The best lens to use with a Lumix GH3?

L

Louis O'Dwyer

Skydiver
Hi,

I am about to purchase a Panasonic Lumix GH3 to use with my S800 - any advice about the best lens to use?
I saw two mentioned, a Lumix G14mm/f2.5 and a Lumix G20mm/f1.7
I like the idea of the f1.7 faster lens, although it is of course more expensive. Is 20mm too narrow?
Should I look at a lens with a small zoom range, ie. something like a Lumix G14-42mm/f3.5-5.6, which might be more versatile but also heavier...

Thanks... Louis
 

Q

Quinton

Active Member
The recommended lenses with the GH2 and zenmuse is the Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm f/2, Lumix 14-42 ios, however the panasonic lens is f3.5-f5.6 which isnt as good for video.
Not sure how the new Zenmuse GH3 will come out like, but if it is possible to have some balance adjustments then the perfect lens would be the The LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH (not sure how it will balance though on the new gh3 zenmuse)
I have a GH2 but I think the GH3 has the same crop factor which is x2 which means if you put a 25mm lens on it, it really is like a 50mm lens, compared to full frame sensors.
So a 12mm lens (24mm equivalent full frame) if you want everything to be in focus you just set the camera to f16 the hyperfocal distance is 4ft which means everything from 2 ft to infinity will be in focus.
F11 the Hyperfocal is 5.6ft half that to infinity is in focus.
You want a narrow lens to help you get everything in focus.

Compare that to 50mm at f11 the hyperfocal distance is 24.3 ft, so you can see why focusing in manual gets harder the less ide the lens. (These are based on full frame sensor)
 
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Burntpixel

Burntpixel

Member
I have the GH2 and the Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm f/2. This lens is compact and very sharp with good color contrast. Great focal length for aerial work. Thought not as fast the Olympus 9-18MM is another option. I have never flown this lens,but its wide end makes for some very nice underwater video. @4-5.6 it is fast enough for nice summer days.
 


T

tombrown1

Member
I did a ton of research on this subject and it came down to the Olympus 12mm and the Panny 12-35 with OIS. They both get quite good reviews. I went with the Olympus because it's a 2.0, but I'm worried that I'll miss the OIS on the Panasonic. Should have it in the air within a week.
 


K

Kari

Member
I've been using 14-42OIS, 12-35/2.8, and 14mm/2.5 panny lenses with both GH3 and GH2, and i actually like the 14-42 and 12-35 most, and 14mm/2.5 is the worst of these. For aerial work you don't necessarily need the fastest and sharpest lenses. I've become liking more shooting with zooms around f/11-16 because footage looks more natural without losing details, and not so sensitive to flicker in camera moves. Especially with GH3 moire will be problem in some situations if using any sharpest lenses or sharpest apertures (f/4-5.6). Also ois is good to have on if using brushless gimbals because there might be some small vibration especially in tilt axis with which OIS will reduce very well. This has been problem also with zenmuse when using 14mm fix without OIS, the footage looks often nervous with small vibrations. But with OIS on footage with brushless gimbals is smooth as silk. There is also significant distortion with 14/2.5 compared to both of the zooms. I've shot a lot lately with longer FOV but can't show the footage because they were not yet published jobs, but here's one fist test with GH3 with 14-42 shot at 42mm: (First clip is not perfect but was because i did not rebalancing at all when changing from 14mm to 42mm.)

 
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Q

Quinton

Active Member
Kari said:
I've been using 14-42OIS, 12-35/2.8, and 14mm/2.5 panny lenses with both GH3 and GH2, and i actually like the 14-42 and 12-35 most, and 14mm/2.5 is the worst of these. For aerial work you don't necessarily need the fastest and sharpest lenses. I've become liking more shooting with zooms around f/11-16 because footage looks more natural without losing details, and not so sensitive to flicker in camera moves. Especially with GH3 moire will be problem in some situations if using any sharpest lenses or sharpest apertures (f/4-5.6). Also ois is good to have on if using brushless gimbals because there might be some small vibration especially in tilt axis with which OIS will reduce very well. This has been problem also with zenmuse when using 14mm fix without OIS, the footage looks often nervous with small vibrations. But with OIS on footage with brushless gimbals is smooth as silk. There is also significant distortion with 14/2.5 compared to both of the zooms. I've shot a lot lately with longer FOV but can't show the footage because they were not yet published jobs, but here's one fist test with GH3 with 14-42 shot at 42mm: (First clip is not perfect but was because i did not rebalancing at all when changing from 14mm to 42mm.)
Click to expand...

