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Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

Started Sep 29, 2016 | Discussions
AndreasElia Junior Member • Posts: 34
Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

I think the topic title says it all...

Decided to explore the possibility of buying converters for the kit lens of my Panny G7, before buying any other lens.

Any recommendation?

thank you all

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AndreasE

 AndreasElia's gear list:AndreasElia's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II ASPH Mega OIS Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH +1 more
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II ASPH Mega OIS
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Michael M Fliegel
Michael M Fliegel Veteran Member • Posts: 3,683
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

Do not waste your money.  Buy the kit 40-150 as a second lens.

 Michael M Fliegel's gear list:Michael M Fliegel's gear list
Olympus E-520 Olympus PEN E-PL2 Olympus E-M1 Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 +13 more
Keit ll Veteran Member • Posts: 5,172
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?
1

That reply doesn't address the wide angle option or choice between different suppliers?

Michael M Fliegel
Michael M Fliegel Veteran Member • Posts: 3,683
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

I know, but the OP doesn't say what his shooting style is.  He might be happy with a 15 or 17 for speed .  The kit releseems to be most people's second lens. It was mine.

 Michael M Fliegel's gear list:Michael M Fliegel's gear list
Olympus E-520 Olympus PEN E-PL2 Olympus E-M1 Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 +13 more
OP AndreasElia Junior Member • Posts: 34
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

Thanks both of you for your time

I am a newbie, interested mainly in street and people photography.

I am currently looking into buying the 25mm 1.7 and the 35-100 f/4-5.6 or 45-175mm f/4.0-5.6

Decided to see if i find any converters from Panasonic or any other brand and experiment with them for a while before i buy any other lens.

Your opinion and help is more than welcome

-- hide signature --

AndreasE

 AndreasElia's gear list:AndreasElia's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II ASPH Mega OIS Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH +1 more
OP AndreasElia Junior Member • Posts: 34
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

Up

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AndreasE

 AndreasElia's gear list:AndreasElia's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II ASPH Mega OIS Panasonic Lumix G 25mm F1.7 ASPH +1 more
PC UK Regular Member • Posts: 125
Re: Wide or/and tele converter on kit lens Lumix 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ii ?

Teleconverters?

++++

The cheap options to improve on your kit lens in micro 4/3 (while you save up for the excellent Lumix 45-150mm) are

  1. get a legacy 50mm lens from the film era (eBay or ask an elderly friend or relative) and a converter. Pretty much any 50mm will do - but the big brand lens makers such as Pentax, Nikon and Canon attract more competition for the adapters. This creates a fast 100mm lens with great bokeh for portraits.
  2. get a new m4/3 mount Chinese lens - 7 Artisans, Meike, Pergear, Rise etc are brands to start with
  3. get the Fujian 50mm f1.4 c-mount CCTV lens and a c-mount to M4/3 converter
  4. Try a teleconverter lens

Some background:

  • most tele-conversion lenses were made for low resolution video cameras - they simply won't give a worthwhile image resolution
  • There are a few made to go with digital bridge cameras with small 1/2.3" sensors, such as the Lumix FZ series - these are not so good.
  • instead look for conversion lenses made for 35mm cameras - the best were made by Olympus to go with their 35mm "bridge cameras".
  • They have a code TCON. They are often on sale on eBay. They have 3-5 internal lens elements so are optically very different. They also have much larger front filter diameters than rear ones.
  • There are modern Chinese "no-name" brand tele-conversion lenses available from online stores - I have yet to see a good review of any of them

Something for nothing? No - only in fairy-tales; so the 2x power lenses have more distortion - especially in chromatic aberration than the lower power 1.3x to 1.5x ones. All - the bigger conversion lenses can get very heavy (if they are the good 4-5 element ones) and this can strain your kit lens.

So, with a 1.3 to 1.5x conversion lens your 14-42mm Lumix kit lens becomes the equivalent of a full-frame 110mm to 126mm lens - at the same F5.6 aperture. These are good to isolate elements in a landscape or to get better bokeh for a portrait.

Added to a prime 42.5mm F1.7 M4/3 Lumix, or the Olympus equivalent, you get a great fast 110 to 126mm F1.7 lens.....very good for portraits!

I have a 2 M4/3 telephoto zooms, the 42.5 prime and a range of legacy long lenses to use - but I did try out conversion lenses just for fun, and within those limits - the result was OK for laptop viewing or 7x5 prints. I did this with an Olympus 1.3x 52mm thread conversion lens for the IS-5000 film camera for GBP £4.00 in 2020. Don't pay too much - there seem to be plenty out there on eBay!

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