Suggestion for GH5 lenses?

[Mastermind]

Hey everyone, I posted this in the lens section but didn't receive an answer so I'll try here (hopefully that is allowed).

New here but I've read through several posts and I'm learning a lot!  I just got my GH5 and want to pick up a few lenses.  I am just so indecisive and would love some advice from the great community here.  I plan on using the GH5 99% for video, in a combination of travel videos (both cinematic and sometimes vlogging), real estate films, weddings, and short films.  I like the idea of starting out with 3 lenses and would love one of them to be an UWA for real estate and establishing shots like the PL 8-18, Tokina 11-16, Laowa 7.5, or Voigtlander 10.5. The next lens I'd love to have would be the main work-horse, the one that I'd use most of the time and preferably a zoom even if small like the 12-35, PL 12-60, or Sigma 18-35.  And lastly, I'm open to either a portrait-type prime like the PL 42.5 1.2 or more of a zoom like the 35-100 or even higher.  That last category is wide open for options, just looking for lenses you guys think are must haves for yourselves and would love to hear why!

Having such a tough time deciding between a lens like the 12-35 or 12-60... and the Sigma 18-35.  Dual IS and smaller that could fit on my Zhiyun Crane... or 1.2 constant aperture in the Sigma with metabones but just bigger.  Would it make any sense even to get both?

Pretend price isn't an option, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks.

[OliKMIA]

Lens selection is very personal based on your need and preference but here is my subjective opinion.

First, I usually hate to deal with adapters, the AF doesn't work (or very badly). I'm very happy with my Pana 12-35 f2.8 (V.1) and I also really like the Pana 7-14 f4. I also have the Sigma 30mm 1.4 which is amazing in terms of IQ. All these lenses fit perfectly on the Crane. On this regards the GH5 is heavier than the GH4 and some big lenses with adapter make it hard to balance (front heavy, the camera must be pulled all the way back and then it hits the crane gimbal)

On the cons: the 12-35 is not the sharpness lens while the 7-14 has a tendency to create flares.

The 12-35 f2.8 the V.2 doesn't bring much so I would consider the V.1 if you want to save some money. The V.1 does work with dual IS.

The Olympus Zuiko/Pro serie are also great but much more heavy (eg. 7-14 f2.8) than the Lumix options which can be problematic on some gimbal.

For portrait and shallow DOF stuff the Sigma 30 f1,4 is hard to beat for the price but the Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 is king with amazing IQ. I tried the Voigtlander lenses at 0.95 and they are very poor in term of sharpness at the widest aperture. They are also very heavy and manual only. Not bad but be aware of the "dreamy" look at 0.95

With adapter the Sigma 18-35 is excellent.

For tripod stuff I also purchased a collection of old Canon FD lenses with a $40 adapter. There are plenty of options on ebay at very good price (50 f1.4, 200 f2.8, etc). However don't expect to shoot in wide angle with theses lenses because of the 2x crop.

 

 

[Rinad Amir]

I went native with GH5 12-60 2,8 leica for run&gun best glass with IBIS 

and for shallow&lowlight 42,5 1.2 iBis cant beat that combo 

as for Sigma i had 18-35 and hated its front heavy compare to native lenses and idea of adapters is just pain in the neck 

[fuzzynormal]

I recently bought a pair of Voigtlander for a doc film.  I got 'em specifically because they're a pair.  One GH5 shoots with the 42.5mm and the other with the 25mm.  Easier and pretty much the same price to do this than buying/using old glass with high-quality speedboosters. 

You can always find inexpensive old lenses, but I couldn't really effectively pair-match them up as I wanted to, so I found good value with the V-glass in that regard.

They're nice lenses.  And I WANT manual focus for my doc work (auto focus, yuck) so the Voigtlanders were a good fit for me.  If anyone else is considering this, I'd recommend it.  Fast glass that allows you to shoot in some really low-light if necessary.  They're decently sharp @f1.4...but if you need that .95, it's there for ya.  ISO 6400 @.95 is useable (depending) if the situation demands it, and that's pretty much filming in the dark.

