GH3 Mid-range zoom suggestions?

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dishan

Well-known member
I've been shooting a lot of docu-style work that requires a zoom lens with constant aperture (I have the 14-140, but I hate the way it adjusts as I zoom). I have a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 that does OK for wides (especially with a focal reducer / speedbooster), but I've been looking for something more mid-rangeish.

I'd love that 35-100 2.8 native Lumix zoom, but the price on it is out of my budget at the moment. I picked up a 35-105 f/3.5 FD zoom because some folks recommended it a while back, and the price was definitely right. The range is good, but I actually don't like the look of it. I can't really explain it, even with a speedbooster (I thought maybe I'd like it more if there was more light), the colors and contrast just don't hold up compared to my primes or Tamron zoom.

So I'm trying to find something else in that range. I'm open to anything in EOS, Nikon or FD mount (or anything that can be adapted to any of the above).
Something with constant aperture, hopefully a wide one like a 2.8, but I'm open to anything that would make the colors "pop" as consistently as my other lenses do.
 
Look for a used, slightly older non-OS version... Smaller and cheaper, should be in the $500 range
 
I have a number of Olympus OM Zuiko lens from the 80's that I quite like on my G6. Many of them are very cost effective.

One of particular interest is the 75-150 f/4.0 It is constant appurture and parafocal, meaning it stays in focus through out the zoom range.

Here are the specs
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/75150mm.htm

Here's where it can be had in EX shape for $43 right now !!!
http://www.keh.com/search?store=camera&brand=Brand&category=Class&k=olympus 75-150&s=1&bcode=Brand&ccode=Class&grade=Grade&sprice=0&eprice=0&r=SE&e

While not the fastest lens available it has very good image quality especially for sharpness, color and contrast.

Other OM Zuiko zooms worth looking at are the 35-70 f/3.6, 35-70 f/4.0 and the holy grail 35-80 f/2.8

I much prefer the image from the OM Zuiko's over the FD and AIS lenses. Their color is way less muddy to me. YMMV :)

Cheers,
Pete
 
I second the FD 35-105's washed out color and lack of contrast. Its a fantastic range and a fantastic value at the current street price- internal zoom, macro mode, solid build quality, constant aperture... I also want to love it more than I do, but even on a speedbooster, I'm having trouble being impressed with the images from it.

Wish I could find similar enough alternatives in vintage glass. I don't *need* this range, its just fun to play with, so there's a limit to how much I'm willing to spend. That Zuiko lens C3hammer mentioned sounds nice, but I don't have any OM mount lenses (and therefore don't have adapters either) so I can't vouch for it. Otherwise, it looks like only modern glass will have the characteristics you are looking for.
 
I've got a Sigma 50-150 Nikon mount (older version) I'd let go for $425 shipped / paypal. Really nice lens. I'm moving over to MFT glass for my zooms so I don't use it.
 
I've been on a similar search for my GH2 and AF100. Began with the FD 35-105, but found the 1.5m minimum focus limiting.

Presently I mainly use Sigma 50-150mm (old version), Nikon mount, with a Nik-4/3 speedbooster. I can recommend that combination if you can find a used lens, although it is quite bulky and with speedbooster does vignette somewhat on my GH2.

Two other possibilities: (1) Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 SP (A09) with or without Speedbooster. Sharp like the 17-50mm, particularly if you get the gold-band (Japan) vs blackband (China) version. Main disadvantage is its short focus throw.

(2) Vivitar 70-150mm f3.8 (or Kiron equivalent) with speedbooster. Call me crazy but .... my copy is actually very similar in sharpness and look to the Sigma 50-150! Yes, it's a stop slower and reduced zoom range. But it's also much smaller, MUCH cheaper, and doen't vignette with speedbooster on my GH2!
 
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That's strange, I use the non-OS 50-150 with Nikon SpeedBooster on GH2 and don't have any vignetting
 
It's mild on my GH2, and a non-issue on GH3, GH4 and AF100 sensors. I'll post pics when I get a moment.
 
Yes, the GH2 has less crop... I get a little vignette on the wide end of a boosted 11-16 that I don't get on other m43 cams. I believe you get some vignetting, but on my sigma and SB there isn't any. Crazy there could be that much copy variation.
 
Here's photos taken using my GH2 with the Sigma 50-150mm and Vivitar 70-150mm, both at 150mm f4. The slight vignetting on my Sigma (which is worst at 150mm, less at 50mm) is a non-issue on the smaller GH3/GH4 sensor.

Sigma:
Sigma.jpg

Vivitar:
Vivitar.jpg

Edit: added a pic of the two lenses:

Lenses.jpg
 
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Tamron 28-75 2.8 is a good lens I use often. I'd recommend it.

