Need a fast lens.. Panasonic, Olympus or Canon?

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dominichicks

Active member
Hi guys,
I finally chose the Panasonic - got a good deal on it with the kit lens, so went for it! Now I need a few accessories, starting with a fast lens...
Olympus ES-M 17mm 1.2.8 Silver Pancake Lens - £230
Panasonic 20mm 1.7 Pancake Lens - £280
Canon 50mm 1.8 - £70
(Prices are cheapest I've found online, incl Ebay)

Any advice on which to choose? The footage I've seen on Vimeo all looks good - except most people choose to do extreme close ups on their cats, which isn't too helpful. I'd prefer good compatibility with the camera's autofocus etc, so I'm inclined to choose the Panasonic...?
 
These lenses differ substantially in fl and different fl will give you a different look. Thus the question you need to answer first is which fl do you NEED?

For Canon 50mm, the best deal is to get those FD MF lenses. In the US, it is very easier to find a f1.4 lens for <$70. I like the Zuiko OM 50/1.4 as they are slightly smaller in size for about the same price. The Canon may be more contrasy, but the Zuiko has slightly better bokeh.
 
Ok - I have to be honest and tell you I don't really understand what 'fl' means... but I can tell you I'm looking for the elusive 'film look'... So I really want a very shallow depth of field to contrast with the kit lens, and a nice, flat looking 'cinematic' image.
 
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'Fl' mean focal length. One of those lenses is 50mm, the other is 20mm. They have very different fields of view. (You can see what the difference is by using the zoom on the kit lens; it can do both focal lengths.)

I'm sure they are both good lenses, but you would use them in different situations.
 
Sorry, fl = focal length. A particular focal length gives you a particular look and a range of DOF. For example, the 50mm will behave like a 100mm lens so it is a short telephoto lens on the GH1. Telephoto lenses work to compress the scene to give you a more intimate look to your subject of interest. By contrast, the 17mm is wide angle and it works best to show the relationship between your subject of interest and its environment. The 20mm sits somewhere in between so it is very versatile but then it does not do either one particularly well. In films you can see different lenses being used to show case a particular effect or mood. I am thus not sure what you meant by "cinematic effect" because you need to pick a particular lens for the story that you wish to convey.

I have the 20/1.7 and love it. To some degrees, I really do not have any choice if I want a fast lens with a close to "normal" fl (20x2 = 40) that can AF on these cameras. As expected, it is very versatile so if I just want to take one lens with me, this will be the one to get. Many many people use the Canon FD 50/1.4 and love it, and you just can't go wrong with it. See example here:

http://www.vimeo.com/5226497


I don't have any Canon lenses so I have chosen to get the Zuiko OM lens. As a comparison Nikon lenses are known to be sharp and contrasy, and this works well if you want the mages to pop. The Zuiko is better with bokeh so the images are more "smooth?" However I have seen very nice videos made by Nikon 50/1.8 in part b/c of its popularity and cost. While these lenses are different, but the differences are very small indeed and you can pretty much just shop by price. If you are starting from scratch, I would bid on eBay for either a Zuiko OM 50/1.4 or a Canon FD 1.4 and see what you get. The slightly smoother bokeh and the overall images may work better for a film like feel (if this is what you meant). If you don't like it you can easily sell them for what you pay for it. They no longer depreciate.

Have fun!
 
Thank you for the info..
I've gone for the Canon FD 50mm with 1.4... very cheap (£50), so can't really go wrong! Any advise on which adapters to buy, or are the cheap Hong Kong imports on eBay (some as low as £20) just as good as the more pricey ones?

Also, what's the best way to go about getting a fish-eye look?
 
I have not heard any one complain about any adapters. Just shop by price and the score of sellers (on eBay). All mine came from HK.

If you have the FD adapter, then look for a FD fish eye, they are not cheap though. Panny will bring out a fisheye lens sometimes this year so if you need AF, you can just wait.
 
Ivan, can you explain how the Minolta 50mm 1.4 is better vs the canon and nikon? I'm also trying to decide what fast lens to purchase at 50mm focal length. Also, if anyone else can chime in as well. More info, the happier. =-]
 
rundavids said:
Ivan, can you explain how the Minolta 50mm 1.4 is better vs the canon and nikon? I'm also trying to decide what fast lens to purchase at 50mm focal length. Also, if anyone else can chime in as well. More info, the happier. =-]
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure about Nikon, but it's certainly better than Canon, the Rokkor lenses are known for the superior bokeh and all of them share the same "look" on all focal lenghts (this is not true with Nikon or Canon), and to me, this is very important for video.
 
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