Reference table: equivalent lens

[Texanite]

Sorry texanite, I should have followed your link really!

No worries. It looks like the other Panasonic info is much clearer, specifically stating "35mm film camera equivalent: 28-280mm" Methinks that the folks putting together that particular Panasonic.com page just missed the boat somewhere.

Now that Pany 7-14mm is looking quite a nice option.

I agree. I happy that the wide end of the kit lens, IMO, looks wide enough for basic wide work, but the 7-14mm looks hot.

 

[daveswan]

The GH1 is being marketed into a predominantly photographic market. It makes perfect sense therefore to quote the lens FL in 35mm (Stills) terms.
In any case there are a whole lot more photographers than cinematographers out there in the real world.

 

[Texanite]

The GH1 is being marketed into a predominantly photographic market. It makes perfect sense therefore to quote the lens FL in 35mm (Stills) terms.

I'm not looking for an argument here, but a 14mm lens is not a 28mm lens. They are two different things and it doesn't matter who it's being marketed to, saying that the lens is 28mm when it's actually 14mm is factually incorrect. Even if it makes "perfect sense" to you it's just not true. It's not. Really IT'S NOT.

Saying it's the equivalent is fine, but saying that it's a different focal length than it really is is not fine. The focal length of a lens does not magically change based on the format you're shooting.

 

[Steve Castle]

I'm not looking for an argument here, but a 14mm lens is not a 28mm lens. They are two different things and it doesn't matter who it's being marketed to, saying that the lens is 28mm when it's actually 14mm is factually incorrect. Even if it makes "perfect sense" to you it's just not true. It's not. Really IT'S NOT.

Saying it's the equivalent is fine, but saying that it's a different focal length than it really is is not fine. The focal length of a lens does not magically change based on the format you're shooting.

No reason for dramatics, its on the link you provided. They specifically state its a "35mm camera equivalent".

Thing is, focal length is arbitrary. Relatively, its hard to understand the FOV it'll give from the consumer's perspective without a standard metric to measure it against. 35mm "full-frame" is that standard metric, its a carry over from the film days, its used because everyone (older then 20) has used 35mm film some point in their life. Advertising it's equivalent focal length makes sense, and to their credit, they do properly tell you its focal length, and its marked as such on the lens.

The GH1 kit is proudly equipped with the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens. This compact lens boasts a focal length of 28-280mm [35mm camera equivalent]

It's no different from how Nikon, or anyone else, advertises their lenses...

Here's a snippet from Nikon's page advertising the 18-200mmVR DX lens. I've even seen point&shoots advertised this way.

Offers the broad 18-200mm focal range (11.1x zoom) for use in a variety of situations (equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format)

 

[Park Edwards]

I get what texanite is trying to say because I have this debate with people at work who think "crop" factor is changing your focal length and not your field of view...it's a very misleading

 

[Steve Castle]

I get what texanite is trying to say because I have this debate with people at work who think "crop" factor is changing your focal length and not your field of view...it's a very misleading

It is confusing, which is the reason why makers advertise the "35mm equivalent" along with the actual focal length. This is further complicated by the fact that the very vast majority of dSLRs use APS-C sized sensors. In contemporary terms, most people are more familiar with 1.5 or 1.6 crop sensors then full-frame ones. Nikon didn't even have a 'full-frame' camera until a couple of years ago with the release of the D3. But this is a topic discussed ad nauseum in photography since APS film was first released.

The reality is, in actual practice, people get used to what they are using. A little crop factor here or there isn't important to all the other variables that need to be considered.

 

[Texanite]

It's no different from how Nikon, or anyone else, advertises their lenses..

Offers the broad 18-200mm focal range (11.1x zoom) for use in a variety of situations (equivalent to a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format)

:shocked: As I stated again and again, I have no issues with the lens information being presented as "35mm equivalent". None. Honestly. No issue at all. Really, please just believe me, that's not what I'm talking about. Seriously, I have no problem with that and that is NOT what I'm talking about. Really. Really. Really. Hello, is this thing on?

The only thing that I was pointing out is that Panasonic.com is saying that this camera comes with a 28-280mm lens and it doesn't. That's all. That's it. Totally. That is all. Please don't try and explain again how the 14-140mm lens is equivalent to anything else. That's not the point.

.........

For those who think that it makes perfect sense to advertise the 14-140mm lens as a 28-280mm lens:

 

[Steve Castle]

:shocked: As I stated again and again, I have no issues with the lens information being presented as "35mm equivalent". None. Honestly. No issue at all. Really, please just believe me, that's not what I'm talking about. Seriously, I have no problem with that and that is NOT what I'm talking about. Really. Really. Really. Hello, is this thing on?

