GH4 Question regarding GH4 - where to start?

R Hudson

R Hudson

Well-known member
I am considering the move away from Canon and want to get a GH4. Money is a little tight so I wanted to get a GH4 and one lens just for starters. I was considering the Panny 12-35 f2.8 but that doesn't give me much range. Another thought I had was to get the 14-140. I know it's not a constant aperture like the 12-35 but I would hope that it would give me enough options for now and I would plan on acquiring more lenses later. I had considered the speedbooster option as well but I want optical stabilization.

Any thoughts on this combo to get started or any other suggestions?

Thanks!
 
metabones will probably have a Ef speed booster soon for the GH line. They just released the Pocket Camera one which also kinda works on the GH4 in 4k mode.
 
R Hudson said:
I am considering the move away from Canon and want to get a GH4. Money is a little tight so I wanted to get a GH4 and one lens just for starters. I was considering the Panny 12-35 f2.8 but that doesn't give me much range. Another thought I had was to get the 14-140. I know it's not a constant aperture like the 12-35 but I would hope that it would give me enough options for now and I would plan on acquiring more lenses later. I had considered the speedbooster option as well but I want optical stabilization.

Any thoughts on this combo to get started or any other suggestions?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
What kind of footage are you planning on shooting? If cinema style is your thing, I would go with Canon FD lenses with the proper adapter. Super cheap, and very high quality imagery. For the price of the 12-35 f/2.8 you can get several fast FD prime and zoom lenses, and they're all manual focus so it's perfect for video.

If you need auto focus or any of the other features of the electronic lenses (like OIS) then I vote for the 14-140mm. It's not fast, or constant aperture, but the range is spectacular.
 
Don't be afraid if the 14-140. It's a great all around run and gun lens. With it one touch AF works a treat which you won't get with all the lens suggestions above. The lens cost like $600 at most. Great range and good performance.

I used only the 14-140 for this while in Hawaii.
 
It depends on what you are shooting

The 14-140 lens might be great for outdoor shooting but it will be challenged indoors as the GH4 is not a good low light shooter. If you are shooting a lot of low light indoor shots you are going to need some very fast lenses. The Sigma 18-35mm on a Metabones would one of the zoom lenses that will work in low light, you will more than likely need to stick to fast primes if you are looking for different focal lentghs outside the range of the Sigma.

I own the 12-35 and I think it's a great lens. I bought it used on Kijiji which allowed me to save a few hundred and it also allowed me to see and briefly test the lens before buying it.

Not sure what Canon you are shooting with now but if low light is your primary shooting environment you might consider a larger sensor camera. If you are shooting with Full Frame Canon that will be your best bet for low light performance. For video, A Canon will obviously be limited feature wise compared to the GH4 but those are the trade offs you need to consider.

As has been discussed there will be a Metabones EF to M4/3 adapter coming soon so if it's your intention to change bodies you might not need to change your glass. If that's the case it might even make sense to keep your Canon body as you probably won't see much return on the used market unless. Good luck in your search.
 
Thanks guys. All good information to consider. I currently shoot on Canon APS-C and for the most part low light is not where I would be residing. I would plan on acquiring more lenses over time but was really wanting one fairly useful lens to start with if possible. I'll take it all into consideration. I don't have a very extensive collection of Canon glass right now so it's not a major switch.
 
If you were comfortable with f/5.6 lenses on the Canon, you'll be fine here. If you weren't, then don't consider the 14-140.
 
As for low light performance, the gh4 is awesome compared to any of the canon aps-c cams. its not even a close comparison.

If you add 'usable' depth of field to the equation, the gh4 is very comparable to a 5d3. 25mm f1.4 and iso 1600 on the gh4 has equal fov, dof and exposure to a 5d3 with a 50mm at f2.8 and iso 6400. the gh4 does so well in this regard because its pixel density is actually .59 of the 5d3 and not half as the crop factor would suggest.

Don't let lowlight performance scare you at all. Relative to your t3i or 7d vintage canon, you will be well pleased with the gh4. you just have to get a fast prime like the 25 f1.4 or my favorite the 15mm f1.7

cheers,
pete
 
I own both a GH4 and 5DmkIII, and honestly don't think the GH4 is all that good in low light. That being said, the majority of my work is commercial where we always light, so low light performance is a non-issue.
 
I still say get the 14-140 and then buy a used 20mm 1.7 and that will cover your "starting" bases until you decide which lenses you "need" to suit your explorations.
 
Another approach if you can afford it- 12-35mm Lumix f2.8 and a couple legacy slr primes, a fast 50 and maybe a 180/200.

Lately I've also been thinking that if you can live without auto-anything you could do a hella lotta work with a Sigma 10-20 f3.5, Sigma 18-35 f1.8, nikon mount fast 85 of your choice and the speedbooster.
 
For any run and gun situation where changing lenses often isn't ideal, I've yet to find a better combo than GH (2/3/4) + 12-35mm. Don't underestimate the use of ETC mode which furthers your reach to around 80mm and is quite clean on GH4. I simply love this combo for fast indoor/outdoor shooting with minimal compromise in terms of IQ, DOF, etc.
 
What kind of shooting do you do?

Different lenses suit different needs. Just because a lens has more range doesn't make it better. Knowing what type of shooting you do (indoor, outdoor, documentary, narrative, corporate, travel, etc.) would help us recommend the best lens for your needs.
 
Sol M. said:
What kind of shooting do you do?

Different lenses suit different needs. Just because a lens has more range doesn't make it better. Knowing what type of shooting you do (indoor, outdoor, documentary, narrative, corporate, travel, etc.) would help us recommend the best lens for your needs.
Click to expand...

What I do currently is indoor, outdoor (landscapes for stock footage), and corporate marketing projects with possible plans (in the works) for some travel type projects. I have a Panny AC-90 for event and some corporate stuff (depending on the level of corporate work). Indoors I light stuff quite well so I generally don't need great low light performance. That being said, I do "like" low light performance.

That probably makes things clear as mud :)

Note: I didn't even realize that the GH4 had ETC mode but ETC wouldn't work in 4K would it?
 
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