Well it seems (at last) that I have a tele zoom I'm happy with !

[pdk42]

So, the used Panasonic 70-200 f4 that I found at Fforbes in Scotland arrived today. And it's a keeper !!

I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my technique or my sanity that I couldn't find a tele that worked for me. But this 70-200 f4 just delivers very sharp images edge to edge right out of the box. It's even acceptable (just) for landscape shots wide open. At f8 it's really very crisp.

For those who don't know, here's the journey:

70-200 f4 copy 1: I bought this used from MPB but the front element had a scratch on it so it went back. I decided to go for the 70-300 on price grounds and after reading reviews.
70-300 copy 1: Decentred with a soft left edge. Returned.
70-300 copy 2: Very sharp and I kept it for a year, but I would sometimes get unusably-blurred landscape shots that I eventually diagnosed as hit-and-miss focus in some circumstances.
70-200 f4 copy 2: I got a copy from Panasonic on their loan programme, but it was badly decentred with a very soft right edge.
Sigma 100-400: I liked the IQ from this lens, but it was just a bit too big and heavy (although on reflection, it's actually not much bigger than the 70-200 f4).
28-200: I bought a used copy from MPB. At 200mm it was just plain awful until stopped down to f11. Probably a lemon.
70-200 f4 copy 3: It works! I'm happy!

I'll post some shots up in due course.

 

[Jayneboo]

I often wish I'd kept mine.. I had one when they first came out but always seemed to want something either faster or longer ( nothing changed there then ) .. but it's a very nice lens, glad you got lucky this time Paul. Look forward to seeing some images.

 

[RuleOfThirds]

Finally your search is over, I'm really glad for you. Now you can forget Canon . Only... by now the trees in the distance have leaves... I hope your focussing problems do not return in the winter

My 20-60 could not hold on to the rear lens cap and I haven't heard from Panasonic/shop for weeks ... glad I got the 24-105 now, partially also due to your pictures I thought I would going to hate the weight, but actually don't mind it.

 

[Nevyn72]

So, the used Panasonic 70-200 f4 that I found at Fforbes in Scotland arrived today. And it's a keeper !!

Happy for you Paul, have fun with it.

. glad I got the 24-105 now

Happy that I sold it to you than..... But my 28-200 is muuuuuuuch better
Joking aside, I'm happy the lens found a nice new home. I liked the IQ, but not the weight for my way of filming.

 

[pdk42]

Just a couple of samples.

First - a massive crop at f4.

• Panasonic - DC-S1R
• LUMIX S 70-200/F4
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/4
• 1/250 sec
• Pattern
• Auto exposure
• ISO 400

Now a landscape.


Hampton St Lucy by Paul Kaye, on Flickr


I'm yet to take a shot that isn't satisfactory from a technical perspective. Images have that sort of "a veil has been lifted" feeling to them.

 

[pdk42]

I think I prefer this shot of Hampton St Lucy.


Hampton St Lucy by Paul Kaye, on Flickr

 

[Oíche]

The bottom right corner looks a bit decentred

 

[dirk]

Congratulations! I am glad that you finally got a correct item.

This crop is insane. Why do you think you need a new camera or more pixel again?

 

[Babylonia]

I think I prefer this shot of Hampton St Lucy.Hampton St Lucy by Paul Kaye, on Flickr

I can imagine.
It looks like an old style British painting as for composition, but photographed by modern methods.
Very nice picture. (And looking closely at Flick, also has a nice sharp rendering).

 

[Quentinquirelino]

Congratulations!

 

[Oíche]

Congratulations! I am glad that you finally got a correct item.

This crop is insane. Why do you think you need a new camera or more pixel again?

I measured it, his crop is appox 2.5x and ~ 2.25MP image perfect for social media if the 1.5x aspect ratio was maintained, Paul's cropped image is higher vertically. He would have needed ~1000mm to maintain full 47.1MP of the S1R or cropped a 1000MP sensor cropping to same view to maintain the full 47.1 SR1 resolution.

Cropping 100% in a photo editor on 47.1MP S1 gives ~11.8MP, a 24MP is 6MP but only gives about 1.4x resolution benefit above 24MP.

