GH2 I need a fast zoom lens for interviews -- what do you use?

G

Gerson

Active member
Right now, I have two lenses for my GH2: the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 pancake lens, and the Panasonic 14-140. The problem is that much of the shooting I need to do consists of interviews, sometimes in controlled studio setups with good lighting, but sometimes in someone's home with an LED light, window light, and bounce board.

I love the two lenses that I have, but the 14-140 is too slow (especially at the f5.8 telephoto end) for these interviews. The 20mm requires me to get pretty close to someone for good framing, which often isn't possible--I'd get in the way of the interviewer! Also, the 20mm is wide enough that it's not flattering to interview subjects.

So, I need a lens that's long enough to be flattering to my subjects (I love the flattened look a longer lens gives), but it has to be fast enough (f2.8 or so) to use in these circumstances. I've used the 14-140 with ISO cranked up, and it's just not good enough.

What do you recommend? What do you use? I'm open to anything--Nikon, Canon EOS (with the Kipon adapter), M43--but price is an issue. I would really like to find something under $900 (US) if at all possible. But if that's simply not possible, what are the lowest-cost options?

Thanks in advance!
 
I have 2 lens to use on interviews, both manually, first i use the Nikon AF 35-70mm f2.8 (+/- 300$ ebay ) and now i´m testing the Tamron 28-105mm f2.8 nikon mount (*/- 350$ ebay) a very versatile lens by the way. Booth are really good for controlled ambients, the only drawback can be the lack of stabilization, booth have a manual aperture ring and nice optics, good color rendition too, the Tamron can be a ittle softer than Nikon but not for too much.

Happy hunting ;)
 
i have a rayqual m4/3 to nikon adapter and an array of primes for this kind of thing. specifically an 85 2. and a 105 2.8 both GREAT.

the cool thing about adapting to a nikon is it opens up a whole world of reasonably affordable interesting glass...
all manual of course. so if you need autofocus or any OIS kinda stuff - youre sunk.
 
This Sigma (17-50mm f2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD for Nikon) looks promising, too.

Has anyone used that? How does it compare to xenogears' Nikon AF 35-70mm f2.8?

The Olympus 45mm prime could be great, but I'm wary of using a prime, because I'm often the second shooter, and can't tell the other guy, "Sorry, I need to be two feet closer/two feet back and you'll have to move to accommodate me."

Also, xenogears, how soft is the Tamron? Is it a big step down from the Lumix lenses I'm using? Or comparable?

Thanks for the tips.

EDIT: wgzn, I don't need autofocus at all, and OIS isn't really necessary (though it might be nice occasionally). Maybe I should go with a set of primes after all...hmmm...
 
Get a Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 in either Nikon or Canon mount + Nikon or Eos to M4/3 adapter. That lens is great and cheap. You need an 85mm+ lens to start getting the kind of flattering compression you are talking about. I'm not talking about FOV here, you can get near an 85mm equivalent FOV (in FF35mm terms) with a 45mm lens on m4/3, but it's still a 45mm lens with the same characteristics that 45mm lenses have in terms of compression -- you're just seeing a narrower slice of that picture, it's just not the same thing as using a real portrait focal length (85-135mm typically.)

If you can't do a prime, then pick up some sort of TV-zoom lens on eBay + appropriate adapter and use the ETC feature. Canon made a great 18-108mm f/1.6 in c-mount and you can find them easily on the 'bay and they are built like tanks.
 
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Wow, the Rokinon is almost frighteningly cheap. That sounds terrific. I see you're in Boston, and I am, too (well, Medford). Do you know of any store where I could try that lens out?
 
The Rokinon is a Samyang lens and is sold under a few labels, one is Bower.

Check with Hunts, they have some locations in Boston, you might need to call them and see which store has it in stock but they at least *say* that they've got one in stock as of this writing (check the link) and I've found them to be a good shop (at least the one in Kenmore Sq. in Boston.) Your only issue may be finding an adapter at Hunts so that you can try it on m4/3, but if not, just have them let you try it out on a Canon 7D, the crop factor is close enough to m4/3 that you'll get a good sense of the lens.

http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=SLY85C&mfg=Bower&show=yes

It's a fantastic lens, I cannot speak highly enough about it. I used it quite a bit on my feature, I can send you some clips if you PM me. If I still had mine I'd let you try it out, but I sold the lens when I was done with the shots that required that length at that speed...that said, I regret it and would buy another in a heartbeat and probably will. I've got a Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L (older magic drainpipe version) however that I sort of *live* on and I do lots of stills, so AF is important to me too.

