GH2 Using a GH2 for a travel documentary

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Snowboardz

Member
I am planning on filming a documentary film about traveling. The documentary will focus heavily on interviews with travelers and short clips of scenery. I wish to maintain a low profile while in poor areas and I also want to travel with the lightest/smallest amount of gear as possible. I am considering buying the GH2 w/ a few lens once my project is funded.

I am thinking to buy the kit 14-14omm lens and a LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. Would these two lens be adequate for most purposes?

Also, does anyone know if the GH2 is light enough to be stable on the Manfrotto 682B Self Standing Monopod? I am considering on buying this instead of a tripod.
http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-682B-Standing-Monopod-Black/dp/B0009PSF9O
 
If you plan on using the sound for anything other than a quick internet-posted video, also consider an external audio recorder. The GH2 records sound alright but you can't monitor it and the quality isn't great.

My ultralight travel kit includes exactly those two lenses, plus a Lumix 7-14.
 
Snowboardz said:


I am thinking to buy the kit 14-14omm lens and a LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. Would these two lens be adequate for most purposes?
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My choices also. Just bear in mind that the Panasonic Leica has no IS and is virtually useless for video handheld where any kind of camera motion is concerned. However, with proper support and for taking RAW photos it is exceptional.

Happy travels.
 
The GH2 would be a great travel camera. It's very lightweight. I recommend the 14-140mm lens, but that's just me. Having the extra zoom has come in very handy.
 
stoneinapond said:
My choices also. Just bear in mind that the Panasonic Leica has no IS and is virtually useless for video handheld where any kind of camera motion is concerned. However, with proper support and for taking RAW photos it is exceptional.

Happy travels.
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Do you have any other suggestions for a fast second lens?
 
GH2 is a perfect camera for this - especially hacked. Interviews with travelers sounds like you need a fast & wide lens for interviews in tight, dark places - like planes, trains & automobiles...
Maybe something like this? Noktor 12mm F1.6 https://vimeo.com/30097165
 
If you're already considering a Nokton 50, you may also consider the Voigtlander Nokton 25/0.95 and especially 17.5/0.95. They will be more "normal" and "wide" vs. the more telephoto angle of view vs. a 50mm.

I'm loving the heck out of my 17.5. I think it's a sweet spot on the GH2 of just wide enough in normal mode (~35mm equivalent) and just telephoto enough in ETC mode (~90mm equivalent). Being such a fast lens, it's fairly easy to keep your ISO low and avoid the high-ISO-noise issues of ETC mode. The image is good wide open and sharp as anything anywhere at f2 or slower.
 
The Lumix 20mm f1.7 is a great lens too. Very tiny, makes the camera about as small as it can get but still takes excellent images.
 
mcbob said:
.....you may also consider the Voigtlander Nokton 25/0.95 and especially 17.5/0.95. They will be more "normal" and "wide" vs. the more telephoto angle of view vs. a 50mm.
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While the 17.5 is a beautiful lens, it is very heavy and not something I would want to travel with (especially at the price). The other issue is that at 0.95 it renders a ridiculously narrow DOF that I'm not sure is also suited to travel. YMMV.

But again, it is a gorgeous lens.
 
The voigtlanders are nice both the 25 and the 17.5, but I think the absolute must have.... and best bang for the buck is the hyperprime DSLR magic 12mm 1.6 The 25mm used to be the lens I had on my camera all the time, but not anymore. I've shot so much with the hyperprime at at 500 bucks it's just a steal. I also think that you'll always need a wide angle and it's awesome. I like it more than the Olympus 12mm F2. It's just such a great lens and for this price you could buy the hyperprime, the 35mm 1.4 by Rokinon, and the 20mm 1.7 and still have money left over instead of just the one 17.5. The only thing I'd say though about the 20mm is that its the worst lens I've ever used for manual focus. So much so that I don't use that lens very much at all anymore...


Another lens you should consider for any travel doc is the 7-14. That lens has totally grown on me too. I really love that thing...
 
As far as the monopod, I have the upgraded version of that one.. THe one with the robot type bottom.. Forgot the model number. I can tell you that if the legs are tighened down, you can totally support the Gh2 on the top... But I wouldn't count on it all the time cause one nudge and it's going down.. .BUT. I love these monopods. I rarely use my big heavy tripods now that these are out there. They are super awesome and they go really high and just allows you to be a lot more manuverable.


I haven't used this specific one and it looks more of a stable tripod in terms of just planting it, so I'm sure it would be fine.. As I said, I have the other one and that one supports the GH2 while standing and it's not truly a self supporting model...


