Panasonic 20mm 1.7 pancake or Canon FD's?

If I'm looking for a second lens to add to my camera would you guys recommend the pancake lens or just go for the FD?
 
Sean Jeong said:
If I'm looking for a second lens to add to my camera would you guys recommend the pancake lens or just go for the FD?
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It is sharp and bright it can autofocus and it can manually focus. I would recommend it. However if you want to use manual focus with numbers maybe you should choose another.
 
i plan on going with canon fd but before i do.. i need to know which adapter works well with the gh1. I've searched everywhere and cannot find a clear answer on which adapter works good. I do hear a lot about novoflex but that's a bit out of my price range.

has anyone purchased an adapter off ebay that works well? and if so, which one?
 
I am probably looking to pick up this lens. I have a good selection of Nikon primes and a recent shoot made me think having this in the bag would be a good idea and maybe a lifesaver. I was shooting an artist tracking in the studio in extremely low light. There was very low light coming from the ceiling and computer monitors adding some extra light. Due to the circumstances I could not add light. I shot with my Nikon 50mm f 1.4 wide open to keep my ISO low. I loved the look I got, but with the razor thin DOF, sometimes if I had someone perfectly in focus and they moved their head back or forward even the smallest amount, I would lose the shot, and unfortunately couldn't really tell until I reviewed the footage on a big screen. I have a follow focus but in light that low it was very difficult to shoot wide open. I assume with the pancake lens you can use the half press shutter to gain quick focus like the kit lens, is this correct.
The other question was still a concern with audio noise. Do you think the X/Y mics on the H4N will be picking up the motor noise as I have the Zoom mounted fairly close to the camera?
Thanks
EWS
 
semajha said:
i plan on going with canon fd but before i do.. i need to know which adapter works well with the gh1. I've searched everywhere and cannot find a clear answer on which adapter works good. I do hear a lot about novoflex but that's a bit out of my price range.

has anyone purchased an adapter off ebay that works well? and if so, which one?
Click to expand...

I found the same thing when I was doing the research for my fd adapter. Most people say that you can't really go wrong so I bought this one: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320451387335&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT


It seems to do the trick and it's dirt cheap! Hope that helps...
 
Sean Jeong said:
If I'm looking for a second lens to add to my camera would you guys recommend the pancake lens or just go for the FD?
Click to expand...
I bought the Panny 20mm when I was in US over new year, I had it for a week but eventually returned it.

It is a super sharp lens, perfect for stills but it had that digital look that I dislike, not organic IMO. Although slower I think that my Nikon 17-35mm gives me far better images at 20mm for film purposes.

I'd say go with Nikkors or FD's. They will give you a more filmic look and are good for manual focus during filming, something the 20mm Panny was not.

If you are NOT looking for a film look and enjoy the "digital" look of your 14-140 kit lens you will be very pleased with the 20mm and it's bokeh.
 
Decided to get myself some cheap fd lens and adapter, costing probably around $100? I think that the panny 20mm is too expensive but maybe when I get a job and get some cash I'll consider buying it for my third lens. I'm trying not to spend alot right now cause I'm saving up for a long board. :) Looks like a fun sport.
 
thisisapocalypse said:
Can you elaborate on this further in terms of what gives a lens a digital look vs an organic look?
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I wish I could elaborate further or back up what I say with a scientific study but ultimately it is all in the eyes of the beholder. While some might like or even prefer what I call the "digital look", I prefer the "organic" look of Nikkors or FD's in this case!

There is a reason why some photographers prefer the look of one 50mm f/1.4 over another, the images, bokeh, sharpness, contrast etc differ from one brand to another!
 
I sort of know what you all mean about organic versus digital. I think an organic lens would be softer, and have more imperfections in the image and more distortion, but more character. I think Imperfections give an image character.
 
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