Video-Friendly Lenses for Lumix DSLRs

Gabel

Well, I've used the Canon FD 35-105 3.5 (only about half a stop less) and it is very nice. Not perfect, in that it breathes a bit and can only focus to 1.5 meters (about 4 1/2 feet) but my dad (who owns it and uses it for his FS100) paid about $40 for it for close to mint condition and for that, we can't complain.

wigginjs

Maybe this is a pipe dream, but can anyone recommend a reasonably priced fixed, fast (~f/2.8) aperture parafocal zoom lens using either a native m43 mount or a Canon FD mount?

HillTop1

Anybody tried a Nikon Nikkor 24mm F2 Ai/ Ai-s lens?

LPowell

@Hilltop1 @chief

The lens criteria I'm focusing on in this thread emphasize video-friendly functionality rather than optical image quality. (Check out my initial post for more details.) Like most vintage primes, Nikkor AI and AIS lenses produce fine image quality, but their compact size and extending outer lens barrels tend to make them awkward to use with 15mm rail-mounted matte box and follow focus units. Here's how they rate:

Manual aperture ring: Yes
Direct-coupled focus ring: Yes
Proper focus ring rotation: Nikon only
Non-rotating outer barrel: Yes
Non-extending outer barrel: No
Constant field of view: No

LPowell

@driftwood - By my original criteria, which are biased in preference toward manual lens controls, the only thing that's particularly video-friendly about the Panasonic X lenses are their touch-sensitive power-zoom controls. But since that unique feature is highly desirable for run-and-gun documentary shooting, it likely overcomes their other drawbacks, which make them unsuitable for use with 15mm rails-mounted matte box and follow focus:

Panasonic X 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 Power OIS

Panasonic X 45-175mm F3.5-5.6 Power OIS

Manual aperture ring: No - aperture set in camera
Direct-coupled focus ring: No focus ring on lens
Non-rotating outer barrel: Yes
Non-extending outer barrel: No
Constant field of view: No
Constant f-stop aperture: No
Rotational zoom ring: Power zoom
Shutter-button auto-focus: GH2 only
Optical Image Stabilization: Yes

chief

@HillTop1 @lumina - you are both missing out. Nikkor 28mm AI f2 is THE WHOLE STOP faster (ISO800 or ISO1600?) and the drawing of it wide open is magical. Handling/construction/feel is the same as 28mm f2.8 AI-S - superb.

f/2.8 AI-S vs f/2 AI:

Slower
More CA
Border quality is much worse when focused on a distant object (near focus is OK) EDIT: This is irrelevant with x2 crop.

Both are very sharp, peak performance is at f/4 for AI and f/5.6 for AI-S.

HillTop1

@lumina, yah I think I will try that too. Get a 28mm f2.8 and try it out

driftwood

Add both the new Panasonic X lenses with their video friendly Power Zoom which brings camcorder style (W)ide - (T)ele silent zoom features. Both good for daylight shooting but not so fast for night. I bought both to try out and theyre not too bad at all.

Two flavours; HD X Lens 45-175mm and the HD X Lens 14-42.

Info:

14-42

Lens Construction 9 elements in 8 groups (4 aspherical lenses , 2 ED lens)
Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
Nano Surface Coating yes
Optical Image Stabilizer YES (POWER OIS)
Focal Length f=14-42mm (35mm camera equivalent 28-84mm)
Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
Aperture Range F3.5(Wide) - F5.6(TELE)
Minimum Aperture F22
Closest Focusing Distance 0.2m / 0.66ft
Maximum magnification Approx. 0.17x / 0.34x (35mm camera equivalent)

Link: http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Digital+Camera/Lumix+G+Lenses/H-PS14042E/Overview/8022468/index.html

45-175

Lens Construction 14 elements in 10 groups (2 aspherical lenses , 2 ED lens)
Mount Micro Four Thirds mount
Nano Surface Coating yes
Optical Image Stabilizer YES (POWER OIS)
Focal Length f=45-175mm (35mm camera equivalent 90-350mm)
Aperture Type 7 diaphragm blades / Circular aperture diaphragm
Aperture Range F4.0(Wide) - F5.6(TELE)
Minimum Aperture F22
Closest Focusing Distance 0.9m / 3.0ft
Maximum magnification Approx. 0.2x / 0.4x (35mm camera equivalent)

Link: http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_GB/Products/Digital+Camera/Lumix+G+Lenses/H-PS45175E/Overview/8022598/index.html

lumina

@HillTop1 Thanks and sorry can't really comment from experience. Haven't used either of those, but at onion's suggestion I did have a glance on ebay and there is a good condition used 28mm 2.8 going near me that I could splash out on ;)

HillTop1

@onionbrain @chief @lumina trying to move the discussion from

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2616/driftwood-quantum-x-settings-series-3-vy-canis-majoris-mysteron-sedna-orion-cluster.../p19

to the correct thread. But about the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AI-S or the Nikkor 28mm f2 AI which is better.

