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Video focal lengths
  • stoneystoney
    My interests are candid moments and events. I tried Nikkor 50mm handheld. Not a good idea on GH2. Too much shakes. 1/60 shutter speed is my default for 1080p24. Divide by two. 30mm seems the longest focal length that works for handheld without OIS. Luckily there are fast lenses under 30mm. Noktor 12mm 1.6 and Nokton 25mm 0.95 are looking great.

    I'd use a tripod or a shoulder rig to go longer focal length without OIS unless jacking up the shutter speed.

    OIS isn't a magic though. With handheld, I think OIS is effective up to 50mm for m43 zooms at 1/60 SS. 14-42, 14-45, 14-42X, 14-50 (43 lens) are all good. Longer than that would require a tripod or a shoulder rig. Suppose software image stabilization doubles the useable focal lengths. Then 100mm seems the maximum focal length for handheld. Panasonic 12-35X and 35-100X at f2.8 or faster would be great, but $$$$. I’d prefer 14-100X f4 around $1K.
  • 7 Replies sorted by
  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev
    I think that all this 1/F rule (or it's variations) do not work for video. Even for photo it is just some heuristic.
    Of course, the wider the better.

    Big guys use money to shoot with all available equipment to make smooth camera moves.
  • LPowellLPowell
    @stonebat - "I’d prefer 14-100X f4 around $1K. "

    Nikkor AF-S 24-120mm f/4G ED VR (Vibration Reduction)
    http://www.photozone.de/nikon_ff/574-nikkorafs24120f4vrff
  • stoneystoney
    The VR wouldn't work on GH2, right?
  • LPowellLPowell
    The Nikkor 24-120mm is pretty much unusable on the GH2 since it loses its auto-focus and VR magic and has no aperture ring. But it's a superb match for the Nikon D5100, which has the low-noise, high-ISO performance that makes best use of the lens' constant f4 aperture. Compared to the Nikkor 24-120mm, the Lumix 14-140mm feels cheap and fragile.

    The base noise level of the GH2's image sensor needs an f2.8 lens to match the low-light image quality of the D5100 at f4. The Leicasonic 14-50mm f2.8-3.5 has even better OIS and optics than the Nikkor 24-120mm, but its focusing behavior leaves a lot to be desired.
  • stoneystoney
    @LPowell Thanks for the idea. I got fast primes for very low light :)

    For me zooms are all about convenience. I don't plan to buy non-m43 zooms. Not even 43 zooms. Well you got the Nikon body. So the Nikon lens makes perfect sense.
  • lolololo
    @stonebat if you are trying to get more confortable in the run you should try a monopod, is more versatile,

    if you place it on the ground is a tripod, (it must have a fluid head...)

    if you hanheld the monopod it works like a pretty steadycam (you probably should extend one of the section of the leg to get more weigth on the bottom, the wrist works as the gimbal..),

    and if you extend the leg and hold it from the leg, you can get a sweet panoramic shoot


    and everything without losing any moment
    :)
  • stoneystoney
    @lolo Monopod sounds great. Thanks.
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