Reddit reviews PANASONIC LUMIX G II Lens, 20MM, F1.7 ASPH, MIRRORLESS Micro Four Thirds, H-H020AK (USA Black)
We found 20 Reddit comments about PANASONIC LUMIX G II Lens, 20MM, F1.7 ASPH, MIRRORLESS Micro Four Thirds, H-H020AK (USA Black). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
20mm focal length, equivalent to 40mm on a 35mm film cameraClosest Focusing Distance : 0.2m / 0.66ft, Maximum magnification Approx. 0.13x / 0.25x (35mm camera equivalent)F1.7 brightness for beautiful, soft focus, Comprised of seven lenses in five groupsUsed with Lumix G Micro System Cameras, allows for use of the advanced contrast Auto Focus (AF) systemLens not Zoomable
Panasonic GX85 and Panasonic Lumix 20mm 1.7 lens, this is actually a crop photo from this one: https://imgur.com/a/DTJK8v5
Got a macro lens on the way to properly shoot some close ups hehe.
The kit lens is good because it can zoom across a wide range of perspectives but bad because it's "slow" in light gathering terms. This means that you'll be less able to get non-blurry shots as the lights get dimmer (sun set, indoors, dinner time lighting, etc).
So my suggestion would be to, assuming you want to take photos at dusk/night, get a fixed focal length prime lens. These lenses are bad because they can't zoom at all and so you have to use your feet to zoom but good because they can shoot in significantly dimmer light.
But which prime lens to get? You can get them at a reasonable price in the zoom levels of: 15mm, 17mm, 20mm, 25mm, and 42.5mm. I'd say the way to go would be to buy the G85 with the kit lens, use it, and see which focal length you take the most photos at or your favorite photos at. Some people suggest taping the zoom lens to be fixed at a focal length of whatever prime lens you might buy and shooting with that for a week or so to see if you can handle being stuck at that range.
A lot of people are also of the opinion that using a prime lens as a beginning photographer will help you get better quicker by limiting the range of things you can do (no more zooming) and forcing you to think more outside the box.
Personally, I like the 15mm range for all around shooting (it's similar to the perspective a phone camera would give you). And I like the 42.5mm for specifically taking portraits, which I do a lot of when hanging out with friends. The Olympus lenses are worth considering if you can save some money by going with them. Theoretically they won't autofocus as quickly, but the difference should be negligible (we're talking milliseconds here).
I'd also suggest looking at used lenses (ebay or Amazon's used marketplace give me the best results). Anything in good to excellent condition that says there's no mold or scratches on the glass will perform fine. You can usually expect to save about 20% of the new price by going used, sometimes more. The majority of my lenses are used and I've never had a single issue.
Budget lenses:
Panasonic 45-150mm with image Stabilization - $270
Panasonic 14mm f2.5 - $319
Panasonic 20mm f1.7 - $428
You could always buy a cheap adapter or a $430 Metabones Speedbooster and then buy some cheap Nikkor lenses from Nikon, Rokinon lenses, etc...
Remember, you have to double the lens focal length on the GH4 in 1080p mode, and it's 2.3x in 4k mode. So the 14mm becomes a 28mm in 1080p and a 32mm in 4k.
The Lumix 20mm f/1.7 is pretty great and tiny.
I feel like the 20mm f1.7 would work pretty well
Hi /u/ArcadiumStadium - There are several auto and manual choices, none of which require an adapter.
If you want an auto lens, the [$348 Panasonic 20mm f1.7] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DJS830Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DJS830Y&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) and the [$499 Olympus 17mm f1.8] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CI3R4VU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CI3R4VU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) meet all of your criteria and are probably your best bets.
If you want a manual cine lens with follow focus gears and stepless aperture, you might be interested in the [$499 SLR Magic 17mm T1.6] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HNJAMKE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HNJAMKE&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) or the [$599 SLR Magic 12mm T1.6] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QFRLKU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006QFRLKU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20).
The best manual lens in this category is not a "cine lens", but it is an amazing piece of glass nonetheless - the [$1150 Voigtlander Nokton 17mm f0.95] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VHDUN4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007VHDUN4&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20).
Here is what this lens looks like on the G6: http://vimeo.com/72585046
Hope this is helpful!
Bill
As a M43 user I have to jump in and recommend the Olympus EPL7. It has 3 axis IBIS so taking pictures sub 100 shutter without a tripod is very doable. Its touchscreen enables you to change focus points as well as take a picture with a touch of a finger. Both those things just make usability so much easier.
You also said that portability is important. With a M43 kit, you will have a kit that is 40%-50% smaller than an APSC kit (even vs a Sony mirrorless). The thing with APSC mirrorless is that cameras are smaller, but lenses still have to be near the same size as your standard Canon or Nikon lenses. A m43 kit being so small, also means that there is no excuse not to bring the camera everywhere you go. For most people, they only bring their camera when they plan to shoot since the bulk makes it inconvenient.
The M43 system has one of the widest variety and fleshed out lens ecosystem out there. With 2 main companies invested, and many third parties also joining in, there are just so many lens options. I would pair this camera with a Panny 25mm that is on a nasty price drop at the moment. Cool thing with M43 is that you don't have to worry about shooting wide open, since the sensor is small enough to make most lenses sharp, even when open all the way. For ultimate portability you could go the Panny 20mm. This would make the EPL7 practically a pocket camera with super sharp images. I wouldn't recommend getting the 20mm new though as it is usually widely available on the used market at a lower price.
There is also /r/M43 if you want to check out more.
Hi /u/monsieurrodriguez - there are a few great wide, fast micro 4/3 lenses in this price range:
System lenses:
Manual
Hope this is helpful!
As an aside, something I found after making this comment, something with a little shorter focal length with a slight trade-off in the aperture side is the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, which will be an equivalent 40mm on yours.