The still of the f2 AI that @chief had does look pretty good. Any body else used any of the lens?

airboxlights

@lpowell So after all this discussion, what's your preferred standard zoom? The olympus 14-35 f2 swd sounds great(although very very expensive!), but you pointed out that it flickers when you zoom. I've been unable to suss out a generally accepted"favorite" in that focal length. leica 14-50? a canon or nikon with an irisable adapter? I'm trying to figure it out.

airboxlights

I use a canon FD mount 50mm 1.4 quite successfully. With the cheap fotodiox adapter even.

JayB38

I have a Canon EF 50mm f1.8 legacy (assuming it's manual focus) -- and they have EF to M43 from Fotodiox. I shall check it out and see what it can do for my GF2 (I'd have to 'shoot without lens').

How about a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 would it be parfocal as well and will it work with my GF2?

HillTop1

@Gabel, does the Rayqual Nikon G-adapter actually work, do you know? Do they have that adapter for only Nikon lenses?

Gabel

However with a Nikon G adapter, you still adjust the aperture, you just can't see the opening. On a wide-angle this is much less important, as depth-of-field is fairly big and wouldn't make too much of a difference.

MikhailK

@Gabel,

Thanks. I suppose I shouldn't hope there's a lens that will match my requirements mentioned above... Sad...

Gabel

The Tokina 11-16 lacks a manual aperture ring (you would have to use a Nikon G-adapter which wouldn't show aperture size), but there is a Duclos modded version, but it would set you back $3500...

MikhailK

Hi @LPowell and everybody,

Need your advice very much.

I have a hacked GH2 with 14-140. Though it's parfocal and breathing is not visible, it's pretty ugly to see how the light in your scene changes (and not very "softly" !!! ) during the zoom process.

Could anyone here advise me - is there a wide zoom lens (cinema friendly for using with GH2) for about <$2000? I mean a wide (starting from 12mm, 14mm or 17mm) fast zoom lens that has all the "YES" marks mentioned below?

Manual aperture ring: Yes
Direct-coupled focus ring: Yes
Proper focus ring rotation: Yes
Non-rotating outer barrel: Yes
Non-extending outer barrel: Yes
Constant field of view: Yes
Constant f-stop aperture: Yes
Rotational zoom ring: Yes

Palanza87

I've went ahead with the sigma 20mm 1.8 based on all of this information, for my GH2. Nikon mount, and a nikon to m3/4 adapter. Though I'm curious how it would measure against the panasonic 25mm 1.4 prime.

alcomposer

Anyone know if the tokina 80-200 1:2.8 is parfocal?

nomad

Canon FD, Pentax, M42, Minolta – most anything but Nikon focuses in that direction.

Meierhans

"Canon EF-mount lenses rotate in the Canon/Lumix direction"... but you can not control aperture on EF mount without the active 500 $ adapter. What a sad combination! Is there any mount known that focuses in the "lumix" direction and offers manual aperture? What about the pentax versions??

alcomposer

@nomad

"But you won't find any photographic zoom in that range which is not changing it's length, and quite a bit!"

Its crazy enough that the 28-80 Tokina is an internal mech!

nomad

AFAIK the good old 70-210mm 1:4 Minolta Rokkor is parfocal, at least it's constant aperture (a clever mechanism is counter correcting the aperture). Have a look at this list: http://digitalrokkor.altervista.org/minoltalens.html They made it for Leica too…

But you won't find any photographic zoom in that range which is not changing it's length, and quite a bit!

alcomposer

Well I would like to get mine serviced before I cast a final verdict. The lens 'is' Parfocal with focus holding all the way through the zoom range, however the zoom is not as silky as I would like. (Read: its silky - but I want it to feel like an air hockey table) Just me... :-)

Also my copy feels like its been well used... (optics perfect but F mount is down to base metal)

PS: this lens is a composite lens- very light compared to even the 35 Samyang... next on my list: 80-200 Parfocal (Nikon mount whatever brand - as long as Parfocal don't care) Super Wide Zoom, (most probably 11-16 Tokina) Something Fisheye...

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