Guidance needed for replacing zooms with primes.

J

Jeremy_Sawatzky

Well-known member
Hi guys, I work in a stable studio shooting environment where the subject stays in one spot and cameras are fixed.

I run 2 GH2 cameras, one with the 14-42 panny lens and the other with the 14-140 panny kit lens.

I want to replace both of these with primes. - a 35mm and a 50mm. - those are the focal lengths we set the zooms to.

I would love something faster than the zooms- preferably 2.8 and lower. - Price range will probably end up around $300-400 per lens.


Are there any quick picks that you guys would recommend? - I get horribly lost when researching lenses with crop and different mounts and can't seem to nail down any for sure options.

Thanks fellas
 
Jeremy_Sawatzky said:
Thanks fellas
Click to expand...

Hey man, there are probably some fellettes around here too.
Err maybe not.... :tongue:

I think for the 50mm you'll probably want to take a look at the Oly 45mm f/1.8 - fantastic lens and well priced.

For the 35mm I'm not so sure. The Leica Summilux 25mm f/1.4 is really great as well, but maybe too far off from your desired focal length. And it tops over your budget a little bit.

I haven't ventured much into adapted lenses outside of a few Canon FDs but I'm sure some other folks can chime in.
 
Do you want autofocus? Do you need razor-sharp? If no to those, then consider the Canon FD35mm f2 and FD50mm f1.4 (stopped down to f2), which I use and really like. Or the Nikon AI-S equivalents (which are a little sharper, heavier and costlier).

But I do agree wih jmw about the Oly 45mm.
 
SLR magic has a pretty good 35mm that doesn't need adapting. Have not personally used one but what I have seen was pretty good.

I find it so interesting that both Olympus and Panasonic still to this day ignore the 35mm and 50mm lens options. Sure the 45mm is pretty darn close but it isn't a 50mm if one really wants a 50mm. 35mm on the other hand has been seriously neglected. Considering how many film makers love using 35mm and 50mm older primes I would think either company would see this as a sure thing product. Oh well.
 
I'd definitely recommend buying a used Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AIS (with Micro 4/3 adapter) on eBay. Something like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-50mm-...74674295?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3a87192177

I've heard the Rokinon 35mm T1.5 Cine (Nikon mount) is a great lens:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/884101-REG/Rokinon_cv35_n_35mm_T1_5_Cine_Lens.html

I haven't used it, but everyone raves about it, so that's probably your best bet.

Both lenses should add up to around $750, which lines up with your budget, and they'll be fantastic in low light. If you can find a used Rokinon 35mm, then it would be even cheaper.

Good luck!
 
Regarding using the 50mm nikon lens with an adapter is that the same way the panny lenses are read? I dont want to buy the nikon and find out its actually a 100mm due to the crop. I get so confused with the different mounts, crops and focal lengths.

The studio is a completely stable environment, in fact manual lenses are preferred so I don't need to pull focus every time I turn the camera on. (check it obviously)
 
GrahamH said:
Do you want autofocus? Do you need razor-sharp? If no to those, then consider the Canon FD35mm f2 and FD50mm f1.4 (stopped down to f2), which I use and really like. Or the Nikon AI-S equivalents (which are a little sharper, heavier and costlier)
Click to expand...

the Canon FD's are great, 50mm + adapter is still pretty cheap and the 35mm f2 is really sharp (i got the Thorium SSC version) but more expensive
 
Jeremy_Sawatzky said:
Regarding using the 50mm nikon lens with an adapter is that the same way the panny lenses are read? I dont want to buy the nikon and find out its actually a 100mm due to the crop. I get so confused with the different mounts, crops and focal lengths.
Click to expand...

Lens focal lengths don't change. It's the camera that changes them - so just keep that in mind and it should be easier to understand. So if you are setting your 14-140mm to 50mm for your shot, then any 50mm lens will give you that same focal length.
 
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