Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Thanks Nigle, found it! Pricey little lens, but it apparently is very well liked!

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I totally love the Canon FD 50mm F1.8 I just bought online for $35.00. Night and day difference in terms of sensitivity compared to any kit lens. In my opinion F1.8 is a sweet spot for low light lens options. Anything faster and you spent a lot more then you did for your camera. Any zoom lens anywhere near fast enough for low light shooting is going to cost more then most lower end pro video cameras.

Lets face it shooting with DSLR's is going to be full of work arounds and compromises. Thats just the way it is. It isn't going to be cheap either. If you want to be able to cover the widest range of shooting conditions you will easily spend $5,000.00 on glass and you still will not be as flexible as a video camera.

I love the GH1 I just bought from Panasonic's killer Facebook deal but I know what it's limitations are which is why I will not be getting rid of my Panasonic HMC-40 anytime soon. It's the only way I can really cover all my bases. Anybody serious about video should not just depend on a DSLR to get by.

Hey what did you expect for a $1,000.00 camera?

In just the right conditions my GH1 and Canon 50mm F1.8 kills video cameras that cost $8,000.00+ In some conditions my HMC-40 kills the GH1 hands down. It all really depends on the situation and thats why I have both.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Glad your happy with your lens, sounds great Thomas.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I've finally committed to going with Canon FD lenses. I ordered a 50mm 1.4 ($116) and now looking at adapters. Nigel's recommendation is fine, under normal conditions, but I want to find an adapter not from Hong Kong right now to ensure speedy delivery. Any thoughts?

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

This one is good, I dont have it yet but it allows for infinity focus..

Novoflex Canon FD to Micro Four Thirds Lens Adapter MFT/CAN B&H

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Personally I bought a Fotoiox off of Amazon. It was cheap and it was delivered within a couple of days. The box says it is made in Waukegan, IL.

I don't really have anything to compare it to right now but it is working for me. It was a bit tricky to get setup correctly. You have to put the lens on just right or else it will not work correctly but after a couple of tries I finally got it to work perfectly. I'm not sure if others are easier to hook up or not.

I should also point out that when I first hooked up the adapter to my FD 50mm I somehow managed to hook it up with the aperture half closed. So the ring would control the aperture of the lens but it was very dark even compared to my kit lens. I quickly however noticed by looking into the front of the lens that something was not right since you can see the aperture blades half closed. You can definitely tell when it is fully open just by looking through the front of the lens. Just make sure to check the aperture is full open when you attach the adapter. Again I'm not sure if this was something unique to the adapter I bought or if it is a common thing to occur.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Here in the UK a quick search on Amazon, eBay & a couple of large photographic retailers reveals that the GH2 doesn't seem to be available for purchase without a lens. You can at least get it with the 14-140mm as the kit lens which is not a cheapie. I see that Amazon in France do sell just the body but it's only €30 more for the package with the 14-42mm kit lens.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Where and what is the facebook deal?

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I wonder if there is an adapter without a built in iris? With the FD lenses, one does not need a built in iris, since the lenses have a exposure ring, right?

This is the only thing I hadn't thought through, apparently. The Panasonic adapter doesn't have the iris, since it communicates with the camera, but it doesn't work with Canons. Thereby it is shorter and no loss of light.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Never mind, the Fotodiox doesn't have an iris, I was mistaken.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

What is the dial on the adapter for?

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I have a different FD to MFT adaptor where the rotating ring is labelled Open/Lock. This operates very nicely as a smooth step-less aperture ring. There is a little pin on the adaptor that operates a lever on the lens to adjust the aperture.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Nigel, is there a loss of light with these adapters, do you know? I've heard there is.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I don't see how there could be any loss of light as it's just a tube the same size as the lens with nothing to obstruct the view.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I have seen comments around here mentioning a stop or so of light loss, but I swear I've googled the crap out of that in a hundred different phrases and I can't find any evidence.

Thanks Nigel.

I'm deciding between the pricey Novaflex, your adapter, and couple of others. I've been all afternoon on this and I'm about to go with the Novaflex (Thanks David). The reviews are so uniformly positive, I'll probably be safest, though poorer, with that choice.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

These GD>MFT adaptors are reputed as the best & are hand made by a guy in Poland known on eBay as ciecio7. He only does short production runs & is out of stock at present but I will be ordering a couple. For $63 including shipping they look great value.
in my view ...: Ciecio7 - new FD micro 4/3 adaptor
Canon FD FL to G2,GH1,GF1 E-P1 E-P2 micro 4/3 adapter - eBay (item 250771075298 end time Mar-04-11 13:29:18 PST)

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Nigel, the adapter appears to be the best at any price. I've emailed him, hope to hear from him.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

These are indeed considered the best. I don't own one, I have a m43 to Pentax and m43 to Canon FD from a dirt cheap China guy. They were like $12 each and work perfectly.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I'm probably going to end up with a Novaflex or whatever it's called, I can't play around during my wedding season,and they seem to be better than all others, with the possible exception of the cicero7. I'll need other's later, and I'll just get one or two of his then.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

"The box says it is made in Waukegan, IL."
It does not say that, it says :
Fotodiox Inc. USA
91 Noll St. Waukegan, IL 60085

That is the address of the importer.


FOTODIOX INC.: Detailed Company Information, Imports & Exports

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

I just ordered a Fotodiox as a stop gap. I don't care where it's made, I'm just glad it should be here in a couple of days, unlike the other economy brands that take weeks.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

"I balked at the price of the Novoflex adapter as well, and ended up with a much cheaper Fotodiox. It has aperture control but is poorly constructed and doesn't instill a lot of confidence. It works, but I wouldn't buy one again. I'll eventually end up with something more solid like the Novoflex.

If you're not willing to spring for the Novoflex now, maybe just get the Fotodiox and accept that it won't last forever..."
My thoughts on the Panasonic GH2 - Page 5 - PentaxForums.com

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

Yeah I was just saying what I saw on the box. I didn't spend hours researching where it was made. I mainly cared if it worked and it did and it does. Perhaps it isn't the best and thats fine. It was so cheap I wanted it that way. Buying my FD lens and adapter was a cheap experiment to see if it was even worth it. Now that I know it was I'm still not convinced I want a better adapter. Other then the FD 50mm F1.8 I don't see myself using any other FD lens options. I would rather get my wide lenses as true M4/3. I could perhaps get a 35mm or maybe a 85mm but I just cannot see getting any lenses slower then F1.8. They will just be too limited. My next lens is going to be the Pancake 20mm and then hopefully after that the Voightlander f0.95.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

That's my attitude, Joe, just using this as a temporary measure.

Re: GH2 footage doesn't look as good as my old camera, why?
 

My monitor, adapter, and Canon 50mm f/1.4 arrive today, I just hope I can find time to play with them! I don't have monitor access while recording on the GH1, but at least I can see how it looks when focusing before hitting the stop button.