GH2 GH2 Lens for Documentary

L

LemmyCaution

New member
If you've stopped by my thread in the documentary section of the site, you know that I am shooting a documentary in Brazil and am taking a Panasonic GH2 along with me. I'm going to be doing a lot of run-and-gun shooting, shooting in relatively low light, and at some point am going to need a decently wide angle.

I know nothing about how lenses work or really where to start looking for a lens to add. Right now I have the stock 14-140 lens. I was wondering if there's anything else that's going to significantly make the footage look better in any of the above circumstances without seriously breaking the bank.

I have some old Nikon glass that I somehow ended up after an uncle got rid of his camera I don't really know much about it. I'm not a photography guy. Not sure if it's worth getting an adapter of the lenses. What's a quick point of reference so that I could find out if they'd be alright for video before I plop down some cash to try and find out? I'm not sure I even know how to meaningfully identify them. One (on the glass) says Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 3958972, another Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 1964562 on the glass. Finally there's a Tokina 80-200mm 1:4.5 number 055. Alongside those I've got a bunch of ND filters.

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
The 50 1.4 will work great on the gh2. The 28 is good but a little bit slow for low light but I like the 25mm-30mm as a focal length in the gh2. A fast 24mm or 30mm would be a good standard lens. The Tokina probably isn't worth carrying because with etc and the 14-140 you are pretty much set.

Get a cheap ebay adapter and give them a try.
 
Definitely bring that Nikkor 50mm. It's an AI with a nice long focus throw. Adapters are pretty cheap. Check ebay.
Nikon F to m4/3 adapter. The 28mm f3.5 is a good lens if a bit slow. Not so wide on the GH2. But it's small.
Bring it along. Fast and wide means expensive. You should probably pick up the Panasonic 20mm or 14mm.
The former is fast and badass. The latter is reportedly pretty good but I haven't tried that one. The great thing
about these lenses is that you will maximize your invisibility factor because they are so small. You will
just look like another tourist with a point and shoot. Of course, it would be much better if you could make
yourself look like just another Brazilian with a point and shoot. Buy some clothes down there. Bring the 14-140,
the nikkors, leave the tokina at home, and buy one of the invisible panasonic lenses. Go small, go minimal.
Be careful, and have fun. Brazil has to be one of the best countries in the world with the best people,
but you have to keep your
wits about you. Keep in mind that batteries, SD cards, etc.
will be more expensive down there so get everything you
need before you go.
Boa sorte.
Max
 
I have the 50mm and it's nice to have, but it's basically telephoto on the GH2 and not very good for hand held stuff. If you're doing a nature documentary then the longer zoom you mentioned might be useful--otherwise I doubt it would be (again, thinking run and gun).
If you want a "normal" focal length prime that's fast and easy, definitely get the Lumix 20/1.7 mentioned above.
The stock lens is great, but not very fast.
For fast zooms on the GH2 (under $1800) there is the:
Olympus 14-54 MKII 2.8-3.5
Panasonic/Leica 14-50mm OIS 2.8-3.5

For run & gun with the mic on the camera, I sort of prefer the Panasonic 14-50mm--only because it doesn't click audibly when focusing. It does breath pretty badly, but I don't mind that as much for documentary work. The OIS is fantastic, but it seems to make a fair amount of noise on the GH2--so again, with the mic on the camera I usually have the OIS off--which sucks.
The Oly doesn't breath as much, is more weather resistant and doesn't breath quite as much. It also makes all sorts of clicks and things when focusing and zooming--and it doesn't have OIS at all (image stabilization) which can come in handy for hand held work. Essentially, they both have flaws--and they're both 4/3 lenses, not m4/3 so they need an adapter.
 
> I was wondering if there's anything else that's going to significantly make the footage look better in any of the above circumstances without seriously breaking the bank.

My suggestion is to get cheap Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 as main lens.
Tokina 11-16mm as wide (may be 14mm pancake will do, but you must understand that you need here).
And Samyang 85mm F1.4 as tele (for portraits it make wonders even at F1.4).
And 14-140mm of course (for fast AF and OIS).

All this lenses work with FF (wired Panasonic lenses are not suitable for this).

Problem with documentary is that you will normally use F2.8 or smaller aperture.
So, all this ultrafast stuff won't be so useful.
 
Vitaliy Kiselev said:
> I was wondering if there's anything else that's going to significantly make the footage look better in any of the above circumstances without seriously breaking the bank.

My suggestion is to get cheap Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 as main lens.
Tokina 11-16mm as wide (may be 14mm pancake will do, but you must understand that you need here).
And Samyang 85mm F1.4 as tele (for portraits it make wonders even at F1.4).
And 14-140mm of course (for fast AF and OIS).

All this lenses work with FF (wired Panasonic lenses are not suitable for this).

Problem with documentary is that you will normally use F2.8 or smaller aperture.
So, all this ultrafast stuff won't be so useful.
Click to expand...

I´m total agree with Vitaliy, i have the Tokina 11-16mm and the Tamron not the 17-50mm but the 24-70mm, also i have the Tamron 70-200mm all at f2.8 using with my lovely GH13 with Sony mount, waiting for the AF100 or the Nex7 (i have hope on Sony), the Tamron 24-70mm is my main lens, all my documentary work and even Publicity work is 80% done with this lens. The Tokina for the establish shots, and the 70-200 for Long range shot. I have a series of Canon FD primes but for my kind of work i prefer to use zooms.

Also the 14-140mm is a excellent lens if you have enough light with you. No experience with Samyang (have the Canon FD 85mm 1.8) but i see beautiful images come from this lens at
http://www.ayton.id.au/gary/JAlbumAll/ByLens/PanasonicGH1/Rokinon85mm/index.htm

Cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top