To Panasonic or not to Panasonic???

J

JerryB

Well-known member
Over the past year I have acquired most all the gear that I will be needing (audio, rail system, FF, shoulder rig, tripod, slider, etc.) and this next year I am focusing on slowly buildup my lens collection.

I currently have....

- Panny 20mm f1.7
- Panny 14-140 f.4
- Canon FD 50mm f.14

My question is, should I continue to buy G series lenses or Canon FD lenses as they both have a distinct look or just have a mix of different lenses and not worry about it???

Here is a list of lenses I am most interested in (suggestions are welcome)...

- Canon FD 24mm f1.4 L (may not need due to 20mm f1.7)
- Canon FD 85 f1.2 L
- Nokton 25mm f.95 (may not need due to 20mm f1.7)
- Panny 14mm f2.5

I was initially thinking of getting the Panny 14mm and Canon FD 85mm (to cover focal ranges) but that's when I came to my conundrum. There is also the probability that Panasonic will continue to release G series lenses that are brighter in the future with the release of two new cameras GH2/GF2.

Any suggestions?
 
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Other than Canon FD 50.4, other focal lengths are more expensive. As GH series performs better in low lighting, there will be less need for fast primes. 50.4 and 85.4 primes are great for bokeh. But less need for low lighting when GH3 has clean video at ISO 6400. Some people would wanna use Canon FDs for unique look and color.

It could take another year for Panny to release brighter 2.8 zooms with mega o.i.s. Official announcement, beta testing, production shortage, etc. Undoubtedly those will be expensive. No way I'm gonna pay full retail price.

Oly 14-54 ii could serve for two years before buying the fast m43 zooms optimized for video... possibly at the time when GH3 is expected to be available.
 
Lenses are a personal preference. If you like the look a certain lens gives, then by all means, that should be a factor in your decision. Some people prefer the sharpness and contrast of the Zeiss. Some prefer the soft, creamy smooth look of the Cookes. Some love the Canon L glass, some crave the Leica look. That's personal preference, and only you can decide that. I've always been partial to Zeiss, a sharp zeiss is simply breathtaking, but some people think they can be a little clinical.

I prefer to get a lens set that is as color-matched as I can get it. I don't like mixing Nikons and Panasonics and Canons and Zeiss and Tokinas all over the place; each lens imparts its own signature look to the footage. I like a matched set. I have two basic lens sets, for two different reasons:

The Zeiss ZF/CP lenses, for cinema usage and color-matched across the line. Currently have both, will be selling off the ZFs soon.

The Panasonic Lumix lenses, mainly for the focal range but primarily for the sheer convenience. The 7-14, 20mm, and 14-140. They cover nonstop the entire focal range from ultra-hyper-wide to pretty darn decent telephoto, but they're integrated with the camera and the 14-140 provides a whole range of capabilities that stills lenses don't (primarily chromatic aberration compensation, parfocal zoom, great OIS, and rectilinear barrel distortion correction, and silent video-style autofocus.). The 7-14 has most of those same attributes, minus the OIS and the true video-style autofocus. But the lenses also provide readouts on the camera display for zoom position and focus position, and the 20mm f/1.7 is super-fast light-sensitive (a full two stops faster than the Zeiss 18mm and 1.5 stops faster than the Zeiss 21mm).

If I was doing a dedicated cinema job, on rails with a mattebox and a follow focus, then cinevised ZF's or the Compact Primes are a total no-brainer, they're the desirable ultimate for this range of camera.

But if I was doing an ENG job, or covering events, or wanted a lightweight effortless camera package, the Panasonic lenses offer that, at a huge range of focal lengths with three lenses that can fit in your pockets. Other than the zooms being a little slow, they're a great set. And the 20mm is ridiculously small. And all three of them together cost less and are smaller than any single one of my Compact Primes!

So the only non-matched lens that's tempting me right now, is the Voigtlander 25mm/f0.95 Nokton. Even though I have the 20mm f/1.7 (which, on its own, is 1.5 stops faster than an f/2.8 lens like the Zeiss 21mm), the Nokton is 1+2/3 stops faster than the Panasonic 20mm! That's hyper-crazy-fast. I would consider it a special-purpose lens, so I'm not chompin' at the bit to get it, but I could see wanting it for crazy no-light performance.
 
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Barry_Green said:
I prefer to get a lens set that is as color-matched as I can get it. I don't like mixing Nikons and Panasonics and Canons and Zeiss and Tokinas all over the place; each lens imparts its own signature look to the footage. I like a matched set. I have two basic lens sets, for two different reasons:
Click to expand...

I went out today and did a photo shoot with the Canon FD 50mm f1.4 and the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 and there is a definite difference in look. I am understanding more that a matched set is probably what I am going to have to lean toward. The bokeh on the FDs is quite stunning BUT it can also be distracting along with the FD lenses having a tendency to be a little soft, which is a little too stylistic for my taste. I love what I see from Zeiss lenses but they are also a little out of my budget. I am probably leaning toward continuing with my G series lenses.

Given the lenses I have already, what would be the next G series lens for me to get? I am kinda debating between the 14mm f2.5 or the 7-14 f4. I like the idea of the 14mm being a lot brighter than the stock lens for low light situations where I need brightness but having an even wider lens might come in handy. Decisions decisions...
 
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