Rule of thumb for your camera is 2x focal length for micro 4/3. Just multiply the advertised full-frame focal length (the number on the lens advertisement) by 2 for your equivalent focal length since you have a micro 4/3 sensor.
If you only want to bring one lens and you want something that is versatile, bright enough for most situation and very compact the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 is a common choice. It will allow you to take pictures in almost all situations, it has a good focal length that is neither too wide nor too narrow and it's extremely compact, though it has some flaws.
I used to own that lens and although I loved it's image quality, its focus speed and accuracy left something to be desired in low light situations. In decent light it focuses in an acceptable amount of time with good accuracy, but in low light it can take up to a second to focus.
If you want something with a more narrow viewing angle (50mm equiv) you have the option of Olympus 25mm f2.8 though you are sacrificing quite a bit of light compared to the Panasonic. Between the two most people go for the Panasonic 17mm f1.7.
But the question you're asking has no true answer, because it depends on what kind of pictures you want to take or what kind of focal lengths you prefer.
If you want zoom lenses Panasonic has quite a few ones with small sizes like their 12-32mm lens or their 14-42mm which has more range in terms of focal length and optical image stabilization (though I'm not sure if it would be better than the camera's image stabilization and you can only use either the lens' image stabilization or the camera body's with most all lenses on Olympus bodies with the exception of one, if I'm not mistaken).
Olympus also has a small 14-42 that is cheaper but doesn't have image stabilization, though again I'm not sure if you need any since your camera's stabilization is already pretty great.
I think those are pretty much the best small travel lenses.
Hope this helps but let me know if you need other options or want something more specific.
Yes that's a fantastic camera for that price. I recommend your upgrade route to be:
***
In future please post simple questions like this in the questions thread, thanks!
I have this lens for street photography. Love it. You can find tons of great reviews online, and here's some examples of it's capabilities.
I've heard great things about this lens, although it's a bit out of your price range. Maybe if you sold the kit lens? examples
this is my dream lens, but I won't be able to afford it for a while.
A little google-fu will take you a long way in terms of reviews and price points.
That's a helluva a question. This! is what I have. I pulled it from my amazon order page. I'm patient, The offer is open to all if anybody else sees this and wants it
To add on to /u/av4rice's good answer, probably the smallest/lightest similar option would be a Panasonic GX85 with a 20mm f/1.7 or 25mm f/1.8.
As for prime lenses, the PANASONIC LUMIX G II Lens, 20mm, F1.7 sound amazing, but this is priced $300. That's double what you suggested.
I am still able to afford that though, just not sure how would it work in the future. I also have no clue whether these are actually even good to begin with.
I have an Olympus E-pl5 micro 4/3rds camera and am looking to get a new lens. I want to be able to shoot landscapes better, as well as photos in the dark, but in the end I'm just a hobbyist, so I want a lens that is well rounded for nearly any kind of shot. I was recommended 2 different lenses but have no idea which to get. Which one would you recommend?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055N2L22/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1PM6TGVB8IECO&coliid=I1SKPLFC83CZLP
or
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJS830Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1PM6TGVB8IECO&coliid=ISYX6WLR39DYP&psc=1
i'd split the difference and go with a Gh3. for an MFT mount first camera, i wouldn't worry about going crazy with lens quality. a kit lens will serve you fine for a while and when you upgrade your camera in the future, you may be going S35, APS-C or FullFrame, in which case your MFT glass wouldn't fit. i recommend grabbing the 14-140 kit lens, the 20mm pancake (roughly $400 each) then grab an e-image tripod
> Other cameras that have been recommended to me are the black magic cinema camera and the canon 7D
having owned the 7D, BMCC,and Gh4 i feel like I've trained my life to answer this! :)
the Gh4 is not great in low light by cinema standards, but its better than the BMCC or the 7D. the 7D and Gh3 are on par while the BMCC's low sensitivity and small sensor make it crap for low light.
with the GH3 and GH4 you get 1080/60p but the 7D is only 720/60p and the BMCC has no slomo.
the BMCC is a bitch of a camera ergonomically and it is a little finicky in its function.
the GH3/4 both have way more video minded features than the 7D (zebras, peaking, audio levels, histogram, etc.)
if you like the video that you get from a 7D, buy a t3i instead. it's the exact same sensor, but a cheaper body. then you could spend your money on EF mount glass which is more likely to stick with you when you upgrade (even if it's not canon brand)
I have a GH4 and use this lens for low light, totally gets the job done. https://www.amazon.com/PANASONIC-LUMIX-Mirrorless-Thirds-H-H020AK/dp/B00DJS830Y/ref=pd_lpo_421_bs_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RF3SJREEYCY7V75E5Z9N
Remember that Olympus has a 2x crop factor, so that 30mm lens will be a 60mm equivalent, which is not a good first lens. If you want a prime lens for an Olympus, get the Panasonic 20/1.7. I used to own one and it is a very impressive lens in a great all-around focal length.
panasonic 12-35mm f 2.8 ii pros: handy zoom range for wide and angles and a bit of punch in, dual IS, rugged weather sealing, wider for selfie type shots, decently sharp wide open, better autofocus than the 20mm.
panasonic 20mm 1.7 pros: better in low light, arguably sharper at f2.8 than the 12-35, 1/4 of the price. cons: worse autofocus, no wide angle option...zoom is with your feet.
the IBIS of the gh5 is great, but it won't be as smooth as dual IS, so will you literally be running and expecting it to be smooth as? if so, the 12-35mm is your guy. If you're regularly shooting in bars and stuff with only mood lighting you might wanna go with the 20mm, but if all your stuff is going on youtube i wouldn't worry about pushing the ISO a little. my thoughts. Post has amazon referral links :)