Can I ask your advice.

[riada22]

Hi, I have just joined up and have also just started using my new Panasonic GMC-G3 with a 14-42mm and 45-200mm lenses.
My first question if you can help is, are there other makes of lens that are compatible with my camera. What i'm getting at is that my Bro in law has a Canon with a Tamron lens 18-270 or similar, so is it possible to have one lens on my G3 that would cover all eventualities.

 

[drd1135]

Two parts to to this answer. You can use most other brands of lenses on your G3 using an adaptor that you have to buy. You do loose the automatic features of the adapted lens like auto focus. OTOH, you can just buy native mu43 lenses like the Olympus 14-150 which is an all inclusive zoom (35 mm equivalent 28-300);

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4mkideakye_b

 

[Mellow]

Yeah, that's a good answer.

One of the great things about m43 is that there are two major players: Olympus and Panasonic. Each make cameras and bodies that will work perfectly with any other camera or body.

Another great thing is that the flange distance (between the lens mount and sensor) is short because there's no mirror, so you can adapt nearly any SLR or DLSR lens to m43 by using an adapter. The adapter essentially "shims" the lens out to the proper distance. As drd1135 noted, however, you won't have any electrical connection between the camera and lens, which means you'll lose AF (and no EXIF data will be written to your files).

So the short answer to your question is: heck yes, there are TONS of other lenses you can use on your camera!

 

[riada22]

Steve, thanks for a quick reply. I have been looking through the forums and did note that Olympus was mentioned quite often but was unsure if it would fit. I don't really know the size of the thread on the lens that's what confuses me.

 

[rnagoda]

There's also this: The Complete Micro 4/3 Lens List - that maps out all the compatible lenses so you can see if something there suits your purposes (and as was mentioned, that lens may be the 14-150 from Olympus).

Basically, aside from adapting a lens, you will find that there are generally fewer lenses available for your m43 setup than for other systems like Canon or Nikon. That situation is improving, but it's not quite "there" yet.

Steve, thanks for a quick reply. I have been looking through the forums and did note that Olympus was mentioned quite often but was unsure if it would fit. I don't really know the size of the thread on the lens that's what confuses me.

The size is referred to as the "mount" and the mount you are looking for is "micro 4/3" - the Olympus lens mentioned will definitely fit and be fully comaptible insofar as auto features, etc..

 

[riada22]

Tom, thank you also for your input, i'm really looking forward to being able to understand my camera a bit better.

 

[drd1135]

Steve, thanks for a quick reply. I have been looking through the forums and did note that Olympus was mentioned quite often but was unsure if it would fit. I don't really know the size of the thread on the lens that's what confuses me.

You just look for the micro four thirds (abbreviated mu43) mount. That fits all of the mu43 cameras made by Olympus and Panasonic. This includes all of the Olympus Pens and the Panasonic G, GF, GX and GH series cameras.

 

[riada22]

Robert, thank you i'll have a look at the list. I had a look at your Flikr site, very nice.

 

[drd1135]

BTW, Edinburgh is a favorite city of mine. I'm been a few times when I have had business at St. Andrews. Here's an old shot of me looking very dour in front of the statute of Hume :smile:

Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

Taken with my old Pentax *istDS. How did we get by with just 6 MP?

 

[wreckless]

. OTOH, you can just buy native mu43 lenses like the Olympus 14-150 which is an all inclusive zoom (35 mm equivalent 28-300);

There's also this: The Complete Micro 4/3 Lens List - that maps out all the compatible lenses so you can see if something there suits your purposes (and as was mentioned, that lens may be the 14-150 from Olympus).

OR, since you have a G3, the Panasonic 14-140mm HD lens would work even better for your needs since it has OIS built into the lens.

Just a thought, guys!

Amazon.com: Panasonic 14-140mm f/4.0-5.8 OIS Video Optimized Micro Four Thirds Lens for Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras: Camera & Photo

or the new one!

Amazon.com: Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Black): Camera & Photo

 

[drd1135]

Wreckless: I couldn't remember if Panasonic had one of those. That's a better choice of course since the G3 relies on the lens having OIS.

