Is there a fixed-focus or panfocus Micro Four Thirds lens for casual video on a GH5?
Asked 8/11/2017
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I use a Panasonic GH5 and want a simple Micro Four Thirds lens for shooting video of my son running around without relying on autofocus or manual focus while filming. I do not need zoom. Is there a fixed-focus or panfocus MFT lens for this, similar in concept to a GoPro but with better image quality? Could I do something similar with a normal prime lens by setting it to infinity?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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Is there a Micro Four Third lens that has fixed focus? I want a lens that would allow me to just shoot video of my son running around without using the AF/MF
Yes there is. Olympus makes the BCL-15mm ƒ/8.0 Body Cap Lens a body cap lens, that operates in two modes: as a fixed focus distance (also called panfocus) 15mm ƒ/8, or as a fixed-aperture manual focus 15mm.
When the focus lever is all the way to the orange mark on the left, it is a panfocus lens. Shifting the lever out of this mode, the lens can be manually focused to provide sharper images if want to focus at a specific distance.
At ƒ/8, this isn't a fast lens. Considering your camera is a 20 megapixel camera, 4K video capable, it would take poor-to-middling video out in the yard on a bright day, and if the lighting is less, it only gets worse from there.
You know, like a GoPro but better.
I have to wonder why you're trying to turn a very nice camera like the GH5 into an action cam. Most of the current line of Micro 4/3 lenses have quick autofocusing speeds. Get a decent lens, stop the aperture down a bit if you want to reduce the appearance of out-of-focus areas in your video, and let the camera do its job of finding focus on your son.
Or, for less than the price a mid-priced Micro 4/3 lens, buy a GoPro.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—there is at least one true panfocus Micro Four Thirds option: the Olympus BCL-15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens. In its panfocus mode it is set up to keep a broad range of distances acceptably sharp, and it can also be switched to manual focus.
That said, it is a very simple 15mm f/8 lens, so image quality is limited and it works best in bright light. In dimmer conditions, results will suffer because f/8 is relatively slow.
Using a regular prime and setting it to infinity is not the same thing. Infinity focus prioritizes very distant subjects; nearby subjects like a child running around may not stay sharp unless depth of field is large enough. A wide lens stopped down can approximate a panfocus setup, but a normal prime at infinity usually won’t give the effect you want.
So: yes, fixed-focus/panfocus lenses do exist for MFT, but for this use you’ll generally want a wide-angle lens and plenty of light.
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