Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150 mm F4-5.6 II Lens, Universal Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

Product Information

At 45mm the lens is at its best. It scores 2,462 lines at the maximum f/5.4 aperture, with sharp edges. Stopping down to f/8 drops the score slightly to 2,526 lines. There's a drop in sharpness at 70mm. The maximum aperture narrows to f/5.6 and the center-weighted score is 1,942 lines with soft edges (1,242 lines). At 100mm f/5.6 it's weaker still, at 1,727 lines with edges just across the 1,000-line mark. Stopping down to f/8 improves the overall score to an acceptable 1,792 lines, but edges are still a bit blurry (1,294 lines). At 150mm f/5.6 the lens is downright soft, showing just 1,150 lines across the frame. Stopping down to f/8 improves the score to 1,505 lines, which leaves a bit to be desired.

Like its predecessor, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II is surprisingly small and light for a superzoom lens covering a 35mm equivalent focal range of 28-300mm. Zoomed out to the 14mm setting, the lens practically fits in the palm of your hand. Weighing in at 285 grams, the new lens is only 5 grams heavier than its forebear, which is hardly noticeable in actual use. (Incidentally, it's exactly the same weight as the Tamron 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 Di III.) It might have quite a prominent flare burst when the sun is at a certain angle in the frame (the flare is quite spectacular as "art" effect, but sometimes you just don't want it :) )How to read our charts Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software. Bokeh is a word used for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described in qualitative terms, such as smooth / creamy / harsh etc. In the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II, Olympus employed an iris diaphragm with 7 rounded blades, which has resulted in a pretty decent, albeit not outstanding, bokeh for a zoom lens – at least in our opinion. However, recognising that bokeh evaluation is subjective, we have provided a few examples for your perusal. But I traded in the lens to get the E-M1 Mark I 3 years ago and I got the Olympus ZD 14-54mm f 2.8-3.5 Mark I and that lens felt a huge improvement in rendition and image quality. Since then (and very recently) I moved to Olympus 12-100mm f 4 Pro and I am very happy with the lens, more then I hoped I would. Zooming is not internal – as you can see, the front extends considerably upon zooming to 150mm, at which point the lens cannot be considered tiny any more. Still, it's a pretty compact affair for a lens that spans such a vast focal range. The wide zoom ring's textured finish is markedly different to that of the first version, although this difference is essentially cosmetic in nature. There's precious little at this stage in terms of alternatives; just the Panasonic 14-140mm. Normally we'd look at options from Sigma, but while there are some lenses available for the four-thirds mount, none of them cover the same zoom range as the 14-150mm.

I agree with everything Albert has mentioned. I gave the 12-200 a try because of the 12mm end, for me there is a big difference between 12 and 14mm. The 12-200 is ok but I found that walking a city, I rarely needed the 200mm end but I always want/need the 12mm end. The 14-150 is pretty good but there is that 14mm starting point again. The 12-100 starts at the appropriate point for me and 100mm is more than enough in a typical walk through a city. For a lens offering a zoom range over 10x, this optic is incredibly compact and lightweight, weighing only 260g. The lens barrel is typical of Olympus' consumer and kit lenses although the lens mount is metal. As a result of its compact size and light weight this lens is a perfect companion for the Panasonic Lumix G3 body used for testing. Compared to the E510's dual-zoom kit, this lens offers significantly better depth of field control (this was quite a surprise for me, as the sensor size and the f-stop specifications are pretty much the same), more precise focusing, especially at the tele end, and, also at the tele end the focus is often faster, even if the focusing system is contrast-detect and not phase-detect. If I had to recommend a “first lens” to a beginner who had just invested in an Olympus camera, I would not hesitate to suggest the M.Zuiko 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II. There is no better lens to help you develop your photography skills and discover the genre that appeals to you above all others. Sell the kit you’re not using to MPB. Trade in for the kit you need to create. Buy used, spend less and get more. Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.Like other early models, the original M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm with its faux-scalloped zoom ring from 1950s was deliberately retro-looking. While it suited the earlier PEN models, the aesthetic started to look a little out place on SLR-style OM-D bodies. This updated model introduced in February of 2015 is more in line with the maker’s distinctive-looking pro-oriented models featuring a finely-machined darkened chrome finish of the focus and zoom rings and a weather-proof exterior (Olympus claims that this model is hermetically sealed).

At the time of writing it's not clear whether or not the 14-150mm ƒ/4-5.6 M.Zuiko ships with its LH-61C lens hood; we didn't get one with the sample we tested. The lens is a petal-shaped hood, which attaches via a bayonet mount.Looking to upgrade your equipment? Get competitive prices on major brands with our part-exchange service. We tested the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II Lens with the Olympus OMD EM5 and the OMD EM5 Mk II cameras. Ergonomics Generally, sharp images with this lens are best achieved with the lens in the middle of the zoom range (~50mm). Stopping down to ƒ/8 provides optimal sharpness.