"Panasonic G series" Owners Thread

Tulipone said:
Does it make the camera too weighty at the front end? I'm guessing it is heavier than the 45-200?
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Very well balanced, the lens is lighter than you'd expect. I used to use it on my old G3 and was fine even on that horrid handling body
 
Tulipone said:
Already have the 45-200, but potentially interested in the 100-300. Getting itchy fingers again? Those Nikons look really interesting.......:D
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I bought the 40-140 silver set on amazon the other day - comes with a bag and memory card - I much prefer wides and primes and the oly lens is smaller (and silver) than the 45-200 hence moving it on :thumbs:
 
I must say moving to m4/3 cost me more than keeping my canon gears ha ha

But I never felt so happy taking pictures before
 
Also still can't make my mind up over the grip shall I get one shall I not grrrrrrr
 
LoL how the hell I posted in here god knows
 
Hi all,

Has anyone bought the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN yet? It looks like it'd be a handy little portrait lens for the money but given Sigma's usual inability to produce a lens that sharp from f/2.8, I'm a little worried about spending out on one (even though it's cheap).

I'm also looking at the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 but that's a bit dearer! :)

Thanks,
Si
 
Spiritflier said:
Hi all,

Has anyone bought the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN yet? It looks like it'd be a handy little portrait lens for the money but given Sigma's usual inability to produce a lens that sharp from f/2.8, I'm a little worried about spending out on one (even though it's cheap).

I'm also looking at the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 but that's a bit dearer! :)

Thanks,
Si
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Can't comment on the Sigma, I'm afraid, but the O45mm is an absolute peach, sharp as you like.
 
Thanks Les. :thumbs:

I'm still getting my head around the best way to maximise the potential of the G3 without going mental on lenses... I've also been looking at the OM to MFT adapters but I don't know how well the legacy lenses will work on the G3 (I'm really picky about image quality). :)
 
Spiritflier said:
Thanks Les. :thumbs:

I'm still getting my head around the best way to maximise the potential of the G3 without going mental on lenses... I've also been looking at the OM to MFT adapters but I don't know how well the legacy lenses will work on the G3 (I'm really picky about image quality). :)
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There was a thread on another M4/3 forum, where people were asked to pick the best 1, 2, & 3, lens kits (and 4, but the answers were so diverse, that this group proved inconclusive).

I did an analysis of all the posts, here are the results :-

1 Lens
P20 26
PL25 17
P12-35 13

2 Lens
P20/O45 8
P14/P20 7
P14/O45 6
P14/PL25 6

3 Lens
P14/P20/O45 8
P7-14/P12-35/P35-100 7
P14/PL25/O45 4
P7-14/PL25/O45 4

You can see that the P20mm and O45mm score quite well.

HTH.


Les.
 
savvy249 said:
There was a thread on another M4/3 forum, where people were asked to pick the best 1, 2, & 3, lens kits (and 4, but the answers were so diverse, that this group proved inconclusive).

I did an analysis of all the posts, here are the results :-

1 Lens
P20 26
PL25 17
P12-35 13

2 Lens
P20/O45 8
P14/P20 7
P14/O45 6
P14/PL25 6

3 Lens
P14/P20/O45 8
P7-14/P12-35/P35-100 7
P14/PL25/O45 4
P7-14/PL25/O45 4

You can see that the P20mm and O45mm score quite well.

HTH.


Les.
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Very useful, thanks Les. Agreed - P20 and O45 are awesome lenses

Interesting results in the 2 and 3 lens kits - those with 2 lenses are exclusively all primes, whilst the 3 lenses are mainly either exclusively zooms or exclusively primes.

7x lenses? for me it is the S7.5, P7-14, P14, P20, O45, O12-50, O40-150 - a mixture but favouring primes (just) :lol:
 
Still need get myself a p20 when it right price. Though about p14
 
Well so far I have two lenses... The Panasonic 14mm and the 14-42mm kit lens that came with the G3. In all honesty, I've not been massively impressed with the 14-42 but that may just be me being overly critical.

I'm interested in the performance of the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 so I guess I'll keep reading the reviews I find on Google! :)

I have a few lenses that I'm tempted to get hold of... The Samyang 7.5mm fisheye appeals mainly because I had one when I owned a crop bodied DSLR and the price is good. I guess I'm going to need something to cover the long end as well. :)
 
Spiritflier said:
Well so far I have two lenses... The Panasonic 14mm and the 14-42mm kit lens that came with the G3. In all honesty, I've not been massively impressed with the 14-42 but that may just be me being overly critical.
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Stop it down to f/8 and it's OK.

Admittedly it was a bit of a surprise to me, but I've sold a few pictures taken with it to some fairly prestigious architectural mags.
 
rookies said:
Still need get myself a p20 when it right price. Though about p14
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The P20 is the lowest price it's ever been with the £50 cashback from Panasonic ......
 
