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GH2 - Can I change lens during recording?
  • paralionparalion
    To avoid having more work synching seperately recorded audio after filming a performance, I wondered if it can do any harm to the GH2 if I change the lens WHILE recording (if that is even possible, i haven't tried it out yet).
    I am using panasonic AND third party lenses. (minolta AF, canon fd)
  • 18 Replies sorted by
  • stoneystoney
    Dont do it
  • shriggshrigg
    That could brick your camera, critical electrical contacts would be disconnected when removing the lens... Not good!
  • paralionparalion
    Good i asked :)
  • alcomposeralcomposer
    :-D

    Not really a problem if you use adaptors though- there aren't any electrical contacts... would just go white.
  • PtchawPtchaw
    @paralion @shrigg It won't brick your camera; the GH2 stops recording video as soon as the lens release button is pressed.
  • lolololo
    jajajajjajaja i have done this several times without even wonder if there where any possibles risks hahahha
  • DouglasHornDouglasHorn
    I tried it early on. It doesn't hurt anything, it just kills the roll.
  • DazzaDazza
    I change my electric lens all the time with the camera on when taking photos
  • paralionparalion
    rethinking it, panny support would have quite a lot of work and bricked cameras sent in, hadn't they made this idiot-proof. :)
  • GabelGabel
    But seeing this thread I wonder... Could one make a turret adapter for a GH2?
  • MeierhansMeierhans
    LOL! What a great idea, 3 fast primes on a turret.. :)
  • GabelGabel
    Yeah, I wonder why nobody has thought about making one, would be very cool!
  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp
    http://www.golden-agetv.co.uk/img/equipment/25b.JPG

    But fun playing around with lenses. I'm still trying to work out how to mount a single zoom I salvaged from a tv camera. It's a 14-70 f1.4 and has a stepless aperture (right down to completely closed).

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    @Mark_the_Harp

    It depend on the mount used.
    You can search for universal steel adapter and try it also.
  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp
    @Vitaliy_Kiselev Hi Vitaliy, that sounds interesting, as it's potentially a really useful lens (the image circle more than covers the area of the EX mode, as you'll see from the full-frame shot taken through it), and it's quite light (about the same as the 14-140 Panasonic lens). At the moment, I can't attach my TV lens, so I can only hold it up to the camera, which isn't very safe for the sensor.

    I'm not quite sure what you mean by a universal steel adapter though. I googled this and came up with lots of random things, so could you explain a bit more?

    Here are some pictures of the lens, if that helps - or anyone has any ideas. The size of the square plate is slightly wider than an m42 adaptor ring, but my metalwork isn't up to modifying one of those. I have an M42-m4/3 adapter and if I put that on the GH2 I can hold the lens against the surface of that and the image is in focus (picture shows the lens with the adapter sitting on top of it, to show scale). By the way, that brass-coloured lever is the aperture (it was activated with a small motor in the TV camera it came from).
    side.jpg
    4160 x 2468 - 2M
    top.jpg
    2640 x 2640 - 2M
    end.jpg
    3272 x 2580 - 3M
    top_with_m42_adapter.jpg
    2604 x 2604 - 2M
    fullframe_using_lens.jpg
    4976 x 2800 - 2M
  • GabelGabel
    He means this adapter:
    http://gfotostore.com/catalog/view/57.html
  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp
    @Gabel Oh, that's REALLY clever. I reckon that would do the job. I'm sure I could even use some cinefoil to get rid of stray light that comes in near where that brass aperture thing is on my lens. Thanks for that link.

    EDIT: Now ordered - thanks again. I had no idea these adaptors existed, and I was about to give up on being able to use my lens with the GH2, but could be a great lens to play with, and the adaptor will always be useful for other lenses. I've been playing with the lens in EX mode and it's going to look really good - great in low light but also a nice "look" to it.
  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp
    PS to keep it on topic, I've several times changed lenses with the power on etc (not during recording, though) and the camera doesn't seem to suffer. I'm sure it's not good to do really. In general connecting things together when powered up is probably not a good practice - my BBC colleagues damaged a few camcorders by connecting them to a PC by firewire that way, so they always taught me to switch off at least one of the devices before connecting them up.
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