Legacy 2.8 short zoom

vladwolodarsky

vladwolodarsky

Active member
Hi all,

I'm stoked about the gh4 and I am figuring out how to spend my hard earned $. I'm going to start out on legacy primes and get converters. I think the lumix glass paired with the gh4 looks too sharp(video-ish), and I am looking to save a couple bucks. With that being said I know I will need a short zoom too. Do you know of any legacy 2.8 short zooms that could replace the Pana 12-35?

Thank you!
 
In the days of 'legacy' in stills MFT was not invented even APSc was not invented so lenses were built to cover the FF35 film plane, and that size of image circle makes it hard to make 2.8 zooms.

Of course there a some 'legacy' cine lenses like the cook 20-100 or something but at 3+KG and £6k+ they probably are not on your radar.

Consider a 'speed booster' and a 3.5 or 4 zoom or stick with modern mtf specific zooms and a collection of legacy primes.
 
Thank you for the reply! I'll probably start out with the 35-105 and rent the lumix 12-35 in the near future. Thanks again!
 
The Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 with a MFT speedbooster is 12-35mm f2.0 equivalent. The 28-75mm f2.8 Sigma, with or without speedbooster, is also a useful focal range. Both are sharp lenses (look for the Japanese rather than Chinese version of the 28-75). Both are available on EBay in Nikon mount for about $250.

Edit: a disadvantage of the FD 35-105, which I had and sold, is that it does not focus nearly as close as the two Sigmas. It does however have a better feel and throw to its manual focus ring.
 
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The fd doesn't have to focus so close since it's a telephoto...equivalent 70-200. And all of the sigmas/tamrons 17-50 are not legacy glass. In that case, get the olympus 12-40.
 
ah...not when you add $400 for the speedbooster ! And used sigma or tamron 17-50's are going for 300+. Add 400 for the speedbooster = 700...for a used lens setup. And we're talking about the gh4! If I was buying the gh4 for 4k, then I'd be buying the 12-40 w/o a doubt. I don't even think the speedbooster is up to the 4k task.
 
I have a Nikon mount "Kiron" (mint) covers 28-85 2.8-3.5 zoom. Beautiful, heavy piece of glass. 75.00 + SHIPPING I'm not sure of the crop factor on 4k, and if it's greater than 2x. But for 75.00 it will cover your telephoto end cheaply. I have the same in FD mount I love, Also has macro capabilities.
 
Thanks for all of your help! I think I am going to purchase the lumix 12-35 because no vintage lenses cover this range and the IS will really come in handy.

I am really stoked about pairing the speed booster with FD primes. Since the speedbooster will increase the sensor size to APC I don't think the 35-105 3.5f will be long enough. Have any of you tried the 70-210 f4?

Also is FD the way to go?

Thanks again for all of your help!
 
is there a speedbooster for FD lenses? I wasn't sure as everything takes a lifetime from this company. Maybe my kids will enjoy it.
 
mcbob said:
If you mean sharpness, well... there are plenty of people taking very good 16MP still images with the thing. I imagine it'll handle the task splendidly.
Click to expand...

It definitely takes a hit at 16mp, but that's for nex ( the only tests I've looked at thoroughly ) It might do alittle better for m43.
 
kurth said:
It definitely takes a hit at 16mp, but that's for nex ( the only tests I've looked at thoroughly ) It might do alittle better for m43.
Click to expand...

Plenty of photographers are perfectly happy with the Speedbooster shooting RAW 16MP. The general consensus is that the SB increases a lenses sharpness and I'd tend to agree.

And yes, the MFT version of the Speedbooster is suppose to be better than the NEX version.
 
vtwiz said:
Plenty of photographers are perfectly happy with the Speedbooster shooting RAW 16MP. The general consensus is that the SB increases a lenses sharpness and I'd tend to agree.

And yes, the MFT version of the Speedbooster is suppose to be better than the NEX version.
Click to expand...

..in the center, not the edges. And the m43 would be better because it's using less of the edges.
 
Yea, lens adapters open up other worlds. It's really mindblowing for me. I was thinking about getting a FD -> MFT speedbooster for the FD 70-210 and then using an Olympus adapter on top of that for zuiko primes, but it looks like there isn't an olympus -> canon FD adapter. I think I will go with canon fd primes with a speed booster. I think the canon fd primes will do a little bit better matching the lumix 12-35.
 
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