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Another limited Panny lens wish list

Jonas

Active member
I have been thinking about the Panasonic lens offers for the µ4/3 cameras.

I guess the big interest for the µ4/3 system has come a little as a surprise for Panasonic. It's obvious that many bought the camera for the LiveView system, the viewfinder (G1 and GH1 at least) and the lens mount/lens register distance.

With the 45mm macro lens and the G20/1.7 Panasonic has showed that it is possible to make high quality and relatively small lenses for the new system.

That is optically. I haven't seen the Macro in real life and can't say anything about the build quality, but after some time now with the G20/1.7 I'm a bit disappointed with the mechanical build.

That has lead me to this idea about wishing for another series of lenses.

Would it be possible to wish for a series of high quality lenses aimed at people wanting something with focusing scales, calibrated DOF scales and aperture rings?

Anyone having used the Pentax series of "Limited" lenses understand what I would like to have:

  • An aperture ring with an "A" position
  • A well damped focusing ring suitable for manual focusing
  • A metal barrel with engraved figures and lines

One can think of other features as a button for calling up the enlarged focusing view, weather sealing and a slightly recessed front element together with a retractable in-built hood.

This limited series would start with a couple of primes like
  • G12/2.8 Limited
  • G42/1.4 Limited, and a reworked
  • G20/1.7

What do you think. Does it sound crazy? If not, is there a way to ask Panasonic consider something like this?

/Jonas
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
Jonas,
Dunno about Panny but ya might send it ti Oly....
They are a real camera company...

I think your wish list is not to much to ask. I believe that the companies are still sifting thru the consumers. I really believe they don't have an understanding about who is using their cameras.
That would explain the lack of intelligent lenses etc.

I think this format has opened the door for many photographers. Many serious shooters adapted this format and want things advanced.

Many less serious shooters are moving into this format and maybe even getting more serious. So, hopefully the bean counters and the engineers will pay attention to the users and make the format what it should/could be.
If not and rather soon, many shooters will move away and not return......

That Ricoh GXR is a major threat coming very soon. Leica is exploring with the X1....
Panny and OLY better make their minds up and be quick about it, otherwise they will invest in a system that serious shooters abandoned....

All of us shooters have patience, wants and needs but the patience part will wear thin if nothing happens....
I love my Pen 1 but will abandon it if a firmware upgrade doesn't happen....REAL SOON!

shooter
 

Jonas

Active member
Ooops. I didn't know the "List" function turned the text black...

Panasonic and Voigtländer? Maybe.

shooter; Like you I don't think Panasonic and Olympus really know what they started here. Now would be a good time to plan for high quality primes open up for a sort of upgrade path, something for the near future to come, something that will be noticed by the Nikon, Canon and Pentax users always troubled by their lenses, something Samsung haven't thought of...

When thinking about it a little more... I would like them APO and bundled together in a nice wooden box as well as sold separately.

Unfortunately my Japanese is bad. :eek:
 

Jonathon Delacour

Subscriber Member
Jonas,
Dunno about Panny but ya might send it ti Oly....
They are a real camera company...
Some people might take exception to that little offhand remark.
Terry, those people would include me.

Streetshooter, you can't be serious in referring to Olympus as a "real camera company" when their m4/3 lens design philosophy is simply to duplicate whatever lenses Panasonic have announced or released. Whatever happened to the Olympus of Mr Maitani? Now that was a real camera company.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I'd rather see Panasonic produce the 14/2.8 and a 70/2 than waste time and development money on fancy-finish, limited edition lenses, given that to my fingers the current 20, 7-14 and 45 mm lenses feel fine. They work beautifully too.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Jonas,
Here's a much simpler solution to your problem: Buy a K-x.

That camera isn't much more expensive than most lenses of the quality you describe would be, and I doubt that any camera manufacturer in their right mind would even attempt to launch a more extensive range of "Limited" lenses than Pentax already have (15, 21, 31, 35, 40, 43, 70 and 77mm). Have you checked the ISO 12,800 shots at the K-x thread?
 

Jonas

Active member
The wooden box would of course be Walnut and lined with velvet....right?
Heh. I was thinking japanese cherry-wood... But I would never know; I would have bought the lenses separately before that gift pack reaches the market.

Jonas,
Here's a much simpler solution to your problem: Buy a K-x.

That camera isn't much more expensive than most lenses of the quality you describe would be, and I doubt that any camera manufacturer in their right mind would even attempt to launch a more extensive range of "Limited" lenses than Pentax already have (15, 21, 31, 35, 40, 43, 70 and 77mm). Have you checked the ISO 12,800 shots at the K-x thread?
I understand your point Jörgen. But, I'm not interested in going back to Pentax and flapping mirrors, a metering system having problems telling dark from light and useless Live View. I know, I haven't tried the K-x but my experience from the DS and K10D doesn't make me want one at all. Maybe they got everything right now? However, their limiteds are the opposite to APO and the DA versions aren't that great performers.

