Looks like my lovely pancake is actually TOO small to work with my follow focus setup, so I'm wondering if there is something a little longer/larger out there. I've been suggested the Sigma 20mm F1.8 or the Sigma 30mm F1.8. I'm looking for something fast but not outrageously expensive.

Any experienced users have suggestions?

Any suggestions? I'd like to be fast 1.4-1.8 and also not more than 400 bucks if possible. Larger (64-78mm body) I'm looking for a lens I can make my primary cinematography tool ;p

I've found the Panasonic Leica D Summilux Asph 25mm F1.4 but it is too expensive. Must be some cheaper alternatives.

I don't know what will work or not work with a follow focus, but the first thing that comes to my mind in a normal lens would be the Pana 25mm F/1.4. It's made for the camera which means no adapter which is a plus in my opinion.

It does cost over $400. I've had the Sigma 30mm F/1.4 and it was a decent lens. I don't care for Sigma lenses on the GH2, but it's more personal preference than anything.

Jeff, the requirement for the follow focus is basically just a lens that is at least double the length of the lumix pancake and i'd like to see a body size of like 62-78 mm.

Yeah, I was looking at that one, it looks like it would be perfect but wow 700 bucks is out of my budget.

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Micro 4/3 H-X025 B&H

$700 is higher than it should cost, wherever you found that price don't shop there anymore, they are overpriced.

oh, well thats nice to see. i just referenced some quick ebay searches. good call. hmhm.

IMO opinion Ebay is often a poor place to find prices, except for used items and even then you have to watch out. Ebay has a lot of opportunists and suckers on it. For new camera gear there is no reason to look much farther than B&H or Adorama for prices.

Amazon will often have outrageous prices on used gear, often higher than prices for new, it's really stupid and I don't understand it. Sellers bet there are people that will buy things without checking, I guess.

When things get sold out at stores like B&H some people will overprice things on Ebay betting that someone wants it enough to overpay. Sometimes opportunists will buy up a lot of an in-demand product which actually causes a shortage and drives prices up on auction sites.

Yeah, very good points. I'll keep that in mind. You know, I'm surprised the price of the sigma 20mm 1.8 is still as much as it is with the lumix 1.7 around. I'm thinking I should try and keep some kind of wide angle option open.

Yeah, I'm going to sell the pancake and prob go with the 25 1.4 panny

James, there's another thread around here about wide lenses, look for it also and see if there's anything of interest to you. SLR Magic makes a 12mm lens for the m4/3 cameras, but I can't find their website anywhere. Good luck.

James, My favorite lens and the one I've been testing with all week, is a Nikkor 24 f2.8.
It's wide angle and gives stunning stills and video.

It is a prime with a silky smooth focus and with a little looking can be found for $75.00. Not quite as fast as you're looking for but it is a fantastic lens.

You might want to avoid Lumix lenses with a follow focus... they are all focus-by-wire, and vary their focus throw by the speed at which they're turned. It is very, very difficult to get repeatable focus turns from them (which is the point of a FF). This points you towards lenses with mechanical focus.

Jeff, correct me if I'm wrong, but the Olympus 12/2 has a mechanical focus ring if you pull it a certain way, doesn't it?

Also, the SLR Magic 12/T1.6.

There is a range of Navitar lenses for 4/3" c-mount, all are full manual, f2, but I've never seen them used and they aren't cheap.

I'd second Don's recommendation of a legacy manual lens in <24mm.

Kevin, after doing a lot of reading I found that same sentiment elsewhere online - so I decided to give the Sigma 20mm F1.8 EX DG Aspherical RF a shot. It pretty much provides manual everything and seems perfect for a manual follow focus setup. Should work better for my indie film work.

Now, for my wedding work, I would still love that panasonic lens, but we just can't have everything <3 lol

Yes Kevin the 12mm has a very nice mechanical focus. I can't find the 12mm F/1.6 lens anywhere, went looking for it all I could find were reviews. I swear I've been to the manufacturer's website for it, but I can't find it now.

You might want to avoid Lumix lenses with a follow focus... they are all focus-by-wire, and vary their focus throw by the speed at which they're turned. It is very, very difficult to get repeatable focus turns from them (which is the point of a FF).

