Panasonic GH4 lens selection

[flspy]

I just got the Panasonic GH4 with an Oly 60mm macro. Currently working through all the features. Main focus is video, but would like to shoot stills too.
Next purchase is the new Nauticam GH4 housing

Looking for advice from other GH4 shooters for wide angle lenses.
Suggestions so far have been:

9-18 Oly
7-14 Panasonic

The Panny price is almost double. Worth it?

What other UW lenses have owners been wring with? Real world advice priceless to me right now before I invest in a lens that won't work well underwater.

Also, a good "walking around lens" recommendation would be helpful too.

 

[Interceptor121]

There is a very good thread on the GH4 on wetpixel that you should check
Personally I would not use a 60mm lens for video the angle of view is too narrow and footage will be shaky, unless you have a tripod and have plenty of small critters this is a very specific lens best suited to stills
Another user is trying now the Panasonic 14-42 X Power Zoom with diopter as this lens is stabilised and also allows you close shots not just 1:1 again there is a thread on this
For what concerns good walk-around the Panasonic 12-35 for land is very versatile and is stabilised in water this may be too narrow (personally am not sure)
Consensus is for the Panasonic 7-14mm over the Olympus better optical quality and wide view the Olympus behind a dome is quite average but again you should really see what you are shooting. Take into account that at around 28mm equivalent you start needing OIS at 14-20 not much

 

[matdiver]

Hi flspy,
I've been using the GH2 for a while now (also MFT format), and I'm really happy with the Panasonic PZ 14-42 OIS lens behind a flat port. I personally don't like the barrel distortion you get with domes and really wide angle lenses, and I don't want the sharks and mantas to appear too far away. YMMV. The flat port also means that I can screw on a red filter for good manual white balance. I'm pretty uninterested in wrecks, however, so if that's what you're into then you'd need a wider lens than the 14-42.
If you look at this video: https://vimeo.com/62024108 you'll get an idea of what the 14-42 looks like. It really is nice having a power zoom for video!
I'm so tempted by the GH4....

Cheers,
Matt

 

[Interceptor121]

Hi flspy,
I've been using the GH2 for a while now (also MFT format), and I'm really happy with the Panasonic PZ 14-42 OIS lens behind a flat port. I personally don't like the barrel distortion you get with domes and really wide angle lenses, and I don't want the sharks and mantas to appear too far away. YMMV. The flat port also means that I can screw on a red filter for good manual white balance. I'm pretty uninterested in wrecks, however, so if that's what you're into then you'd need a wider lens than the 14-42.
If you look at this video: https://vimeo.com/62024108 you'll get an idea of what the 14-42 looks like. It really is nice having a power zoom for video!
I'm so tempted by the GH4....

Cheers,
Matt

Matt
Both the 12-35 and 7-14 are rectilinear lenses. With a dome will have same performance than on land and actually they have both very little distortion
Personally my preferred focal lens is 18-100 or 9-50 in MFT terms but this lens does not exist.
years ago people with a camcorder would be happy with 28-100 behind a dome. Unless you have large fish 12-35 should be ok for most behind a dome and the closest distance is 25cm or actually less. Of course you can[t use close up lenses with it

 

[TheTrickster]

Without doubt the 7-14mm behind a dome will be the best option for wide angle.

I'm not having much luck with the 60mm and video, like Intercepter says, its just too narrow.

 

[kkfok]

12-35 is a 30-87 lens at 4K (Cinema mode, even worse at UHD) according to
Micro 4/3rds Photography: GH4: The game changer

If it is true then 7-14 is the only panny lens for wide angle.

 

[Interceptor121]

I don't like 35mm equivalent for 16:9. Horizontally is a 28mm but yes that would be too narrow. So 7-14 would be same horizontal of 16-32 good fov

 

[kkfok]

What about 14-42PZ with Fisheye Converter DMW-GFC1? You can have OIS and the combo is still quite wide after extra cropping at 4K. Just not sure about the optical quality and which dome port to use.

 

[Interceptor121]

What about 14-42PZ with Fisheye Converter DMW-GFC1? You can have OIS and the combo is still quite wide after extra cropping at 4K. Just not sure about the optical quality and which dome port to use.

30mm extension ring and 4.33" port. I don't think you can zoom through but you should get 120 diagonal before crop after maybe 110-115

Optical quality most likely worse than 7-14 but maybe cheaper set up and definitely more compact. I think the zoom 7-14mm is more versatile and at narrow end well covered with sola lights

 

[AngloFish]

I just picked up the bower 7.5mm for my GH2 but Panasonic makes one too. Will neither of those work on the GH4?

12-35 is a 30-87 lens at 4K (Cinema mode, even worse at UHD) according to
Micro 4/3rds Photography: GH4: The game changer

If it is true then 7-14 is the only panny lens for wide angle.