"Panasonic G series" Owners Thread

I've been wondering about a G3 as a super light carry around camera as they are silly prices at the moment.

Believe there were issues with the 14-42 kit lens OIS interacting adversely with the shutter to give double image/unsharpness problems. Is the problem specific to this lens and body only, or will using the G3 with say, a 14-45 and OIS be a solution?

Thanks
 
fulwood said:
I've been wondering about a G3 as a super light carry around camera as they are silly prices at the moment.

Believe there were issues with the 14-42 kit lens OIS interacting adversely with the shutter to give double image/unsharpness problems. Is the problem specific to this lens and body only, or will using the G3 with say, a 14-45 and OIS be a solution?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's not the power zoom 14-42 lens that you're thinking has issues. Internet folklore has it that many copies have the double image issue. The cheaper, normal 14-42 lens does not have the issue.
 
fulwood said:
Believe there were issues with the 14-42 kit lens OIS interacting adversely with the shutter to give double image/unsharpness problems.
Click to expand...
The issue is most visible with the 14-42X lens, not the 14-42. It happens on all bodies. The 14-45 is a better lens than either by all accounts.
 
I think I read that a firmware fix had been brought out to fix this... so it may be worth Googling to see if it's still an issue or not.

Just out of interest... I have a 14-42mm and although I haven't used it much it seems to be a perfectly adequate "kit lens." It lacks the IS switch that the 14-45mm has but the IS can be turned on and off via the menu, it also lacks the metel mount of the 14-45mm but despite this my 14-42mm hasn't fallen apart yet :D

The 14-45mm is pretty much universally said to be the better lens between the two but leaving aside the metal mount and IS switch I think you'd probably have to pixel peep to tell a shot taken with one from a shot taken with the other, if you could tell at all.
 
When the G3 was brand new, just released there were more than a few threads on DPReview complaining about soft or blurred or shaky images with its 14-42 kit lens.
Most of these were tracked down to the first batch of lenses and it was a shutter-slap or resonance issue that totally crippled some of the body & lens combinations.

I think Panasonic quietly fixed the lens in production (without mentioning it) but I believe there are still plenty or horrible examples of the 14-42 out there doing the rounds.
Given enough patience I could find a couple of threads.
 
woof woof said:
I think I read that a firmware fix had been brought out to fix this... so it may be worth Googling to see if it's still an issue or not.
Click to expand...
It's a resonance in the lens - not firmware fixable IMHO. The lens needs a manufacturing redesign.

As far as I can see from reading threads, everyone that said they didn't have the issue but has gone looking for it subsequently, has found it.
 
That's a shame as it looks like a good enough lens, spec wise, although it's main USP is its compactness.

Maybe a MKII will fix the issue.
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
Most of these were tracked down to the first batch of lenses and it was a shutter-slap or resonance issue that totally crippled some of the body & lens combinations.

I think Panasonic quietly fixed the lens in production (without mentioning it) but I believe there are still plenty or horrible examples of the 14-42 out there doing the rounds.

Given enough patience I could find a couple of threads.
Click to expand...

Ah. It looks like they introduced a stealth MKII :D
 
arad85 said:
It's a resonance in the lens - not firmware fixable IMHO. The lens needs a manufacturing redesign.

As far as I can see from reading threads, everyone that said they didn't have the issue but has gone looking for it subsequently, has found it.
Click to expand...

In the time I have had mine I have not had any issue with the results, and I am not going to look for one :D
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
My 17mm focuses the same way, but I find just mashing the shutter button and allowing the pause gets me decent pictures 9 times out of ten. I use bursts of two or three.

The new mZuiko 17mm might make a lot of sales : new fast focus and a nicer aperture.
I doubt Panasonic will do a new 20mm ... just a feeling.

Oh here, some G1 pictures with old manual 45mm.
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Lovely swirling bokeh on that B&W shot. What lens are you using?

Glad to see some G1 love. Thinking I'd selling mine but they don't fetch much, and it's such a lovely camera body-wise, with all the controls you want, and capable of excellent results.
 
The swirling defocused area is due to it being a converted 1970s lens I ripped off a Yashica electro GSN.

Oh here it is

butcheryofyash12.jpg


G1 Lurve.

butcheryofyash01.jpg
 
Three new toys! :D

Olympus 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.8 and 135mm f3.5.