Nice smooth video.
Can I ask what gimbal you used? Was it the freefly one?
Also what aperture you used at 42mm, where you using AFC (continuous focus) or manual focus?
 

K

Kari

Member
Thanks, this was shot with modified cinestar 3 axis gimbal with belt drive. I think f was somewhere 11 to 16, manual focus set to around 20m.
 


fpvroo

fpvroo

Member
Louis O'Dwyer said:
Hi,

I am about to purchase a Panasonic Lumix GH3 to use with my S800 - any advice about the best lens to use?
I saw two mentioned, a Lumix G14mm/f2.5 and a Lumix G20mm/f1.7
I like the idea of the f1.7 faster lens, although it is of course more expensive. Is 20mm too narrow?
Should I look at a lens with a small zoom range, ie. something like a Lumix G14-42mm/f3.5-5.6, which might be more versatile but also heavier...

Thanks... Louis
Click to expand...


I've used Gh2 and GH3 with 14mm, 20mm and 14-35mm 2.8.
I use the GH3 all the time now with a modified zenmuse.

I use the 14-35 for groundstuff (can't balance it on a zenmuse), the 20mm is the sharpest but the auto zoom on the 20mm is very slow (if you want to use that).
I use 14mm with a lenshood and Filter most of the time, I reckon it's not too wide for most applications. The 17mm olympus is another alternative as well, haven't got it though.
The 14-35mm is overall the best lens!
 

L

Louis O'Dwyer

Skydiver
fpvroo said:
I've used Gh2 and GH3 with 14mm, 20mm and 14-35mm 2.8.
I use the GH3 all the time now with a modified zenmuse.

I use the 14-35 for groundstuff (can't balance it on a zenmuse), the 20mm is the sharpest but the auto zoom on the 20mm is very slow (if you want to use that).
I use 14mm with a lenshood and Filter most of the time, I reckon it's not too wide for most applications. The 17mm olympus is another alternative as well, haven't got it though.
The 14-35mm is overall the best lens!
Click to expand...

The 14-35mm looks like a nice lens, probably one I would like to have with the camera anyway, but as you say, can't balance it on a zenmuse, so I would need another one if I buy a zenmuse.
At present I am using a Photohigher AV200, but of course 360degrees doesn't work because of the servo cables...
That 17mm Olympus looks nice!
 

cbpagent72

cbpagent72

Member
fpvroo said:
I've used Gh2 and GH3 with 14mm, 20mm and 14-35mm 2.8.
I use the GH3 all the time now with a modified zenmuse.

I use the 14-35 for groundstuff (can't balance it on a zenmuse), the 20mm is the sharpest but the auto zoom on the 20mm is very slow (if you want to use that).
I use 14mm with a lenshood and Filter most of the time, I reckon it's not too wide for most applications. The 17mm olympus is another alternative as well, haven't got it though.
The 14-35mm is overall the best lens!
Click to expand...

I assume that you guys are referring to the Panasonic 12-35mm 2.8 lens. As far as I know they don't make a 14-35mm 2.8. I just bought the 12-35mm lens, I am anxiously waiting for it to arrive in the mail.


Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
 
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Q

Quinton

Active Member
cbpagent72 said:
I assume that you guys are referring to the Panasonic 12-35mm 2.8 lens. As far as I know they don't make a 14-35mm 2.8. I just bought the 12-35mm lens, I am anxiously waiting for it to arrive in the mail.


Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Not sure which lens they are referring to, there is a 14-42 kit lens for the panasonic, but its variable aperture, and then there is a Olympus 14-35 but its constant F2.
Have not got he lens you ordered, but if I was to order a lens for a GH3 for flying it would be that one.
 

cbpagent72

cbpagent72

Member
I am staying away from Olympus lens unless it is a wide angle prime. The Olympus lens do not have stabilization built in like the Panasonic lens.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
 

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