jonpais

I noted in your other thread that the GH4 and Nokton 17.5 can also work with the Zhiyun Crane.

It's also possible to use the GH4 + Nokton 17.5 on the Zhiyun Crane.

I recommend you buy the Leica Summilux 12mm f/1.4.

Any particular reason you're asking about this lens in this thread?

Thanks! A great read.

Maybe because - at the moment he can only afford one lens?

If this were the 8th lens in his kit, okay, but rather than spend $1,600 USD on one ultra wide, I think it would be wiser to buy a set of Panny lenses 20 1.7, 25 1.7, 42.5 1.7 or whatever (not sure about those numbers^^) if I were on a budget (which the OP apparently is) and sticking with Panasonic (remember, even the manual aperture ring, supposedly splendid, only works with Panasonic bodies, if I am not mistaken). More and more manufacturers are going to release micro 4/3 mount cameras in the future (I'm guessing), and I wouldn't want to be locked into one ecosystem.

I agree, one of the selling points of the GH4 and the pair of zooms I purchased was the weather sealing (and magnesium alloy camera body) - but in all actuality, neither the body nor the zooms could withstand the torrential downpours we get here in Vietnam. And even if they could, my slider, Rode microphones, Metabones Speedbooster, audio recorder, adapted lenses, etc. are not water resistant. Battery life and swivel screen are two things I like the most on the GH4. But - the lack of IBIS is probably the single thing I miss the most, as I adapt a lot of lenses, and even the OIS in the Panasonic glass I do own is virtually worthless. Some of their other lenses have better stabilization apparently. Although you will never want to part with the Nokton once you've held one, it will still require some sort of rig to keep steady.

Just one problem here - I've never managed to find a decent shim to allow the GM1 with any other than the kit lens to be mounted on a tripod head, let alone a gimbal. Any ideas?

Any particular reason why you're going with the GH4? Have you already bought one? Or are you planning to buy both lens and body together? Because there might be better options out there now for the money, like the G7, the GX85 or the recently released G80/85. Or else, I'd wait for the GH5 early 2017, unless you need to start your project immediately. IBIS on the newer Lumix bodies is a real benefit that you should consider.

I'll try to be more careful about the videos I share next time.

Here's a video I just found showing how suitable the Nokton 17.5mm is for narrative work.

@cantsin I've been pretty harsh on Panasonic and PanLeica lenses recently, for several reasons: I don't think variable aperture zooms are practical for video; slow lenses like f/2.8 don't allow much room before diffraction rears its ugly head (at around f/5.6 and beyond, depending...). And because micro 4/3 sensors aren't phenomenal in dim lighting, fast lenses are highly desirable; and even if they must use plastics, there are other, more solid-feeling plastic lenses on the market (Sigma, for one). But I also realize that people already consider some of Panasonic's lenses prohibitively expensive (although some, like the 20mm, 25mm, and 42.5mm f/1.7 are almost bargains), and faster non-variable aperture zooms, and primes made of durable materials made in Japan instead of China would certainly raise manufacturing costs and reduce profit margins. As far as the Leica lenses go, I think they're way overpriced (one of the reasons why, over at LensTip.com, the founder regrets that Panasonic chose the German manufacturer rather than Sigma to design their premium lenses). But, even though I don't see myself buying any more Panasonic lenses, I don't see how, in the final result, software-corrected lenses are inferior (again, a cost-cutting measure, as it is less expensive to fix aberrations with software than to design a perfect lens), and, while I also prefer lenses with high resolution, there are so many other factors to consider, both tangible and intangible, that no single tester can even begin to measure them all. And at the moment, while I don't count myself among them (that could change tomorrow), many filmmakers seem to prefer vintage lenses precisely because they find modern optics designed for digital sensors too clinically sharp and videoish. In all fairness, many of my issues with Panasonic could easily be leveled at other lens manufacturers as well. Edit: I now see why it would be best to avoid software corrected lenses - aberrations would not be corrected for on another manufacturer's body, compelling video shooters to use them with nothing but Panasonic cameras. So, in a very real sense, a complete waste of money.

If I had to choose just one of the lenses from your list, I'd go with one of the Noktons - they're fast, built like tanks (solid metal, no cheap plastic, no electronics and no motors to fail) and optically superb. Not many camera lenses are being built like this nowadays. You probably won't need autofocus for your work. I personally own the Nokton 17.5 and it's hard to remove from my camera, I love the way it handles. I set the function buttons on my GH4 to control peaking (orange/yellow is best), AF mode/MF (magnifying assist) and Monochrome View (to make peaking more visible in dim light). I would avoid slowish 2.8 lenses or variable aperture zooms.

