Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Compatibility

The list of supported lenses includes the Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 (with stabilization), however Panasonic has two versions of this lens. A larger manual zoom/focus lens and a pancake lens with no focus and a power zoom switch.



Which one is compatible on the list? And if it's the pancake, does the BMPCC continuously autofocus to compensate for the lack of focus control on the lens itself?

If anyone has experience with either lens, please chime in

The manual focus version. The PZ pancake version works only if you have a LANC controller for the Pocket that will focus the lens, or you use the "push to focus button". Pocket camera does not continuously focus, nor do any of the BM cameras have this feature.

That said, some lenses focus better with the Pocket cameras focus button or LANC control than others do. I would take the Pocket camera to a store that has the pancake PZ zoom, and see if it works. Also, neither lens is very good for video, as the f/stop Shane's when you zoom, and it is a slow lens for outdoor use mostly.

Panasonic actually makes/made 3 different 14-42s.

[list=]
[*]Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5 -5.6 Asph. / MEGA O.I.S. Lens (released in 2010)
[*]Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. Lens (released in 2013)
[*]Panasonic Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Power O.I.S. Lens (released in 2011)
[/list]

They will all auto or continuously focus, if the camera body tells them to. The main difference besides age and optical quality, is that the "G X" is power zoom, instead of manual zoom with a ring. This is beneficial if you are controlling the camera remotely with a smart device, not so much for hand held shooting.

For Auto consinouos focus on BM cameras, is not a lens issue, but rather BM cameras do not support continuous auto focus, some cameras do support "push to focus" which triggers the camera to focus,the lens, as on the Pocket camera, others like the MFT BMCC and the Micro cameras do not even support "push to focus" but they do support LANC remote focus on most MFT lenses; and in th case of the Studio and Micro Studio cameras, support CCU control of the lens Iris, focus and on some power zoom MFT lenses, zoom control is available on both.

I have the Lumix 14-42mm PZ(power zoom) pictured right. Works great with the bmmcc.

Simon, how do you pull the focus with it on the Micro Cinema camera, are you using a LANC controller?
Cheers

Simon, how do you pull the focus with it on the Micro Cinema camera, are you using a LANC controller?
Cheers

Hey Denny.
There are two electronic levers. One for zoom and another for focus.

Thanks, didn't see the "focus" lever, assumed it was "auto focus" only.
Cheers

Simon, how do you pull the focus with it on the Micro Cinema camera, are you using a LANC controller?
Cheers

Hey Denny.
There are two electronic levers. One for zoom and another for focus.

That's great! Does the camera IS function while recording?

Simon, how do you pull the focus with it on the Micro Cinema camera, are you using a LANC controller?
Cheers

Hey Denny.
There are two electronic levers. One for zoom and another for focus.

That's great! Does the camera IS function while recording?

Excellent question about the IS - does it kick in when recording..I've got a PZ lens on my og bmpcc and it seems shaky