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35mm format lenses, adapters and questions

I am interested in getting into the micro 4/3rds format and will probably go with a Panasonic model (G1, GF1 etc.) With my 35mm photography, the 135mm is often my choice of short telephoto for landscape images. Regarding the micro 4/3rds format, what sort of focal length would have a roughly similar field of view to a 135mm lens?

Additionally, with the mounting of 35mm format lenses on a micro 3/4rds camera with adapters, are there ever any issues with focusing on infinity?

And regarding the lens adapters, are there particular brands to look out for concerning quality? Do Panasonic make them?
 

Michiel Schierbeek

Well-known member
Just know that all lenses go by 2. So there don't exist many lenses around 70mm.
You could think off all the 85mm MF lenses out there. Or 58mm MF lenses.

Most adapters work fine. Also the cheap ones. I have many and most of them focus just a little past infinity.

The only adapters I had problems with are the Canon FD. I recommend the Ciecio adapters. These take all types of Canon lenses like FL, FD and FDn.
There have been a lot of discussions about the Contax G adapters, so be careful there and read the threads about that in this forum, if you might want one. I don't use Contax G lenses myself.

Michiel
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Voigtländer has a couple of lenses that come close:
The 70mm f/1.8 (M-mount) and the 58mm f/1.4 (F or K-mount). Voigtländer also make very nice adapters for all those mounts.

I use an OM Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 macro. A bit short, but a lovely lens. Extremely sharp also, even wide open, but expensive. Then there's obviously an abundance of 85mm lenses.
 
Thankyou Michiel. Ah what a coincidence....I use Canon FD lenses for most of my 35mm photography.

I'm guessing that if an adapter allows a lens to focus past infinity, a simple solution would be to rotate the focusing ring back from infinity just a little.

Oh there's another thing I forgot to ask about adapters. I guess that they would have to prevent the aperture blades from staying wide open...unless of course you choose to open the aperture up all the way. Obviously, with an SLR system, these lenses are designed to stay wide open until the moment of exposure. I assume though that with this 4/3rds format, the aperture blades would remain in a fixed position at whatever f stop setting was selected, much like a video camera lens iris behaves.
 

Diane B

New member
Yes--does not stop down. I shoot with FD and Nikkor Fs quite a lot on a G1 and GF1. I have 2 adapters, one quite pricey from Cameraquest which was about the first FD to MFT adapter over 2 years ago---and a newer cheap one from Rainbow Imaging which I like equally. Infinity does require just a wee bit of adjustment on it but would rather it give that leeway.
 

bennettk

New member
I have a cheap $30 FD Canon adapter that I got from someone on Amazon. I use an old breech lock 50/1.4 with it on a GF1. The lens mounts to the adapter by turning the chrome locking ring (on the lens), then one turns a ring on the adapter to stop down the aperture.

The GF1 of course shoots in stopped-down mode all the time. I just choose my aperture with the aperture ring, and the GF1 does a pretty good job of choosing the shutter speed. If you look inside the lens, the iris is always stopped down to the selected aperture setting.

The manual focus magnification thing works very well -- much more accurate than trying to focus using the normal view. It's actually pretty fast once you get used to it.

And I must say I love the feel of setting manual aperture and focus. Brings back some memories. Though the 50/1.4 is pretty lousy until you hit f/4, then it's really sharp and the images look great. I've also tried my other elderly Canon FD-BL lenses (ca. 1973), with similar results.
 

pellicle

New member
I am interested in getting into the micro 4/3rds format and will probably go with a Panasonic model (G1, GF1 etc.) With my 35mm photography, the 135mm is often my choice of short telephoto for
Personally I'm very happy with a FD 50 f.14 ... I like it for people photography. I am considering the 85mm f1.8 as its so bloody cheap and should be that bit better, without being as close as (either of) my FD200(s) is (of which I love the f4 the most).


And regarding the lens adapters, are there particular brands to look out for concerning quality? Do Panasonic make them?
personally I'd recommend this one:
http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2010/07/ciecio7-fd-g1-adaptor.html

its been the best in my evaluation

PS I recommend the G1 over the GF for use with (even mild) telephoto manual focus lenses. Once you use the EVF you'll know why.
 

Diane B

New member
Also I just feel shooting with MF lenses on the GF1 is just not comfortable ergonomically or a bit awkward. If you use the LCD it is fixed, no tilt, and using the not nearly as good EVF as the G1 manual focusing, while certainly not impossible, is sure a lot more taxing than with the G1. I do use manual lenses on the GF1 occasionally but it is never my first choice.

Diane
 
.PS I recommend the G1 over the GF for use with (even mild) telephoto manual focus lenses. Once you use the EVF you'll know why.
Thanks for the recommendation. I do like the idea of using a viewfinder (after all, I am used to 35mm SLRs.) However, I am just about sold on the GF1. The reason being is that I want to use the camera for lots of time lapse photography. In some cases, the camera will be 'exposing' a frame once every minute over a two or three hour period. And having an electronic viewfinder will be a bit of a drain on battery power. Not as much of a battery drain as an LCD screen of course. I do realise that with the G1, you can switch between the LCD and the EVF but I guess you can't turn both off at the same time? At least with the GF1, you can switch off the LCD screen and continue shooting merrily away.
 

MP7

New member
I tried some third party adapters and they all have one problem when I video with the GH2, the camera complained that the lens is loose and the infinity is off. Thus I decided to see if the original manufacturer adapter is better. I order one in frost from Leica and I will test it out. If it fail I will create my own adapter and calibrate it for infinity focus for each dedicated lens. But the lens must be worthy otherwise it will not be significant enough for the time and resource.

Best Regards
MP
 

pellicle

New member
Hi

And having an electronic viewfinder will be a bit of a drain on battery power.
my experience in using the camera in copy stand work (where the articulating screen is very helpful) with manual focus lenses is that I get some thousand or so images on a charge ... I assume you'll be using an external intervalometer.

the G1 should be good for a few days and some thousands of exposures in this manner on a single battery
 
.the G1 should be good for a few days and some thousands of exposures in this manner on a single battery
That does sound quite impressive. And also a contrast to what I read in a review. According to this review, the G1 obtained about 300 or so shots on a single battery.
 
.If you look inside the lens, the iris is always stopped down to the selected aperture setting.
I guess the same goes for the kit 14-45mm and 20mm lenses? I did read something in a review of the G1 that seems to contradict this. When mentioning the depth of field preview, this review stated that when that particular option is selected, the aperture blades close down to the appropriate aperture opening. And this allows you to see the available depth of field at full brightness. Though surely, the aperture blades would have already been closed down, unlike an slr? Unless the reviewer doesn't know what he/she is talking about?

Then again, if the aperture blades are always stopped down, you would always see the amount of depth of field available to you at a particular f stop setting. I get the feeling that some pretty sophisticated technology is involved in the electronic imaging of the G series cameras - allowing you to view with the minimum amount of depth of field as if you were at maximum aperture, even though the aperture blades may be closed down.
 
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