GH2 Newb First Lens

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337 am

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I'm very new to DLSR cameras, actually cameras in general. Ive always had consumer video cams. I have just ordered a GH2 body. What lens should i start out with? I was thinking about the panny 14-42mm, because of the AF and cheap price. Like i said im a complete newb, and i thought i might be able to get used to the way the cam works with that lens. Any advice would be very appreciated.
 
I'd get the 20mm 1.7 and the nikon 50mm 1.8 for starters which is dead cheap. you can do lots with that combo
 
i have to disagree. i had a GH2 with both the 20mm and 14-140 and i thought they were both hideously ugly. absolutely stinkin unbearably horrible. i didnt care for a single still or video i shot with either.
unless you just NEED all the auto/ois features of the panasonic lenses. id advise you to get one of the better m4/3 to _________ adapters and get some good OLD fast manual lenses.
 
The 14-140 is mighty fine and used by many people with great success. Is sharp, and how sharper than sharp can you have a lens perform? It also actually gives you 126 focal lengths equal to 126 prime lenses. It gives you a 14mm, 15mm, 16mm all the way up to 140mm! Isn't that amazing! It is said to be "slow" but if you shoot outside or in "too much" indoor lighting you HAVE to use an ND filter. Isn't that even more amazing! All those prime lenses people talk so much about mostly give you soft images with horrible focus hunting. Also an amazing crop factor.If you plan to shoot in the dark then get the Nex FS100 with shoots beautiful at 25,000 ISO. If you know how to shoot properly the kits lens will be very good indeed.
 
wgzn said:
i have to disagree. i had a GH2 with both the 20mm and 14-140 and i thought they were both hideously ugly. absolutely stinkin unbearably horrible. i didnt care for a single still or video i shot with either.
unless you just NEED all the auto/ois features of the panasonic lenses. id advise you to get one of the better m4/3 to _________ adapters and get some good OLD fast manual lenses.
Click to expand...

I've been wondering about this. Does anyone sell a set of fast manual glass primes?
Are there any fast primes out there that are wide? Because thats one thing the m43 zooms have is the wide end.
 
I would not use the kit lens for anything but quick run and gun stuff or just goofing around. For serious shoots I used the best glass the budget allows, if there is no budget for lens rental I fall back on my Nikon Primes which have never disappointed and a kit can be had for the price of the kit 14-140mm if you shop around.

If you're just starting out though by the best lens you can afford at this time. Then gradually build from there. the 14-42 wouldn't be bad as a starter... then add a fast 50mm, then say a 24 or 35mm, maybe an 85mm. Before you know it you'll build a great set and they are one of the only things that aren't worth half after a couple months.
 
337,

The 14-42 will "get you in the game" which from your post sounds like all you really "need" at this point. Because of the quake and its effects on distribution, most Panny lenses right now are through the roof for price. The 14-42 and the 45-200 are the only ones that are selling near "pre quake" prices. The 20mm is completely off the charts, list brand new is $399 and a beater used one will do that on Ebay right now. When the distribution gets back into gear, those lens prices will come back down to earth. Until that time, you are going to be busy learning your GH2 with the cheap lens.

All the videos you have seen and gone "wow" as you watched, those were shot by some real skilled people and most likely all using manual primes. The Nikon Stefanos mentions is one of the top lenses for sharpness. That one you can find brand new now for $135. Used ones seem to sell for almost as much, might as well get new with warranty. I just got the adapter for that lens from Rainbow Imaging and I think it was $21.

Those two lenses will give you more than enough to do and learn until Panny lens prices come back to reality.
 
He's a newbie. Maybe we could help within that frame.

He should get a lens that helps him as much as possible, with ease of use being more important at this time them quality glass.

I have the 20mm pan and the 14-140 pan and a minlota 50 and voightlander 0.95f.

I like them all for different uses. Easily the most versatile is the pan 14-140mm and I've taken some very high quality shots
in daylight settings. As well as really good video(if the light is good)

If you want a smaller package the 20mm is a very good choice. However I can just guess he will want to zoom a lot.
I can't speak directly to the 14-42mm kit lens although it is, from what I understand, far an away the worst lens out of these choices.

