GH1 Portrait Lens Choice / Problems

[Josh Hayes]

Hey guys/gals. Like a bunch of us video folks, I've started shooting photography professionally thanks to these DSLRS. Mostly corporate conference stuff. My major lens I shoot on (that the clients like) is a Canon FD 85mm 1.8 . It looks great and gives me the candids they want, however the depth of field is so shallow (which is one of the things I like about it of course), that if someone leans forward 6 inches they're out of focus. So I get like 25% of my shots look amazing and the rest are blurry. I'm shooting wide open (not great light in the conference hall) but I'd love to have use a lens that still has bokeh, however is not quite so sensitive in a live uncontrolled situation like that?

[David W. Jones]

Josh, simply change your f stop. Instead of shooting at f1.8, try shooting at f2.8.

Good Luck!

[Josh Hayes]

Hi David. The plot thickens....

I forgot to mention that some lenses are tricky with the GH1 Since I'm using a Panasonic camera that doesn't have many native lenses, I generally end up using Canon or Nikon lenses since they have a Micro 4/3rds adapter. Unfortunately the GH1 doesn't always register when I manually change the f-stop on the lens I'm using, so with my 85mm, it's basically "stuck" open (whether i physically slide it all the way to 22 or not). I used a few Nikon Lenses and it seemed to recognize those a little better, but I don't own any so I'll prob rent..

[Perrone Ford]

????

Stop down to F4, and either add some light, or add more ISO. You can't get something for nothing.

[David W. Jones]

Originally Posted by Josh Hayes

Hi David. The plot thickens....

I forgot to mention that some lenses are tricky with the GH1 Since I'm using a Panasonic camera that doesn't have many native lenses, I generally end up using Canon or Nikon lenses since they have a Micro 4/3rds adapter. Unfortunately the GH1 doesn't always register when I manually change the f-stop on the lens I'm using, so with my 85mm, it's basically "stuck" open (whether i physically slide it all the way to 22 or not). I used a few Nikon Lenses and it seemed to recognize those a little better, but I don't own any so I'll prob rent..

Have you not added a prop in the FD aperture control arm so you can manually control the lens iris on non-FD cameras?

[Josh Hayes]

When I first got it, as long as i slid a ring on the Canon to Micro 4/3rds adapter, it would usually make the camera recognize that I was adjusting the iris, and the camera would react as if it was a stock lens with aperture control. So I never added a "arm". Not sure I know what that is, but perhaps I should have?

Since I'm shooting all manual and with a depth of field that razor shallow, it makes for quite the challenge than just shooting on my stock lens (but it's not a fast enough lens).

[Josh Hayes]

I have a conference this Wednesday, and I'd love to not deal with quite as much hassle. I wonder if I should rent a 85 mm Nikon lens (as I mentioned earlier the camera appears to "sync" with the lenses better, close the aperture a stop or two and go about it that way?

[Paul Mailath]

you have to rotate the ring on the adaptor - one way the lens won't stop down and the other it will - rotate the ring with the lens off and you'll see it engage the aperture control arm.

I use the same lens and it's fine - stop it down to get a deeper depth of field

[Maximilian Pinedo]

It seems like the problem is not the GH1 but the Canon lens adapter. Your Nikon lens adapter seems to have the iris arm and the Canon doesn't. I have a Canon 52mm 1.4 that works prefectly with the lens adapter which gives you the option to keep the iris fully opened or to close or open it by using the iris ring on the lens. You should be able to see the iris closing when you move the ring if you have the correct adapter. Not all lens adapter gives you this capability.