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Panasonic Lumix G2

RubusRooRubusRoo Posts: 10,262
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in Advice #1
I want to buy this camera. I note it seems to come with a 14-42mm Zoom lens as standard.

I was wondering that since the camera is a micro 4/3 device, whether most lenses now sold today follow that standard, or whether there are a lot of different ones on the market?

Also, if you can be bothered & since this will be the 1st camera I've ever owned with replaceable lenses like this one, what would be a good macro lens for it? I want to use it mainly for aquarium photography.

Thanks if you can help.

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    brillopadbrillopad Posts: 3,226
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    #2
    The stabilisation is in the lens which is going to make 3rd party lenses rare.
    Sounds like a nice camera if you like spending lots of money.
    Macro lens might cost more than the camera.
    I've been this route with a Nikon and found it very expensive and heavy - that's fine if you are totally mad about photography - I walk & birdwatch - carrying a 500mm plus the Nikon wore me out - and if a bird suddenly appears overhead by the time i've got the tripod out it's gone - my 500mm is an enormous beast.

    Best macro low light camera I've got is a Fuji F30 compact - very old - tiny & in my bag at all times.
    Also have a Fuji hyperzoom digital - Canon hyperzoom & a Samsung compact with a 450mm lens - all of them are small and light, are stabiilsed and can be pulled out of the rucksack and used quickly.

    I've still got the Nikon which I only use with a 10-20mm lens and a big speedlight for mostly interiors - it's wonderfull !!

    I mostly carry a Samsung WB650 as it does everything reasonably and is tiny.

    It's not the cost of the gear (for me) but the practicality of carrying it and using that dictates what I use.

    I'd be wary of going the Panasonic route if you think the 'just' buying a G2 is all you need - compact digital's just need the press of a button to do macro - interchangeable lens cameras mostly don't.

    I often used to go to the local gardens on the way home with my Minolta 3 megapixel camera and take macro's of flowers & insects - when I bought the Nikon I spent probably £1500 on lenses and the only Macro I had was a 70-300mm zoom which needed to some silly distance away from the subject.
    All my digital's do Macro/super Macro so close up you really need lighting to avoid your own shadow.

    Take further advice.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,227
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    #3
    you can use most lenses if you buy a converter (some wont work on auto focus), but thats more for people who already have lenses and want to use them. the only available 4/3 leica/panasonic macro lens is about £600 - but its brilliant.
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    RubusRooRubusRoo Posts: 10,262
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    #4
    Wow, I wasn't aware that the macro lens would be that expensive.

    I just want a good macro ability & be able to manualy adjust the focus. I like my Fuji Finepix s8100 but it has no manual focus & has a very annoying habit of focussing on an object I do not want.

    I will have to rethink the Lumix. I am not prepared to spend over £1000 on it. £600ish is my limit.

    Thanks for your replies.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,227
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    #5
    the default lens does macro, and very well. it depends how serious you are about macro. ive got a macro photo i printed oyt using the 14-40mm lens of a dragonfly and its amazing. if id used the actual macro lens i could of just focused on his face instead of whole thing (ignoring how quick they move etc!)

    check out the samples on dpreview, they should have some
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