FlyPointyEnd

Going to Tibet in November with a few days in Chengdu and Mt Emei. I'm using the Panasonic GX 7 and have a couple of lenses at home, I was thinking of bringing only 2 lenses for the trip or maybe 3 at most.

I have the 20mm pancake lens which came with the GX7, I also have the following:
Suggestions??

lhgreengrd1

Frankly, that's one of the strangest lens collections I've ever seen. You have a lot of redundancy there in the wide range. And nothing in the telephoto range. I'd bring the 7-14 and the 12-32 out of those. But you also need something longer, IMHO, such as either the Panasonic 45-150 or 45-175mm lenses. And actually, it depends upon what you shoot, but you might possibly be able to get away without bringing the 7-14, which is your biggest lens by far - but also your widest - not everyone uses ultra-wides very much. And possibly bring ONE of the faster primes - whichever you use most, between the 12, 15, 20, and 25mm. I personally would pick either the 15mm or the 20mm out of those.

abmj-jr

I pretty much agree with the above except I would select my fast prime from either the 20 mm f/1.7 or the 25 mm f/1.4. One of those would work well for interiors or low light shooting. I'd probably stay with the 20 mm as it is so small.

I have the Oly M.ZUIKO 12 mm f/2. It is wicked sharp but very wide and the only thing I use it for is wide landscapes. It is a bit redundant in focal length to both of your zooms. The same could be said of your other primes.

You really need something longer.

Think about walking around and not wanting to stop to change lenses every other shot. I'd bet you will shoot mostly with the most versatile lens, which is the 12-32 mm.

From an experience POV, I can say that when traveling long distances, my most used lens, to the tune of 70%+ of my shots, is my 12-40 mm f/2.8 PRO. Everything else can be considered "special purpose" equipment. I take a fast prime for interiors and something long but the standard zoom is my bread and butter.

deniah

7-14 zoom
25
and a cheap tele: olympus 40-150/variable cost ~100$ and weighs nothing

lhgreengrd1

Since he is using this on a Panasonic body that is presumably without IBIS (He said GF7, not sure what that really is) he'd likely be better off with the otherwise similar, but stabilized, Panasonic 45-150mm. OTOH, if he actually has a GX7, either of the 150mm zooms would work fine.

FlyPointyEnd

Thanks...I guess I was asking the wrong person for suggestions before.

Yeah I'm thinking of getting a new telephoto lens I just hope the new Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 when it comes out...just not sure if it will make it in time for the trip.

FlyPointyEnd

Thanks! I think the 20mm f/1.7 would work best as it small, but would the 15mm f/1.7 be a better option than the 25mm f/1.4? in low light? Im expecting many monasteries in Lhasa would be dark.

FlyPointyEnd

My trip in Chengdu will take me to Mount Emei and the Leshan Buddha...so I guess having a wide lens would be great as I want to take wide shots of the scenery. Then the drive to Lhasa from the airport did say that we will be passing through beautiful sceneries. When we get to Lhasa it would be mostly monasteries and temples which are poorly lit (with butter lamps) so I might need to change lenses when I get there.

I'm worried about the weight and size of the 7-14 as it is quite bulky and heavy.

Looking through a local forum and I saw someone selling a Panasonic 14-140 and its quite cheap. would it be good for the trip?

lhgreengrd1

I think that the 20mm and 15mm would each be similarly useful, it's just a matter of what field of view you prefer to work with. A true wide angle, or a wide-ish normal lens. I personally agree that the 25mm f1.4 is pretty bulky, and so is the 7-14mm, but if you like shooting ultra-wide alot, that 7-14 lens is the best in the system for doing that. But it's kind of a special purpose lens.

We're still wondering which camera you have, as there is no such thing as a Panasonic GF7 (at least not yet). There is a GF5 and GF6, and a GX7 among other things.

The answer to that question could alter the recommendation for the best telephoto - depending upon whether your camera body has built-in Image Stabilization - the GX7 does, the others do not.

I have no experience with the 14-140mm. I know someone who swears by it, but I've never used it, so I can't say. I've never been a big fan of all-in-one wide range zooms.

FlyPointyEnd

My mistake, I meant GX7...sorry I was posting through the iPad..wasn't able to check it properly.

There is a new lens coming out at 399 dollars...Panasonic 35-100 mm f/4-f/5.6, I kinda like to wait for that one but I doubt I would reach me in time for my trip.

lhgreengrd1

Given that you have a GX7, which has In-Body Image Stabilization, you might as well get the Olympus 40-150mm tele, as it's the cheapest telephoto out there - refurbs or used ones typically sell for $100-120. It's also very light and small. If you get this either used or refurbished, you won't lose much if you re-sell it once the new 35-100mm lens is available.

Right now on ebay, you can get a used one from a reputable dealer (Roberts) for $102.

gumbotime

I used the 14-140 and the 20mm 1.7 as my only two lenses with a GX7 on a recent trip. The 14-140 is a solid lens, but note that there's an older version and a newer version. The newer one is faster and lighter, but is more expensive.

FlyPointyEnd

Thanks for the help guys!

A friend was kind enough to loan me his Panasonic Lumix 45-150mm f/4.0-5.6 I'll just use that for the meantime.

Now I'm thinking of using that and the Panasonic Leica 15mm f1.7 and perhaps just the Panasonic 7-14mm f/4.0 on the road to Lhasa and in Mt Emei