Choosing "old school" lens for GH2

T

Timo

I got my first video assigment few weeks back, and just like in photography, I found myself stuck within the settings and capabilities of the camera. Not that I'm some uber-filmmaker (Im not at all) but it just happens that I have a frame, a sequence already in mind, its just that camera cant grant me the options for it.

As usual, it's a case of F stop and ISO. I hate going into big ISO numbers, I dont trust it too much but the 14-140 lens I have wont go under 4, which is not wide enough for certain situations. Also, correct me if Im wrong, but please DO correct me so I can be sure I got this right:

- every m43 camera, including GH2, has a crop factor which makes the 14-140 lens actually behave as 28-280...right?

If thats the case, that means I desperately need a wider lens, 28 is wide but for indoors I think a slightly wider glass is needed. With Lumix's pancake being too expensive for my current camera job cash flow (currently at 0) I'm thinking about buying m43 adaptor from ebay and get some second hand glass from yellow pages for cheap.

One of the options I like is Olympus 50mm f/1.8 OM Zuiko. Love the f-stop, but 50 mm is what worries me. Does this mean when screwed on GH2 it will act as 100mm? If thats so, it renders the whole idea useless for any type of video use exept for some tripod shots.

So, if someone can help me finding some not-expensive wide glass with f under 3...that would be great
 
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jax_rox said:
Yes.

For wider than 28mm on m4/3, you're going to need something like an 11mm lens. Good luck with that.
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jax_rox - That's why I bought a used Oly 11-22 f2.8-3.5 for 4/3 on eBay. It's fast enough and wide enough to be my walking around lens - but it's hard to find one for less than $400. Plus Timo would need a 4/3 to m4/3 adapter.

Timo - I recommend something like the $199 Sigma 19mm f2.8 instead of a manual lens and adapter. The fastest and widest auto lens you can get for less than $200.

When I got my GH2 I bought a bunch of Minolta, Voigtlander, Nikon, Canon FD, Konica, etc. lenses. I sold some of them and the rest I don't use anymore. Autofocus and autometering were invented for a reason :)

Cheers,

Bill
 
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I've never really had a need for anything wider than 28mm (on Full Frame). I actually use the 35mm much more. I don't think I went wider than 35mm one time on the Kohlman files, the 28mm never came out of the bag. I do use the 28mm and if I had a 24mm there are certainly situations where I'd use it, but it's just not a bread and butter lens for me personally.
 
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brunerww said:
When I got my GH2 I bought a bunch of Minolta, Voigtlander, Nikon, Canon FD, Konica, etc. lenses. I sold some of them and the rest I don't use anymore. Autofocus and autometering were invented for a reason :)

Cheers,

Bill
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I'm the other end of the spectrum in that I don't use a single lens that has autofocus on my camera for video. Not one, not ever. I don't even use autofocus for stills ("snapshots" yes, anything "serious", never). My EF mount lenses are in the gear cabinet and only come out when I'm going on vacation or something like that.
 
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I've never really had a need for anything wider than 28mm
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For me, personally its more a 25mm. I rented a set of CP.2s for a short I shot recently and found myself using 25mm and 35mm for most wides. I think I pulled the 21mm and 18mm out a total of once each, and only because the Director wanted a 'wider than wide' type shot - I personally wasn't a fan of either lens and the inherent distortion, but hey what the Director wants.. ;)

But yes, 28mm is pretty wide, and particularly on a DSLR I can't imagine wanting to go too much wider, unless you wanted a specific effect like a fish eye.

I'm the other end of the spectrum in that I don't use a single lens that has autofocus on my camera for video. Not one, not ever. I don't even use autofocus for stills ("snapshots" yes, anything "serious", never). My EF mount lenses are in the gear cabinet and only come out when I'm going on vacation or something like that.
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I also agree with this, though the amount I use auto focus on stills varies from lens to lens - I tend to use auto focus for stills on zoom lenses, and manual focus on primes. For video it's manual all the way.
 
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