Possible to fit canon lenses on a g6?

[Noa Put]

I"m looking to replace my 550d as fixed camera on a steadicam (a blackbird), I want a camera comparable in size and weight but I really want 50p, lower noise at 3200 iso, a sharper image and much less moire and aliasing. Those are the main area's my 550d is not performing well.

Now I did see some footage from panasonics new g6 and it looks very good and it seems to improve on all points I mentioned plus has some extra's more directed to video that would make shooting with it easier + it's dirt cheap like my 550d once was. :)

The only thing I find important is that I could use my set of samyang lenses with a canon mount (rokinon) that I bought for my 550d, my intention would be to fit a samyang 8mm f2;8 on it, my question is does there exist a adapter to make that happen? I don't need the lens to communicate with the camera, plan to set the iris and focus manually.

If that would be possible, will the 8mm cause any vignetting on this camera?

Thx for any tips.

[Jeff Harper]

Noa, there are adapters such as the one below. Search "Canon to Lumix adapter" and you'll find plenty. They are all "about" the same, I had/used several, the Fotodiox is fine. You would want to use a separate adapter for each lens, they do not go on and off very smoothly in a run and gun situation. I had a Rokinon 8mm lens, only used it a couple of times, I don't recall any vignetting.

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter, Canon EOS EF to Micro Four Thirds Cameras: Camera & Photo

[Noa Put]

Thx Jeff! Good to know they fit.

[Bruce Foreman]

Aperture control has been a bit of a problem for some. There are adapters with a manual iris, reports vary widely on how well these work. There are a couple or few models with electronic aperture control but they are expensive.

For the plain adapter ring there is a method of setting the aperture using a Canon EOS body. Go into manual mode with the lens mounted on the Canon body and set the desired aperture. Depress the DOF Prevue button and hold it in while pressing the lens unlock button, while still holding the DOF Prevue in slowly twist the lens at least half an inch (or until the lens is off).

The lens will now be set to the last aperture "dialed in" and can be mounted on the adapter and Lumix body.

To reset aperture on the lens to anything else it has to go back on the EOS body.

If you simply remove the lens from the EOS body in normal fashion or just pick it up out of the bag and mount it to the adapter and Lumix body, it will remain wide open.

I had to use this "unlock and twist" method to set aperture manually in video mode on the EOS T1i before the 7D came on the market

[Jeff Harper]

Yes, Bruce reminds me about EOS lenses. For plain lenses like the Rokinon for Canon mount lenses with built in aperture ring, the Canon to M4/3 adapters such as the one above are fine. I hadn't thought about your other lenses, Noa.

If you have EOS lenses you intend to use, which I'm sure you must, then as Bruce demonstrates, it is another set of issue re: exposure control. Bruce has summed it up very well.

[Noa Put]

For plain lenses like the Rokinon for Canon mount lenses with built in aperture ring, the Canon to M4/3 adapters such as the one above are fine.

In my case I won't be using canon lenses, only samyangs with a canon mount, I almost have their full range of lenses (the 14,24, 34 and 85mm lens), just wanted to pick up the 8mm as well. Because the cropfactor is even more as on my 550d I was thinking of adding the 8mm but probably will be trying with the 14mm first. The idea was to fix the pana onto the steadicam permanently for every paid shoot I do and maybe use it for some personal stuff in combination with my other lenses. It's the 50p I"m most anxious on using, would be nice to be able to slow down the steadicam footage without the excessive jitter I get when trying to do that with 25p.

[Bill Bruner]

Hi Noa. Good plan. The G6 is finally available for preorder in Europe for 629€ from amazon.de (body only). With this camera and an inexpensive EOS to m 4/3 adapter with tripod mount, you should have no problem mounting even the largest manual EF lens.

Hope this is helpful,

Bill

[Noa Put]

Thx Bill for the links, a BE store nearby my place is already selling the camerabody only for 599 euro which is a great price, I have seen some comparison videos to a gh3 and it looks like it performs almost equally good and even better in some area's like low light with less noise. Hope it will be a worthwhile investment.

[Bo Skelmose]

The speedbooster will hopefully be here soon for both canon and nikon lenses :)