Recommended Camera lens for shooting play-throughs?

What's Hot
Hi folks, not sure if this is the perfect section but hope it slides

I'm about to buy a Lumix GH4 camera for general purposes(yt/ig clips, shooting music videos, promo photos), and most of them are sold with a zoom lens (14-140 for example). I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to just buy the body and get the specific (fixed?) size that would be perfect for close-distance shots. I know next to zero about cameras and lenses so it would be awesome if any on you could tell me what would you recommend. I don't even know if there's different types of mount or not, so I don't want to buy a 50mm lens only to find out I need some metabones adapter for 300$ lol.

Thanks a bunch!
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    I've spent far too much on cameras, and still have two systems (Fuji and Sony). Plus I hate Apple. But ...

    The right answer for those purposes is a fairly recent iPhone, one with 2 or 3 built-in lenses. Most vloggers with smart setups have at least one iPhone, and the quality is good enough that when they switch between cameras (e.g. to a Panasonic like the one you mention) it's no better.

    For the cost of a decent camera lens, you are sorted with a low mileage iPhone 11.

    The movie Infinitum was made under lockdown on an iPhone. (I think it's on Prime or Netflix if you want to check out what you can get an iPhone to do.)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • JohnnySagJohnnySag Frets: 2
    goldtop said:
    I've spent far too much on cameras, and still have two systems (Fuji and Sony). Plus I hate Apple. But ...

    The right answer for those purposes is a fairly recent iPhone, one with 2 or 3 built-in lenses. Most vloggers with smart setups have at least one iPhone, and the quality is good enough that when they switch between cameras (e.g. to a Panasonic like the one you mention) it's no better.

    For the cost of a decent camera lens, you are sorted with a low mileage iPhone 11.

    The movie Infinitum was made under lockdown on an iPhone. (I think it's on Prime or Netflix if you want to check out what you can get an iPhone to do.)

    Well that is an option for sure, but if so, aren't there any good android smartphones these days, that would be just as good?
    That movie, starring Ian McKellen, I wonder why was it done this way...

    Still, I'm not exactly convinced, I mean, yeah it might be good now, but those phones will not last half as long as any dslr, unless you never update them, and never take it outside, which, I would surely start doing.
    So it's tough but I'm reluctant even though my old xiaomi is driving me crazy with lack of disk space, crashes, etc.

    More input please!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • goldtopgoldtop Frets: 6101
    That movie was made under lockdown = a cast of one, and no crew. "Necessity is the mother of invention."
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Shark_EyesShark_Eyes Frets: 374
    So the lens that comes with the body will be more than good enough for 90% of what you need. Unless you know exactly what you need it's better to start with variable lenses. Much like guitars they're pretty good these days and you're unlikely to notice the upgrade unless you're shooting at a pro level.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • TanninTannin Frets: 5268
    @Shark_Eyes is spot on. Start with a real camera, and go with the kit lens which comes with it. Sure, you can buy better lenses, but the average modern $100 kit lens is 90% as good as a $2000 pro-grade lens and, together with any current or recent DSLR or MILC, vastly superior to a telephone in many different ways. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • JohnnySagJohnnySag Frets: 2
    Splendid guys, thanks a lot. Good to hear it's a similar case as with guitar gear. I'm going to go with whatever lens I can buy it with and see what happens!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.