Best Camera/Lens Combination?

[oakvilleonca]

I have just sold my fantastic, but bulky, Sony A700 that had a great Zeiss 16-80 lens. I am switching to 4/3rds and I would like some advice on what is the very best lens available for essentially landscape and macro work? I am prepared to pay as much, or more, for the lens as for the camera.

John

http://www.shadedlight.net/pixelpost/

 

[deckitout]

Well from a lens perspective I would suggest the 7/14 from panny for landscapes, there is also a 45 Macro although DP review gave it an average review, users seem to like.

I have just sold my fantastic, but bulky, Sony A700 that had a great Zeiss 16-80 lens. I am switching to 4/3rds and I would like some advice on what is the very best lens available for essentially landscape and macro work? I am prepared to pay as much, or more, for the lens as for the camera.

John

http://www.shadedlight.net/pixelpost/

 

[kevinparis]

the zuiko 12-60 is a splendid lens covering the same sort of range as your Sony zeiss- but was designed for the 4/3 bodies as opposed to the micro 4/3, so handling and focus speed may not be as good on a micro 4/3 body

Macro i know nothing really about - but he Zuiko 50/2 macro for the 4/3 always gets stellar reviews


K

 

[hohoho]

I have just sold my fantastic, but bulky, Sony A700 that had a great Zeiss 16-80 lens. I am switching to 4/3rds and I would like some advice on what is the very best lens available for essentially landscape and macro work? I am prepared to pay as much, or more, for the lens as for the camera.

Only you know your own favored angles of view. Which lengths within 16 through 80mm did you use most?

 

[ballfresno]

I can't recommend anything particular for landscapes (I use the 14-45 kit lens that came with my G1 for landscapes and have been quite happy with it) but for macro, I highly recommend the manual focus Canon FD 50mm f/3.5. Other manual focus macro lenses of similar vintage may be quite good as well. And they are not expensive.

 

[BillN]

I can't recommend anything particular for landscapes (I use the 14-45 kit lens that came with my G1 for landscapes and have been quite happy with it) but for macro, I highly recommend the manual focus Canon FD 50mm f/3.5. Other manual focus macro lenses of similar vintage may be quite good as well. And they are not expensive.

The Micro NIKKOR P Auto f3.5 55mm is very good and you can used the NAI version which is exactly the same as the AI version but cheaper

 

[pellicle]

oakvilleonca

the zuiko 12-60 is a splendid lens covering the same sort of range as your Sony zeiss- but was designed for the 4/3 bodies as opposed to the micro 4/3, so handling and focus speed may not be as good on a micro 4/3 body

I've not used the lens myself but have heard only positive things about this lens from 4/3'rds users. Since you were asking about lens body combinations while this lens may work nicely on the Olympus (noone can confirm with certainty in that area it seems) it will be restricted to manual focus if you try to use it on a Panasonic body

On the Panasonic compatibility guide here it is listed as having almost no support.

MF NG NG NG(MF) NG OK(*8)

from what I can see (if what I understand is right) the best combo for using modern lens automation features will be using a EP-2 on any of the Oly lenses.

For Macro work if you're used to using a tripod then you can save bucket loads by putting extension tubes on any 50mm or 100mm lens and get fantastic results. I use this rig:

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even off the rail and hand held I can get images like this with just one of the extension tubes:

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I agree with the above suggestion of a 7-14 lens, but if your budget is tight the 9-18mm Oly via adaptor does work well on the Panasonic or Oly bodies and is a great wide angle for not a lot of money.

 

[flipGTO]

I have just sold my fantastic, but bulky, Sony A700 that had a great Zeiss 16-80 lens. I am switching to 4/3rds and I would like some advice on what is the very best lens available for essentially landscape and macro work? I am prepared to pay as much, or more, for the lens as for the camera.

John

http://www.shadedlight.net/pixelpost/

the camera and lens choices would differ if you're switching to 4/3 or :43:. My favorite 4/3 travel kit is a Crumpler 5 million dollar home loaded with an Olympus E-30, Zuiko Digital 12-60mm swd, and Zuiko Digital 50mm macro. For :43:, I just have a GF1 mated to the Panasonic 20mm.

 

[Ben]

The G1 kit lens (14-45) is a great lens (better than any kit lenses I have came across from Canon). Decent for landscape unless you need wider than 28mm equivalent.

The 20mm F1.7 is, by almost unanimous vote, the best micro four thirds lens currently available. A lot of us are hoping the imminent 14mm is going to be as good. Would become my landscape lens.

The 7-14mm is (in my opinion) frighteningly expensive for a lens for a new and relatively untested camera system. Does look very good though.

For macro I'm using an Olympus OM 50mm F3.5 with a cheap adaptor. Both together cost about £75 from eBay. Can't see any point buying the PanaLeica jobbie as I autofocus is not very relevant for macro.

 

[cosinaphile]

ben , the panny kit zoom is really a good lens you are right , also i would recommend looking into manual focus primes, as fast lenses in m4\3 af , except for the 20 1.7 do not as yet exist. personally i love the 50 1.5 nokton voigtlander ,and many others

i love the superior sharpness of the panny kit zoom[used with the gf1 and ep1]

also its robust construction that allows me to mount a olympus a-28 .8x wide adapter made for an old bridge zoom, with no issues and wonderful sharpness to the corners,[at 14mm only] the large adapter weighs perhaps half a pound but works flawlessly , something the delicate olympus 14-42 zoom could not handle

it makes the 14mm end become 11.5 and retains af as well, i waited patiently for the
9-18 m4\3 lens but at 700 dollars for such a lackluster speed entry level barrel\optic quality lens, i will not be getting one on principle as it is grossly overpriced.