Their limiteds are representing something µ4/3 need; a lens line above the standard plastic automatic only stuff we see today. Something for the future like a more sturdy G1 with better ergonomics. In the end nice lenses like the G7-14 and the 45mm macro will find buyers wanting better bodies, and so on.

Well, that's how I am thinking here.
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
Ok,
before I get hung on the cross....
Of course I'm kidding.....about Oly being a real camera company.....

We all know Leica and Deardorff are the Real camera companies.....

(sense of humor needed....ok?)

But on the point, I was hoping that Oly would step up and be attentive to their users....
I may have been wrong. Panny it seems does listen to their users....
The more I try to get rid of the G1...the more I start to like it...
the problem would be, loving it and then getting the Gf1...which of course would mean dumping the Pen.....
yuck........

Happy Thanksgiving to all.....
 

mark1958

Member
I would like a few things changed on the camera.
1) better or less slippery ergonomics
2) Controls more like the Canon G11 or the Ricoh GX200. There are certain things I do not want to have to scroll through a menu to find.
3) Improved in camera flash. THe lack of power is less an issue for the shadowing problem with most of their lenses.
 

Jonas

Active member
Well, When I woke up today I realized I also want rounded, like nine of them, aperture blades, noiseless AF and of course continues aperture control for the folks into movies.

Logging in here I realized most seem to be content with the plastic build, humming AF and mediocre to good only optics. Oh well. I guess I'll just put this dream aside.

Cheers,

/Jonas
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I am content with the mediocre grade optics of the Oly-D 17/2.8 and am not overwhelmed with the "more than too good" optics in the Pana 20/1.7.

The focus in the 20/1.7 is too damped for me as well. If I say, it "sucks", some take offense while it literally sucks as the mechanical design does not allow much room for it to move freely.

If these are any indications to go by, I am better off without any more plastic primes from either one of them.

So, save the trouble and churn out more zooms and concentrate on the colors of the cameras and matching accessories.
 

Jonas

Active member
I am content with the mediocre grade optics
(...)
So, save the trouble and churn out more zooms and concentrate on the colors of the cameras and matching accessories.
Heh. Different dreams...
I'm not sure exactly what you are saying but no cherry-wood box for you then Vivek.
Camera colors, lol. It reminds me about the first G1 ads. You remember the ladies out shopping in Tokyo. Maybe the K-x is the answer after all?
 

pellicle

New member
of course some enterprising lens company in China (Seagull?) may start making a couple of fully mechanical fixed focal lengths for the camera ... specially since they don't even really need to pay any royalties. They could even dodge it completely and use M42 thread mount or come up with some other funky mount and sell the adaptors too

as I've said before I'm happy with my Computar 12.5 so if I had something like that with full coverage I'd be stoked

I think quite a few people here would be hot for a 15mm f1.4 (pupil would only need to be 10mm I guess)

I wonder what's possible with price we'd be willing to pay?

you know, it could just work
 

kwalsh

New member
I think from the pragmatic side of things I'll have to second the "just more lenses" rather than "limited" ones. I'm pretty impressed with what Panasonic has done so far:

14-45 is probably at the top of heap for included kit lenses on almost any camera system (I suppose neglecting the 24-105L included with the 5DII :))

7-14 is pricey but is an amazing UWA optic in an amazingly small form factor

14-140 is again at the top of the heap for super zooms and pretty much the first demonstration of someone properly designing a still camera lens with video in mind

20/1.7 is perfectly married to the GF1, though I'll grant it might be a bit pricey for its performance and build. That said, it is really what makes the GF1 work for many folks and I think it was a brilliant pairing.

45-200 is not without its flaws, but at its price point I'm impressed. If it was up to me I'd prefer to pay a bit more for something a bit better. But heck, it gets to 400mm eqv. at an amazing size and weight again driving home a big advantage to m43. This is the one place I'll say they may have slipped a little. That said, very happy with mine for landscapes. I'll be curious about the 100-300.

45 macro - the failure for most folks here seems to be the price, but I don't have any experience with which to comment.

If they can keep up a track record like that and start to fill in the gaps with lenses of this caliber (take your pick, fast normal zoom, wide prime, etc.) I'll have little to complain about...

Ken
 

Streetshooter

Subscriber Member
More lenses are probably what most want.
My want is simple.
I want lenses marked as to the fov and forget the crop factor.
I'm getting to old to use math.
Just imagine..... A 40mm 1.7
 
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