Leica 14-50 2.8-3.5 OIS disappointment with noise

[woodcarver]

I liked the Olympus 14-54mm II, but I was frustrated with all the clicks the lens makes when focusing and zooming (I often have to mount a mic on the camera). I got the Panasonic/Leica 14-50mm with OIS and it doesn't click when focusing but the OIS makes a fair amount of noise. It sounds like an old computer doing a lot of thinking. It's nothing a well placed mic would pick up, but a camera mounted mic really gets it. I called Panasonic and spoke to someone (who didn't give me a lot of confidence in level of expertise) that said the noise was probably because the lens wasn't designed to work with a newer camera like the GH2. That sounded kind of like bull to me. Anyone else have a 14-50 with noisy OIS?

 

[Lpowell]

Yes, I have noticed the churning noise the OIS motor makes when it's active. This is normal operation for this lens and as you mentioned, the sound would not be picked up by anything except a mic mounted very close to it on the camera. If you have no choice but to mount a microphone on the camera, I'd suggest getting a cage or hot shoe extension rod for the camera, along with a good shock absorber mount for the microphone. Position the mic as high and forward of the camera as practical, aimed diagonally downward to mimic the mic technique of a boom operator.

 

[woodcarver]

Thank you. Good to know this is normal. It is very effective OIS. I'll have to figure out some kind of extension.