 

[Ben]

.... also i would recommend looking into manual focus primes, as fast lenses in m4\3 af , except for the 20 1.7 do not as yet exist.......

Couldn't agree more.

My favourites being the Konica Hexanon 40mm F1.8 (good and cheap) and a pair of OMs - 24mm F2.8 and a 50mm F3.5 macro.

I want that 14mm F2.8 when it comes out, and I wish they would make a 40 or 45mm fast, non-macro. Let's hope Panasonic are reading this! (I have almost given up on the the terribly slow pace of Olympus in micro four thirds.)

 

[cosinaphile]

its awful i agree , everyone want primes w t f is wrong with these guys?

 

[Amin Sabet]

I have just sold my fantastic, but bulky, Sony A700 that had a great Zeiss 16-80 lens. I am switching to 4/3rds and I would like some advice on what is the very best lens available for essentially landscape and macro work? I am prepared to pay as much, or more, for the lens as for the camera.

John

http://www.shadedlight.net/pixelpost/

Just to clarify, are you switching to regular 4/3 or Micro 4/3?

 

[oakvilleonca]

Hi Again:

I was thiinking Olympus EP2 or Panasonic GF-1

John

 

[Amin Sabet]

What focal length range did you use for landscape on your Sony A700? Did you frequently use the 16mm setting and wish you could go wider? If so, the Panasonic 7-14 would be a good choice for landscapes. If 19mm was wide enough for you on the Sony, then the Panasonic 14-45 will be a great lens for landscape work.

For macro, a very high performing lens would be the Olympus 50mm f/2 used with a 4/3 to Micro 4/3 adapter. A slightly lower performing lens which is native to the Micro 4/3 mount would be the Panasonic-Leica 45mm f/2.8.

For my preferences, the ultimate Micro 4/3 lens selection for landscape and macro would be:

• Panasonic 7-14
• Panasonic 14-45
• Panasonic Leica 45/2.8

 

[oris642]

its awful i agree , everyone want primes w t f is wrong with these guys?

Nothing; the market is probably 90% (I'm guessing) non-photographic people that want better quality than a P&S but not the bulk of an SLR. They buy a mFT and use it on Intelligent Auto (which is exactly how my Dad uses his).

Therefore it makes sense to target the majority of your market first - and address the remaining 10% later, if at all. That's the "everybody" you are referring to - us enthusiasts. Nope. Joe Public Consumer wants the convenience of a zoom.

I've read that Panasonic was "surprised" by the number of enthusiasts buying the G1 and GF1 - they had not counted on this market at all, thinking that we would not give up SLR's. Medium Format, and rangefinders. Well, others here and I did - I've sold my M8, just sold my Large Format 4x5, and am about to sell my full frame SLR.

Panasonic is the 89th largest company in the world. They did $77 billion last year (Wikipedia). Methinks they don't get to that size without doing market research and focus groups to help make decisions on what products to bring to the market first.

 

[oris642]

For my preferences, the ultimate Micro 4/3 lens selection for landscape and macro would be:

• Panasonic 7-14
• Panasonic 14-45
• Panasonic Leica 45/2.8

I'm looking forward to ordering the new Oly 9-18mm as soon as it comes out. Cheaper than the 7-14, wide enough for me, has filter threads unlike the Panny 7-14, and is the same filter thread size as the 14-45 and 45-200 (52mm).

 

[prayformojo]

New to the site and format, I purchased a E-PL1 recently and love the camera, but the AF with the base kit lens is sub-par, I am tempted to go with a GF-1 20mm kit, but I like the in-camera IS, how does the IS work on the GF-1 with the 20mm Panny prime? From what I can tell the Panny prime does not have IS, so does this mean no IS with this lens/camera set-up.

 

[Ben]

Nothing; the market is probably 90% (I'm guessing) non-photographic people that want better quality than a P&S but not the bulk of an SLR. They buy a mFT and use it on Intelligent Auto (which is exactly how my Dad uses his).

Therefore it makes sense to target the majority of your market first - and address the remaining 10% later, if at all. That's the "everybody" you are referring to - us enthusiasts. Nope. Joe Public Consumer wants the convenience of a zoom.

I've read that Panasonic was "surprised" by the number of enthusiasts buying the G1 and GF1 - they had not counted on this market at all, thinking that we would not give up SLR's. Medium Format, and rangefinders. Well, others here and I did - I've sold my M8, just sold my Large Format 4x5, and am about to sell my full frame SLR.

Panasonic is the 89th largest company in the world. They did $77 billion last year (Wikipedia). Methinks they don't get to that size without doing market research and focus groups to help make decisions on what products to bring to the market first.

The good news is that the GF1 with the 20mm prime is a massive seller, more popular than the zooms. Let's hope notice is taken!

 

[squeegee]

New to the site and format, I purchased a E-PL1 recently and love the camera, but the AF with the base kit lens is sub-par, I am tempted to go with a GF-1 20mm kit, but I like the in-camera IS, how does the IS work on the GF-1 with the 20mm Panny prime? From what I can tell the Panny prime does not have IS, so does this mean no IS with this lens/camera set-up.

that's right, no IS with the gf1+20mm prime.