Just to reiterate, the Samyang/Rokinon/Bower 85mm f/1.4 is a tremendous lens and looks great on m4/3, I used it with a hacked GH1 quite a bit. You will not be disappointed.
 
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The Rok for Nikon comes both with and without a chip. The others are all non chipped lenses. Amazon prices them about $30 apart. For that, unless you are going to die with it and never get a Nikon, get the chipped model. The chipped model won't do anything auto with the GH2, but will enhance a possible resale value, or function perfectly should you one day get a Nikon.
 
Main reason I suggested the Canon (although no reason not to go with a Nikon mount) is that I think these lenses are better suited towards the camera makers that are really pushing video right now given their construction and smooth manual focus, they are great video lenses, and Nikon is still really behind the ball on that IMO. That and you can test it on a 7D and I think that camera works more similarly to a M43 camera than the Nikons do...but that's just me. I'm a Canon guy so that may just be my bias...and I also think these lenses are somewhat easier to find in Canon mount right now.

But your point about the chip is well-taken, although at this price point I am not sure how much a difference can really happen during resale for a chipped vs. non-chipped lens, and you can add a chip to a Canon lens, but of course it wouldn't be original.
 
One significant difference between the Nikon and Olympus version of the Rokinon 85mm f1.4: the focus and aperture rings on the Nikon version rotate in the same direction as standard Nikon lenses, which is the opposite direction as Lumix lenses. Sigma lenses, however, always rotate in the Lumix direction, regardless of the type of lens mount.
 
I use oooold Leica Summicron-Rs in 35/2 and 50/2 flavors. I feel your pain on the difficulties using the 20/1.7 for interviews.
 
If you want a zoom you've got somewhat limited options. The older Nikon 80-200 f2.8 is one. There's also an Olympus 4/3 50-200 f2.8-3.3 (or thereabouts) but I think both of those will run you $800 or so. If you're willing to go with primes then you've got tons of options and could pick up 2 or 3 lenses within that range, with faster apertures and better optics, for less money.
 
I can see that now, mountainradio. I think I'll stick with primes! First, the 85mm Rokinon. I have a very simple, unpaid interview shoot coming up (a favor to a friend), so I'll use the Rokinon for that, and then based on that experience, maybe pick up another longer or shorter prime for future interviews.
 
Have you tried using the Extended Tele mode with the 20 mm?
If you are shooting with a low iso then that might be ok?
 
I honestly haven't experimented with Extended Tele mode at all, except once or twice to get a smaller field of view with the 14-140 (trying to film an eagle's nest, that kind of thing). What will ETC do in terms of the flattening--or not--of the image? I'll experiment, but won't it mean the field of view will be smaller, but the subtle deepening of background and facial features will remain the same? I'm not sure I understand what ETC really does to the image. I get that it's a sensor crop, but since the lens is the same, how does that work, in terms of depth of field and in the flattening/deepening effects of long/short lenses??
 
Hmm good question. I'd guess that the perspective would be the same as using a longer lens, but I can't say for sure.
Maybe you can test it vs the 14-140.
 
I've been using manual Nikon primes with a Voightlander adapter and had really good results. Currently I have an f2.8 24mm, f2.8 35mm and f1.8 50mm. The 24mm ends up giving roughly the same frame as the 20mm lumix pancake lens but the other two make great interview size lenses. The f2.8 versions of the 24mm, 28mm and 35mm manual Nikons are usually not too expensive as is the f1.8 50mm. There are faster ones but be careful as some of them aren't sharp when fully open so you end up stopping down to f2.8 anyway. The only Nikons I haven't liked are the 'E' series which were a 'budget' lens and so most of the secondhand ones haven't survived too well. Nikon still makes the manual 50mm f1.2 lens which I've seen brand new for around USD$600. I'd also recommend getting one of the better made adapters. I bought a Kipon one and it wiggled around so much it was impossible to set focus accurately.
 
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