GH2 Newbie - If I have a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D do I need the 20mm Pancake?

S

sigamy

Well-known member
Just got a GH2 on the Amazon black friday. Came with 14-42 kit lens. I'm on a budget looking to get a nice lens for video and thinking ahead to my kids' spring sports photography and video where I'll need a telephoto.

I have a Nikkor 50mmm f1.8 left from my Nikon. If I get an adapter, will this be just as good as the Panasonic 20mm pancake lens for video?

If so, then I can focus on picking up the 45-200 for sports.

TIA.
 
Leaving aside the obvious fact that the Nikkor is 2.5X longer, it will also be manual only. i.e. manual focus, manual aperture, etc.
 
Sigamy,

Your 50mm f1.8 Nikkor will be a 100mm full frame equivalent on the GH2 so it will perform as a portrait perspective telephoto. It won't be "telephoto" enough for longer range stuff like some sports work. The 20mm pancake is (on the GH2) a "wide normal" and although you have that focal length and perspective covered in the 14-42mm range on the "kit" lens, the f1.7 aperture can be invaluable for low light and marginal light photography and video. It makes a very useful general purpose prime and I wouldn't be without mine.

I think in the long run you will find you need both the 20mm and the 45-200mm. Your 50mm Nikkor should be considered a bonus since you already have it. You do lose autofocus and control of the aperture by the camera but it is a very nice performing lens.
 
Thanks. I was only doing the 2x factor one way, on the 20mm. So I knew that would be a 40mm equivalent but I didn't think to do that on the 50mm.

So until the day that I can afford the nice constant aperture zooms the 20mm prime and 45-200 sound like a good setup on a budget.
 
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