Spiritflier said:
Hi all,

Has anyone bought the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN yet? It looks like it'd be a handy little portrait lens for the money but given Sigma's usual inability to produce a lens that sharp from f/2.8, I'm a little worried about spending out on one (even though it's cheap).

I'm also looking at the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 but that's a bit dearer! :)

Thanks,
Si
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Oh dear. I must come across as both a Siggy fan boy and the luckiest person on the forum, I'm neither, so I'll just say that you should check out the on line reviews and threads on forums :D
 
Spiritflier said:
Well so far I have two lenses... The Panasonic 14mm and the 14-42mm kit lens that came with the G3. In all honesty, I've not been massively impressed with the 14-42 but that may just be me being overly critical.
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Musicman said:
Stop it down to f/8 and it's OK.

Admittedly it was a bit of a surprise to me, but I've sold a few pictures taken with it to some fairly prestigious architectural mags.
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What is wrong with the 14-42? I ask as it seems okay to me so I am obviously missing something. I am very interested in understanding what I need to look for. Please accept I'm not picking a fight over lens quality, just interested to learn - examples that highlight the issue(s) would be great.
 
woof woof said:
Oh dear. I must come across as both a Siggy fan boy and the luckiest person on the forum, I'm neither, so I'll just say that you should check out the on line reviews and threads on forums :D
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I have no idea whether or not you're a Sigma fanboy or the luckiest person on here but my own experience of their lenses (which is quite extensive) must mean that I'm really unlucky! ;)

The only Sigma lens I ever owned that was pin-sharp at its widest aperture was the 18-50mm f2/8 DC (a lens which my daughter now owns). Whilst I've always been relatively impressed with their build quality and price, I've only ever had that one Sigma lens that's been sharp wide open!

I've read the reviews and whilst they seem full of praise, I'm sceptical enough to wonder if 'specially selected' 30mm f/2.8 EX DN's were shipped off for review. I'd like to hear the opinions of members of this forum who actually bought a copy. :)

Cheers,
Si
 
Tulipone said:
What is wrong with the 14-42? I ask as it seems okay to me so I am obviously missing something.
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No... That's the problem. It's just "OK".... It isn't very fast, it isn't super sharp and the IS is only good for a stop or so... It's just - well - meh...........
 
Hi, will the Olympus Zuiko Digital 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens work with the G3 ( who else make lenses that work with the G series).

Thanks.
 
arad85 said:
No... That's the problem. It's just "OK".... It isn't very fast, it isn't super sharp and the IS is only good for a stop or so... It's just - well - meh...........
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I guess I don't understand what 'good' looks like. I'll happily admit that I am not a good photographer, more that I accept the limitations of my kit or that I don't get the art of the possible. Inevitably I get some keepers, some junk and some in between. I don't like the limitations of a tripod, nor particularly primes so I guess I'm stuck in average land!
 
I found the 14-42 pretty good - agreed its not a super f2.8 bokeh monster but for a walkabout lens with a decent zoom range it was sharp enough and obviously more versatile than a prime. I did find the original 14-45 a fair bit sharper throughout the whole range though.

M43 is finally becoming the same as full sized DSLR kit - there are the perfectly acceptable lenses such as the 14-42 & 45-200 and the more expensive canon L lens equivalents like the 12-35 & 35-100 f2.8s.

Some will find the acceptable lenses are all they need/want/can budget for and others will strive for the best available. You can still get great pictures out of the cheaper lenses. :thumbs:

Even with the most expensive bodies/lenses the keeper rate will vary greatly between people behind the (e)vf.

Having said that the 12-35 is top of my wish list :D
 
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9dna said:
Hi, will the Olympus Zuiko Digital 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Lens work with the G3 ( who else make lenses that work with the G series).

Thanks.
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Hi, this lens is a standard four thirds mount - it won't fit directly on the G3 but will with a four thirds to micro four thirds adaptor mount.

For the G3 you'd be better off with the Olympus 75-300 M.Zuiko which is a micro four thirds lens.

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm 1:4.8-6.7

Or the Panasonic 100-300 which has built in image stabilisation.

Panasonic 100-300mm G Vario
 
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Spiritflier said:
I have no idea whether or not you're a Sigma fanboy or the luckiest person on here but my own experience of their lenses (which is quite extensive) must mean that I'm really unlucky! ;)



Cheers,
Si
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I had 2 copies of the Sigma 10-20mm UWA on my Canon bodies (because I bought the lens, sold it and bought another one, not because there was anything wrong with the 1st one) and they were both decent ones - nice and sharp.