_1090661_zps21a9ff02.jpg


I can't use them yet as I'm waiting for my Oly to MFT and Oly to eos adapters to arrive.

I have a question about the 50mm f1.8...

When selecting f1.8 the aperture ring doesn't feel like it does when selecting the other apertures and instead sort of "snaps" into position, is this normal for this lens?

It doesn't feel as nice to use as my Minolta 55mm f1.7 but I wanted a matching set and Minolta 28mm f2.8's seem to be very thin on the ground so I went for the Oly's.
 
Hah - copycat - I have those 3 lenses :D The aperture ring is identical at all settings on mine.
 
fulwood said:
Thanks, awaiting my class 10 card from Amazon, will report how I get on later.
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Interesting! Had issues with using a Sandisk 16Gb extreme 20mb/s card not allowing me to video with my GH2 - message saying card not fast enough at any video setting.

Got my Sandisk 95mb/s card the other day and it works fine I'm glad to say.

Went back to the original card 20mb/s thinking that it must be a non-genuine Sandisk and that I had been ripped off - the card had worked fine in my wife's Panasonic TZ10. Still no go on first attempt at any video setting. So reformatted in camera and tried again.

Now video works ok with the 20mb/s card in most settings, stuttering occasionally at highest quality when there is a lot of detail in the shot.

Looks like you need to have your card formatted in your camera for proper video functioning with the GH2. Wondered if any one had come across this before?
 
Thanks for your comments re my enquiry about the Panny 14-42mm and occasional poor image quality.

I'm just going to use a 14-45mm as that just seems to work very well all the time - too bad about it not being collapsible.

Believe that the 45-175 POIS Panny also has blurring/ double image issues - any one know?

Leaves me a bit stuck as to what to do telephoto wise. Tried the Olympus 45-150mm and was quite impressed. BUT no OIS on Panny bodies so no use at 150mm in our murky UK conditions.

Wondered if any one had tried the new Panny 45-150mm. Seems very portable. Results look reasonable on the few reviews I've seen. Curious as to how good actual bought samples turn out to be.

Cheers
H
 
arad85 said:
Hah - copycat - I have those 3 lenses :D The aperture ring is identical at all settings on mine.
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Bugger. Looks like I have a slight fault then. With this one when I move it towards f1.8 with the lever on the back held it stops and needs a bit more force and it then snaps into place. It's a little strange as without the lever on the back being held it works smoothly no problem. Shame but never mind, for £15 I can't complain.
 
Sounds like sticky aperture blades. When you're not depressing the lever, it's pre-setting the aperture for when the exposure occurs, but the blades remain at fully open position to keep the viewfinder as bright as possible.

On an OM body, when the shutter fires, the lever is moved and the selected aperture is then applied just in time for the shutter to open.

Edit: depending on the exact cause of the blades sticking, there's a possibility you may find it gets better with use.
 
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I don't think so, or rather I don't know. I've no idea what the "problem" is but if it was sticking blades I'd expect them to stick no matter how they open and close. It's not a massive problem and the lens is perfectly useable, I was just interested if it was a case of "They all do that, Guv." For £15 it's still a bargain.
 
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Today I received an old Minolta 28mm f2.8 and sadly it's pouring down outside so all I've been able to do is test it indoors but it looks to be a very good lens. It's sharp at f2.8 and there doesn't seem to be any CA around light objects.

The only negative is that there is a small about of play when mounted, my 55mm is snug with no play when mounted in the same adapter.
 
WoW.

I'm really impressed with this 28mm f2.8 Minolta. It rained all day until tea time so I haven't been out to play today but here's two 100% test crops @f2.8, via photobucket so they'll lose a bit, they're very sharp on my screen.

_1090833c_zpsd77d0d40.jpg


_1090834c_zps91550cd5.jpg


It's an amazingly good lens for so little money.
 
Alan - so you have a M4/3 to Minolta adaptor and get cheapie lenses from eBay? Grateful for a link to the adaptor if possible just to make sure I get the right one.
 
I bought the Minolta to micro four thirds adapter from the for sale section on this site but if you look on ebay you'll see lots of them. I've bought lenses from here and from Ffordes, not ebay.

