anyone like Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Lens? - on sale $99

[Rob Katz]

i'm new to the m4/3 world so i have been reading up on lens choices for my newly acquired g7.

the g7 came with the 14-42 kit lens which has been nice as i walk about taking snaps to see how the camera handles.

last week, i found the panasonic 25mm/1.7 for $148.

and yesterday, i saw that b&h was running a holiday special on the oly M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R Lens for $99.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...=REG&A=details

thoughts on the quality/value of the Oly?

i know it has no ois and neither does the g7 body and at longer lengths and slower shutter speeds that might indeed be an issue.

then again, folks made lovely images pre-ois!

i look forward to any and all thoughts.

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions

[George Dean]

Hi Bob,

This is a bit off for your specific question.....I have an Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens on my Gh4. This is the lens I keep attached. In the case the GH4 is set on auto everything in the event I only have time to point and shoot.

When I do have the time (99.9%) for setup, I use this lens in manual focus mode. The auto-focus, like many lens, wants to hunt the focus (there may be something in the setup that will decrease this), and I prefer manual focus and pulling focus which this particular lens does very well with the manual focus clutch ring. For stills, this lens focuses as fast as the Panasonic lens I have.

I have no expereince wit the 40-150mm, but am extremely happy with the quality optics in the 12-40mm Pro.

[Rob Katz]

george-

thanks for the feedback.

as i stumble my way thur m4/3 land, i find myself needing to invent my new eco-system.

i had been a sony aps-c/ex1/fs100/fs700/a6000 shooter but was never completely satisfied with some of my images.

having sold off all of those camera bodies which by now are three and four generations old, i latched onto the g7 because of it's supposed kinship to the gh4.

but price definitely played a part in wanting to find an entry point to a small-non-threatening interview rig along with 4k capabilities.

with the panasonic kit 14-42 and the oly 40-150, i believe i am covered for exteriors where there is plenty of light.

i am hoping the panasonic 25/1.7 will act as my "nifty-fifty" and offer me a go-to interview option, even in less than ideal lighting conditions.

i have done some stills with the g7 and the images look good even when played on a 50" plasma.

yesterday, i put together a double system audio rig employing my tascam dr60d as the pre-amp and mounted the g7 on both a mid-level cheapie tripod and on a monopod and the rig did not feel too unwieldy.

i am not sure i would feel that way once out in the field on a production but that is why we practice.

this week, i am hoping to shoot some g7 motion b roll and bring the footage into final cut and see if this entire grande experiment could indeed be a viable option to my sony experience.

sorry for the long gab, too much coffee on an early saturday morning.

oh, i did buy the $99 oly 40-150 and yes, it was a "no-brainer"!

be well.

rob
smalltalk.productions

[Mark Williams]

The Panasonic 45 - 175 is a much... much better lens. It has internal zoom which I really like and a zoom rocker switch. A little pricey but look for it used.

[George Dean]

H Bob,

Thanks for the follow-up. Sounds like you are working the kinks out of your setup. I'm still somewhat in the experimenting and testing stages with the GH4. I opted for an inexpensive (like most, I'm on a budget) Axler cage. It's a pretty good cage allowing full functions of the GH4 and multiple places to hang gear, but not perfect as there are limited accessories. I had anticipated needing to perform some DIY arrangements and have pretty much everything mounted with the exception of the sound side.

I have DIY'ed a handle on both right /left sides. On the top right I mounted an Atomos Ninja Flame (for recording 422/10 bit HDR), and a shotgun mic on the top left side. Currently that mic feeds into the GH4 and then the GH4 feed audio out to the Ninja Flame. What I haven't worked out is a preamp. I have the Zoom H4n, and just haven't as yet worked out a good mounting location.

Usually I attach a lapel mic to the subject and wireless to the Zoom either on my belt or on the tripod. This arrangements works well for staged interviews, but doesn't fulfill the needs of run-n-gun interviews (not that I need that right now, I would just like to work it out in the event I do someday). I think what I will explore next is a decent monopod.

I would be interested in how you like the new lens and how your setup performs when you have completed your B roll test.

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Rob--

Glad you're enjoying your G7!

I'm eagerly awaiting a GH4 (should arrive tomorrow!), and I originally I wanted to order a new Panny 12-35mm f.2.8 lens. But since it's out of our budget at the moment, I wanted to order an Olympus 14-42mm f.3.5-5.6 lens for $99 brand new.

But I dug around a bit, and found a used Olympus 12-50mm f.3.5-5.6 lens for $159; so a bit wider, and a bit longer. Not a low-light champ by any means, but was going to use it as walk around, travel lens.

That Panny 40-150mm sounds like a good deal, but really wanted something wide for landscapes. Especially for an upcoming trip to Monument Valley, UT/AZ :)

Best,

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Rob Katz

oh, i did buy the $99 oly 40-150 and yes, it was a "no-brainer"!

That's indeed a nobrainer for that money, I only have very good experience with olympus lenses, I have the 40-150mm f2.8, the 12mm f2.0 and 75mmf1.8, each one of them with high quality optics and very solid build quality.

[Jeff Anselmo]

Hi Noa--

Are the Olys pretty good function-wise with the GH4? Just bought a used Oly 12-50mm lens, and I think it should work fine. Mostly concerned with autofocus.

Best,

[Noa Put]

I never use my lenses for continuous autofocus but just prefocus by using the shutter button and it's very fast and accurate in good light, the 75mm struggles more in low light but the 12mm is the opposite with very good and fast autofocussing, even at candle lit only venues. Don't have the 12-40mm (I use the pana 12-35mm f2.8) but my experience is that wider lenses tend to focus better so the 12-40 should do well.

[Paul Cascio]

This may be one of the greatest bargain lenses of all time. Up there with Canon's Nifty Fifty and a handful of others. Amazingly sharp lens, at an always great price, but this is a gift.