Anyone know where to get one of these? There were posts from a few months ago listing New-Tokyo-Toyz as a good eBay source, but I can't seem to locate any of these lenses there. All the major photo outlets either don't carry the lens, or have it backordered.
For those who are shooting with this lens on an m43 camera, any suggestions as to where they might be found?
mawz wrote:
right now, just about everywhere will have it backordered. Panasonic has simply not been able to keep up with demand for the more popular m43 stuff.
Yeah it's tough. I just picked up a 20mm f/1.7 after much searching, but the 7-14 is impossible to find.
Thanks for that link. I'm not sure I need the lens enough to justify paying $1259 USD for it, but if the availability continues to this bad, I may need to swallow the premium.
I would check BH every so often. I was discouraged by the premiums being asked and the 1-2 month wait on Amazon and BH got them in stock right before X-mas and I picked one up.
lordarka wrote:
Thanks for that link. I'm not sure I need the lens enough to justify paying $1259 USD for it, but if the availability continues to this bad, I may need to swallow the premium.
Arka C.
You may want to wait until march, Oly will be announcing a ship date for their 9-18 in m43 at PMA, should ship by April from what I've heard. It should run about half the price of the 7-14.
I wouldn't wait for the Oly lens if I were you. The panasonic 7-14mm is fantastic in all respects. It's a lens that makes the system, IMHO, although the system has many other merits too.
I have been kind of wondering about why Panasonic and Olympus have been so slow to ship their lenses for the micro four thirds system. The B&S forum here and Ebay contain a constant flow of GF1 bodies for kits with the 20mm that someone bought just to get a 20mm. Kind of silly for them to have the bodies in supply and no lenses. From the sounds of it they could be selling quite a few of the 20mm and the 7-14mm lenses.
CPWarner wrote:
I have been kind of wondering about why Panasonic and Olympus have been so slow to ship their lenses for the micro four thirds system. The B&S forum here and Ebay contain a constant flow of GF1 bodies for kits with the 20mm that someone bought just to get a 20mm. Kind of silly for them to have the bodies in supply and no lenses. From the sounds of it they could be selling quite a few of the 20mm and the 7-14mm lenses.
I agree. And there either is a significant discount for the combo or they are overpricing the 20 1.7 and 14-45 individually, as each comes in around $400 alone. (I'm ignoring the price of the 7-14 and 45, which I think are great but more than they should be -- but given the absence of alternatives I can't fault them.)
For me, one of the big issues is going to be if the GF2 requires you to buy the same kit lenses again, or has a body only option (which I understand none of the m4/3 cameras have). I've partially switched to a GF1 and look forward to another version in some time that has some improvements, but don't want the redundancy of lenses.
CPWarner wrote:
I have been kind of wondering about why Panasonic and Olympus have been so slow to ship their lenses for the micro four thirds system. The B&S forum here and Ebay contain a constant flow of GF1 bodies for kits with the 20mm that someone bought just to get a 20mm. Kind of silly for them to have the bodies in supply and no lenses. From the sounds of it they could be selling quite a few of the 20mm and the 7-14mm lenses.
Panasonic still has not got its head around correct production volumes for the G series stuff (or the LX3 for that matter). Unlike Oly (who shipped their announced lenses very quickly and in reasonable numbers, it took Oly less than a month to catch up with demand for the 17) Panasonic has not managed to keep up with demand which means that all of the in-demand lenses (the 20 and 7-14 most notably, but also the 45 macro) are either very hard to get or impossible (20) without buying a body.
Panasonic's ongoing supply issues are arguably the biggest issue with choosing m43.
matsuib wrote:
For me, one of the big issues is going to be if the GF2 requires you to buy the same kit lenses again, or has a body only option (which I understand none of the m4/3 cameras have). I've partially switched to a GF1 and look forward to another version in some time that has some improvements, but don't want the redundancy of lenses.
The GF1 has a body-only option, it is the first Panasonic to offer such an option. Didn't sell well since everybody wants the 20mm though.
mawz wrote:
Panasonic still has not got its head around correct production volumes for the G series stuff (or the LX3 for that matter). Unlike Oly (who shipped their announced lenses very quickly and in reasonable numbers, it took Oly less than a month to catch up with demand for the 17) Panasonic has not managed to keep up with demand which means that all of the in-demand lenses (the 20 and 7-14 most notably, but also the 45 macro) are either very hard to get or impossible (20) without buying a body.
Panasonic's ongoing supply issues are arguably the biggest issue with choosing m43. ...Show more →
I think part of the issue with the 20mm lens availability is that almost every Oly user is also buying this lens....
Getting back to the 7-14, I bought mine way back in April from a Canadian dealer before the exchange rate tanked. Watch B&H and Amazon as they have been getting them (at regular prices on Amazon). Panasonic.com hasn't had them yet but I did hear end of January they would get the lenses and finally watch getdpi.com used ones have come up when someone is selling a whole kit.
TEBnewyork wrote:
I think part of the issue with the 20mm lens availability is that almost every Oly user is also buying this lens....
Getting back to the 7-14, I bought mine way back in April from a Canadian dealer before the exchange rate tanked. Watch B&H and Amazon as they have been getting them (at regular prices on Amazon). Panasonic.com hasn't had them yet but I did hear end of January they would get the lenses and finally watch getdpi.com used ones have come up when someone is selling a whole kit.
As far as I'm aware, the 20 remains available only with a GF1, although it's supposed to be available soon on its own.
The camera store in Calgary AB (www.thecamerastore.com) appears to have both the 7-14 and 20mm in stock. I'd call and talk to a human rather than trusting the on-line inventory though.
mawz wrote:
As far as I'm aware, the 20 remains available only with a GF1, although it's supposed to be available soon on its own.
The 20mm can definitely be bought as lens only without having to break up a kit. On Thursday/Friday B&H had it. Amazon has been getting pretty regular orders along with independent stores. Best way to get it is pre-order or at the very least get email notification from B&H.
TEBnewyork wrote:
The 20mm can definitely be bought as lens only without having to break up a kit. On Thursday/Friday B&H had it. Amazon has been getting pretty regular orders along with independent stores. Best way to get it is pre-order or at the very least get email notification from B&H.
Yeah, I ran across one locally yesterday after I posted above. They just shipped last week.
httivals wrote:
I wouldn't wait for the Oly lens if I were you. The panasonic 7-14mm is fantastic in all respects. It's a lens that makes the system, IMHO, although the system has many other merits too.
As good as the Panny 7-14 is, if the value proposition is iffy for someone, the m.Zuiko 9-18 will make a nice substitute if it performs anything like it's 4/3rds sibling, and of course it will be a lot smaller too. In fact if you have an MA1 adapter, the 4/3rds 9-18 is an excellent compact wide for lowish cost even for m43, it AF's on the G series as well.
