Long Lenses, MFT fitting?

[Ronald Jackson]

Any news sign or rumour about MFT fit long telephoto primes? My Sigma 500, Nikon mount, is quite good on my new GH3 but a bit of a lump. Something along the build size of the Panasonic 100-300 AND with the software linkage would be welcome. Auto focus and IS would be handy as well.

Read lots about ultra fast short primes but nowt about gear of interest to the wildlife videographer.


Ron

[Kevin McRoberts]

There's rumor of a forthcoming 150/2.8 prime

Aside from that, you can always go with anybody's ~70-200/2.8 or the 4/3 55-200/2.8-3.5. With MFT, everybody else's long lenses just become longer lenses.

[Ronald Jackson]

That 150 quite interesting but not what I had in mind which was long primes, 500mm/600mm dedicated MFT format with a consequent reduction in size and weight over equivalent lenses such as Nikkors or Canons.

Sigma are dropping MFT at least for their long lenses but that is just the fitting which would have been nice, autofocus and perhaps image stabilisation but still the bulk and weight.

I wonder who else might have a go. Panasonic though not really a lens manufacturer on a large scale? Olympus?

I am seriously thinking of selling my EX3/ nanoFlash outfit in favour of total MFT but it would be re-assuring to know that there was the prospect of a few more dedicated long lenses.

Ron

[Nigel Barker]

Don't forget that unlike most other models with MFT you can generally use ETC mode to get extra reach. With the GH2 there is definitely some image degradation while I don't know about the GH3 the ETC mode on the G6 looks great quality. Pete Carney of this parish has posted some sensational videos of ocean going racing yachts e.g.

Oracle Team USA on Vimeo

[Bill Bruner]

Ron - I have been a micro 4/3 shooter for a few years, and have had good luck adapting Olympus 4/3 lenses to Panasonic micro 4/3 cameras.

Oly and Sigma made a range of 4/3 lenses (to include the Sigma 50-500mm) that are electronically compatible with micro 4/3 with the proper adapter. No IS, but AF works well with the GH3.

I use the Panasonic MA1, but the Olympus MMF-3 adapter will work as well.

Hope this is helpful,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

[Ronald Jackson]

That really is something Nigel. Makes me even keener to flog my EX3 nanoFlash outfit and "invest", once a few more lenses are available, in MFT.
As far as I know the video essentials of the G6 are similar or the same as the GH3. I would be very interested in some details of the sailing movie. What lens for example? I've been told by friends that the image quality from their Panasonic 100-300 is superior to that from their much more expensive Canon 70-300L lens attached to a GH3 via a MTF(confusing that!) adapter. In camera software apparently.
I use ETC a lot via a Nikkor 80-400 and Sigma 500. Some loss of quality but still "good" particularly when properly exposed and focussed which not easy.
The sailing clips were in slo-mo, ETC is disabled on the GH3 (presumably G6 as well) at any slo-mo setting slower than the 80% one, so were these at that relatively fast slo- mo (as opposed to the 40% and 48% alternative settings), were they slowed in post, or can the G6 use all slo-mo settings while ETC is applied?

I spoke with a Sigma rep, Bill, while at the recent "Birdfair", and he told me that Sigma were stopping production of MFT fitting lenses. I don't think this is news if applied to long lenses but it would be if he meant short focal length ones as well. I use a 500 Sigma, Nikon mount, on my GH3, sometimes with a 1.4X T.C. Acceptable in ETC, good without, IMHO. Am about to rent a 500 Nikkor to see if any worthwhile difference (I hope not!).

A pity MFT dedicated Sigma long lenses are becoming a thing of the past, I've got my doubts about third party lens adapters (I've got three, MTF Nikon - Sony XDCAM, Adaptimax similar and a Novoflex Nikon-MFT.) So roll on a 500 F4 Panasonic lens the size and weight of a Nikkor 70-200. Needn't be F4 in fact, F5.6 okay as I nearly always have a ND filter in place in spite of our iffy weather.

Ron

[Nigel Barker]

Pete Carney posts here (that's how I found the sailing videos). Why not drop him a message?

The Olympus OM-D is a MFT camera but has 5-axis in body stabilisation so any lens you put on it is stabilised. Effectively the sensor is floating on electromagnets & the functionality is quite amazing. There is a new more 'pro' OM-D being launched in a couple of weeks.