Good luck on your trip!
 
stoneinapond said:
While the 17.5 is a beautiful lens, it is very heavy and not something I would want to travel with (especially at the price). The other issue is that at 0.95 it renders a ridiculously narrow DOF that I'm not sure is also suited to travel. YMMV.

But again, it is a gorgeous lens.
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I agree that it's heavier and far more expensive. My other nitpicks with the lens are that it's "surgical" compared to the PL25 and Leica R primes, seems more Zeiss-ish, and I wish they'd have curved the iris blades even just a little (out of focus light spots - "bokeh balls," as the vernacular goes - become perfect decagons when stopped down).

I disagree that its aperture is a problem... it's a wider lens and the DOF (even at 0.95) is manageable - especially since the focusing mechanism is absolutely buttery. It's got that nifty selectively-declickable aperture that you can stop down and be achingly sharp at f2 and lower; most of the time with home video and general use, I run it (or any lens) at 5.6-8 anyway. And did I mention it's sharp? It's perfectly useable in ETC mode, so you practically have an extra 45mm lens in your bag. Meanwhile, you have those two extra full stops to either just get the shot or get that shallow full-frame aesthetic without the full-frame weight (a Summilux-R 35 alone weighs almost as much as the entire GH2/CV17.5 combo). The 17.5 is really going to become a workhorse for me.

All that aside, however... I very much endorse the OP's original plan for the 14-140 and PL25. Using the P20/1.7 prior to the 25's release, it's the exact combo I've been using professionally for the bulk of projects for over a year now and covers 95% of situations splendidly.
 
mcbob said:
I disagree that its aperture is a problem... it's a wider lens and the DOF (even at 0.95) is manageable - especially since the focusing mechanism is absolutely buttery. It's got that nifty selectively-declickable aperture that you can stop down and be achingly sharp at f2 and lower.
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Don't get me wrong. Yes, the focus wheel is a dream. The lens is sharp. But for night time capture I think the Pana-Leica's 1.4 would be quite adequate. If as you say, you are using the Voit in the 5.6 to 8 range, then one is paying a premium for a feature (0.95) that may not be used anyway.

And yeah, love the option of declicked aperture control. Also smooth as silk. And as you stated, it works real well in ETC mode
 
I just came back from Uzbekistan and shot with the 14-140mm and the Voigtländer 25mm

have a look: http://vimeo.com/41706421

Personally I would suggest you a zoom lens like the 14-140 for most shots- because often you need wideshots but in the next shot you want to be close to something. I know that the fstop is not that great but for traveling you need something flexible. Anyway you should also take another lens and the Voigtländer is totally worth it! I love it, especially for portrait shots and the 0.95 is just great for shots in the evening or night time.
 
My travel kit: GH2 + kit lens 14-140mm, a Canon FL 55mm f1.2 and the Voigtlaender 25mm f0.95. Zoom H2, and a rice bag for stabilization. Here are two examples how I used it:

https://vimeo.com/34427040

https://vimeo.com/26502646

I also own the pancake 20mm f1.7, but for video it just doesn't work. More and more I am only using the primes because of manual focus.
 
I'm suprised no one mentioned the Leica Vario-Elmar 14-50 2.8-3.5. It looks like the best allround run 'n gun lens with manual aperture and focus rings. It's a lot faster than the 14-140, which at F4 is hardly usable for interiors and covers your needs in terms of range for 90% of the time, it would seem... For the very long shots you can always carry an affordable legacy lens. I love my cheapo (got it for €50) lightweight Canon FD 200 F4 (get the one with the built-in sunshade) and just bought a Minolta MD Rokkor 50-135 F3.5 for €10 in a garagesale. The latter one would be a nice addition to the 14-50. (I haven't shot anything with it yet -still waiting for my adapter- but if you're interested I can post some footage when I have it)
 
I have the 14-50, and while it's a good flexible lens (especially on GH2 using ETC), it's much larger than even the 14-140 and ungainly to handhold on GH2.
 
vaitor said:
I just came back from Uzbekistan and shot with the 14-140mm and the Voigtländer 25mm

have a look: http://vimeo.com/41706421

Personally I would suggest you a zoom lens like the 14-140 for most shots- because often you need wideshots but in the next shot you want to be close to something. I know that the fstop is not that great but for traveling you need something flexible. Anyway you should also take another lens and the Voigtländer is totally worth it! I love it, especially for portrait shots and the 0.95 is just great for shots in the evening or night time.
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Nice, I like the quick edits. Travel pieces can be a boring without any story, but the quick edits kept me entertained.
 
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