GH2 Lumix lens recommendation

I

ironsceptor

Member
Currently I'm using a 14x140 zoom lens that came packaged with the GH1. It does what it does and that's pretty much what I know about the lens.
I'm interested in new lenses to fresh up my perspective but I just don't know what to buy next.
However, I'm leaning to another zoom lens because it's much more useful than shorter length lenses.

I don't know much about the technical jargons but I've seen a lot of folks selling used Lumix PZ 14-42mm/F3.5-5.6 lens or something equivalent to 14-42 (I suppose these numbers are related to the zooming capability).
Likewise, I've seen a lot of used 45-200mm f/4-5.6 G Vario being sold.

1) Is it because people want the high-end zoom lens much more so than so called the pancake or lesser zoom lens? Or is it because there are no advanced 'auto focus motor' and the 'optical stabilizer' built-in to the lens?

2) Lastly, I've heard that panasonic introduced few new Lumix lenses that are much better (weather proof) than the original 14x140. Is it worth a money to replace the first gen 14x140 with the new ones? If so, which would you recommend the most?

Your expertise is greatly appreciated.
 
The only zoom that will really benefit you over the 14-140 is the 12-35 f2.8. Because it's a solid f2.8 and weather sealed. Even then you'd keep the 14-140 for the extended range, unless you also pick up the 35-100 f2.8.
 
my old GH1 came with the 14-140mm lens as a kit and i loved that lens, really good focal range! and a great performer, except in low light situations.

will be picking up the 12-35mm f2.8 lens when i get my GH3 :) then hopefully the 35-100mm f2.8 at a later date, both i hear are superb lenses, well built and weather sealed. expensive but usually you get what you pay for with lenses.

altho zoom's are more convenient than prime lenses, fixed lenses tend to make you have to think more :) which can be a good thing.

get yourself into your local camera shop and ask to try a few out :)
 
12-35mm lens is to sharp and causes aliasing. I would not purchase that lens. There is no 1 magic lens, it all depends on what you shoot and need... Hence the reason people own so many lenses. My advice is rent some different lenses and see what you like as Zooms vs Primes have their pros and cons.

The kit lens you own would be perfect if it were f/2 but honestly that does not exist, so a way to compensate for the kit lens is to have light. If you are on a shoot and have lighting you would not need another lens. Now if you are shooting in a poorly lit area and don;t have access to light that kit lens would be outperformed by faster lenses.

Honestly you just need to shoot more and you will know
 
Stephen Mick said:
I haven't seen any evidence of this with the 12-35mm I own, on either the GH2 or the AF100.
Click to expand...

If I may hijack this slightly... how good is the image 12-35 wide open at 2.8? I'm sick of getting lenses that say something tempting like f/1.8!!!! or f/1.4!!!UNO!!! and then you discover that the lens at 1.8 or 1.4, at its widest is really unusable, and it only gets decent around f/2 or f/4 so you may as well have saved yourself some $ and bought an f/2 or f/4 to begin with instead of the bait and switch ZOMG f/l1.4!!!!
 
OldCorpse said:
If I may hijack this slightly... how good is the image 12-35 wide open at 2.8? I'm sick of getting lenses that say something tempting like f/1.8!!!! or f/1.4!!!UNO!!! and then you discover that the lens at 1.8 or 1.4, at its widest is really unusable, and it only gets decent around f/2 or f/4 so you may as well have saved yourself some $ and bought an f/2 or f/4 to begin with instead of the bait and switch ZOMG f/l1.4!!!!
Click to expand...

For stills, I pretty much set the aperture at f2.8 and shoot. If my copy is soft at all, it's very, very slight and only in the corners. This review pretty well summarizes my experience with the lens…
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2012/...-the-best-zoom-available-for-micro-43-by-far/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top