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Panasonic Lumix G1 at last - what a gem for digiscoping (3 Viewers)

Panasonic 20mm pancake on G1 and 30x Zeiss Diascope

Hello,

I am Leo and since two years I have much fun with digiscoping.
Nowedays I use the Lumix G1 with standard kit lens on a Zeiss Diascope 85 with fixed 30x ocular and I am very satisfied with this equipment.

This is my first post and with that I wnt to ask about the new pancake that Panasonic sels, the H-H020 G 1,7 ASPH 20mm. I am interested in this lens in spite of the fact that I become fairly good results with the standard kit lens 14-45 that I use. But I haven been told that this pancake is even better.
I read a post from Roger that this lens works well in combination of the Diascope with 30x ocular. I mean, that combination shows no vignetting.

Now I know that the standard kit lens has a totaly internal focusing system. The front of the lens is not turning when focusing en the front does not move in and out when focusing.
This I think is a great advantage of this lens with that fairly good and quick focusing system.

My question now is, does the pancake focus exactly the same as the kit lens. Is the front of the pancake staionar or does it move when focusing?

I hope someone can make it clear to me, thanks in advance.

Leo
 
Hello,

I am Leo and since two years I have much fun with digiscoping.
Nowedays I use the Lumix G1 with standard kit lens on a Zeiss Diascope 85 with fixed 30x ocular and I am very satisfied with this equipment.

This is my first post and with that I wnt to ask about the new pancake that Panasonic sels, the H-H020 G 1,7 ASPH 20mm. I am interested in this lens in spite of the fact that I become fairly good results with the standard kit lens 14-45 that I use. But I haven been told that this pancake is even better.
I read a post from Roger that this lens works well in combination of the Diascope with 30x ocular. I mean, that combination shows no vignetting.

Now I know that the standard kit lens has a totaly internal focusing system. The front of the lens is not turning when focusing en the front does not move in and out when focusing.
This I think is a great advantage of this lens with that fairly good and quick focusing system.

My question now is, does the pancake focus exactly the same as the kit lens. Is the front of the pancake staionar or does it move when focusing?

I hope someone can make it clear to me, thanks in advance.

Leo


Leo,
Have a look at this thread on the GF1
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=155381

It should answer your question.

Neil
 
Focusing of the 20/1.7 lens.

Thank you very much Neil,

I read:
The G1 came with a kit zoom 14-45 mm which is good for digiscoping as it's internally focusing. The 20/1.7 P lens is not internally focusing but the camera is light enough that this doesn't seem to matter (it may in the long tern though ). The 20/1.7P has vignetting issues with the zoom eyepiece up until 40x and after that is ok and of course will be ok with the fixed 30x.

If I am right I conclude that the pancake's front, include the screwthread, does not turn when focusing, bus does move in en out a bit when focusing.

That movement, must I think of 1 of 2 millimeters, or is that movement more?

Have you an idee how far the pancake can be held before the frontglass of the 30x Zeiss oculair before vignetting comes in, would there be space enough to make a construction by which the camera with lens is fitted stationar and the lens can freely focusing without touching the ocular?
(I hoop I made myzelf clear enough?)

I attached an example of one of my G1 / Zeiss Diascope 85 30x foto's.
 

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Pancake front moves up to 3 mm when focusing

I learned on dpreview.com that this 20 mm lens moves in and out up to 3 mm when focusing.
Remains my question how far this pancake can be held before the glass of the Zeiss 30x ocular before vignetting occurs.
I hope that distance would be far enough to make a construction by which scoop and camera can by mounted without the need to move. to slide, when focusing?

Gegroet
Leo
 
I learned on dpreview.com that this 20 mm lens moves in and out up to 3 mm when focusing.
Remains my question how far this pancake can be held before the glass of the Zeiss 30x ocular before vignetting occurs.
I hope that distance would be far enough to make a construction by which scoop and camera can by mounted without the need to move. to slide, when focusing?

Gegroet
Leo

Leo,
Yes , the movement is very small, only a few mms. I haven't tried the lens on the G1 yet but this movement is no problem on the GF1 using the Swarovski DCA adapter.
Neil
 
Panasonic Macro

I have just received the new 45mm Leica Macro Elamarit for my G1. What a beautiful lens. Gives macro at 1:1 and with a 2.8 max aperture it is nice and bright. Will be great fun.

Out of interest, I handheld it in front of my Zeiss 85 scope with the 20x60 zoom eyepiece to see what it is like for digiscoping. Looks perfect. No vignetting seen when handheld at 20x and very little when increasing the zoom.

When mounted on the Zeiss QCA there is no vignetting at all. The G1 screen is lovely and bright because of the 2.8 aperture. Should be a cracker in the field and I will post some pictures ASAP.
 
Thank you very much! I had also some hope for this lens. I'm lucky so far with the P6000, but if I have a G1 in my hands I always start to dream. I like the rotateable screen, the EVF, the AF speed, the 2.8pics/sec ...
Yesterday I captured a very funny video of a green finch handling some fruits of a tree in his pecker. The situation doesn't come out in the pics, so I started a video. Now I would prefer the GH1 due to HD video (and the GF1 miss too much of the Digiscoping features). Hopefully there will be a kit of GH1 with this 45 F2.8 Macro, because here in Germany it is only available with the high priced super zoom, also not as body only.
So if I have to buy the GH1 with the superzoom, the 45F2.8 lens, spare battery, remote shutter ... I have to spend around 2000€ :C Little bit too much for my budget. And I need also a new adapter, because it will not fit on the DCB-A.
 
