Pana 20mm - Better alternative for video?

P

peripatew

Well-known member
Just got my GH2, and my 20mm. Love the lens, love the camera. However, the 20mm autofocuses rather slowly for pictures, and the "floating" focus ring isn't very responsive for manually focusing for video. If I spin it quickly, it seems to "skip" rather than go to the point that I want. If I go slow, I can get it to be consistent, but its slow! All my focus pulls are too slow with the 20mm, and I kept having to hunt around as the ring wasn't consistent.

I just bought it, and I can still return the 20mm and put the $$$ towards something else that might work better. I got it to replace the kit 14-42 lens, as I need at least one auto-focus lens for my wife, and for quick shots with the kids.

I'm a manual-focus, video noob, so I thought I'd post for some comments and feedback. I love the lens, sharp and performs well in low light. It's nice that it's super tiny as well.

Are you using the 20mm? Or would a 24,25, 28 manual lens perform better?

I've got a Canon 24mm FD 2.0, but the part that locks in onto the camera is jammed, so I need to get it repaired. Hopefully it's reparable.

I've got a 50mm FD 1.4 on the way as well.

Thoughts?

Thanks! I appreciate everyones experience and wisdom.
 
I had a great hope of sharing GH13 with my wife. It took me a year to give up. I tried E-PL1 and the pancake. Nope... it didn't work.

She's very happy with Canon S95. No lens cap. Auto mode. 4x optical zoom. f/2.0-4.9. 720p movie.
 
I'm keeping the 20.7 pancake. Try to find alternative 20mm at 1.7 at the price range. I couldn't.

When I use it for video, usually I wanna set the focus and fix it while taking video. 25mm 0.95 looks awesome... but $$$.
 
stonebat said:
That's almost $600 with an adapter. Voigtlander 25mm 0.95 is $899.
Click to expand...

True, though it is the only equivalent option (wide + fast). Perhaps the fast aperture, manual focus, and freedom to use it on future nikons/canons may be worth the difference to peripatew.
 
It's not as fast as the pancake but I like the old Vivitar/Komine 28mm f/2.8 Close Focus. Comes in an FD mount so I can use it with my FD-m43 adapters, really nice color, a bit soft wide open but usable. Sharpens up nicely by f/4 and best of all it's cheap, you can get these on eBay for under $100. Be sure to get the Close Focus version of the Vivitar 28mm, it will have these words on the front of the lens.

Better still is the Canon FD 35mm f/2 with concave front element. Probably my favorite lens overall for m43. Both of mine arrived from eBay pretty yellowed from the radiation off the Thoriated rear element, but a week under a UV bulb cleared them up nicely. I like the Canon 35mm better than the Vivitar 28mm but it's 3-4x more expensive when you find one.

I love the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 but it's field of view is 100mm on m43 and that's too long for most video, especially hand held. Amazing lens though, wonderful for portraits and for video when you screw it down to something that stays put.

I'm with the others, though -- keep the 20mm pancake, it's a gem and well worth learning how to put up with its focus by wire. Also, I'd get that Canon FD 24mm f/2 repaired. I've never shot with one but I know it's one of the more sought-after FDs and its focal length and speed would seem ideally suited to m43.

peripatew said:
Just got my GH2, and my 20mm. Love the lens, love the camera. However, the 20mm autofocuses rather slowly for pictures, and the "floating" focus ring isn't very responsive for manually focusing for video. If I spin it quickly, it seems to "skip" rather than go to the point that I want. If I go slow, I can get it to be consistent, but its slow! All my focus pulls are too slow with the 20mm, and I kept having to hunt around as the ring wasn't consistent.

I just bought it, and I can still return the 20mm and put the $$$ towards something else that might work better. I got it to replace the kit 14-42 lens, as I need at least one auto-focus lens for my wife, and for quick shots with the kids.

I'm a manual-focus, video noob, so I thought I'd post for some comments and feedback. I love the lens, sharp and performs well in low light. It's nice that it's super tiny as well.

Are you using the 20mm? Or would a 24,25, 28 manual lens perform better?

I've got a Canon 24mm FD 2.0, but the part that locks in onto the camera is jammed, so I need to get it repaired. Hopefully it's reparable.

I've got a 50mm FD 1.4 on the way as well.

Thoughts?

Thanks! I appreciate everyones experience and wisdom.
Click to expand...
 
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