New to me Lumix

[Billbo57]

Hi
I recently bought a Lumix FZ18 online, as I would like to get back to photography now that I have retired, having dabbled in the dim and distant past. My question is what lenses can I add? Someone suggested I should fit a 'spacer' and try a Canon lens, as they are a bit less expensive, and how can I tell if there is a spacer already fitted ?
Thanks in advance

 

[Don Fischer]

Are you a pro? If not, I wouldn't give this much though and if aftermarket was what I could afford, that's what I'd get! My most used lens on my DSLR is a Tamron 18-200! You couldn't prove to me that a Nikon lens would do better, then I'm not a pro either. Of course I do have a couple Nikon lenses but at the end of the day I can look at the photo's from aftermarket lenses and Nikon's and I can't tell which is which. Not putting Nikon down saying that as I am a Nikon fan but, the aftermarket people make some nice one's made to work on pretty much all the different camera's.

 

[Billbo57]

Are you a pro? If not, I wouldn't give this much though and if aftermarket was what I could afford, that's what I'd get! My most used lens on my DSLR is a Tamron 18-200! You couldn't prove to me that a Nikon lens would do better, then I'm not a pro either. Of course I do have a couple Nikon lenses but at the end of the day I can look at the photo's from aftermarket lenses and Nikon's and I can't tell which is which. Not putting Nikon down saying that as I am a Nikon fan but, the aftermarket people make some nice one's made to work on pretty much all the different camera's.

No, definitely not a pro Don. Thanks for the advice, aftermarket sounds like a good idea.
Stay safe.

 

[DigiFilm]

Lumix FZ18 is a Bridge Camera. You can't change the lens.

 

[foxleybob]

Hi
I recently bought a Lumix FZ18 online, as I would like to get back to photography now that I have retired, having dabbled in the dim and distant past. My question is what lenses can I add? Someone suggested I should fit a 'spacer' and try a Canon lens, as they are a bit less expensive, and how can I tell if there is a spacer already fitted ?
Thanks in advance

do you mean screw on lens's?

 

[RAZKY]

Hi
I recently bought a Lumix FZ18 online, as I would like to get back to photography now that I have retired, having dabbled in the dim and distant past. My question is what lenses can I add? Someone suggested I should fit a 'spacer' and try a Canon lens, as they are a bit less expensive, and how can I tell if there is a spacer already fitted ?
Thanks in advance

As has been said above, the lens is fixed, and cannot be changed. The camera should have come with a manual, or you can download one.

 

[foxleybob]

I meant the type of lens' that screw onto the front of the fixed lens like filters.
I have a wide ange one that works OK on my FZ300.

 

[DigiFilm]

I meant the type of lens' that screw onto the front of the fixed lens like filters.
I have a wide ange one that works OK on my FZ300.

If it's threaded for filters you can use them, some cameras to varying degrees. However, keep in mind that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so using the best quality you can get is always good practice.

 

[Golem]

If it's threaded for filters you can use them, some cameras to varying degrees. However, keep in mind that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so using the best quality you can get is always good practice.

Filter threads are not needed. That seemingly odd term "spacer" is accuarately descriptive.

On some fixed lens zoom cameras the auxiliary lens attaches to the body, NOT to the lens. The spacer is a tube which attaches the aux lens at some distance from the camera, allowing the electric zoom lens to extend or retract in the space within the tube.

The OP asks how to tell if a spacer is already in place. These tubes are plainly visible, so it seems that if he doesnt see it then its not there.

 

[DigiFilm]

Filter threads are not needed. That seemingly odd term "spacer" is accuarately descriptive.

On some fixed lens zoom cameras the auxiliary lens attaches to the body, NOT to the lens. The spacer is a tube which attaches the aux lens at some distance from the camera, allowing the electric zoom lens to extend or retract in the space within the tube.

The OP asks how to tell if a spacer is already in place. These tubes are plainly visible, so it seems that if he doesnt see it then its not there.

Reading that the OP wishes to use a Canon lens, the term 'spacer' is being used incorrectly. What he's referring to is an adapter, which of course cannot be used Since the Panasonic FZ-18 is a Bridge Camera with a permanently attached power zoom lens.

Hi
My question is what lenses can I add? Someone suggested I should fit a 'spacer' and try a Canon lens, as they are a bit less expensive, and how can I tell if there is a spacer already fitted ?

My response shown below is addressed to foxleybob, who asked specifically about the type of lens that screws onto the front of the 'fixed' lens:

I meant the type of lens' that screw onto the front of the fixed lens like filters.
I have a wide ange one that works OK on my FZ300.

If it's threaded for filters you can use them, some cameras to varying degrees. However, keep in mind that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so using the best quality you can get is always good practice.

In that case, the OP could indeed use the thread on type lens modifiers for wider angle or telephoto. The FZ-18 is neither a fixed lens nor interchangeable lens camera. Fixed lens refers to not only that fact that the lens can't be changed, but also to the FOV, which is 'fixed'.

 

[JoolsW]

I wonder if, like some guitars, the 'brandnames' and the 'aftermarket' lenses are made in the same factory by the same machinery?
Slightly different topic... lens adaptors, -what effect on things like focal length do they have -if any?

 

[DigiFilm]

I wonder if, like some guitars, the 'brandnames' and the 'aftermarket' lenses are made in the same factory by the same machinery?
Slightly different topic... lens adaptors, -what effect on things like focal length do they have -if any?

To answer your first question, it is well known that Tamron makes some of Sony's lenses, branded as Sony, and Nikon lenses, branded as Nikkor. They probably make others as well. Sony owns almost 15% of Tamron. Sigma makes the new OM branded 150-600.

Lens adapters have no effect on focal length.

If you dive deep enough, you'll learn that except for a very few cases (maybe only one), adapters only work when using DSLR lenses on a mirrorless camera. The reason is that since there is no mirror, there is no mirror box, so the body is smaller and thus the distance from the lens mount to the sensor is shorter. Lens mount adapters make up that difference by being constructed to fill that space for the specific mount, be it Canon, Nikon, Sony (Minolta), or whatever.

I have adapted M42 threaded lenses, Minolta MD/MC, Minolta A, Pentax, and a few others to mirrorless. Of course most were manual, but I still have some fantastic old Minolta Maxxum A-Mount lenses that I use regularly on my E-Mount Sony cameras. In that case I get full function AF, aperture, etc., and in some cases like the 80-200/2.8 APO G, even tracking.

The one case I'm aware of where a new mirrorless lens from one mount can be adapted to another mirrorless camera is Sony E to Nikon Z. The adapters offer full functionality and are supposed to be quite good.