Manual Lens Recommendations for GH4

H

hopkins802

Well-known member
Hey all,

I'm selling my lumix 12-35mm f2.8 in hopes of grabbing a manual lens to use with a speedbooster on my GH4. The main reason is that I just can't seem to get the look I'm going for with it, in order to get depth of field I have to be super close to any object. I use it along side the A7sII, and while I know they are very different cameras, I feel that I can get them to match better by essentially transforming the GH4's sensor into a S35.

There are several relatively inexpensive speedboosters on the market now ranging from Nikon to Pentax K. I already have one K-mount lens, the Auto Chinon 50mm 1.4, so it could be cool to grab another one for the GH4. However Nikon / Canon mount could be another option. I would just grab a Rokinon, but I'm looking to find a smaller lens that I can use my 58mm ND on. I know..There are a lot of factors, haha.

I'm looking for a wider lens, as I'd most likely be using the GH4 as my B-cam at weddings on sticks in the back. The results I've gotten before doing this have just looked muddy with the Lumix. I know with the 4K crop, I could consider some APS-C lenses, but I can't find any that are all manual. I'm looking for around a 24 - 40mm range taking into consideration the .71x reduction from the speedbooster and the 2.3x crop of 4k. So I think that would be what, around 15mm - 24m??

Thanks!
Dan
 
Hmmm, wonder why your shots look muddy - are they lacking light?
Canon FD lenses 24 or 28mm 2.8 might be worth considering for use on speedbooster,
 
I mean they were all outdoor weddings, probably shot around 5.6 under the sun. Granted they had an ND filter, but it's a good ND. They weren't terrible, it just had that look of like a 1" sensor camcorder. Flat.

I figured a speedbooster and prime lens would make whatever's in focus pop a lot more. I know a speedbooster will technically make the image softer, but I've seen test footage and it looks fine to me. I will check the Canon FD's out.
 
it might be something to do with your settings, i use an Olympus 12-40 2.8 and the image is pretty good,
don't know what your budget is but i swear by the Voigtlander 25mm .95, the look you get with that lens is unreal
 
TubEfingers said:
it might be something to do with your settings, i use an Olympus 12-40 2.8 and the image is pretty good,
don't know what your budget is but i swear by the Voigtlander 25mm .95, the look you get with that lens is unreal
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think I'm just a little to used to full-frame and that look. At this point, if I can get the 12-35 to give me a nice crisp image at a wide angle, I'll be happy. I think it's maybe because I'm shooting at 5.6 at a really wide angle, which is going to give 0 DOF. I set it to 5.6 because I'm so used to having to do that to keep a good amount of a scene in focus on a FF. Perhaps zooming in a bit and dropping to f2.8 would help? It's basically my B cam on a tripod at the back of a wedding ceremony. However, the image has always just looked soft and not punchy. Although I'm manning my other camera, I periodically walk over to check the GH4 and it always appears in focus.

I was always shooting in whichever Cine was flatter (I forget if it's D or V right now). V-Log is also installed but I haven't messed around. Does anyone care to share camera settings that offer a pretty good image right out of the camera? I've spent most of my time customizing my A7sii PP's and not enough time with the GH4.

Thanks!


A
 
Maybe a Tokina 16-28mm 2.8 with a Nikon mount. A MFT to Nikon G speedbooster should have a ring that allows you to control aperture. You won't be able to use your ND with it, but it's the only lens that comes to mind that lines up with most of your parameters.
 
When I bought a gh4 I elected to spend my "wide budget" not on a booster but on a slr magic 12mm - I mainly use the camrera with that lens or a 50 1.4 on a cheap non boosting adapter

edit.. there are now AFAIK (unlike when I purchased) 10mm prime options for MFT I would go with that today not the 12 esp if you use the GH4 in 4k crop mode.
 
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hopkins802 said:
Hey all,

I'm selling my lumix 12-35mm f2.8 in hopes of grabbing a manual lens to use with a speedbooster on my GH4. The main reason is that I just can't seem to get the look I'm going for with it, in order to get depth of field I have to be super close to any object.
Click to expand...

You have to be more specific on what "look" or visual effect you are after here. If by "depth of field" you mean shallow depth of field you'll definitely need to be pretty close to the subject at the 35mm end of that lens and at your wider apertures. The 12mm or "wider" end will tend to give you "deep" depth of field or a deeper zone of acceptable sharpness. It's just the way optics work.

hopkins802 said:
I use it along side the A7sII, and while I know they are very different cameras, I feel that I can get them to match better by essentially transforming the GH4's sensor into a S35.

There are several relatively inexpensive speedboosters on the market now ranging from Nikon to Pentax K. I already have one K-mount lens, the Auto Chinon 50mm 1.4, so it could be cool to grab another one for the GH4. However Nikon / Canon mount could be another option. I would just grab a Rokinon, but I'm looking to find a smaller lens that I can use my 58mm ND on. I know..There are a lot of factors, haha.

I'm looking for a wider lens, as I'd most likely be using the GH4 as my B-cam at weddings on sticks in the back. The results I've gotten before doing this have just looked muddy with the Lumix. I know with the 4K crop, I could consider some APS-C lenses, but I can't find any that are all manual. I'm looking for around a 24 - 40mm range taking into consideration the .71x reduction from the speedbooster and the 2.3x crop of 4k. So I think that would be what, around 15mm - 24m??

Thanks!
Dan
Click to expand...

Before you purchase another focal reducer and legacy lens take what you have for that Auto Chinon 50mm, actually try the lens itself at about f2.8, & f2.0 and see if the "look" of that is closer to what you want. Effective ff equiv focal length will be 100mm or 115mm or so in 4K. Try it with just the lens and see what you get.

Wide will not work the same. I have a Nikkor 24mm f2.8 with m4/3 adapter which gives me the equiv of 48mm in 1080p, 55.2mm appr in 4K. With a focal reducer I'll get around 35mm or in 4K a bit longer, not especially good for shallow DOF selective focus.
 
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