How is it possible in this case to focus during a shot? Isn't it just guesswork with these lenses, plain and simple? Given that the autofocus is pretty dire compared to a camcorder, how does anyone use the Lumix lenses for video work?

The auto focus with the 25mm, 12mm and 45mm m4/3 lenses is nearly instantaneous.

The Continuous auto focus works poorly, I don't use it myself and it is useless IMO for video work.

For video the Lumix lenses are superb, you get focus the same way anyone using any DSLR system does it, or you can use the focus area on the GH2 LCD to pinpoint your desired area of focus, slightly depress the shutter button and focus instantly. Or you go manual. It's like anything, you have to learn how to work with the equipment you have. Any system has it's drawbacks, but each system has it's advantages as well.

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

The Continuous auto focus works poorly, I don't use it myself and it is useless IMO for video work.

[...] For video the Lumix lenses are superb, you get focus the same way anyone using any DSLR system does it

It was the continuous auto focus that I was referring to; I haven't really tried the half-button-press method but it sounds like I ought to. Do you use it to gain focus occasionally, as with the Push AF button on some camcorders? You must do this pretty successfully if you're doing weddings in this way. My wife does weddings, but hasn't so far ventured out with the GH2 (she hands over the rushes to a separate production company, so sticks to the safety of a Z7 rather than risk the inevitable reduction in usable footage!).

My focus method consists of focusing with the magnified view before hitting record and then using the lens' focus ring while recording. This makes getting a feel for the lens' focus ring rather important. Not being able to do that on the Lumix range surely means that you can't "get focus the same way anyone using any DSLR system does it", though I guess the electronic focus ring ultimately just has a different 'feel' - same as the ring on my XHA1 come to think of it, though that showed the focal distance on the OSD.

To be clear, Andrew, are you saying you can't use magnified view (Focus Assist) on the GH2? I'm just trying to clarify. If that's what you mean, I don't understand, as that works fine in manual mode. It is activated by rotating the focus ring of any of my three primes, or by touching the LCD, but only while in standby, not while recording, right?

Anyway, the way I actually focus during most weddings is by using the touch screen whilst the top left settings swiitch is set to AFS mode.

I simply touch the screen using the square focus area, and it focuses instantly. It's really so simple to use I can't see it being any easier.

I most often mention the shutter depressing method because it seems so many early on didn't like the touchscreen for focusing, so I got out of the habit of talking about it. This method is dangerous however as I have on occasion stopped recording by accident, so I stick with using the touch screen.

Jeff - Using touch screen for focusing does the bounding box stay on screen forever or do you click on the menu button to go back to the normal screen? Do you use face detect? I was testing with face detect and I wasn't sure if the selecting the touch screen method worked if there was a face in the scene - not sure if they're competing with each other or should I switch something other than face detect when not wanting to focus on faces. Still using the Panasonics first version firmware, maybe the upgrade might be different - at least I heard that you can use the full screen area using touch screen focusing.

You also seem confident with the new m43 lenses(45mm, 25mm, 12mm.) Do all three work with touchscreen focusing? I shoot with the GH2 for weddings also - any chance seeing a complete wedding highlight using the 3 lens combo? Thanks Mike.

Michael, I don't use face detect, I use the solid box that stays wherever I move it to on the screen. My camera's packed so I can't tell you exactly where the buttons are set.

Yes, I believe most any lens that has electronic communication with the camera will allow touchscreen focusing.

I know for a fact my 12mm, 25mm, 45mm and the Sigma 18-50mm Olympus mount work. I feel confident all lumix lenses will do the same, and all Olympus M4/3 mounts.

To be clear, Andrew, are you saying you can't use magnified view (Focus Assist) on the GH2?

No, the magnified view works fine when not recording. Static set-ups are easy: check the focus, hit record.

I meant that you can't get the 'feel' for an electronic focus ring in the way you can with a mechanical ring, because there isn't a constant relationship between how far you turn it and how much the focal distance changes. This prevents you focussing by the traditional manual method while recording. Or hinders you, at least.

Of course, none of this matters if you can just edit out the second or so that it may take to regain focus - I'm talking more about situations where something/someone is approaching the camera and you need to keep it/them seamlessly in focus (a bride being the classic example, though they tend to move pretty slowly!).

Using the touchscreen to focus must be pretty tricky when, say, someone's walking towards you?