And just to be sure you know the pros and cons :D These older lenses are manual focus only and of course the focal length is subject to the "crop" factor so a 28mm looks like 56mm. Focusing isn't too much of an issue as you can use the magnified view and as the lenses have markings you can set infinity easily or zone focus once you've got the hang of it. Older lenses can be quite light and compact but the adapter does add some weight and bulk. Personally I get a perverse pleasure from using something old and cheap, just like me :D

Minolta 55mm f1.7 shots here...

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=262800&page=199

£19 including adapter!!! :D

Here's some adapters...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...+micro+four+thirds+adapter&_sacat=0&_from=R40

Ffordes Olympus, Minolta and Canon FD heaven :D

http://www.ffordes.com/category/Lenses/Minolta_/MC/MD_Lenses
 
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The 50mm is subject to a bit of CA. Not tried the 135mm here yet....
 
I do like the look of the Oly OM's but the Minolta MD's feel better built and nicer to use IMVHO. The Oly OM's are a touch smaller but not so much so that it makes the MD's extra bulk a deal breaker for me.

Now I've got the Minolta 28mm f2.8 I'll have to decide if I'm keeping the Oly's.
 
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More me and my new toys stuff...

I received an OM to eos adapter today and although I can't go out today I managed a few test shots and... OMG! I'm very impressed with these old Zuiko lenses on my 5D! Both the 135mm f3.5 and 28mm f2.8 are amazingly sharp. As usual for me these shots are via photobucket which tends to mangle them but I hope you can accept that these shots are very sharp on my screen.

This is the 28mm on my 5D and just for fun that's a Sigma 20mm f1.8 next to the 5D. Yes the Siggy is 20mm and it's also f1.8 but even so, the contrast in bulk between it and the Oly 28mm f2.8 is interesting.

_1090858c_zpsac4853ee.jpg


Here are a couple of 135mm 100% crops.

IMG_9819c1_zpsa278bed4.jpg


IMG_9818c1_zpsf09ad9b1.jpg


As I said these are very sharp.

The 28mm is sharp at 100% too but what impressed me most is the lack of any significant vignetting at f2.8. I expected to see some as this is a small and old film lens but it's actually very good.

Obviously the disadvantage with these lenses is that they're manual focus only but positives include that they're small and light and just lovely things to use.

If anyone is thinking about buying some of these old lenses for use on MFT or anything else and is happy with manual focus I'd say do it soon :D The wide angle lenses make sense as you can zone or hyperfocal focus and the longer lenses make sense as focus is going to be easy, if manual :D

IMG_9826c_zps45abc1a8.jpg
 
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They do look sharp and the colours look good too. Are they shot fully open or at the sweet (f8?) spot?

I've been getting into manual focusing again and tbh with the limited focus options on the G1 I have even found it easier in some circumstances than an autofocus.

I've just bought another M42 lens, a super takumar 55mm 1.8 . When I've given it a proper try out I'll pop some pics up. Got to agree with woof that they are great little lenses that cost so little
 
woof woof said:
More me and my new toys stuff...

I received an OM to eos adapter today and although I can't go out today I managed a few test shots and... OMG! I'm very impressed with these old Zuiko lenses on my 5D! Both the 135mm f3.5 and 28mm f2.8 are amazingly sharp. As usual for me these shots are via photobucket which tends to mangle them but I hope you can accept that these shots are very sharp on my screen.
Click to expand...

Thanks to you I now have an AF-confirm OM to EOS adapter coming my way for use on my 5D :D

(OK, I had been thinking about it anyway since I got an OM-2n)
 
rugeyes said:
Are they shot fully open or at the sweet (f8?) spot?
Click to expand...

I shot wide open and f4 with both lenses and there wasn't any real difference that I could see in either sharpness or vignetting. Looking at the info for the tree and washing shot it's at 1/800 sec ISO 100 so that must be a f2.8 shot.

EDIT... Sorry I shot at f2.8 and f4 with the 28mm and f3.5 and f5.6 with the 135mm.
 
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Musicman said:
Thanks to you I now have an AF-confirm OM to EOS adapter coming my way for use on my 5D :D

(OK, I had been thinking about it anyway since I got an OM-2n)
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Bugger! I wish I'd thought of that! Mine doesn't give AF confirmation. I didn't think :bang: but for the price of them I could always buy one.