I have no experience of the 2 m43 lenses that sigma are now offering but there is plenty of info about them on the web - not just reviews by the big sites.
 
bl0at3r said:
I have no experience of the 2 m43 lenses that sigma are now offering but there is plenty of info about them on the web - not just reviews by the big sites.
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Alby has one of the m43 Sigma lenses and he says its super (sure he'll reply on here). Given they are around £130, it's laughable amount compared to what you pay for DSLR lenses.
 
bl0at3r said:
Having said that the 12-35 is top of my wish list :D
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This one?

http://www.fotosense.co.uk/panasonic-h-hs12035e-12-35mm-power-o-i-s-lens.html?fo_c=83&fo_k=3a0843024e8ceb3ea2e0d99aea4754a5&fo_s=webgains&source=webgains&siteid=10691

I was looking at it prior to this part of the thread and having read some of the reviews, it sounds ideal for someone who is not keen on primes! I'm going to leave it a day or so but strongly considering extending my M4/3 lens range!

Not sure whether to buy, try and possibly return to Amazon, buy cheapest UK or try DigitalRev yet.
 
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Tulipone said:
Not sure whether to buy, try and possibly return to Amazon, buy cheapest UK or try DigitalRev yet.
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I bought my 12-35 (and 7-14) from DR. Good experience, but I didn't try to return anything....

The 12-35 is on my camera 95% of the time (7-14 the other 5%).
 
Tulipone said:
This one?

http://www.fotosense.co.uk/panasonic-h-hs12035e-12-35mm-power-o-i-s-lens.html?fo_c=83&fo_k=3a0843024e8ceb3ea2e0d99aea4754a5&fo_s=webgains&source=webgains&siteid=10691

I was looking at it prior to this part of the thread and having read some of the reviews, it sounds ideal for someone who is not keen on primes! I'm going to leave it a day or so but strongly considering extending my M4/3 lens range!

Not sure whether to buy, try and possibly return to Amazon, buy cheapest UK or try DigitalRev yet.
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That's the one - equivalent to the canikon 24-70 f2.8 lenses - I love the P14, P20 and O45 primes as a little take everywhere kit, but I think there are occasions when having just one zoom lens with a fast aperture is favourable.
 
Tulipone said:
I guess I don't understand what 'good' looks like...
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Hi Chris,

Understanding what 'good' looks like is pretty subjective... I've seen plenty of images that others think are outstanding but I think are mediocre at best. On the flip side, I've taken images that I've been happy with but others have been less than impressed with. :shrug:

In many ways, your view of what's good will change with your kit... As you progress, you'll look back at your earlier work (that you thought was good) and wonder why you took it! ;)

In my own case, my standard is viewing what my 5DMKIII is capable of with the lenses I own and judging the M4/3 stuff alongside it. I would estimate that the G3 I bought is similar to something like the Canon 1100D. It's more than capable of producing outstanding images with the right glass but it's cheap and plasticky and not particularly refined!

I did a boudoir shoot last night with my other half and used the 5D3 with the 50mm f/1.4 on it and the G3 with the 14mm prime... The results I got from the little G3 were impressive and much better than I expected. :)

I'll get a few posted a bit later on if I get some time.
Cheers,
Si
 
My first m43 kit was the G3 and 14-42mm kit, apart from the size I thought it was merely average and after taking it on holiday, I didn't really use it at all. I later picked up a few primes and better bodies and then ended up junking my 5D2 and L lenses. The difference In my eyes is not as great as some people think for my type of photography. Looking at my images, I'd say my best and personal fav are taken with m43 rather than when I had full frame gear.
 
Spiritflier said:
Hi Chris,

Understanding what 'good' looks like is pretty subjective... I've seen plenty of images that others think are outstanding but I think are mediocre at best. On the flip side, I've taken images that I've been happy with but others have been less than impressed with. :shrug:
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I think what I am saying is similar to this. I don't understand traditional old master type art. A picture of a naked bird with cherubs floating around, to me, is a picture of naked bird with cherubs floating around. When I have been shown and the symbolism explained, I have gotten far more than the face value. I think it is the same with classical music.

I think I'll go with the 12-35 and find out what you all talking about!
 
I've posted a couple of shots into the Nude & Glamour section that were taken with the G3 last night... The 14mm is more than acceptable (if a little too wide for portraits) and overall, I was very impressed with the performance! :thumbs:

Lighting was provided courtesy of two Canon speedlites and a couple of Yong Nuo RF602 Poverty Wizards! :)
 
Am I able to buy a wireless trigger that would work an Interfit EX setup for a GX1? As this this currently available in the TP classifieds, your urgent advice is very much sought.

Thanks.
 
Tulipone said:
I think what I am saying is similar to this. I don't understand traditional old master type art. A picture of a naked bird with cherubs floating around, to me, is a picture of naked bird with cherubs floating around. When I have been shown and the symbolism explained, I have gotten far more than the face value. I think it is the same with classical music.

I think I'll go with the 12-35 and find out what you all talking about!
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I have a GX1 with a 12-35mm lens attached to it 95% of the time. Superb combination, the lens is top quality glass and equals L series quality in both build and end results. :)
 
sgott said:
I have a GX1 with a 12-35mm lens attached to it 95% of the time. Superb combination, the lens is top quality glass and equals L series quality in both build and end results. :)
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Bought one today from WEX. Initial thoughts....wow. Looking forward to a proper road test tomorrow.
 
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