enough space for details. Thanks for allowing me to do that. I very much care for Cambodia, which is why I'm going to learn. There are several great documentaries about these issues in Cambodia. Redlight and Baht being two of them. If your interested watch Baht (30 minutes) let me know and I'll send you a link. www.raphahouse.org is who I'm partnering with, who have about 350 girls and boys, ranging in age from 4-18 in their safehouses, and as an organization, has a recidivism rate of only 5-10%.
Click to expand...

That website is nothing but fluff which is disturbing given the subject matter. Check out the Rapha House brochure under Financials. It tells you absolutely nothing and frankly is an insult to one's intelligence. So it's a christian group based in the US asking for money and targeting non-christian Cambodia and Thailand but not India, China, Burma where the problem is surely bigger by an order of magnitude ? And this 'group' has 350 minors under its control?! Writing from Thailand and happy to send you some links to docos about woes in the US.
 
Roderz said:
...Writing from Thailand and happy to send you some links to docos about woes in the US.
Click to expand...

You write some strong words. Are you doing anything about this issue? It seems to me that even if a single child is saved, much has been accomplished.

Anyway, likelihood is that some of these comments will disappear when the mods get round to it.
 
I think the real source of the problem isn't the supply side, it is the demand. In all these countries free market capitalism reins more supreme than in countries that are famous for waving it banner. If agencies were to track and prosecute the rich foreigners (like Gary Glitter, whom I saw while over there) taking these sex tours to these countries you would save many more children than trying to get the local governments to regulate over there.

I've been over to Khmer and it is a truly beautiful country with a great sense of history and willingness to make their own path, with far more genuinely happy people than any 1st world country I've been to
 
Well said Dazza. Amateur Christian groups should not be allowed anywhere near foreign children for obvious reasons.

If anyone is interested in a truly professional and transparent outfit making a material difference then see http://www.roomtoread.org/ They have a very clear policy of not offering or encouraging volunteering in foreign countries

" Can I volunteer or teach in a country in which you work?
Room to Read does not offer overseas volunteer opportunities. Our model is one of empowering the local people to work to create change in their communities. For instance, we ask the village residents to help build the schools, we rely on teachers who grew up in the countries where we work, and we hire local staff to implement our work in a given country.

We do have over 40 volunteer groups, or Chapters, that fundraise around the world in cities such as Hong Kong, London and Singapore. If you are interested in fundraising for Room to Read and you do not live in the United States, please complete our Volunteer Form. "
 
@Roderz and @Dazza,

While I laud anyone's commitment to making the planet a better place, having a "my organization is better than yours" pissing match helps nobody. We can talk at infinitum about supply and demand, criminality, abuse of power, global wealth and income inequality, the usefulness of NGOs in a post Colonial world, religion, education, human carnal desires......

.....but in the end it is a child at the center of a barbaric practice, a young soul that suffers unimaginable pain. So ANY attempt to save even a single person from such horror gets my vote.

This is a technical forum where the OP asked a technical question. So how about we show some respect to that person and not disparage their intent.
 
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