Actually, how does it give AF confirmation? I see that the adapters have contacts on them but my lenses don't seem to have any?
 
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JJ! said:
More questions! Anyone got a screen protector on there G3? I got some Vikuiti ones but they are slightly too big and dont adhere to the corners too well.
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Wondering if there are any recommendations for a G3 screen protector availaible in UK, that will be anti-glare, fingerprint proof, and allow touch funtions.

Most of the ebay ones state they are ok for G3, but the detail has text like "no bubbles on your phone", getting me to think it is not for the G3.

ps. of course, I can close the lid, but I am looking for a screen protector !

thanks
 
The film will be the same as that used for smartphones, so the seller has probably just copied the description across.

That said, that kind of sloppiness doesn't inspire consumer confidence - you could always email them to check? I saw some on amazon as well;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SWIDO-Screen-Protector-Panasonic-DMC-G3K/dp/B008HOZ614/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1350551643&sr=8-6
I think the Swido brand are supposed to be quite good.

Can't remember what I used for my GF2 - think it was a german brand but the name eludes me. I'll look through my order history for you.
 
woof woof said:
More me and my new toys stuff...

I received an OM to eos adapter today and although I can't go out today I managed a few test shots and... OMG! I'm very impressed with these old Zuiko lenses on my 5D! Both the 135mm f3.5 and 28mm f2.8 are amazingly sharp. As usual for me these shots are via photobucket which tends to mangle them but I hope you can accept that these shots are very sharp on my screen.

This is the 28mm on my 5D and just for fun that's a Sigma 20mm f1.8 next to the 5D. Yes the Siggy is 20mm and it's also f1.8 but even so, the contrast in bulk between it and the Oly 28mm f2.8 is interesting.

_1090858c_zpsac4853ee.jpg


Here are a couple of 135mm 100% crops.

IMG_9819c1_zpsa278bed4.jpg


IMG_9818c1_zpsf09ad9b1.jpg


As I said these are very sharp.

The 28mm is sharp at 100% too but what impressed me most is the lack of any significant vignetting at f2.8. I expected to see some as this is a small and old film lens but it's actually very good.

Obviously the disadvantage with these lenses is that they're manual focus only but positives include that they're small and light and just lovely things to use.

If anyone is thinking about buying some of these old lenses for use on MFT or anything else and is happy with manual focus I'd say do it soon :D The wide angle lenses make sense as you can zone or hyperfocal focus and the longer lenses make sense as focus is going to be easy, if manual :D

IMG_9826c_zps45abc1a8.jpg
Click to expand...

Wrong thread, but what's this!! Can you use Olympus OM lenses on a 5D and get infinity register!! If so then very interesting.

Any threads showing manual focus lenses on 5D would be very interesting - if infinity register possible, then very good for landscapes!
 
fulwood said:
Wrong thread, but what's this!! Can you use Olympus OM lenses on a 5D and get infinity register!! If so then very interesting.

Any threads showing manual focus lenses on 5D would be very interesting - if infinity register possible, then very good for landscapes!
Click to expand...

Yes. You can use old Olympus Zuiko lenses on a 5D and focus at infinity. That's a picture of my very own 5D with my very own Oly 28mm on it :D

The adapters are on ebay and I think I paid about £9 for mine but Musicman has a focus confirmation one on order and I wish I'd thought of that, I spotted some for about £13 so if Musicman reports back and lets me know how these work :thinking::D I may just order a focus confirmation one for myself.

The reason I posted this in this thread is I bought these lenses to use on my G1 and using them on my 5D is just an after thought and for the cost of an adapter it's silly not to try it :D I'm waiting for my Oly to MFT adapter to arrive and the plan is to use these lenses on my G1 and 5D and I may do the same with my Minolta lenses, if it's possible.

At the moment I'm struggling to understand why Canon/Sigma lenses (and Nikon too) are so much bigger than my Oly/Minolta lenses. They are AF of course and that will add bulk but the difference between the Siggy 20mm f1.8 and Oly 28mm f2.8 is amazing. Same for Oly 50mm f1.7 and Siggy 50mm f1.4.
 
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