GH3 What are the best M4/3rds lenses out there? Have to build a kit from scratch.

akivisuals

akivisuals

Well-known member
I've decided to invest in 2-3 Panasonic GH3s for my business and need to build a lens kit from scratch. I've been shooting for over 2 decades on Canon EF glass so I'm well stocked with good quality L glass and want something of equal performance to what I currently shoot with. For background, I shoot weddings with some corporate and documentary stuff mixed in a bit. I'm looking primarily for fast glass since that crop factor really changes what I'm used to seeing out of an f/2.8 lens. On my 5D3s I'm used to shooting with 35L, 50L, 85L and 135L along with the fast zooms. I know about lenses like the Voightlander 25mm f/0.95 (a lens I plan on acquiring) and some of the SLR Magic lenses, but would like to hear recommendations on other lenses out there. Speed is key for me as is image quality. I'd love to have image stabilization as well. The Olympus 12-35 f/2.0 and the 35-100 f/2.0 are of interest to me but I realize that neither have OIS and both are quite large. The Panasonic versions at f/2.8 might work. So, what say you DVXuser!
 
Stephen Mick said:
Panny 12-35 f2.8
Panny 35-100 f2.8
Voigtlander 25mm f0.95
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Thanks Stephen! Those are all lenses I am considering buying.

About those Olympus f/2.0 zooms.... Do they autofocus and play nicely with the GH3/GH2? I've read some things about them not being perfectly compatible. Also, which of these lenses require adapters of some sort? Thanks!
 
Well, the Olympus f2.0 zooms are, I believe, Four-Thirds lenses. So to use those on Micro Four-Thirds, you'll need an adapter, likely the Olympus. Those lenses are amazing, and they are really, really big (comparatively speaking). I can't speak to the auto-focus performance, as I haven't used them in a good long while.
 
akivisuals said:
Thanks Stephen! Those are all lenses I am considering buying.

About those Olympus f/2.0 zooms.... Do they autofocus and play nicely with the GH3/GH2? I've read some things about them not being perfectly compatible. Also, which of these lenses require adapters of some sort? Thanks!
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The Olympus f2.0 zooms are fantastic and were the best digital zooms for GH cams but the new X zooms 12-35 & 35-100 2.8 give up some speed but have AF and IS and come in much much smaller and cheaper.

If you are looking for electronic zooms you can't beat the 12-35 and 35-100 for what they offer.
 
I use my Canon FDn 50mm 1.4 lens a LOT and I don't think you'll find a better lens in that focal length for $100
 
I have a Contax Zeiss C/Y 50mm f/1.7 that I absolutely adore. I'll most likely put that lens on the camera a lot as far as legacy glass goes.

Do certain Panasonic lenses autofocus better than others in video mode? I normally pull focus manually, but if the autofocus in the GH3 is as good as people say, I might entrust some parts of the day to the autofocusing.
 
Bern Caughey said:
I have the Olympus 12/2, 45/1.8, & 14-35/2, but the three lenses Stephen listed are by far my favorites.
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So how does the Oly 14-35 do on the GH3 (or GH2)? Is it limited to manual focus and manual exposure or does autofocus and autoexposure carry over? I usually do manual on both anyway, but I want the option to auto expose or auto focus if I'm shooting stills or something.

Those 3 lenses that Stephen listed do sound like the ones to get though.
 
Personally I do not like the 12-35 lens. It is not constant aperture as it flickers when zooming in and out, meaning I cannot do those vertigo shots I once did. From what I have heard they fixed this problem with the 35-100mm lens.

My favorite lens on the GH2/3 is the Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 (for price and quality) , the Voigtlander 25mm f0.95 (I finally know why , amazing) and the 12mm by Olympus. Never have I seen such a wide lens so sharp...

If you were to Only buy one lens though the 35-100mm imo makes the most sense, you can buy less expensive prime lenses and upgrade later.
 
I'm not ultra limited in my budget. I'll probably sell a few of my Canon lenses to help offset the price of the new lenses so I'm looking for quality. I'll be looking for something in the 12-35 or 14-35 range as well as 35-100. The Voightlander 25mm seems like a must have. I'm also looking at some of the fast primes, but don't know which ones would work best for me. SLR Magic, Olympus, Panasonic, etc...

Is that Olympus 12mm fully compatible with the GH3 or does it lose some of it's original functionality BTW?
 
The only option for a super-wide angle lens on MFT cameras is the Panasonic 7-14mm F/4. It is not cheap but is a really nice sharp lens & at least it's constant aperture even if only F/4.
 
Why not use your Canon glass via one of the adapters available now and add a Tokina 11-16 to fill out the wide end? Why invest in completely new glass?
 
I'd opt for the Voigtlander 17.5 over the 25, but that's merely personal preference for a wider view, especially considering ultra-fast glass primarily being useful in small and/or dark interiors. They're both swell. If AF is vital, the PL 25/1.4 is no slouch either.

But one of those, the 12-35, and 35-100, and a simple mid-sized shoulder bag, and you're set. I love the size of this system.
 
I'm out of the country, & don't have the 14-35/2. Never loved it's bulk on the GH2, but it was nice on the AF100.

Both have their benefits, but the 12-35/2.8 has become a go to lens, while the 14-35 has mostly been relegated to low light. The Olympus has a much better focus ring, & obviously much faster, while the Lumix is parfocal-ish, & much more compact.

If AF &/or OIS are important the Lumix is the clear choice.
 
David W. Jones said:
Why not use your Canon glass via one of the adapters available now and add a Tokina 11-16 to fill out the wide end? Why invest in completely new glass?
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Will the Canon adapters allow me to change the aperture on an EF lens? Would I be looking at the Redrock adapter? I have some of those cheap Chinese adapters for my NEX and a Metabones as well but I wasn't aware of what's out there that transfers the electronic info to allow for aperture changes on the lens.
 
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