[DBounce]

I have the following lenses: 

1. Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 Version 2 
2. Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 Version 2
3. Panasonic Leica Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2
4. Panasonic Leica 100-400mm 
5. Panasonic 20mm f1.7 Pancake

I love them all. The Leica lenses are very special, and I can confirm after visiting a Leica Store in DC, that the Panasonic Leica lenses are true Leica lenses. They have the same Leica build quality, fit and finish, and great optics. I think they are bargains. 
My goto lens for anamorphic is the 35-100mm. The 12-35mm feels pretty wide and is good quality. Those two are great general purpose lenses. The Leica lenses are very special and worth it, if you have the budget for them. The 20mm is handy if stealth is an issue. Quality is good, but you will need to learn it to get magic.

BTW: I recently took the 100-400mm to a concert, and for $h!ts and giggles shot some video... I was amazed at the footage I got. 

I have the speed booster, but I was only listing native glass.

[JordanWright]

I love my Gh5 Speedbooster Sigma 18-35 Setup - Its a workhorse and hardly ever comes of my camera. The setup is a bit front heavy but is excellent in low light. You could pair it with the 50-100 for your long end and the Sigma 14mm for your wide end!

[Don Kotlos]

I don't have the GH5...

But if I did, it would be hard to resist using a Sigma 18-35 with a speedbooster   

[Rinad Amir]

2 hours ago, Don Kotlos said:

I don't have the GH5...

But if I did, it would be hard to resist using a Sigma 18-35 with a speedbooster   

Id stick native mate 

[DBounce]

3 hours ago, Don Kotlos said:

I don't have the GH5...

But if I did, it would be hard to resist using a Sigma 18-35 with a speedbooster   

The SB is not perfect, and does not support AFC. Native is preferable.

[Orangenz]

18 hours ago, Mastermind said:

New here but I've read through several posts and I'm learning a lot!  

PL 8-18,

PL 12-60

PL 42.5 1.2

Probably because "I'm learning a lot!" sounds a bit dodgy and the rest of it a bit weird. 

Sounds like you've already got some good ideas on lenses there. When they release the PL50-200mm f/2.8-4.0 it will probably be awesome too.

[Cinegain]

Like Oli said, lens choice is very personal and what Orangenz said too, sounds like you have a good idea of what's out there... There's no real traps to walk into these days. It's all about whatever fits a little bit better in with you style of shooting. As you can already see, some would go for the Sigma, others would not. Ultimately, it's you who has to make the decision. If at all possible, borrow one from a friend or rent one from a rental house, perhaps just go to a store and have a play with a couple. Maybe just find a really good deal that's hard to resist. Lenses keep their value quite well, so, you can always sell it off on the used market with probably the loss equivalent to a week's rental fee or something.

[Mastermind]

Thanks all for the advice. For those who have gone with both native and speedbooster route... what are your thoughts on the value of dual IS for handheld?  Is it a lot more valuable than just IBIS say with a speedbooster? Its just tough to decide between 12-35 and Sigma 18-35.

[Don Kotlos]

13 minutes ago, Mastermind said:

Thanks all for the advice. For those who have gone with both native and speedbooster route... what are your thoughts on the value of dual IS for handheld?  Is it a lot more valuable than just IBIS say with a speedbooster? Its just tough to decide between 12-35 and Sigma 18-35.

The problem that you might have with the Sigma is that IBIS needs to know the focal length in order to perform optimally. I am not sure if any of the speedboosters pass that information to the camera and whether the camera is actually using it. If not, then every time you change the zoom, you will have to go into the camera settings and change the focal length which sounds like pain in the ass.. 

Someone that has this combination should pitch in. 

[Jonesy Jones]

1 hour ago, Mastermind said:

Thanks all for the advice. For those who have gone with both native and speedbooster route... what are your thoughts on the value of dual IS for handheld?  Is it a lot more valuable than just IBIS say with a speedbooster? Its just tough to decide between 12-35 and Sigma 18-35.

