Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm F4 IS Pro Lens, suitable for all MFT cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN models, Panasonic G-series), black

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The autofocus motor itself is deadly silent, which makes the two lenses good companions for video work as well. There's a chance that I may do some video blogging. This makes the Sync-IS of the 12-100 very appealing, but I don't know if the Sync-IS is as super duper when pairing with the E-M5ii as it is the E-M1ii. The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro is an optically-stabilised 8.3x superzoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras and one of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses. Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or green fringes along contrasty edges, are only really noticeable by their almost complete absence from our test images. It’s also accepted that shorter 3x range zooms work best, outperforming those that span wider focal lengths. All-in-one ‘superzoom’ lenses with zoom ratios of 7x or greater are about convenience, requiring considerable optical compromises to achieve their extended range. This much we know…or do we?

Olympus 12-100mm f/4 - Focus Review Review Olympus 12-100mm f/4 - Focus Review

I have this lens and for me it is the real advantage of m43. Very versatile, weather sealed, perfectly balanced with OM-D1 (MkII) body. You can get a little better output from shorter/fixed focal lenses but you will sacrifice a lot on size, weight and price. There is not a single lens for any system with combination of this optical performance and sealed metal built, not to talk size and superb IS. There is some sample variation I guess, some copies of the 14-150 II are probably worse than mine from what I have seen in forums or may be I used the better focal lenghts of the lens most of the time. The 12-100 when zoomed in is no bigger than the 40-150. It would have been amazing if it was all internal zoom…but physics right? The fact that it zooms doesn’t bother me…but it is a definite handful of a lens.

Multi-coated Hoya HMC filters reduce flare, ghosting, and reflections on the filter surface. As a result, you can get over 97 percent light transmission, which gives you more contrast and color fidelity. Similar to the other PRO lenses, the autofocus mechanism of both the 12-40mm and 12-100mm is fast and accurate in single and continuous autofocus, especially on the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras. It slows down a little in poor light or in situations with low contrast but this is only to be expected. One can’t tell if a lens is big from its images on the internet, and I fell for that. You must wonder why the lens’s size and weight are a matter of concern for me because most professional users carry around big and heavy gear to events and trips already.

Olympus 12-100 f/4 PRO vs Panasonic-Leica 12-60 f/2.8-4 Olympus 12-100 f/4 PRO vs Panasonic-Leica 12-60 f/2.8-4

Often when travelling, the rest of the lenses stay in the hotel safe and I just take the 12-60 and it is more than adequate. I wonder how this lens compares with the Nikon 24-200 Z-mount lens. They're about the same price, same size, and same weight, and do a similar job. The Nikon won't be weather resistant though. The lens has only seven diaphragm blades, but out-of-focus portions are turned into fairly beautiful circles. And I feel that is a super cool feature. Three Problems With Olympus 12-100mm lens In terms of features, the M.ZUIKO Digital 12-100mm f/2.8 Pro lens has quite a lot to offer. For starters, it has a so-called L-Fn button, which allows users to temporarily suspend continuous auto focus when something suddenly comes between the lens and your intended subject. This is mostly useful when shooting a movie clip with C-AF enabled, but the feature can also be used when photographing action.The rubber on the hood is collapsible, and the 3-stage design makes it simple to choose the correct cover for your lens. The ridged interior has a matte surface, which reduces reflections even further. The Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 is a professional, small, all-purpose zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. On a full-frame, its range corresponds to 24mm to 200mm, whereas, typically, these zoom lenses do not have the highest optical quality. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II used for this test is a great match for the lens, offering good balance, fast auto-focus, and full environmental seals. The M.ZUIKO Digital 12-100mm f/2.8 Pro lens itself is very well built, fully living up to the PRO designation that Olympus have given it. I am the limiting factor in taking photos, not the lenses and the IQ of the 12-60 is plenty good enough.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 mm f/4 IS PRO review Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 mm f/4 IS PRO review

The Olympus 12-100mm f4 M.Zuiko PRO is a lightweight and high-quality covers a focal length range that previously required the help of a second lens to achieve at this level of quality. It features a constant f4 aperture and a minimum working distance of just 1.5cm for extreme close-ups! It is, a dust, splash, freeze-proof and Olympus have used their Z Nano Coatings that significantly reduces flare and ghosting. The build quality of the M.Zuiko is certainly impressive. The tightly assembled, weather-sealed body is mostly made of metal. While the lens extends quite a bit when zooming toward the tele end of the range, there is no wobbling of the inner lens tube. The zoom- and focus-control rings operate smoothly. Some interested readers expressed their concern about the size and weight. Yes, it is certainly not the smallest zoom lens in the Olympus line-up but, honestly, it can't be and it shouldn't be. First of all - bigger is usually better in lens land and this lens is supposed to deliver a superior performance over the usual 14-150mm gang. Plus it has a constant aperture of f/4 throughout the range (vs f/3.5-5.6) and that limits the amount of downsizing compared to its more compact cousins. Here are some example trade-in values for popular models; assuming the camera is in excellent condition (grade 9) with all originally supplied accessories: Overall, the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro lens has decent features for photographing picturesque landscapes. As for chromatic aberration, I didn’t come across any relevant examples during my testing period, which would suggest that it is very well-controlled on both lenses.After perusing some vacation photos and weeping ever so gently for a lost world in which international travel was feasible, I pulled myself together and made some selects to add to our Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 Pro sample gallery. From lizards to crocs and jungles to cityscapes, take a virtual visit to Queensland in our updated sample gallery. Anyway, I’d like to say that this lens is incredibly expensive compared to the other Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses that I own.

Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 Pro sample gallery updated Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 Pro sample gallery updated

Take a look at these next three images. This is the beauty of the 12-100. One lens, one camera, and this kind of flexibility. Yes you can get a superzoom camera…or other super zoom lenses…but they are slower, consumer build quality, and rarely produce files at the level of this lens. The only down side is that this lens is NOT parfocal. I wish it were. That means when you change zoom, you have to refocus your image. If this lens were parfocal, that would have been a huge benefit overall for stills and for video. 12mm 35mm 100mm The resolution of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12–100 mm f/4 IS PRO was additionally tested on RAW files generated by the Olympus E-M5 Mark II camera and below we present the results in the frame centre and on the edge. They confirm precisely the results we got by analyzing RAWs from the E-PL1.The zoom range was quite a big thing for me, I must say. You know, taking all the shots with one lens is something all professional cinematographers aspire for. However, of course, it works the same as a 24 to 200mm lens. The higher resolution of the z7 is making a big difference, but if I ignore that, the Nikon lens looks a little softer in the centre, and quite a lot softer towards the edges. The Nikon seems to vignette quite a bit more. The Olympus is so consistent across the frame. Really impressive. Before pointing out the three major problems that made me want to return it to the store, I’ll tell you what I liked about the lens.