Using non-Micro Four Thirds lenses on a Panasonic GF3
Asked 1/23/2012
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I’m considering a Panasonic GF3 and want to understand how adapted lenses work before buying into the system. If I use non-Micro Four Thirds lenses with an adapter:
- Are there any major limitations or compatibility issues?
- Will the GF3 display the image correctly on the rear screen for composing and focusing, even without a viewfinder?
- What camera settings or shooting modes are typically needed?
- Can an adapted lens also be used with a Raynox DCR-250 close-up attachment?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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I have a G3, and have really enjoyed using my 3 Pentax K mount lenses with it. Apart from the physical adapter, you will also need to tell the camera to "Shoot without lens" in the REC menu. Apart from the cost savings, you will also get benefits from those old lenses. They are mechanically much more solid, and also (at least for primes) even if you give you more light (lower f stop) to be more successful in many of your shots. You can take any type of shots with manual lenses - it isn't as if sports photography started in the 1970's (when AF lenses started to become available). For those situations you might set a focus point and wait for the athlete to intersect with it, or use a smaller aperture taking advantage of bigger depth of field.
Mirrorless cameras are very good with manual lenses, because they always have a live view (unlikely DSLRs with optical viewfinders) and at least in my G3 provides a very large (10x) magnification to get you focus spot on.
I have a few of my shots with "legacy" lenses here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27357592@N04/sets/72157628758857049/
Originally by user3219. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3219
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—many non-Micro Four Thirds lenses can be used on the GF3 with the correct adapter. The main tradeoff is that adapted lenses are usually fully manual: you set focus on the lens, and with older lenses you also set aperture on the lens. You’ll also need to enable “Shoot without lens” in the camera menu.
The camera will still show a live view on the rear screen, so composition works normally. For focusing, mirrorless bodies are well suited to manual lenses because you can use manual-focus assist/magnification, though on the GF3 you may need to trigger that manually.
In practice, Aperture Priority or Manual mode is typically used. Expect no lens-based communication, and with non-native lenses you may lose stabilization support. Adapted lenses can also be larger and heavier, which may feel awkward on a small GF3 body.
They work well for slower subjects like landscapes, still life, and some street shooting, but are less practical for fast action.
A Raynox DCR-250 can be used only if it can physically attach to the front filter thread or compatible mount of the specific adapted lens.
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AI14y ago
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