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Archive 2013 · Fast telephone in M4/3?

  
 
OntheRez
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


I'm really enjoying my new (to me) OM-D. Really a nice piece of gear with only a few foibles. I've coupled it with the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 which is a great combination. I finally have a decent "go everywhere with me" bit of kit. I'd like to add a fast telephoto. Other than Pany's 35-100mm f/2.8 (which isn't really that long), I haven't seen anything fast in native M4/3 mount.

Have I missed something?

Those of you with the 35-100mm f/2.8, is really filling your need for telephoto?

Thanks for insights and experiences.

Robert



Aug 08, 2013 at 08:14 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


Fast telephone in M4/3?

"telephone" ?

I'm trying to come up with a suitable simile: it's like your finger slipped while dialing a rotary dial telephone, and you called a telephoto shop, by mistake.

I'm working on a "cornpone" alternative - at least, it's the right forum...



Aug 08, 2013 at 08:20 PM
MarcG19
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


I'm told the 35-100 is excellent. Do a google search and you get some good reviews, roughly comparable to the Canikon 70-200s it's modeled on in performance.

m4/3's lens lineup is best, but they don't have every possible base covered. Really your only other existing options are the Oly 45mm 1.8, 60 2.8 and 75 1.8. All are supposed to be good to excellent lenses (I have the 60 and am very happy with it). But by the time you buy all those you're at the same price as the 35-100, and gain only a little more than 1 stop.

What are you trying to do with your telephoto? If you want to have every single focal length covered, or if your target constantly moves/changes (e.g. event photography, DSLR PJ) your only real fast option is the 35-100. If you can get by with 1-2 telephotos (i.e. portrait photography, rangefinder type walk-everywhere street/PJ photography), the Oly's are probably better. I fall into the latter category, though sometimes I do think of the Panny.

However, IMO we're fortunate that these options exist, and that Pany and Oly are cooperating rather than fighting for too much of the enthusiast lens market share.



Aug 08, 2013 at 08:26 PM
TMaG82
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


The only thing on the immediate horizon is a 150 2.8 from Panasonic that's supposedly going to launch at the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if the price is similar to the 2.8 zooms though.


Aug 09, 2013 at 06:16 AM
Betacamman
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


I like the 35-100 quite a lot, and I don't hesitate to use the OM-D's digital teleconverter with it. Olympus is possibly bringing out it's own 2.8 zoom later this year, but I've seen no specs for it.


Aug 09, 2013 at 06:51 AM
OntheRez
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


jcolwell wrote:
"telephone" ?

I'm trying to come up with a suitable simile: it's like your finger slipped while dialing a rotary dial telephone, and you called a telephoto shop, by mistake.

I'm working on a "cornpone" alternative - at least, it's the right forum...


Damn the spellcheckers! Full speed ahead!!! What, your camera doesn't call phone home for you? Well at least I can provide entertainment for the easily amused! Glad I didn't ask for input on fast "teleporn" !!

Robert



Aug 09, 2013 at 09:50 AM
OntheRez
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


TMaG82 wrote:
The only thing on the immediate horizon is a 150 2.8 from Panasonic that's supposedly going to launch at the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised if the price is similar to the 2.8 zooms though.


Do you know if this is at rumor level or has Pany actually pre-announced this lens?

Robert



Aug 09, 2013 at 09:51 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


OntheRez wrote:
...Well at least I can provide entertainment for the easily amused!


You got that right!




Aug 09, 2013 at 11:05 AM
CalW
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


The Pany 150mm f/2.8 was announced, see http://43rumors.com/?s=roadmap but no price or firm date yet. Being impatient, I found a good price on an Olympus 4/3 150mm f/2, and it is a great lens. But it is slow to focus on m43 cameras, and is large/heavy (although the Pany will also be pretty big, I suspect.) As big as it is, it can't call home, 'tho







Aug 09, 2013 at 01:29 PM
Bifurcator
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


^^^ That looks good. And who uses AF these days anyway? (besides the snapshot crowd I mean )


But yeah, I don't think the OP is going to find anything that's long and fast and also small and lightweight. Robert, I know you're excited to have a "go everywhere kit" that's light and small but in the same breath I think that's a bit of a mental state. I mean I carried around the GH2, the nFD 300/2.8L, and an ancient Linhof tripod everywhere with me by bicycle and on foot mostly, for pretty much every day over a 3-month period. Just by telling myself not to worry about it and the only time I even thought of a complaint was when the two straps together caused a sweat-band. I never felt it was too heavy and it never got in the way. I think a lot of this "I need light and small" thinking is a self-imposed state of mind. For me it definitely is anyway.




Aug 13, 2013 at 02:28 AM
TMaG82
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


OntheRez wrote:
Do you know if this is at rumor level or has Pany actually pre-announced this lens?

Robert


http://m43blog.com/panasonic-150mm-f2-8-lens-will-not-be-cheap/

That post shows a picture of it, looks rather large and will be expensive, I doubt that it'll be $3,000 but could it cost upwards of $1,500-2,000? Possibly, but again I'm not sure it would be wise since it probably won't sell a ton if its priced that high.







