New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. at DVinfo.net

Jeff Harper · August 26th, 2011, 08:36 PM

Great read that addresses GH3 briefly, new lenses, etc. They seem to be preparing update that will somehow support the hacks? I'm not sure what the firmware update is supposed to do, but I think it is interesting that they are very knowledgeable about the hacking going on and are not stating any issues with it.

Are they saying they are trying to design new GH2 firmware to not interfere with hacks? Not sure.

Panasonic Announce Two New Power Zooms

Jeff Harper · August 27th, 2011, 12:00 PM

I read somewhere they may be something like F/ 2.2-3.3. Whatever the numbers were they were very odd. But that is what I saw, I don't remember where it was.

William Hohauser · August 27th, 2011, 08:55 PM

So these will be parfocal lens? Seems like these will cost more than the GH2 body.

Paulo Teixeira · August 27th, 2011, 10:11 PM

It's been said that even if they aren't para-focal, it shouldn't be too hard for the software to adjust the focusing accordingly to the zoom speed that you select. That's for the normal speed powered zooms.

I had my eye on the Olympus f2.0 since although it's a little slower than the Panasonic f/1.7 lens, it's a pretty decent size different going from 20mm to 12mm. Now Panasonic decides to show off their new fast lenses so I might want to get that instead even if it end up being f/2.5 at the widest. Being decently fast and having the ability to go from 12mm to 35mm will be perfect for low light event shooting in which being stuck on either 20mm or 12mm is not always desirable and changing lenses in the middle of a song for example is not an option. Heck, even changing lenses in between songs is problematic since sometimes they continue to the next song without stopping.

It wasn't too long ago that their were a lot of complaints about the Micro 4/3rds system not having any native fast lenses if you don't include the regular 4/3rds lenses but now, they'll be so many lenses that the decision over which one to buy will get very difficult. Micro 4/3rds have finally matured.

Patrick Janka · August 27th, 2011, 11:25 PM

Meh, there may be a lot of options, but none of them seem to be that great. There's a lot of compromise any which way you go. With Canon cameras there appear to be a few clear cut favorites, like, for example, the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8.

Paulo Teixeira · August 28th, 2011, 04:33 AM

The 14-42mm zoom lens will cost $400 but I see that the bundle price with a GF3 will be $750. The price of the lens alone seams a little steep but at least the bundle price doesn't look that bad.

Bill Bruner · August 28th, 2011, 04:59 AM

Groundbreaking is right -- this makes our Panasonic GH2/AF100 ecosystem a lot more attractive for ENG and event shooters.

I have been seriously considering moving over to the Sony VG20/FS100 ecosystem (for the larger APS & S35mm sensor sizes), and had resigned myself to the idea that shooting with a large sensor camcorder meant manual zooms forever -- but now Panasonic has gone and messed things up!

Good thing too -- I was really starting to feel the pull of the Dark Side.

Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution

William Hohauser · August 28th, 2011, 09:46 AM

If the software can compensate the focus during a powered zoom I can live with that. Zooming live with the present Panasonic lens is ill-advisable beyond a certain amount as the auto-focis can not keep up.

Paulo Teixeira · August 28th, 2011, 12:08 PM

I should have paid more attention to your post. I Actually meant the normal speed lenses not the fast speed ones since the software will already know how fast the powered zoom will be. That will be more differ-cult on the fast lenses unless the zoom will be powered as well.

Paulo Teixeira · August 28th, 2011, 11:08 PM

Here's a video that shows the regular lenses in action.
Panasonic debuts world's first pancake zoom lens and fixed telephoto lens - YouTube

Jeff Harper · August 29th, 2011, 12:58 AM

Very nice technology. For those of use that shoot weddings, the lenses aren't practical, with f/stops beginning at f/3.5. I can only imagine what a fast zoom in these formats might cost!

Joe Ogiba · August 30th, 2011, 07:11 AM

Pentax had a bunch of power zoom lenses for their film SLRs .
Pentax power zoom lenses

Pentax 250-600mm F5.6 ED IF power zoom

Pentax Power Zoom Explained

Jeff Harper · August 30th, 2011, 08:32 AM

I just wish someone would come up with a $3500 videocamera with a 35mm sized sensor and fixed zoom lens.

John Griswell · August 30th, 2011, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

I just wish someone would come up with a $3500 videocamera with a 35mm sized sensor and fixed zoom lens.

This is pretty close:

Sony launches NEX-VG20 Handycam Camcorder: Digital Photography Review

Jeff Harper · August 30th, 2011, 09:20 AM

Thanks for the link John, but isn't that a rehash of the previous model? And that kit lens is slow. There isn't a fast e series zoom made yet. I don't see the point, at least for event video.

