Need some lens advice for my GH4...

[Lasers_pew_pew_pew]

Hi guys,

 

I have a beautiful new GH4 but without a lens I can use for it at the moment...

 

I was also looking for a standard native lens I could use for general video and stills that I could just take around me. Something with autofocus, IS, preferably a zoom, really fast constant aperture, parfocal? Not asking for much am I? ;)

 

So at the moment for my GH4 I have a Sigma to 18-35 nikon mount lens. Brilliant right? Well it would be if the company that sold me my speed booster hadn't fucked me over and I'm still waiting for it.

 

That's right, I've had a camera sitting on my desk for weeks now that I CANNOT use. Luckily someone has lent me their cheap adapter and some old nikon manual lenses for a day so I could at least have a go on it.

 

Trouble is everything seems to be in the same range as my 18-35 sigma, with an adapter or speed booster when I finally get them. My sigma with a speed booster and an adapter will cover 28mm to 80mm (filming 4k, 35mm equivalent).

 

I'm trying not to over lap the ranges that much as it'd feel a bit like a waste of money.

 

Am I being a twit?

 

What do you guys think?

 

Do I really need an IS for video? Or at all? My filming is going to be documentary or narrative, and I always use a tripod or a shoulder rig really? 

 

Will IS help for photos? Is it worth it at all?

 

I'm looking to add a Tokina to my lens collection once my god damn speed booster or even the new adapter I've ordered actually arrives! But if I got a wide native lens with IS and AF, that was great, then I guess I wouldn't need one. 

 

[varicam]

I don't think I can shoot with my GH4 handheld without some sort of stabilisation. 

[leeys]

I was also looking for a standard native lens I could use for general video and stills that I could just take around me. Something with autofocus, IS, preferably a zoom, really fast constant aperture, parfocal? Not asking for much am I?  ;)

Heh, 'fraid so. Closest is the 12-35/2.8, but that's not parfocal.

Do I really need an IS for video? Or at all? My filming is going to be documentary or narrative, and I always use a tripod or a shoulder rig really?

Then IS isn't so useful for you, though my experience it still helps with the shoulder rig.
 

Will IS help for photos? Is it worth it at all?

Handheld static scenes? Yes, 100%. Never was big on IS but it's definitely helpful.
 

I'm looking to add a Tokina to my lens collection once my god damn speed booster or even the new adapter I've ordered actually arrives! But if I got a wide native lens with IS and AF, that was great, then I guess I wouldn't need one.

None of the ultrawides have IS. Not the 7-14/4, not the 9-18/4-5.6, and not the upcoming 7-14/2.8. The latter two are Olympus lenses anyway, which never have IS.

Did you get a Metabones? They normally don't take that long to ship.

[Lasers_pew_pew_pew]

Thanks for the reply!

 

I can imagine it still helping with a shoulder rig, but my worry is that I'll spend the money on a lens with IS, but at the same time it won't be as good quality looking as something like my Sigma (which I picked up 2nd hand for £400!!!), so it'll be more stable, but look a bit crap.

 

Is the image quality out of the panasonic's good for professional use? I know it's not going to be a cine lens, but nice to know it'll hold up quality wise and not look too low production value.

 

It's hard to tell the quality on super compressed youtube videos. But when I got it into the edit or I'm showing my executive producer, then quality will really show.

 

I think I might just try get a cheap one with IS and leave it to just use with photos when I'm going to family events or something like that.

 

I've ordered a metabones Nikon to MFT adapter, and a Nikon G to MFT speedbooster. I've got to wait a week for the adapter, and 2 weeks for the speed booster.

 

Everywhere in the UK is out of stock of the speed boosters and apparently all suppliers are waiting for the same shipment of stock from China in two weeks time!!!

[leeys]

Thanks for the reply!
 
I can imagine it still helping with a shoulder rig, but my worry is that I'll spend the money on a lens with IS, but at the same time it won't be as good quality looking as something like my Sigma (which I picked up 2nd hand for £400!!!), so it'll be more stable, but look a bit crap.
 
Is the image quality out of the panasonic's good for professional use? I know it's not going to be a cine lens, but nice to know it'll hold up quality wise and not look too low production value.

The Panasonic 12-35 is the best standard zoom they have - I'm not sure why you seem to automatically relegate Panasonics to cheapies.

[johnnymossville]

the 12-35 and 35-100 panasonic lenses would be right at the top of my list if I was looking for lenses right now.   Rented the 35-100 and it was actually painful to send it back.

[AaronChicago]

So, I started with the 12-35 on the GH3 thinking it's the perfect all around lens. It sort of is. Very sharp. Light. Compared to the Sigma lenses and Zeiss lenses it looks very sterile though. I started using the Sigma 18-35 when I could use a tripod and fell in love. When I needed to go handheld I just used a monopod. Now I use the Sigma almost 75% of the time.