By Tati Taylor 15 days ago, Photography Gear
The best lenses for Panasonic GH4 for getting amazing photos.
Any photographer wants to know what optical devices can procure the best image quality. Depending on what you do, certain capabilities will obtain higher importance. Below, you will find the best lenses for Panasonic GH4 for doing action photography, capturing landscapes or making beautiful portraits.
Don’t worry if you struggle to find the most performant lens for your particular job or budget. Within the variety of options below, you will find something for a professional or an amateur in any genre. Every entry boasts the best balance of quality and price so your choice is sure to land on something great.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.2m | Max magnification: 0.1x | Filter thread: 46mm | Dimensions (WxL): 57.4 x 36.07mm | Weight: 115g
⊕ Praiseworthy sharpness
⊕ Wide aperture
⊕ Manual aperture control
⊕ Barrel entirely made of metal
⊕ Comes with a hood
⊖ Minor distortion
⊖ Not an affordable option
This is one of the very best lenses for Panasonic GH4 if you want a wide-angle prime. It has a very robust profile and allows opening the diaphragm pretty wide, down to f/1.7. This is a great optical device that performs beautifully with the MFT cameras like the one we’re looking at here but it can also be mounted on a 30mm with equally good results.
If you like this lens but would like to find an analog to it, there is the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 that comes pretty close in performance but does not cost as much. This model is highly praised by professionals, and if you don’t mind the slightly narrower field of view, you will be making a great purchase, too.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 1.5m | Max magnification: 0.21x | Filter thread: 67mm | Dimensions (WxL): 73.6 x 126 mm | Weight: 520g
⊕ Image Stabilizing unit
⊕ Incorporated autofocus
⊕ Comes with a hood
⊕ Proper manual focusing
⊖ Diaphragm is sluggish at the telephoto end
⊖ Not a fixed aperture
This telephoto Lumix GH4 lens is of the newer generation and shows great qualities. Since the camera I’m looking at today actually has a 2x crop factor, it’s operating range will become an equivalent of 200-600mm. Just the fact that it weighs slightly over 500gr makes it an attractive option. It has more to offer, though, with its 17 elements in a dozen groups and the multi-coated ED glass for increased clarity.
All that is further enhanced with the brand’s notable MEGA O.I.S. that can eliminate the negative influence of hand tremor that is almost inevitable with all the bulk. The focus is also very fast and efficient, nearly making no sound. The diaphragm has 7 blades, and that makes for a nice rounded opening. Throw a robust metal mount in, and the deal really becomes attractive even if the price will reach $599.95 in the US.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.25m | Max magnification: 0.17x | Filter thread: 58mm | Dimensions (WxL): 67.6 x 73.8mm | Weight: 305g
⊕ Static f/2.8 aperture
⊕ Optical stabilizer
⊕ No visible distortion
⊕ Small profile
⊕ Repels moisture and particles
⊖ High price
⊖ Slight blur towards the rim
This is a professional tier optical device. On an MFT it would equal a 24-70mm field of view, which is pretty universal. With the f/2.8 max aperture you get a pretty performant lens fit for use in many circumstances. The stabilizer offers additional help where the shooting conditions become more demanding.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.75m | Max magnification: 0.25x | Filter thread: 67mm | Dimensions (WxL): 76 x 132mm | Weight: 655g
⊕ Outstanding sharpness
⊕ Reduced aberration
⊕ Eliminated flare
⊕ Swift AF
⊖ Diffraction worsens smaller aperture performance
This is one of the newer Panasonic GH4 lenses, and its performance is superb. The development started back in 2016 and photographers were eagerly expecting the day of its release for around two years.
There are two other lenses in the Leica f/2.8-f/4.0 line, and they all complement each other, making for a very useful collection. Starting from the ultra-wide model, you arrive at this powerful telephoto lens, and every model can produce the outstanding quality of images in its range.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.2m | Max magnification: 0.13x | Filter thread: 46mm | Dimensions (WxL): 63 x 25.5mm | Weight: 87g
⊕ Weighs next to nothing
⊕ Super-defined images
⊕ Swift in operation
⊖ Lack of stabilization
A great model for carrying around due to its small dimensions, the lens will be on the wider side still when mounted on this camera, acting like a 40mm equivalent. It has a great f/1.7 aperture that allows you to have better control over your frames when you work with a shallow depth of field. You will also be able to get more detail into the shot when the light is insufficient.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.25m | Max magnification: 0.14x | Filter thread: 46mm | Dimensions (WxL): 60.8 x 52mm | Weight: 125g
⊕ Integrated autofocus
⊕ Hood in the package
⊕ Responsive aperture
⊖ No sealing on the barrel
A reliable universal lens for GH4 video recording and photography that becomes an equivalent of a 50mm when mounted. It contains a UHR element with two more aspherical ones that produce extremely clear and detailed images with their combined effort.
They also help to nearly eliminate various distortions so that the quality towards the edges equals to that in the center. The final touch is the coating that takes care of other annoyances like flares and adds contrast to the image, helping the colors to look more realistic.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Panasonic Leica 15MM F1.7
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE→ | |
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Panasonic 100-300MM M43
Professional |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → |
This feature is super important for those unlucky photographers who can’t subdue a slight tremor but even if your hand is steady, stabilization comes in quite handy. It allows you to work at a fast pace without stopping to think of how still you are at the moment of the shutter release. For videography, it makes an even bigger difference because you can shoot hand-held and move around carefully, your footage not showing signs of it. The IS can only be considered an excess for those who plan to work exclusively in a controlled environment with the use of a tripod.
Selecting the best lenses for Panasonic GH4, keep in mind that they will be serving you for a lifetime. It will do you no good to save on the quality of materials because you will surely have to replace the whole lens after some years of use. Set your priority on the more robust models manufactured from the highest quality materials. In the same line, it makes sense to check that dust or water can’t penetrate the barrel and make it unusable.
These days, it is already hard to imagine yourself shooting without the autofocus. It is a very helpful feature but you have to be mindful of it if you’re shooting videos. The autofocus itself operates on a little motor inside the barrel that can move the elements to the position of precise focusing. These motors differ in the way they are built, some being much noisier than others. If you don’t pay attention, the focusing can be picked by the microphone and spoil your footage.
If the previous features were more general, the range of a lens actually influences strongly the uses it can be put to. The range will be marked with two different numbers, like 14-140mm or 40-150mm. A longer range is vital for those photographers who often need to focus on something far away, and if you’re one of those, make sure the second number is much higher. Those shooting objects in motion can stick to a shorter range with comfort.
If you are looking for zoom lenses for GH4, pay attention to their weight and the optical features. For instance, if you have a tripod, there is a limit to what it can hold. A telephoto can be so heavy that, when mounted on a hefty camera, regular tripods are not enough to hold everything. Your gear can be put at risk, not to mention other inconveniences that weight causes to those who travel often or work long hours in hand-held mode.
No, it is not a full-frame camera, but it still has much to offer. The camera has an incredibly high bi-rate and even though the sensor itself isn’t the largest, everything is well-balanced to produce high-quality images. For instance, you can easily get 4K quality with insufficient lighting.
This is a pretty performant option. If you compare it to other M4/3 models, you will see how it stands out. It has a durable battery, high shooting speed, convenient control scheme and a sturdy body.
Yes, you can use the Canon FD and EF series, as well as Nikon F, Arri PL, Leica M and R, Pentax K or several old models of this format.
This little device is mounted on the camera first, with the lens being attached to its other side. It is capable of altering the optical performance of the latter, making the aperture wider and the shooting speed higher. On some cameras, it might require a change to the APS-C mode for proper performance.
