General all purpose Lens GH1.

S

Shauno

Active member
Hello Guys,

Just a bit of background, so I don't look like some kind of clown leecher. I started filming using an XL1 back in the late 90's, but I got into theatre and left filming whilst I honed my acting/directing/writing abilities and now I am returning to film.

I was originally going to purchase a canon XL1, when a friend from stateside suggested to me (in a rather husky southern voice), "Get a DLSR dude, you won't regret it". So I came on here to do some research and I was swayed by the commitment, testimonies and enthusiasm for DSLR capturing.

I'm a documentarian and I am currently starting work on a few projects concerning subcultures within my city (Liverpool, UK), and I have an interest in a wide range of different styles of filming, however, to start, I have been browsing the threads concerning lens selection.

Now, I am a student so my budget is quite tight, (around £150-£200) and I really would like to get the best all round general purpose lens(es) for my kit.

As I say, I have been doing some research and I have trawled through the threads (and wiki) here to acclimatise myself with some of the terms and concepts, however there is still some terms i am unsure of and will have to brush up on.

SO.

To "Cut" (Haha, get it?), a long story short...

What general lens would I be best (to start with) for general usage?

I am not really concerned about compact ability over cost at this moment in time, (if that makes sense):kiss:
 
I'm not sure you can get any lens suitable for documentary work for 200 pounds. If you were lucky you could snag a nice used prime on eBay for under 200, but you'd still need an adapter to use it.
I agree with the poster above, looks like you're going to have to go with the kit 14-140.
 
Everybody has deferent needs but if I had only $200 pounds I would go with the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens. You are just going to have to use your legs for the zoom.
 
My general purpose lens is my CanonFD 35mm f/2.0 - it's on for about 60% of the time when I'm shooting gigs. In fact I like it so much I got two, one with a lens gear on for the follow focus when I'm shooting professionally and one without for more street photography style shooting. See 'The Farmer's Flea Market' in my sig link for a example.
 
you really can't get what you want for that price.
the closest you can come to it is the Lumix 20mm f1.7. but, imo, a good 'all-around' lens would be a fast zoom and those start at around $500. if you get the 20mm though, you'll be able to do a lot as long as you can physically move the camera to reframe. its a good practical focal length, very fast (good in lowlight) and the auto-focus ability makes it useful for still photos on the GH1. its also very compact.
 
gkanai said:
The best general purpose video lens for the GH series is the 14-140 OIS Panasonic because it has stabilization.

Philip Bloom goes into this topic at length:

http://philipbloom.net/2011/01/26/which-lenses-for-your-gh1-gh2-af100-af101-etc/
Click to expand...
The 14-140mm is selling for $988 on Amazon here in the US and that is a ripoff IMHO. I use my 14-45mm that is faster and sharper @14mm and and I paid $109 for the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 at Staples online a few months ago.

 
Hello all,

I ended up getting the Oly Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 and I am now on the hunt for an adapter, any suggestions for reliable sellers?
 
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