Tamron also do a 28-105 2.8 constant aperture that was discontinued a while back. I was considering trying it out at some point but there seemed to be a fair amount of bad reviews on it that put me off, especially regarding how soft it is wide open. It might be worth a try...
 
Chenopup said:
I've got a Sigma 50-150 Nikon mount (older version) I'd let go for $425 shipped / paypal. Really nice lens. I'm moving over to MFT glass for my zooms so I don't use it.
Click to expand...

Nice- still a bit out of my price range coming from the FD 35-105. :)

In fact, the 50-150 sounds awesome, but there seem to be a lot of vintage and otherwise more affordable options in this range that might be worth considering first.

Mike Lorushe said:
Tamron 28-75 2.8 is a good lens I use often. I'd recommend it.

Tamron also do a 28-105 2.8 constant aperture that was discontinued a while back. I was considering trying it out at some point but there seemed to be a fair amount of bad reviews on it that put me off, especially regarding how soft it is wide open. It might be worth a try...
Click to expand...

Ah, funny that I just saw that one reviewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3F2wogITYc

Seems to be soft for stills, but video might not be so terrible with it, and that is an incredible range of FF coverage at f/2.8! With a speedbooster, it might even shine! Worth about $250 or so used, which is a much easier pill to swallow. Then there is also the Nikkor 35-70 that was already mentioned in this thread. I understand that it is a smaller and cheaper version of that 28-70 which was praised for use in the Bourne movies! Plenty sharp and about the same price (if not less!) although a slightly more limited range.

Little review from a guy selling one on ebay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx_d_YTNBrA
 
Chiming in on this thread, I was considering that Nikkor 35-70, but I then noticed the Tamron 28-75 A09 model for around the same price, which has been claimed to have sharpness on par with a Canon L.
10329955_10154257917125254_3262841352444816488_o.jpg

Picked one up from KEH for about $230, seemed like a great price and right up the OP's alley, so I figured I'd share that here.

I'll be honest though, no one is going to mistake this for an L series wide open. At 2.8, its plenty soft especially on the 75mm end. Its actually comparable to the Tamron 17-50 non-VC which I also own and use. At the wide end wide open, its perfectly acceptable for video use (maybe not so much for stills if you are a pixel peeper), but at the telephoto end, the softness is noticeable even in 1080p video. Stop it down and it looks nice enough, and once you pass f/4 I can see this competing with L series and other more expensive glass, but I can't help wondering if I should have gone with the Nikkor 35-70 mentioned above. The wider range of 28-75 is nice, but I feel like the Nikkors of that era and range are more usable wide open for video.

Just sharing my thoughts on the subject!
 
@MGilden - I've had three 28-75 Tamron's in recent years. The first was Japanese-made, with a gold band, in Pentax mount - it was very sharp with nice colors.

However I wanted to consolidate my lenses to Nikon mount to match my Speedbooster, so I traded the Pentax version for a black-band, China-made Nikon version like the one in the image you posted. I was not happy at all with that lens, due to lower contrast and lower sharpness. I took a punt and tried again, spending about $50 more on a gold-band Japanese model - and that lens brought a return to the excellent quality of the first.

So at the very least, there is lens-to-lens variation .... and beyond that the possibility that the Japan manufactured version may be built to a higher standard.
 
Don't you all find focusing with the Tamrons a bit difficult? I hated using my 17-50 back then with the GH1 because of it.
 
The short focus throw isn't ideal, certainly. I find peaking (G6, GH4 and especially AF100) helps a lot.
 
GrahamH said:
@MGilden - I've had three 28-75 Tamron's in recent years. The first was Japanese-made, with a gold band, in Pentax mount - it was very sharp with nice colors.

However I wanted to consolidate my lenses to Nikon mount to match my Speedbooster, so I traded the Pentax version for a black-band, China-made Nikon version like the one in the image you posted. I was not happy at all with that lens, due to lower contrast and lower sharpness. I took a punt and tried again, spending about $50 more on a gold-band Japanese model - and that lens brought a return to the excellent quality of the first.

So at the very least, there is lens-to-lens variation .... and beyond that the possibility that the Japan manufactured version may be built to a higher standard.
Click to expand...

Interesting. There are two versions of this A09 lens that I'm aware of- the older one available for Nikon mount had an aperture dial (which is the one I have above, along with the black band). The later versions (A09 II) do not, and it appears that my ebay searches show some gold-band versions of this lens in the A09 II edition.

Did yours have manual aperture control? I'll bet the gold band ones are a different run of the newer models. Problem is, I bought this one from KEH.com. I'm not sure I can differentiate gold vs black banded models from their inventory. :/
 
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