Not happy with Canon FD Lenses

[climber]

Apologies, wasn't trying to be rude. But you're right, my response was pretty condescending. I just see a lot of movement lately with m43 newbies diving into legacy glass without really knowing why, they just saw some cool pics on Flickr and thought they'd get them some of that old lens voodoo too, except when the lens arrives from eBay or craigslist and the very first shot isn't somehow sprinkled with cool vintage pixie dust, the lens gets tagged FAIL and then sits in a drawer unused. I personally know guys like this and it's a drag. But for all I know you're Ansel Adams so sorry for the proxy bile.

No worries, happens to the best of us.

Can someone tell me if my logic is correct that the Olympus 50mm has a different telephoto reach than a nikon or canon 50mm when mounted on the GH1? This confuses me for some reason.

One of the main reasons I shoot video with a dslr is so I can use wide angle lenses. I shoot rock climbing which is usually in tight quarters so being able to shoot wide is amazing. This is also the reason I'm using panasonic lenses is because the 7-14mm lens will allow me to capture a lot in small spaces and it also works well for closeups of the rock where you can still see the climber.

From what I'm reading, a new lens from any company would match up better with the Panasonic lenses than the FD's do. Sigma has a 30mm f/1.4 for $440, Canon has a 35mm f/2 for $300 and Nikon has a 35mm f/1.8 for $190. Due to the price and some reviews I've read, the Nikon looks like a good choice for me.

Thanks a lot for the help! It's hard making a lens decision alone!
Alex

 

[Arnarfjodur]

Your logic is incorrect. Any 50mm lens will give the same field of view on the same camera.

No worries, happens to the best of us.

Can someone tell me if my logic is correct that the Olympus 50mm has a different telephoto reach than a nikon or canon 50mm when mounted on the GH1? This confuses me for some reason.
Alex

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

From what I'm reading, a new lens from any company would match up better with the Panasonic lenses than the FD's do.
Alex

I don't know why that would be. Many people post regularly on using Canon FD lenses.

What I think you may be saying is that you need a 'short' lens, say, under 15-20mm, and Canon FD lenses don't have much of an offering in that range, or not where you are looking for the price you want to pay.

 

[terra1]

i love the look of FD lenses, ive bought a few over the past few months, 50mm f1.4, 55mm f1.2, 35mm f3.5, 28mm f2.8, 24mm f2.8, and i bloody love them all! i was a bit shocked when i got tried my first one as it was a 50mm and on the GH1 becomes a 100mm.

i found a 28mm FD was a great lens that i could use indoors and get a pretty good field of view, i love the 35mm because its a chrome nose and feels like it could beat up a tank! the contrast on it is pleasing to me also. just got a 24mm and the field of view it superb indoors, grabs alot of a tight scene.

why not test your kit lens on the different **mm's and ul see how each lens will view. (i might be wrong about this but it should be about the same) zoomed into 35mm on the kit lens = canon 35mm FD.

the look a world away from the crisp big panasonic 14-140 and the pancake but thats their beauty.

and i like playing with a real manual focus, it kind of feels authentic and real, focus by button i cant get in the zone with.

but i do love the 14-140 and pancake aswell tho great lenses all round.

 

[J Davis]

*** best way to understand it is to take still with your 50mm prime, then take the same still with you kit zoom on 50mm
remember the prime is full frame and you kit zoom is 4/3rds ...
... when you see the field of view is similar then you'll understand that 50mm is 50mm regardless.

If you stick both of those same lenses on a full frame sensor and take the same still one image will vignette ... thats the difference

 

[climber]

I am using the Nikon G adapter from Rainbowimaging. It allows aperture control. I will be posting a short piece that I shot with this lens in the next day or so. I love the look from this lens!

EDIT: Oh and if you buy the adapter from rainbow, send him an email in advance and if you skip ebay you can get a discount. I have done this with all of my adapters with him...

Would you use the sigma in the same project as your Panny lenses? Does the look and clarity seem similar?

I'm leaning towards buying the four thirds version of the Sigma 30mm, in part because this list indicates that autofocus will probably work with the GH2 which is a great feature to have.

 

[mojo43]

Would you use the sigma in the same project as your Panny lenses? Does the look and clarity seem similar?

I'm leaning towards buying the four thirds version of the Sigma 30mm, in part because this list indicates that autofocus will probably work with the GH2 which is a great feature to have.

IMO they match very well together, but it is just my opinion. My buddy dragged me to the shooting range last weekend so I brought the camera along as I prefer to shoot with it rather than a gun... Here are some screen shots with both lenses (no cc was done)...



Stock lens


Sigma 30mm


Stock lens


Sigma 30mm

EDIT: Oh and that's great news that the Sigma AF would work with the GH2. Wouldn't it work with the GH1 if this is the case as well though?

 

[climber]

Thanks for the photos mojo! Looks good!

Does anyone have any experience with lenses with smooth aperture rings (they don't click)? Seems like that would be awesome for video purposes.

 

[svecher]

One of the main reasons I shoot video with a dslr is so I can use wide angle lenses. I shoot rock climbing which is usually in tight quarters so being able to shoot wide is amazing. This is also the reason I'm using panasonic lenses is because the 7-14mm lens will allow me to capture a lot in small spaces and it also works well for closeups of the rock where you can still see the climber.

And with GHx you get the benefit of a smaller size and weight for body AND lenses. On a recent climb in Sierra Nevada a buddy of mine took his 7D and I took the GH13. 7D spent most of its time tucked away in the backpack ...

I'll especially vouch for the 7-14. You'll love it. It's so wide it makes me dizzy sometimes ...

 

[mojo43]

Thanks for the photos mojo! Looks good!

Does anyone have any experience with lenses with smooth aperture rings (they don't click)? Seems like that would be awesome for video purposes.

My Nikon G adapter controls the aperture without clicks. It is very sensitive, but you can get smooth aperture change with it...