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14-140mm lens usage
  • alcomposeralcomposer
    Hi,

    I am sure that there is a topic here about this- however I can't find it after searching half the day.

    I am wanting to know if the 14-140mm standard zoom lens is good for matte box usage etc... if not is there another lens? I mainly (only) use primes, so zoom would be just for documentary work. (so auto focus needed for run and gun)

    Please let me know your thoughts, lots of guys on PV don't really have much nice to say regarding the 14-140, I have also used it and it is quite slow... :(

    Thanks in advance...
    @VK if you can find the thread that details this please take the liberty to post and close topic.
  • 40 Replies sorted by
  • imaitlandimaitland

    Use a Cokin P or A series as a mattebox = no problems...

  • RikerRiker

    Are there any good ideas on dealing with the zoom ring on these lens? Mine seems to have a life of its own, it seems it's expanding, few more hot days and it'll expand to a point of no grip...

  • 7hau7hau

    Got new replacement of my 14-140mm lens after a month to Panasonic repair center...

  • 7hau7hau

    I'm thinking if it's only certain part got loosen that I could go to local camera repair shop to repair for me.... or since it's focus by wire so i must send it back to panasonic?

  • 7hau7hau

    I'm so sad that while shooting an event 2day, my 14-140mm lens(operated by my fren on gh2) couldn't do manual/auto focus after certain zoom range(which starts from 50+mm till 140mm after i test it further). So, I guess it's time to send it for repair. Just curious what's actually wrong with my lens and how would Panasonic charge me... warranty is over. I didn't see any case like mine after searching internet...

  • Alfi666Alfi666

    OK, so I did a test, but unfortunately, the electronics is also manipulating the flange-back distance... so without power, lens becomes a little bit "macro". On wide end, there is also a heavy vignette in the left corners - this obviously goes away when lens corrects its flange-back

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  • Alfi666Alfi666

    @balazer : Good tip... I'll certainly do it :)

  • balazerbalazer

    Alfi666, I'm sure that if the lens performed well at f=14 mm with the aperture set wider than f/4.0, Panasonic would have made it do that. It's hard to make a long-range zoom lens that is fast at the wide end and still has good image quality, and it's quite typical of zoom lenses to reduce the aperture at shorter focal lengths. It's typical of lenses that the images look better when the aperture is reduced a bit from its widest setting.

    You can test the lens's performance at f=14 with wider apertures yourself. Zoom in to f=140 mm, set the aperture to the maximum, and focus on something. Remove the camera's battery. Remove the lens. Cut a piece of paper to cover the lens's electrical contacts, and re-attach the lens with the contacts covered. Put the battery back in, turn the camera on, zoom out to f=14 mm, and snap some pics for us. The camera will also need to be set to shoot without a lens, if you haven't already done that.

  • v10tdiv10tdi

    I have noticed the OIS behaving oddly on my 14-140mm lens. I will zoom in and the image will be rock steady - then the image will start twitching as if the OIS is switched off. If I hold very, very still, the image will then settle down again....and then start twitching.

    I haven't noticed the same behavior from the 100-300mm or the 12-35mm lenses.

  • Alfi666Alfi666

    I have this lens just for a short while, but I noticed, that it closes the aperture when on wide end and then continuously (well not so continuously) opens the aperture as you zoom in.

    Does anyone has any meaningful explanation why is this done that way? Why do they unnecessary slow down the lens on wide end?

  • LukeenLukeen
    OIS test:



    Thank you @Rambo, mine lens starts shaking no matter 14 or 140 like if s/o accidentally switched OIS off. Thank you @Mark_the_Harp, I am using more than one lens on AF101 so contacts probably won't matter. "Dud one" sounds nice :). Thank you @LPowell and @Shield, OIS noise is not a problem for me as I am using at least shotgun or external audio source. BUT AS YOU CAN HEAR ON THIS TEST MINE LENS IS ALMOST QUIET. I have to stick my ear the lens to hear some work. Thank you all. My last question: if you zoom in and out, are you in the same focus distance like I am used to from Canon gear?
  • stoneystoney
    A good example of using 14-140 effectively... when focusing a running bike wheel.

