In some cases, a wide angle can add impact to the shot, and in others, it’s simply the most practical option.<\/p>\n
Here are some examples of when you should use a wide angle lens:<\/p>\n
Sense of scope<\/h3>\n
Wider lenses have a wider FOV<\/abbr>, allowing viewers to see more of the environment. Wide angle lenses also provide a more dramatic perspective which can affect the sense of scale of different objects in the scene.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n A wide angle lens will show more of the ground and the surrounding environment which enhances the sense of speed as the camera moves forward or backward. This can give viewers the sense that the world is rushing by even when the camera isn’t moving very quickly at all.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n If space is limited, a wide angle lens will provide the wider FOV<\/abbr> needed to get the shot.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n Small and slow camera movements are less noticeable with wide angle lenses, making it easier to maintain a stable image when shooting handheld.<\/p>\n Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some factors that are important when choosing lenses for video production. How essential each factor is depends on your particular needs.<\/p>\n We’ll start out at with the widest rectilinear (non-fisheye) lenses for the GH4, both of which are zoom lenses that are 7mm at the widest.<\/p>\n Panasonic’s 7-14mm f\/4 is the widest native rectilinear lens available for the GH4. It is also a constant aperture zoom lens.<\/p>\n This lens’ f\/4 maximum aperture isn’t terribly wide, so it is not the best in low light, nor is it a great option for shallow depth of field. That said, practically everything will be in focus at 7mm anyway, so this isn’t the lens you should get if you’re looking for shallow DOF.<\/p>\n A lens with such a wide angle is great for architecture or real estate walkthroughs. It is especially useful for shooting smooth video when paired with a handheld stabilizer (brushless gimbal, Glidecam, etc.).<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> The widest native rectilinear lens you can get for the GH4. If you need to go really wide, this is your best option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When this lens is released, it will be the fastest<\/em> widest rectilinear lens for the GH4. The Panasonic 7-14mm is currently the widest lens, but with a maximum aperture of f\/2.8, Olympus’ constant aperture zoom will beat the Panasonic by 1 stop.<\/p>\n The Olympus 7-14mm shares many of the same benefits for certain shooting situations as the Panasonic 7-14mm lens. At f\/2.8 there may be more possibility of a shallower depth of field, but the real benefit of this lens’ faster aperture is that it will be more usable in low-light situations.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> A fast and very wide zoom lens. The only problem is that it’s not available yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The next group of wide angle lenses all start out at 12mm. 12mm is still quite wide, but has less distortion than a super-wide lens like the 7mm lenses above. As a result, these lenses will render a more “normal” perspective, but still provide a wide FOV<\/abbr> to work with.<\/p>\n There’s no other way to say it– this is an awesome piece of glass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Like all of Olympus’ premium lenses, the 12mm f\/2.0 is sharp wide open, meaning you can make full use of the lens’ fast aperture.<\/p>\n The f\/2.0 maximum aperture makes this a very usable low-light lens, and while it’s not a DOF Monster<\/em> due to the wide angle, you can still isolate the subject from the background fairly well, even for medium shots.<\/p>\n The lens also features a clutched focus ring with hard stops, allowing you to get repeatable focus. Slap on a gear and follow focus, set your marks, and go to town.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> Sharp, wide, repeatable focus. Make it so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Rokinon Cine 12mm T2.2 is a cinevised<\/em> version of Rokinon’s 12mm f\/2.0 lens. As such, it shares the same maximum aperture as Olympus’ 12mm, making it one of the fastest 12mm lenses available for the GH4.<\/p>\n It’s also nearly half the price of Olympus’ 12mm f\/2.o lens, but there are several good reasons for that.<\/p>\n First, like most Rokinon lenses, it’s a bit soft wide open. Some will consider it usable, others will not and the lens will need to be stopped down to at least T2.8 or T4 for this lens to be at its best.<\/p>\n Secondly, while it’s not a flimsy lens, the plasticky construction of Rokinon’s 12mm does not scream quality like Olympus’ metal-wrapped premium lens.<\/p>\n Finally, Rokinon’s lenses are manual focus only<\/strong>. For video production, this is a non-issue, but the lack of autofocus motor and electronic communication with the camera help to keep costs down.<\/p>\n On the bright side, this cinevised lens features a built-in gear on the focus ring, making it quick and easy use with a follow focus.<\/p>\n The clickless aperture is also very helpful in situations where you need to smoothly adjust exposure in a single shot. You can lower the exposure simply by the turning the dampened aperture ring on the lens. The built-in gear on the aperture ring makes it possible to adjust aperture remotely, such as when shooting with a brushless gimbal (Movi, DJI Ronin, Letus Helix, etc.) or flying it on a drone.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> Not the sharpest lens in the shed, but quite affordable and built for the cine scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Weather sealed and wrapped in a black metal finish, this lens feels like a tank, but for a zoom lens, it’s relatively small and light. In fact, it’s one of the most balanced lenses<\/strong> I’ve used on the GH4.<\/p>\n The lens also features a clutched focus ring with hard stops, allowing you to get repeatable focus with or without a follow focus.<\/p>\n This lens’ 3.3x focal range is better than most wide zooms giving you a good amount of adjustment for a variety of shooting situations.<\/p>\n The fast f\/2.8 maximum aperture makes this a good lens in low-light situations and also provides for a decently shallow DOF, especially when zoomed in to 40mm.<\/p>\n Bottom line:<\/strong> Versatile focal range, built like a tank, and perfectly balanced on the GH4.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Panasonic’s 12-35mm f\/2.8 constant aperture zoom lens is the workhorse of run & gun shooters everywhere. Thanks to its built-in image stabilization<\/strong>, you can even shoot usable footage without a rig.<\/p>\n While it is a constant aperture lens, this lens does exhibit flickering when zooming, but since it’s not parfocal anyway, this isn’t a deal-breaker for most (since focus won’t be maintained zooming).<\/p>\n Check out this flicker test of the Panasonic 12-35mm lens by Deejay Scharton:<\/p>\n\n
Enhanced Speed<\/h3>\n
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Small Spaces<\/h3>\n
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Smoother handheld<\/h3>\n
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Important Features for Video Production<\/h2>\n
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Lucky Number 7<\/h2>\n
Panasonic 7-14mm f\/4<\/h3>\n
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Olympus 7-14mm f\/2.8 (2015)<\/h3>\n
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The Power of 12<\/h2>\n
Olympus 12mm f\/2.0<\/h3>\n
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Rokinon Cine 12mm T2.2<\/h3>\n
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Olympus 12-40mm f\/2.8<\/h3>\n
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Panasonic 12-35mm f\/2.8<\/h3>\n
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