August 26th, 2011, 08:36 PM	#1
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Great read that addresses GH3 briefly, new lenses, etc. They seem to be preparing update that will somehow support the hacks? I'm not sure what the firmware update is supposed to do, but I think it is interesting that they are very knowledgeable about the hacking going on and are not stating any issues with it. Are they saying they are trying to design new GH2 firmware to not interfere with hacks? Not sure. Panasonic Announce Two New Power Zooms __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

August 27th, 2011, 12:00 PM	#2
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. I read somewhere they may be something like F/ 2.2-3.3. Whatever the numbers were they were very odd. But that is what I saw, I don't remember where it was. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described." Last edited by Jeff Harper; August 27th, 2011 at 06:22 PM.

August 27th, 2011, 08:55 PM	#3
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. So these will be parfocal lens? Seems like these will cost more than the GH2 body. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

August 27th, 2011, 10:11 PM	#4
Paulo Teixeira Trustee Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. It's been said that even if they aren't para-focal, it shouldn't be too hard for the software to adjust the focusing accordingly to the zoom speed that you select. That's for the normal speed powered zooms. I had my eye on the Olympus f2.0 since although it's a little slower than the Panasonic f/1.7 lens, it's a pretty decent size different going from 20mm to 12mm. Now Panasonic decides to show off their new fast lenses so I might want to get that instead even if it end up being f/2.5 at the widest. Being decently fast and having the ability to go from 12mm to 35mm will be perfect for low light event shooting in which being stuck on either 20mm or 12mm is not always desirable and changing lenses in the middle of a song for example is not an option. Heck, even changing lenses in between songs is problematic since sometimes they continue to the next song without stopping. It wasn't too long ago that their were a lot of complaints about the Micro 4/3rds system not having any native fast lenses if you don't include the regular 4/3rds lenses but now, they'll be so many lenses that the decision over which one to buy will get very difficult. Micro 4/3rds have finally matured. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoVi...esEtc/featured https://www.pond5.com/artist/paulot

August 27th, 2011, 11:25 PM	#5
Patrick Janka Major Player Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 623	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Meh, there may be a lot of options, but none of them seem to be that great. There's a lot of compromise any which way you go. With Canon cameras there appear to be a few clear cut favorites, like, for example, the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8.

August 28th, 2011, 04:33 AM	#6
Paulo Teixeira Trustee Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. The 14-42mm zoom lens will cost $400 but I see that the bundle price with a GF3 will be $750. The price of the lens alone seams a little steep but at least the bundle price doesn't look that bad. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoVi...esEtc/featured https://www.pond5.com/artist/paulot

August 28th, 2011, 04:59 AM	#7
Bill Bruner Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Sunny California Posts: 513	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Groundbreaking is right -- this makes our Panasonic GH2/AF100 ecosystem a lot more attractive for ENG and event shooters. I have been seriously considering moving over to the Sony VG20/FS100 ecosystem (for the larger APS & S35mm sensor sizes), and had resigned myself to the idea that shooting with a large sensor camcorder meant manual zooms forever -- but now Panasonic has gone and messed things up! Good thing too -- I was really starting to feel the pull of the Dark Side. Bill Hybrid Camera Revolution

August 28th, 2011, 09:46 AM	#8
William Hohauser Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,650	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. If the software can compensate the focus during a powered zoom I can live with that. Zooming live with the present Panasonic lens is ill-advisable beyond a certain amount as the auto-focis can not keep up. __________________ William Hohauser - New York City Producer/Edit/Camera/Animation

August 28th, 2011, 12:08 PM	#9
Paulo Teixeira Trustee Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. I should have paid more attention to your post. I Actually meant the normal speed lenses not the fast speed ones since the software will already know how fast the powered zoom will be. That will be more differ-cult on the fast lenses unless the zoom will be powered as well. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoVi...esEtc/featured https://www.pond5.com/artist/paulot

August 28th, 2011, 11:08 PM	#10
Paulo Teixeira Trustee Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,773	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Here's a video that shows the regular lenses in action. Panasonic debuts world's first pancake zoom lens and fixed telephoto lens - YouTube __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/PhotoVi...esEtc/featured https://www.pond5.com/artist/paulot

August 29th, 2011, 12:58 AM	#11
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Very nice technology. For those of use that shoot weddings, the lenses aren't practical, with f/stops beginning at f/3.5. I can only imagine what a fast zoom in these formats might cost! __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described." Last edited by Jeff Harper; August 29th, 2011 at 12:55 PM.

August 30th, 2011, 07:11 AM	#12
Joe Ogiba Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Millstone,NJ Posts: 194	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Pentax had a bunch of power zoom lenses for their film SLRs . Pentax power zoom lenses Pentax 250-600mm F5.6 ED IF power zoom Pentax Power Zoom Explained

August 30th, 2011, 08:32 AM	#13
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. I just wish someone would come up with a $3500 videocamera with a 35mm sized sensor and fixed zoom lens. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

August 30th, 2011, 09:20 AM	#15
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: New Panasonic zoom to be sloooow, but still groundbreaking with motorized zoom. Thanks for the link John, but isn't that a rehash of the previous model? And that kit lens is slow. There isn't a fast e series zoom made yet. I don't see the point, at least for event video. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."