I am sympathetic! I have no real interest in video so the GH1 suits me well. If I want a video I could use my little Sony W300 to take one. For birds, I am much happier with still pictures.
 
Sorry, meant the G1 suits me very well. If there was a 400mm prime to go with the G1 then I would have the perfect system for me.
 
Yes, mainly still pictures for me too. Video is a nice add on usable in special situations. The G1 is available much cheaper now (since the GH1 and GF1 are out).
 
I have just received the new 45mm Leica Macro Elamarit for my G1. What a beautiful lens. Gives macro at 1:1 and with a 2.8 max aperture it is nice and bright. Will be great fun.

Out of interest, I handheld it in front of my Zeiss 85 scope with the 20x60 zoom eyepiece to see what it is like for digiscoping. Looks perfect. No vignetting seen when handheld at 20x and very little when increasing the zoom.

When mounted on the Zeiss QCA there is no vignetting at all. The G1 screen is lovely and bright because of the 2.8 aperture. Should be a cracker in the field and I will post some pictures ASAP.

It should be a great lens and I'm looking forward to seeing how it behaves on a scope.
 
Neil, I have enjoyed the results you are getting with the G1. Will the SW DCA fit all of it's eyepieces and which eyepiece would you recommend for all around use coupled with the G1, Thanks Coy
 
Neil, I have enjoyed the results you are getting with the G1. Will the SW DCA fit all of it's eyepieces and which eyepiece would you recommend for all around use coupled with the G1, Thanks Coy

Coy,
It depends which lens you have for the G1. With the fixed camera lenses any eyepiece will do. With the zoom lenses then only the fixed eyepieces will work well without much vignetting. I suggest the 30x. The DCA will work with all of the eyepieces (current models). For waders though I use the 45x with the kit zoom (14 - 45 mm ).

Neil
 
I have just received the new 45mm Leica Macro Elamarit for my G1. What a beautiful lens. Gives macro at 1:1 and with a 2.8 max aperture it is nice and bright. Will be great fun.
Question is also flexibility. With this lens and the Swaro 25-50 zoom I will get focal length range between 2250 and 4500mm. I'm not sure, if the lower end is enough. Compared to the P6000 using the green macro zone and eyepiece at 25 the range starts around 1000, which I use sometimes. So the pancake is needed additonally, where I don't like the external focusing.

Anyway, your pics will be interesting!
 
Neil, Thanks for your reply on the SW DCA. I have been looking at the lumix 20mm pancake lens coupled with the G1 and using the 20x60 zoom. Have you had experience with this lens? The filter threading seems to be 46mm with no coresponding DCA adapter ring. Will a stepup up ring diminish the quality of the resulting image? Thanks, Coy
 
Neil, Thanks for your reply on the SW DCA. I have been looking at the lumix 20mm pancake lens coupled with the G1 and using the 20x60 zoom. Have you had experience with this lens? The filter threading seems to be 46mm with no coresponding DCA adapter ring. Will a stepup up ring diminish the quality of the resulting image? Thanks, Coy

Coy,
I have stepped down to 43 mm which is one of the DCA options. There is more vignetting with the 20- 60 zoom but it disappears at 50x and 60x. This is not too much magnification for this lens ( around 2000 mm ).
Neil.
 
Neil, I have ordered the G1 to go with my 80mm hd SW scope. Will the camera and 14-45 kit lens be able to be supported by the DCA or would you recommend some sort of rail system? If so , is something available commerically or would you build something yourself? Thanks for your replies, Coy
 
Neil, I have ordered the G1 to go with my 80mm hd SW scope. Will the camera and 14-45 kit lens be able to be supported by the DCA or would you recommend some sort of rail system? If so , is something available commerically or would you build something yourself? Thanks for your replies, Coy

Coy,
The DCA does a good job of support as the kit lens is very light and internally focusing. For other lenses though I do use a "special" balance bar
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=154928&highlight=balance+bar
Neil
 
This morning I found the Macro 45 F2.8 freshly arrived in a store here. I was going immediatly with my scope backpack to the city ;) I was able to try shortly the new lens with a GH1. I think it is a nice lens, but the resulting focal length seems to be too much for my Swaro (ATS80HD with 25-50 eyepiece).
I wasn't able to mount the GH1 with the lens on my DCB-A since it is 4 or 5mm too long, so I had to hand hold it - hard with that focal length. There was no vignetting at 25 or 50 setting of the eyepiece. The focus is hunting sometimes (long movement inside?). Now I know there is a switch for limiting the focus range, but I haven't tried.

The attached pics are from a emergency exit on the other side of the store.
The first pic was with zoom at 50, ISO 200, exposure 1sec (sorry, not sharp due to handhold). To reach a shorter time the salesman switched to ISO 1600, it needs 1/50s exposure, and the zoom was reduced to 25. The pic looks still dark. AF seems to work ok.
The last pic was taken with the P6000 (ISO100, 70mm, 1/15s; can't remember the zoom setting :C )

Sorry, I wasn't able to test more and longer, but I want to share even this limited results. May be roger48 will post pictures from outside soon. I think now, that this focal length is a little bit too much for the 80mm Swaro, a 35mm would be great.
 

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