M lenses with gf1

[Paul Edwards]

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Hi

I am considering getting a Panasonic GF1 to use with my Leica M lenses and am curious how easy it is the focus these lenses . For instance is there an indicator that flashes when you have correct focus ?

I am thinking of the GF1 because it seems to be quite versatile because there are not only adaptors for M lenses but also for 4 thirds and Nikon F .

 

Comments would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

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[stunsworth]

There's no focus confirmation, but there is a magnified view that allows you to see what's been focused on a little more clearly. However I found it difficult to see the screen in bright sunlight.

 

Wide angle lenses don't work that well.

 

Personally I'd stick to the AF lenses made for the camera. The 20mm lens I have is excellent.

[Paul Edwards]

There's no focus confirmation, but there is a magnified view that allows you to see what's been focused on a little more clearly. However I found it difficult to see the screen in bright sunlight.

 

Wide angle lenses don't work that well.

 

Personally I'd stick to the AF lenses made for the camera. The 20mm lens I have is excellent.

 

Thanks for that Steve Do you use the viewfinder ?if you do does it show exactly what is on the screen ? Does the manual focusing patch show ? Thanks

[anderswi]

Thanks for that Steve Do you use the viewfinder ?if you do does it show exactly what is on the screen ? Does the manual focusing patch show ? Thanks

 

Hello! I have the viewfinder, which I allways have on the camera. I use my M-mount Leica lenses with sterling results. I also have mountconverter for Canon FD with the 1,2/85mm, 1,4/50mm, 2,0/100mm, 3,5/50mm macro, 4/100mm macro. Nikon 1,2/50mm. Pentax Takumar 1,4/50mm, 2,0/35mm. Bellows and so on. You can mount about any lens on your M4/3 camera. There is even a converter for EOS lenses on M4/3. Regards!

[stunsworth]

Thanks for that Steve Do you use the viewfinder ?

 

Hi Paul, no I don't have the viewfinder, though it's something I'm considering. The main objection to it seems to be that it doesn't have a very high resolution, though to be honest anything would be better than the rear screen on a bright day.

[vicpeh]

If you have not bought the GF1, then get the Olympus E-PL1 with an EVF. The Oly EVF is much better than Panny's. I think an EVF is a must with manual lenses.

 

I use 50mm Cron and 90 Elmarit on my E-PL1 with great results.

[frank_dernie]

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Hi

I am considering getting a Panasonic GF1 to use with my Leica M lenses and am curious how easy it is the focus these lenses . For instance is there an indicator that flashes when you have correct focus ?

I am thinking of the GF1 because it seems to be quite versatile because there are not only adaptors for M lenses but also for 4 thirds and Nikon F .

 

Comments would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

I have tried several mFT cameras, The Panasonic G1, Panasonic GH1, Olympus E-P1 and E-P2.

 

Personally I find the M wide angle lenses to be not especially good on mFT. With 50mm and longer lenses I find I -need- a proper viewfinder, so the G1 and GH1 give me spectacularly superior results to the non-viewfinder E-P1 with longer lenses, simply because I can focus them accurately and hold them still. Although I failed to get good results on an E-P1, I am going to try the E-P2 with viewfinder to see if it works out as good or better than the GH1 (it has in body stabilisation which can be manually selected for any lens). I prefer the E-P2 to the GF1 personally.

 

I have had good results on the GH1 with a 50mm f1.4 asph and 90mm f2 apo-asph M lenses, and with a Canon 300mm f2.8. The little 20mm f1.7 is very good too.

 

The GH1 is my main "backup" to my M9, though I have never actually needed it as a backup. It is also a good family party type camera, small, light with good image quality and autofocus for active children.

cheers,

Frank

[jackart]

manual focusing on GF1 is easy, just open aperture. I found that 3-rd party MF lens are usable only on static shots like portraits and landscape. Does not suite well in fast action shots.

 

Agree with stunsworth, that Lumix AF 20mm F1,7 is just excellent.

 

Guitar, Martin Saar and president Ilves on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[lct]

Beautiful portrait Jaak.

[pico]

I have the Lumix G1 and have used with the Voigtlander 15mm lens (poor edge resolution), Summilux 35mm (early version) and Summilux 75mm (1st version). The Summiluxes work very, very well.

 

And the G1 has magnified focusing for such lenses. It is not well documented: it is the arrow-button just left of the main menu button. It works great, even in low light. (The G1 amplifies the view in low light just as it dims it in very bright light.)

 

I'm happy with the G1, but not with its 14-45 kit lens.