I have the Lumix 12-35 v1 and love the dual IS. That said, I also have the Sigma 18-35 (Nikon mount) and the single IBIS is great too. Personally I think you could go handheld with either, but that depends on the level of stability you're after. 

Also, the 18-35 is huge. I mean, not really, but it feels oddly heavy on the camera. Totally usable, but something to consider. Also, what Don said about the IBIS focal length thing is very annoying. I've heard the Canon version with the correct Speedbooster can solve this issue, but I don't know first hand. 

The Lumix is not without quirks either though. The focus by wire is not ideal. I've heard it's better on the Oly, but then you're not getting Dual IS. 

Having had this camera now for a bit, I think I would look for vintage prime glass and/or add some filtration to the front to reduce the sharpness and digital look. I'm looking into this now but just completely tapped out financially. The 18-35 with electronic communication speed booster does seem tempting, but it really starts to take away from the charm of the camera. 

Here's a totally just for fun short I just shot with the GH5 and 12-35. All handheld except very first shot. For me this was a test to see how much the size of the GH5 and the IBIS could speed up my shooting and perhaps even make me more creative. I really think those 2 things are liberating. I was able to shoot this in 1 hour. Now I just have to figure out how to expose v-log.

 

[Rinad Amir]

OP have you option to borrow or rent Sigma to tryout? Give it a go for couple days its most favourite set up for filmmakers , tho theres couple qwerks 

Cons:

you need 10stop ND for daylight use ,as apature gets to 1.1 ?

Autofocus is terrible Video&Photo

i had sigma dock to calibrate this piss of shit! 

if you shooting manual then this is not an issue

Weight its heavy Lens!

No Ibis.

Pros: 

Best for lowlight with XL SB

acts as 12-25 

has its own color mojo 

it replaced three of my primes .

I hope this helps

 

[jonpais]

Agree with the above posters about the Sigma 18-35mm - it's heavy as a truck, but superb color and sharpness imo, better than any of the native zooms as far as I'm concerned. 

[Thpriest]

I have been using the sigma 18-35 with the speedbooster to shot weddings.  Having a low light zoom helps a lot in a fast paced environment. I actually like the weight when filming handheld as i feel it gives me more stability.

I prefer the look of the Voigtlander and SLR Magic i have

[manueldomes]

I'm using my speedboosted Sigma 30mm 1.4 for 80% or maybe 90% of shots.

I own the Olympus 12-40mm but find the Sigma's image a lot more appealing (and creatively, at least for me, there are advantages in using a fixed focal lens). So most of the time I round off the Sigma with the excellent Olympus 12mm f2 and a speedboosted Nikon E 75-150 f3.5 if I need the tele reach or a zoom shot. Pretty workable, light, and somewhat affordable setup.

[Mastermind]

Thanks all!

14 hours ago, manueldomes said:

I'm using my speedboosted Sigma 30mm 1.4 for 80% or maybe 90% of shots.

I own the Olympus 12-40mm but find the Sigma's image a lot more appealing (and creatively, at least for me, there are advantages in using a fixed focal lens). So most of the time I round off the Sigma with the excellent Olympus 12mm f2 and a speedboosted Nikon E 75-150 f3.5 if I need the tele reach or a zoom shot. Pretty workable, light, and somewhat affordable setup.

I see they also have a Sigma 30 1.4 for MFT... would you recommend that over the FF one speedboosted? 

 

On 9/17/2017 at 3:13 AM, jonpais said:

Agree with the above posters about the Sigma 18-35mm - it's heavy as a truck, but superb color and sharpness imo, better than any of the native zooms as far as I'm concerned. 

Jon, love your videos.  if you had to get just 3 lenses for GH5 video, what would you get?

[Jonesy Jones]

33 minutes ago, Mastermind said:

I see they also have a Sigma 30 1.4 for MFT... would you recommend that over the FF one speedboosted? 

Personally I'd suggest a speed boosted one. That one lens with speed booster and additionally non speed boosted adapter and using ETC, which I just learned about today, could give you a 38mm, 54mm, 60mm, and 84mm lens, with the worst aperture being 1.4. 

Its an aps-c lens to my knowledge. Not full frame.