@Mattias Great video as always, Mattias. Nice touch with the spooky woods shot at the end, too - your dog is a natural -born actor. A while back, I noted that nobody in this thread mentioned wanting a gimbal for compact cameras, but I actually purchased my Lumix GM1 a few years back with the express purpose of flying it on a gimbal in mind. But it turned out to be too small for stabilizers like the Nebula, and most recently, the Crane. I still like the 1080p coming out of the GM1, and for anyone wanting to go super light and inexpensive, one of the GM cameras and the Crane M might be the way to go. I like that the newer gimbal has a hole for storing the screw that attaches to the baseplate when not in use - the screw on the original Crane could easily become lost. The manual is a nice touch as well, as this device might appeal to a broader market with little knowledge about stabilizers. I have to agree as well that setting up the Crane is virtually idiot-proof, but learning to walk and run like a ninja takes practice, and I see in your review that while you are running, you are crouching with knees bent - something I'm still having trouble doing. Nice work!

I could me mistaken ?.

I don't know about the other lenses, but the firmware update for the 35-100mm f/2.8 only improved the performance, it did not rid the lens entirely of jitters.

The Sigma cine line looks beautiful, I have no doubt they'll outperform the less expensive Xeens. Optically, the original Art line (now rehoused as cine lenses) already compares favorably with the Zeiss Milvus lenses (created with filmmakers in mind) but the lack of weather sealing, plastic bodies, focus by wire, as well as short focus throw and breathing on some lenses might have made the Zeiss preferable for professional filmmakers. Rehousing the lenses solved many of these concerns, but, considering the price, I'd probably go for the Milvus lenses, which cost less than half as much, if I were ever to upgrade. If I were a professional though, I wouldn't hesitate to rent these.

agreed

GH4 has nicer colors, focus peaking, a Monochrome setting to make peaking easier to see, 4K scaled down to 1080p on GH4 is much better than GH3 (hardly any noticeable moire), and the price is so low now, I can't see any reason why anyone would prefer the GH3. GH3 and GH2 are hardly obsolete though, many filmmakers are still creating excellent work with those cameras. I found the lack of peaking on the GH3 very frustrating, but if you are on a budget, you can probably find one on eBay for around $400. Prices on the excellent GH4 have dropped dramatically as well, to as low as $1,000.

This isn't good news at all. I did a search on YouTube and was only able to find one clip a few seconds long where someone actually used the Sigma 18-35mm f/2.8 with the GX80. I did a search over at DPreview, but it's so difficult navigating their site, I gave up.

@Cary Did you try the Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 lens on the Mitakon?

Right, ignore the constructive criticism. Just keep shooting orange movies. I don't really see a prime-time story here: on the other hand, I do see someone who seriously enjoys observing people, and who tries to capture their expressions and gestures; pretty much exactly like I've been doing for the last few years in Korea and in Vietnam. I just finished watching Gomorra: every single shot was green; many of my favorite Danish films also have a greenish or cool color cast; while many of my favorite Indian films are warm and oversaturated - and in one of my short videos that I uploaded to YouTube around a year ago, I alternated between warm and cool, which I found to be very effective at breaking up the monotony - but I don't see the pervasive orange skin tones in this clip as either flattering or contributing in any way to the atmosphere.

I don't know why so many clips I've seen from Lumix cameras recently look so orange. I'm currently testing the Voigtlander Nokton 17,5mm f/0.95, here's a very short clip shot this morning with the Lumix GH4. No color correction or sharpening added in post - I simply dragged and dropped the file into YouTube as is. Of course, not all Asians have milk and cream complexions, but Panasonic's colors have improved dramatically since I owned the GH3, and radioactive orange is extremely unflattering, unless you're aiming for the orange and teal blockbuster look. BTW, as I already said in the Lenses thread, the Voigtlanders are in a class unto themselves: superb 'haptics' and gorgeous color rendition. Although Panasonic makes many fine lenses, I find they have a disagreeable warmth to them that I dislike, and I've been able to achieve more satisfying results with 3rd party manufacturer's lenses like Sigma and Voigtlander. I still have to test this, so that's my mission tomorrow morning - I'm going to try to compare the color of the G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 to the Voigtlander to see whether it's just my imagination.

Skin tones so orange.