[Paul Edwards]

I have the Lumix G1 and have used with the Voigtlander 15mm lens (poor edge resolution), Summilux 35mm (early version) and Summilux 75mm (1st version). The Summiluxes work very, very well.

 

And the G1 has magnified focusing for such lenses. It is not well documented: it is the arrow-button just left of the main menu button. It works great, even in low light. (The G1 amplifies the view in low light just as it dims it in very bright light.)

 

I'm happy with the G1, but not with its 14-45 kit lens.

 

Thank you for your reply to my question I have received my GF1 today along with the viewfinder. I ordered it with out a lens as I have plenty of M lenses , nikon lenses and a couple of 4/3 rds lenses . I have just got to wait for the adaptors.

I think I might eventually order the panasonic 20mm lens .

[usayit]

I found the GF1 viewfinder less than ideal for manual focus lenses. G1 and the new VF-2 viewfinders for Olympus are good... much better resolution (several times) than the EVF add on for the GF1.

 

DMC G2 (replaced the G1 with same EVF) viewfinder is 1,440,000 dot 100% FOV.

 

The LVF1 for GF1 add on viewfinder is 202,000 dot 100% FOV.

[Etruscello]

For travel, I have used the GF1 as my HD video camera and back-up to an M-set when my main system is M. The video is excellent, and if the M were to fail, I can still use the M-lenses I have brought. I find that the CV 12mm f5.6 works well on the GF1, with its 2x crop, as a 24mm equivalent. For this lens, I don't worry about focus and simply use the focus-ring pre-sets. (The CV 12mm, Lumix 20 f1.7 and Lumix/Leica 45mm f2.8 make a great prime-lens set on the GF1.) In general, you won't be able to shoot action with a GF1 and an M-lens because the magnification process takes time. There's no focus problem for me when time is not a factor, e.g., landscapes, still life, posed portraits. I do not find the edge problems that others have reported with Leica M-lenses on the Gf1. For outdoor use, buy the electronic viewfinder for the GF1. Some do not like the VF. I think the device is ingenious. Resolution is more than adequate for me and you can put it away indoors and enjoy more fully the compactness and ergonomics of the GF1. The GF1 has turned out to me the compact do-all back-up body that, in the past, I could only dream about. Tom

[Clickie McPete]

I just got a GF-1 this week and am enjoying it immensely. Great little camera with the 20mm f1.7 pancake. I'm waiting on the adaptor ring so I can try out my M lenses but I have a feeling the excellent 20mm will be what lives on this body most of the time.

[gusto]

I just recently got a Lumix G1 to use with my M lenses of 35, 50 and 90. I have to say that I'm impressed with the results so far with all these lenses and find myself using my 35 Summicron the most. I have not noticed any of the 'soft corners' that I have sometimes read about. Mine are as sharp to the edges as I could reasonably hope for and this is with real shots as well as with the 'brick wall' test.

 

My inquiry here is to ask if anyone has had experience with the Voigtlander 15 4.5 M on a G1 (or G2 etc.). I am seriously interested in getting one but in my location cannot actually try one first without ordering it. It would seem to me that any soft corners due to the angle at which the light enters and strikes the sensor would be greatly reduced or eliminated due to the crop factor of 2x. I could be wrong here though so would value opinions from anyone who has used this camera/lens combination.

 

Thanks to all,

 

Gus

[pico]

[...]

My inquiry here is to ask if anyone has had experience with the Voigtlander 15 4.5 M on a G1 (or G2 etc.) [...]

 

Yes. I use the 15mm on the G1. It is, of course, far better than the 14mm end of the kit lens - far, far better.

In fact, the kit lens (14mm-45mm) is just terrible.

 

I can recommend the 15mm. The results are, of course, not as good as with film Leica, but still good.

[lct]

...I can recommend the 15mm...

How are the corners with this lens?

[gusto]

Thanks Pico, that's reassuring.

 

~Gus

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[Stealth3kpl]

I'd like to ask if anyone uses the Voightlander 12mm with GF1? I'd like to be able to get to 24mm 35mm equivalent.

Pete

[gusto]

Pico: I'm also curious about the same thing as lct - namely, how are the corners when using the Voigtlander 15mm, 4.5 with a G1? I've read a lot about this soft corner issue but am not experiencing it with any of my M lenses of 35,50 and 90. It might be that there is something going on there when shooting a test target but how about with real photographs, cityscapes for instance?

 

I'm on the verge of ordering the 15mm but can't quite shake the doubt completely, yet I'd love having a nice lens of that focal length, 30mm on MFT.