[Ronald Jackson]

I'll try contacting P.C. The new Olympus sounds interesting, I'm after a second GH3 but could be persuaded IF it has a similar 50Mbps.mov codec. Couldn't care less about its stills capabilities, lost interest in snapping after I sold my F4S etc etc and suite of Nikkors (some of which I now wish I still had) a good few years ago.

Ron

[Pete Carney]

I have been away for a few days and just saw this one.

I have been well pleased with the G6 and the 100-300. Almost all those shots were with the 100-300. I have used a Nikkor 600mm AIS ED with the G6 quite a bit as well. Again just incredible results in ETC mode. All my shots are 1080-60p mp4 and edited in Movie Studio 12 to Sony AVC 1080-30p, 26mbps mp4 for upload to vimeo and youtube.

Here are my other pieces with the G6

vimeo.com/72229994 Emirates Team New Zealand
vimeo.com/72396375 Luna Rossa Challenge
vimeo.com/72311904 Artemis Racing
vimeo.com/72504298 Oracle Team USA foiling upwind
vimeo.com/69864670 North American Elk wildlife video (some gopro and TM700 footage in there)

I'd love to have a m4/3 200-400mm F4 IS. That would make for the ultimate wildlife video. As is the G6 / 100-300mm is already the ultimate wildlife video tool available at any price. My setup with a 12-35, 100-300, Slik 613CF, Mandrotto 702 video head, Gopro H3 Black and C3 Ultra pro stabilizer weights in at 6.5 lbs (2.95kg) total. Simply amazing days we live in.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers,
Pete

[Ronald Jackson]

Thanks for the response Pete, I would have replied last night when I first saw it but just back from the pub (only two pints, and of beer mind).
Love the colours etc etc in the catamaran clips. Curious as to your settings, I'm on "scenery" in my GH3 with sharpness/contrast/saturation each down two notches but picture still a bit harsh. Also there's slo-mo in your video. Is this in camera and if so presumably without ETC.
Interested as well in your comments re lenses and tripods. I'm coming to the GH3 from the world of Canon XLH1 and latterly Sony EX3. Both comparatively heavy outfits what with support rods and follow focus to say nothing of heavy tripods and the nanoFlash kit.
My point re MFT "dedicated" lenses was that these could be down-scaled from existing heavy metal, you mention the 600 Nikkor for example, but with similar quality, witness the tiny and cheap 100-300 Panasonic.
I'm thinking of a Sachtler Ace L tripod kit, but will need to get rid of my DV6 SB head and Vision 6 outfit.
Maybe I'll try out the newish Manfrotto 500 which I think the successor to the 701(not very good) before taking the Sachtler plunge.

Ron

[Pete Carney]

I am shooting 1080-60p mp4, standard profile with all the settings at zero. ETC works in 1080-60p on the G6 but not on the GH3 as far as I know. It's the reason I gave the G6 a try in the first place. All the slow motion is done in post. Just drag out the clip twice as long and chop the speed to 50% and it plays perfectly frame for frame at 30p in the output.

For the Americas up video's and when I'm using the 600mm with the G6 I use my heavy duty Gitzo 1380 spring loaded fluid head and 1325v carbon sticks. It weights about 12 lbs alone. It's the only way to get that much zoom to be perfectly shake free. The 100-300 has one problem in that it doesn't have a tripod collar. I use a long gitzo plate that rests against the zoom ring on the 100-300 keeping it from flexing the camera at the lens mount. The G6 is really flexible and the lenses move all over the place. The 100-300 is a problem as you have to mount the camera to the tripod. GH3 shouldn't be an issue here though.

I think the G6 has a softer look, especially in ETC than the GH3 by a bunch. I really like it and haven't been disappointed with the data rate in any way even with the crazy foliage I tend to shoot most often. Even the water doesn't seem to mud up with the G6 in any way. There's just something about 60p and the long GOP Panasonic is using that works at the lower bit rates.

Cheers,
Pete

[Bill Bruner]

Pete - Thanks for the excellent tutorial on how to shoot extreme telephoto with these compact cameras. I have experienced the same problem with lack of lens support and have found the $64.50 Manfrotto 293 telephoto lens support as a potential solution.

Cheers,

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

[Pete Carney]

Hey Bill, I think I may get one of these to solve the issue of flex.

Rudolf Rösch Feinmechanik
http://newellj.smugmug.com/photos/i-...-JTd2FQH-L.jpg (I just poached a link to someones pic from one of the forums I saw it in)

A bit expensive at $100 +shipping, but looks from all the posts on other photography forums to be the ticket. Pretty decent piece of kit it would seem.

Cheers,
Pete