You will get the most mileage out of the 14-140mm. It's the best grab and shoot choice until more lens come out
that interact with the camera. It takes great shots in the right conditions and if you learn how to use
all the settings it will take good shots in most places. With autofocus, image stabilization and the rest it's probably pretty
good for a newbie who may not fully understand why multiple lens are needed. It's a beginner lens that unlike the 14-42mm,
you'll probably still be using as you get better. If I have to take only one lens, it's the one I take.

I love the voightlander but no way on earth should it be a newbies 1st lens. It's razor thin dof would drive them nuts. If you're
taking pictures of kids and events, a lens that can help is a good thing.

It's a good first lens and will allow you to learn the camera without getting overwhelmed.
 
seanmcleod said:
If you're just starting out though by the best lens you can afford at this time. Then gradually build from there. the 14-42 wouldn't be bad as a starter... then add a fast 50mm, then say a 24 or 35mm, maybe an 85mm. Before you know it you'll build a great set and they are one of the only things that aren't worth half after a couple months.
Click to expand...

+1

There is so much lens fetish around. The guy's starting out and seems like he doesn't have a lot of money.

The 14-42 will get him started with framing - from wide to short tele - and allow him to get a feel for the whole DSLR thing. There is so much involved in the beginning that it can be overwhelming for someone who is new to this. I still remember. Then later a nice 50mm Canon FD 1.4 and as seanmcleod says, before you know it, you know what you want.

So don't listen to the naysayers. The 14-42 is quite respectable and won't break the bank. It will be a great learning tool.
 
If you can find it, the older 14-45mm kit lens is much better than the current 14-42mm lens. ( 14-45mm has a metal lens mount instead of plastic, and is significantly sharper at the long end of the zoom range )
 
ChipThome said:
337,

The 14-42 will "get you in the game" which from your post sounds like all you really "need" at this point. Because of the quake and its effects on distribution, most Panny lenses right now are through the roof for price. The 14-42 and the 45-200 are the only ones that are selling near "pre quake" prices. The 20mm is completely off the charts, list brand new is $399 and a beater used one will do that on Ebay right now. When the distribution gets back into gear, those lens prices will come back down to earth. Until that time, you are going to be busy learning your GH2 with the cheap lens.

All the videos you have seen and gone "wow" as you watched, those were shot by some real skilled people and most likely all using manual primes. The Nikon Stefanos mentions is one of the top lenses for sharpness. That one you can find brand new now for $135. Used ones seem to sell for almost as much, might as well get new with warranty. I just got the adapter for that lens from Rainbow Imaging and I think it was $21.

Those two lenses will give you more than enough to do and learn until Panny lens prices come back to reality.
Click to expand...

With adapters you have no auto focus, & OIS correct? Or is there an adapter that "talks" to the modern 50mm lens?
 
Karl,

No auto anything, full manual only. There's talk about an adapter coming out to auto everything, and the rumored price is over $700. That might just be for Canon lenses too.... after reading the projected price, didn't bother learning any more.
 
ChipThome said:
Karl,

No auto anything, full manual only. There's talk about an adapter coming out to auto everything, and the rumored price is over $700. That might just be for Canon lenses too.... after reading the projected price, didn't bother learning any more.
Click to expand...

I wonder if we'll ever see a 50mm 1.4 m43 lens then? (and how much!)
 
For my GH-2, I decided to go with the kit 14-140mm and the 20mm pancake.

While I certainly agree with the other posters that having nice fast primes is preferable, this combination has managed to suffice even under some extreme lighting conditions.

Take a look at this web commercial that I just finished producing. 90% of it was shot at night or indoors, yet we managed to make it work with only the above two lenses.

YouTube HD

Vimeo
 
We mostly used the 14-140 wide open and with a lot of light. It's definitely a slow lens and not nearly as easy to light for as the pancake, but I just wanted to illustrate that it is possible to use if you're in a bind. Lots of light, f4.0 and probably around 800 ISO.
 
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