Aug 13, 2013 at 05:04 AM
owyhee
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


I rented the 35-100mm for a vacation this summer. Greatly versatile lens and for my needs great image quality. I got some really nice keepers from my trip with this lens. It is big though. I hike/backpack often with my m4/3 gear and would consider the 35-100mm too large to take on a multi day trip. When mounted on the OMD it feels like I am holding a Canon Rebel with 17-50mm EOS lens.


Aug 13, 2013 at 07:46 AM
Jman13
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


Used to think the 35-100 was big too. It is big for a m4/3 lens, but compared to other systems or SLR telephotos, it's downright tiny. It's internal zooming too, which is nice.

Quick comparison of various telephoto lenses:

Panny 35-100/2.8; Olympus 75-300 II; Fuji 55-200; Canon FD 70-210 f/4; Canon FD 50-300 f/4.5L
http://www.jordansteele.com/2013/telephotos_short.jpg

http://www.jordansteele.com/2013/telephotos_long.jpg



Aug 13, 2013 at 08:47 AM
MarcG19
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


TMaG82 wrote:
[snip]

That post shows a picture of it, looks rather large and will be expensive, I doubt that it'll be $3,000 but could it cost upwards of $1,500-2,000? Possibly, but again I'm not sure it would be wise since it probably won't sell a ton if its priced that high.



Panasonic is clearly trying to position its cameras as smaller alternatives to the pro-Canikons. I'm told 24-70mm and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses earn the most money of any lens in pro photography. I'd hazard the wide zooms (1x-36 and 14-24 2.8 ) as well as the 300 f/2.8 are the next most money-making lenses. With the 150 2.8, Panny will have all those lenses mostly covered (though the wide zoom could use f/2.8 and the ability to take filters, IMO I expect Panny to make such a lens this year).

300 f/2.8s cost in the range of $6,000. Now many people will complain about equivalence not being there, which is true to some degree, but I've always thought that the price of all these pro lenses are basically demand driven (though a lot admittedly does go into making them). However, the price of the Canon 200 2.8 suggests to me that the Panny lens will be in the lower range of the estimates.

Otherwise, frankly, Panny is smoking crack. I suppose portrait folks will go for such a lens, but I don't see Panasonic breaking into the sports pro market any time soon, not until Panny and Oly clean up their continuous autofocus game. Even then, it will be tough to get into, though IMO Panny is clearly trying to go there with the GH3. Hopefully the organic-PDAF-whatever sensor GH4 will give them better chances.



Aug 13, 2013 at 10:00 PM
OntheRez
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


@ CalW: Gulp, that big with no "auto-phone" capacity? Design incompetence if you as me If I need to work at that level, I'll just carry the 1DsIII. Still a f/2.0, 300mm equivalence? Real tempting. Are such lenses available on the used market?

@ Bifurcator: I retained enough from my university physics courses to know that 150mm is 150mm no matter how many bits of glass and mirror one puts in it. You are right of course about the "mental state" quality of my quixotic quest. I am truly impressed with your GH2, the nFD 300/2.8L, and an ancient Linhof tripod everywhere with me by bicycle and on foot … Many's the time I've told myself that the pro-body Canon strapped to my chest and the three lenses (including a 24mm TSE) in my backpack with tripod lashed on really wasn't that big of a deal, and truly when one is in the mindset one adapts.

I'm really enjoying what the OM-D and the Pany 12-35 can do. I'm getting some very nice pix including some I'm printing large. Still, I find myself regularly wanting more reach which of course means more weight and more $$$. The biggest advantage to "light and small" - at least for me - is that I become unobtrusive relative to say a 1DsIII with a 70-200 f/2.8. I've noted many times that the minute I pull something like that up to my eye, behavior changes.

@Jman: great comparison. I hadn't realized the 35-100 focused internally. That's a massive plus. Boy, that 50-300 is a beautiful beast.

@TMaG82: Hard to judge just how big it is, but I agree that it's likely to be large. At that price point, I'll pass. While I might (and have) justified $3k for my pro work, I'll never be able to do so for a secondary system. Also your observation about the 24-70 and 70-200 is clearly borne out in my PJ work. I would guess that over 90% of my published photos come from these 2 lenses. The only exception is indoor in low light (like school Xmas shows and such: it's a very small town paper . I work with a 35mm f/1.4 and an 85mm f/1.8 in such situations. You are definitely right on with your observation of the M4/3 focus systems. They'll never replace DSLRs unless they can be made to acquire focus much quicker and more accurately.

I think I'll wait for the the two announced lenses to show up, but will likely get the 35-100 and carry my camera with one or the other mounted without the second along. Should still be doable.

Still, all in all, I'm rather enjoying being alt on occasion

Robert



Aug 14, 2013 at 10:52 AM
surf monkey
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Fast telephone in M4/3?


Size-wise, the rumor photo makes it look quite a bit smaller than the Oly 150f2.

Price-wise, the rumor says 3000 euro.
That seems awfully high considering the 4/3rd Olympus 150 f2.0 is $2500 and faster.
The Canon 200 f2.8 is only $769.
It is a Panasonic, so it will have O.I.S., but still...



Aug 14, 2013 at 12:56 PM





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