GH3 First lens for my GH3

[ManoTikiTia]

I've gone back and forth from the BMCC, Mark III or the GH3 and I'm pretty set on the GH3 for its reception, my lack of experience and it's price. Now i need to know what to get with it. Obviously i need my first lense as well. Whats a good one to start with for someone that will primarily be shooting natural and structural objects with the long term cool being Documentary/Cinema shooting. Im tempted to spend the extra dime and get the Voigtlander but part of me tells me I dont need that yet. Instead i should go with a Sigma 19mm or 30mm (which would i need or do i need both?) Any suggestions for a novice like myself? Thaks guys you've been a huge help

 

[heyrobert]

Shooting with something super bright might be a pain in the ass if you haven't pulled focus before, especially in video. The f/2.8 that the Sigmas have should be a nice start to work with. Also look at the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 for something even more compact. If you want to take photos as well, you might want to use the Leica 25mm 1.4. Sharp and its autofocus is incredibly fast.

 

[bprater]

If you are fairly new to this -- I'd suggest starting with a zoom lens. Zooming allows you to quickly reframe a shot -- and when you are new, you'll tend to do this more often than physically moving your body around, like a professional will do, simply because he can see a shot in his mind, whereas you need more experience in shaping a shot.

The Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 is a gem and works great with GH3. (And you should have it in your budget if you were considering 5Dm3 or BMCC.) It'll give you an effective 24-70mm range. The constant aperture means you'll have to fiddle less with camera settings when zooming.

Pick up a fast prime as your second lens. They are a blast to play with, but you'll always find plenty of use for a good high-quality zoom.