 

[wreckless]

You Oly guys seem to like to pretend Panasonic dosen't exist....

:tongue:

 

[riada22]

Steve, next time you're here let me know.

 

[riada22]

Mike, thanks for that I will certainly have a look.

 

[drd1135]

You Oly guys seem to like to pretend Panasonic dosen't exist....

:tongue:

I have actually had a G2, a G3, a Lumix 14, 20 and 45-200. I just don't like extreme zooms so I don't pay attention. The Oly was the first one I found on Amazon. I'm currently using a E-M5, but I almost grabbed the G5 on Sale. Panasonic does SUCH deep discounts on their bides.

 

[wreckless]

I'm currently using a E-M5, but I almost grabbed the G5 on Sale. Panasonic does SUCH deep discounts on their bides.

uh huh... See how you singled out Panasonic again (not sure if it was a supposed to be a slight, but I read it that way)?

I picked up a E-PL1 for $160 twelve months ago.

Many times we are biased and don't even realize it. Food for thought.

ps. I picked up the G5 on sale ($399) just recently; love it. Also super pleased with the GX1 I bought for $199.

Hijack over. Sorry, riada22.

 

[Ulfric M Douglas]

Quoting this because it should have been the first reply to the O.P;

... Panasonic 14-140mm HD lens ...

There was one sold on the forum some months back at a bargain price,
they come up from time to time but are fairly rare : most of them exist as the kit lens from the older GH1 and GH2 bodies and folk hang onto them for good reason.

 

[drd1135]

No offence meant. I'm a bargain hunter by nature and the recent G bodies seem to drop into the $250-299 range in about a year after their release. This is probably because the G series seems to get updated faster than the Pens, which makes the older model drop quickly in price. As another example, the GH2 retained it's value because the GH3 took much to come out.

 

[HarryS]

What i'm getting at is that my Bro in law has a Canon with a Tamron lens 18-270 or similar, so is it possible to have one lens on my G3 that would cover all eventualities.

There are around 3 dozen Panasonic and Olympus M43 lenses that will fit your G3 and work as designed with auto focus and automatic exposure. And if you are willing to use them in manual focus, most older lenses can be adapted to work on your G3. However, you cannot get a modern lens that fits both a modern Canon and your G3, and keep the autofocus and auto aperture setting features that you pay for on a modern lens.

Here's what's possible right now:

You could buy an adapter to use your brother's lens. Assume it's an Canon DSLR with EF lens.
-No auto focus. You have to do it manually.
-No aperture control. The lens will be set at whatever f-stop was set when removed from the Canon.
-You can buy an adapter that adds a second iris inside it to provide a way to throttle the light, but it is not aperture control. Never gone this route, but have heard the combo will vignette (dark corners) at certain settings.

You could buy an old film lens that will fit on both your G3 and your brother's Canon using separate adapters. Then you can both focus in manual mode and use the ring on the lens to set aperture. Some of us enjoy this, but there are fewer lenses that fit both cameras, and they behave differently as far as field of view on each camera. As far as examples, I know you could use old Olympus OM lenses in this manner.

 

[Petrochemist]

Hi, I have just joined up and have also just started using my new Panasonic GMC-G3 with a 14-42mm and 45-200mm lenses.
My first question if you can help is, are there other makes of lens that are compatible with my camera. What i'm getting at is that my Bro in law has a Canon with a Tamron lens 18-270 or similar, so is it possible to have one lens on my G3 that would cover all eventualities.

It's easy to find an adapter that will allow a Canon mount lens to fit on micro 4/3 but the increased crop factor will make the image more zoomed in.
Personally I find an 18-270 wouldn't cover all the uses I have. Yesterday on the way home from Scotland (with my DSLR) I used a 10mm fish-eye for capturing some bridges and wished the lens was was a little wider (I had 180° diagonally but wanted ~170° horizontally), and saw a Heron that I captured with a 500mm super tele that could have been better if the was a little longer...

It's not often that I use both on the same day, but the 18-270 would definitly be limiting to me