The only thing that I was pointing out is that Panasonic.com is saying that this camera comes with a 28-280mm lens and it doesn't. That's all. That's it. Totally. That is all. Please don't try and explain again how the 14-140mm lens is equivalent to anything else. That's not the point.


.........



For those who think that it makes perfect sense to advertise the 14-140mm lens as a 28-280mm lens:

Are you honestly getting worked up about this? You also missed the point of my previous post...

If you scroll down it says on the same page that its 14-140mm. It explains in plain English that 28-280mm is a 35mm equivalent. No deception there. Beyond that it's written "14-140mm" on the lens, and on the box, and every other marketing material outside of that site. I'd agree that they should be more consistent, but really its just a website, and they explain it. Nothing to pop-a-vein over.

again...
on the same page you linked to and posted screen-shots of (not in fine print, "proudly" presented as one of the features) :

The GH1 kit is proudly equipped with the LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. lens. This compact lens boasts a focal length of 28-280mm [35mm camera equivalent]

 

[Isaac_Brody]

Whooaa calm down. It's really not worth getting worked up over marketing materials.

 

[Texanite]

If you scroll down it says on the same page that its 14-140mm.

The point is not that Panasonic.com does list the correct info in some places. I know that. I stated that myself. Scroll up to the top of this page and read my post where I say "other Panasonic info is much clearer, specifically stating "35mm film camera equivalent: 28-280mm" I know that in some places, including information on that page itself, Panasonic.com does list the correct information. That's not being debated. I never said that they DIDN'T list accurate information in some places. But that doesn't change incorrect information.

If you list incorrect specs, like a bulleted point that says it comes with a 28-280mm lens, and it doesn't really come with a 28-280mm lens, then it's incorrect. That's how facts and reality work. It doesn't matter if elsewhere you explain that it really comes with a 14-140mm lens which is similar to a 28-280mm lens if you're thinking in the world of full frame 35mm still photography. That doesn't somehow make a previously false statement magically become a true one.

The point was not that they got it right in most places, the whole point is that they list it incorrectly. And they DO list it incorrectly. It's just a fact. The kit lens is not a 28-280mm lens. But Panasonic.com DOES say that it's a 28-280mm lens on multiple web pages and that information is incorrect. That's all I'm saying.


This entire debate is riduculous and a complete waste of time. I'm sorry I ever pointed out that Panasonic does in fact, on multiple pages, list the focal length incorrectly. But I stand by everything that I've stated including:

"The only thing that I was pointing out is that Panasonic.com is saying that this camera comes with a 28-280mm lens and it doesn't. That's all. That's it. Totally. That is all."

 

[Steve Castle]

The point is not that Panasonic.com does list the correct info in some places. I know that. I stated that myself. Scroll up to the top of this page and read my post where I say "other Panasonic info is much clearer, specifically stating "35mm film camera equivalent: 28-280mm" I know that in some places, including information on that page itself, Panasonic.com does list the correct information. That's not being debated. I never said that they DIDN'T list accurate information in some places. But that doesn't change incorrect information.

If you list incorrect specs, like a bulleted point that says it comes with a 28-280mm lens, and it doesn't really come with a 28-280mm lens, then it's incorrect. That's how facts and reality work. It doesn't matter if elsewhere you explain that it really comes with a 14-140mm lens which is similar to a 28-280mm lens if you're thinking in the world of full frame 35mm still photography. That doesn't somehow make a previously false statement magically become a true one.

The point was not that they got it right in most places, the whole point is that they list it incorrectly. And they DO list it incorrectly. It's just a fact. The kit lens is not a 28-280mm lens. But Panasonic.com DOES say that it's a 28-280mm lens on multiple web pages and that information is incorrect. That's all I'm saying.


This entire debate is riduculous and a complete waste of time. I'm sorry I ever pointed out that Panasonic does in fact, on multiple pages, list the focal length incorrectly. But I stand by everything that I've stated including:

Its much ado about nothing, Its clearly explained in multiple locations (its also explained in the technical specifications). I mean really, we are all intelligent enough people to be able read a couple paragraphs about a product; especially if its a $1,500 investment. You would have a point if they omitted entirely, or if Panasonic was writing "28-280mm" on the lens. But there not.

But I agree that Panasonic lacks consistency on their website, and that this debate is a waste of time.

Cheers.