I know most people don't understand this and think an S1R can print twice as big as 24MP but it is 40% for same resolution and you need 96MP for twice as big or crop 2x to get 24MP, or you can use 200mm inside of 100mm, 70-300 vs 70-200 will be more beneficial on an S5ii vs S1R all else being equal at the maximum zoom if you're cropping S1R and 200mm.

Enough lets party

 

[Markuswelder]

So, the used Panasonic 70-200 f4 that I found at Fforbes in Scotland arrived today. And it's a keeper !!

I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my technique or my sanity that I couldn't find a tele that worked for me. But this 70-200 f4 just delivers very sharp images edge to edge right out of the box. It's even acceptable (just) for landscape shots wide open. At f8 it's really very crisp.

For those who don't know, here's the journey:

70-200 f4 copy 1: I bought this used from MPB but the front element had a scratch on it so it went back. I decided to go for the 70-300 on price grounds and after reading reviews.
70-300 copy 1: Decentred with a soft left edge. Returned.
70-300 copy 2: Very sharp and I kept it for a year, but I would sometimes get unusably-blurred landscape shots that I eventually diagnosed as hit-and-miss focus in some circumstances.
70-200 f4 copy 2: I got a copy from Panasonic on their loan programme, but it was badly decentred with a very soft right edge.
Sigma 100-400: I liked the IQ from this lens, but it was just a bit too big and heavy (although on reflection, it's actually not much bigger than the 70-200 f4).
28-200: I bought a used copy from MPB. At 200mm it was just plain awful until stopped down to f11. Probably a lemon.
70-200 f4 copy 3: It works! I'm happy!

I'll post some shots up in due course.

Dicing with the devil a bit, with second hand lenses, but happy to see it finally work out for you.

 

[pdk42]

The bottom right corner looks a bit decentred

Arghhh!!

 

[huwm]

Arghhh!!

I've wondered about replacing my 70-300 with this plus the 1.4 TC
I rarely go into 200-300 range, maybe once in a blue moon so the 70-200 range suits really and constant f4 matches up with the 16-35 and 24-105 nicely
I don't really see me with the 28-200 as for a single lens outing I want 24

 

[pdk42]

I've wondered about replacing my 70-300 with this plus the 1.4 TC
I rarely go into 200-300 range, maybe once in a blue moon so the 70-200 range suits really and constant f4 matches up with the 16-35 and 24-105 nicely
I don't really see me with the 28-200 as for a single lens outing I want 24

I liked a lot about the 70-300. The semi-macro capability is really appealing and it's definitely a sharp lens. I also liked its size/weight and the optical stabilisation. My frustrations with it were that when shooting distant subjects I found the focus accuracy to be unreliable. If you are not suffering from that then I don't see a good reason to swap. Swapping TCs on and off is a PITA !

 

[Oíche]

I've wondered about replacing my 70-300 with this plus the 1.4 TC
I rarely go into 200-300 range, maybe once in a blue moon so the 70-200 range suits really and constant f4 matches up with the 16-35 and 24-105 nicely
I don't really see me with the 28-200 as for a single lens outing I want 24

Who the f could be even bothered with a TC?

You got to be daft to sell Lumix 70-300, it is brilliant why?

 

[huwm]

GAS I expect
Need reassurance that no need to chop and change to dampen down the GAS when it starts to raise it's ugly/expensive head
thanks
Will stick with the 70-300 which I have had no problems with thus far tbh

 

[Oíche]

I tested the 70-300 against my previous flagship Pentax 300 prime and it was better in contrast and therefore sharpness

 

[Vale46]

Have fun with it. I liked my 70-200 f4 a lot as well. But I always wanted to have a f2.8 to distance more from my M43 gear.
Since a few days I own the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and love it.

 

[pdk42]

Have fun with it. I liked my 70-200 f4 a lot as well. But I always wanted to have a f2.8 to distance more from my M43 gear.
Since a few days I own the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and love it.

Yeah, I was very tempted to go with the Sigma. But weight and size was an important consideration for me and the Sigma is another 400g - almost 50% heavier.