  • Mark_the_HarpMark_the_Harp
    Just to add my €0.02 to this discussion, no issues with the stabilizer on my 14-140. Maybe you have a dud one. Have you tried fiddling with the contacts (ie removed / reseated the lens a few times)? Flicked the switch a few times on the side of the lens?
  • LPowellLPowell
    @Shield
    ALL Panasonic Lumix zoom lenses "breathe like crazy", it's inherent in the lens design. If you want a lens you can realistically pull focus on, forget the electronic zooms. I've compiled a long list of video-friendly lenses in this thread:

    http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/859/video-friendly-lenses-for-lumix-dslrs/p1

    As far as OIS noise, yes, in quiet conditions you can hear the lens churning while it's stabilizing the image, but are you really going to use the camera's internal mics for any serious purpose?
  • ShieldShield
    @LPowell - You might also want to mention that the 14-50mm breathes like crazy and the OIS is VERY loud during recording. I used to own this lens. Other that that, he's right, and it's a very sharp lens.
  • RamboRambo
    I use the 14 - 140 exclusively shooting on water footage from the back of a Jetski, never had an issue with OIS dropping out in thousands of clips. For outdoor event work, 14 - 140 with ND's is a great lens. I abuse this lens, the zoom rubber is removed so it fits into a water shield tube, i adjust zoom by pushing the tulip shaped stock hood forwards. I also have the mattebox Lpowell posted above and use it with the 14 - 140 to shield water splashes rather than flare. During a shoot a will use the full range of the zoom at some point.

    The 14 - 140 works well as a walking shot if restricted to 14 - 50 range, but you need to control horizontal motion carefully else the OIS jumps (vertical is more forgiving). I have an extra side mounted handle to stabilize horizontal movement, the rest is just practice at being a human gymbal.

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  • LukeenLukeen
    cosimo_bullo >Have others had a problem with the stabilizer seeming to turn off during shots with the 14-140? Keeps happening here.

    Dear cosimo_bullo, anything new regarding the stabilizer turning off? I am using 14-140 on AF100 and this drives me crazy. Is it faulty design or faulty lens that can be replaced? Thank you, Lukeen
  • Ralph_BRalph_B
    @LPowell

    Could you do a handheld test walking around with the camera? I would really like to know the results. I have a Sony camcorder which has an active stabilizer that's so good, it's like having a steadicam. I've longed to have similar capabilities for the GH2. I find the OIS in the 14-140 totally useless for walking.
  • LPowellLPowell
    @Ralph_B
    In video mode, Panasonic GH1/2 cameras work only in OIS "Mode 1", which compensates for both vertical and horizontal jitter. In still photo mode, the GH1/2 can use OIS "Mode 3", which allows horizontal panning by only compensating for vertical jitter.

    I also have a Nikon 24-120mm f4 zoom that allows you to select between the same two stabilization modes when shooting stills or video on the Nikon D5100. However, Nikon labels its version of Panasonic's Mode 1 as "Active", and Mode 3 as "Normal". This implies that Panasonic OIS lenses likewise work as "active" stabilizers in video mode.

    I rarely attempt to take more than a step or two when shooting video, so I can't really judge how well the Leicasonic's OIS works when walking. My experience, however, has been that its OIS is perceptibly more aggressive than the relatively subtle OIS on Lumix Micro 4/3rds lenses that I've tried. The Leicasonic feels more stable than my Nikon 24-120mm as well.
  • Ralph_BRalph_B
    @LPowell

    RE: Leicasonic 14-50mm f2.8-3.5

    When you say "its OIS is drop dead steady", does that mean when you're walking with it, or when you're standing still and zoomed in? There is a difference. Traditional OIS works in the latter mode. The newer "active" stabilizers work to smooth out footstep movement. Does this one do that?
  • cosimo_bullocosimo_bullo
    Hi Chris, you see it at the longer end and happens it usually stops after a few seconds of recording time (my canon 70-300 doesn't to this on the 5d, when the stabilizer is on, it stays on), hack or stock doesn't seem to make a difference.

    It doesn't seem to be affected by having a finger on the shutter button.
  • cbrandincbrandin
    @cosimo_bullo

    Does this happen only with high bitrates? If so, it could be related to a CPU bandwidth limitation.

    Chris
  • cosimo_bullocosimo_bullo
    I'm gong to bump this again, just because it's driving me nuts and one of you might have a solution:

    Have others had a problem with the stabilizer seeming to turn off during shots with the 14-140? Keeps happening here.
  • alcomposeralcomposer
    Hi @LPowell

    Love the rig... I am starting believe that a small hood like yours is the way to go... small camera shooting doesn't need to have large Matte Boxes...
  • cosimo_bullocosimo_bullo
    Have others had a problem with the stabilizer seeming to turn off during shots with the 14-140? Keeps happening here.
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