honestly im about at my wits end with this kit setup on my s5ii. i switched over from sony specifically for the colors and the open gate recording which is killer but man the lens situation is making me want to sell everything and go back. right now im stuck with the 20-60mm and while its wide enough for vlogging the f5.6 on the long end is absolutely killing me in low light and the bokeh is just non existent. i went to my sisters engagement party last weekend and i was constantly swapping between my 35mm and 85mm primes because the zoom just wasnt cutting it but i missed so many shots because i was busy fumbling with rear caps in the dark and trying not to drop anything.
i need one lens that can just stay on the camera 90% of the time because i have a big trip to iceland coming up in three weeks and i dont want to carry a giant bag of glass through the wind and rain. i need something that covers the standard range but i cant decide if i should go for the native panasonic stuff or if the sigma stuff is actually better for the autofocus because i heard some weird things about pulsing on older l-mount glass and i dont want to deal with that after spending this much on a body with phase detect.
here is what im looking for:
- budget is around 1400 bucks give or take
- has to be sharp enough for that 6k open gate recording
- needs to handle the phase detect AF perfectly for video
- not a total brick because i use a dji rs3 mini sometimes
- preferably f2.8 or at least a constant f4 that doesnt suck
im just frustrated because the camera body is so good but i feel like im not getting the most out of it with what i have. should i just bite the bullet and get the 24-70 pro or is that way too heavy for hiking? or is the sigma 24-70 mark ii worth the extra cash over the old one? i feel like im overthinking this but i just want to stop carrying a backpack full of primes...
TL;DR: Grab the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN II Art L-Mount and dont look back! It fits your budget perfectly, its way lighter for your gimbal than the old version, and the AF is rock solid for video. Seriously, you are gonna absolutely love this combo!! I had the exact same headache with my S5II until I finally bit the bullet on the new Sigma Art glass. It is a total game changer for video, ngl. I took mine out for a high-stakes shoot last month and it didnt hunt once... the phase detect works so well with the newer linear motors in this specific lens. It feels so reliable, which is exactly what you need when you are hiking through Iceland! Since youre heading into the wind and rain, you need something that wont fail on you. The weather sealing and build quality on the Art series is fantastic and super robust. I was actually shocked at how much weight they shaved off compared to the mark i. It balances perfectly on the DJI RS3 Mini without needing to max out the motors or use weird counterweights, which is a huge relief for long days on the trail. The 20-60mm is okay for a sunny day but f5.6 is just painful indoors or for portraits, right?? With the constant f2.8 you get that creamy bokeh you are missing and it stays tack sharp even at 6k. Honestly its the safest bet for a one-lens setup because it just works every single time. Youll be so much happier not fumbling with those prime lens caps in the mud! Let me know if you want to know about the custom buttons on the side, they are super handy for video starts.
