276°
Posted 20 hours ago

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40 mm F2.8 PRO Lens, Universal Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

£9.9£99Clearance
ZTS2023's avatar
Shared by
ZTS2023
Joined in 2023
82
63

About this deal

The lens has a versatile focal range. At the 12mm end, the diagonal angle of view is 84°, i.e. the same as that of a 24mm lens in a 35mm system. However having owned all 3 lenses and as an owner of the Panasonic GH5 and Olympus EM5 II I decided that the build quality of the Olympus 12-40mm edged out the Panasonic and so I kept it over its rivals. When I say edged out, it is night and day. The Panasonic’s feel like a consumer grade lens with very good optics. The Olympus 12-40mm feels like a professional grade lens in every way. The Lumix too has a ribbed manual focus and zoom ring but the latter is covered in rubber. Though it attracts more dust, I actually prefer rubber rings as they are more comfortable to use on cold days. It doesn’t have a clutch mechanism nor a function button but it does benefit from a Power O.I.S. (optical image stabilisation) switch, a feature I’ll discuss in more detail later on. The Power O.I.S. switch on the Lumix 12-35mm

In terms of image quality sharpness is outstanding throughout the zoom range enabling you to shoot it wide open at f/2.8 without concern. It can do everything from wide-angle landscapes to portraits and it does it all well. Yes other lenses may be better at specific roles but none offer the versatility and fixed bright aperture of this lens. Those worried about there being a dramatic difference in sharpness between the two zooms can rest easy – both perform very well throughout the zoom and aperture ranges. Neither is quite as sharp as a prime lens but the results are more than enough for most purposes. GX8, 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 12-40mm at 12mm GX8, 1/125, f/9, ISO 200 – Lumix 12-35mm at 31mm GX8, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 12-40mm at 24mm GX8, 1/4000, f/2.8, ISO 200 – Lumix 12-35mm at 35mm The Panny 35-100 F2.8 ii would, for many, get you the range 12-100 F2.8 in a smaller combo, but, since you only want to buy Oly lenses, the two Oly Pro zooms would be my recommendation. This lens isn’t specifically built for macro, with a maximum magnification ratio of 0.3x / 1:3.3 (0.6x / 1:1.7 in 35mm eq.) and a minimum close-focusing distance of around 20cm (7.87 in.). Still, the Olympus 12-40mm ƒ/2.8 Zuiko PRO provides a respectable performance in the macro category.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you are about to spend this kind of money, you want to make sure that the lens delivers proper optical performance and one thing is for sure: the 12mm is sharp. Right from 1.4 it delivers excellent results which means it becomes an interesting option for low light events, weddings and astro-photography. Distortion and chromatic aberration are a non-issue. The reason the Lumix is stabilised and the Olympus isn’t is due to how the two brands have opted to incorporate stabilisation into their respective camera systems. Most modern Olympus bodies tend to have 5-axis in-body stabilisation, so there is no need for optical stabilisation in the lenses. Conversely, most Lumix bodies don’t have in-body stabilisation, so Power O.I.S. is the only way to bring stabilisation to these bodies. Vignetting on the Olympus 12-40mm lens is very well controlled throughout the entire aperture range and at all focal lengths. There is some vignetting at apertures wider than ƒ/5.6, but light falloff never even reaches half a stop. In fact, most focal lengths show closer to a quarter of a stop of light falloff between ƒ/2.8 and ƒ/5.6 (12mm shows a little more between ƒ/2.8-ƒ/4). When IQ is a wash then, for me, the constant F2.8 becomes the deal maker. (Dual IS is interesting but only when you can accept slower shutter speeds) In terms of the optical construction, the new Olympus 12-40mm ƒ/2.8 Zuiko PRO is comprised of 14 elements in 9 groups, with two EF elements, 1 EDA lens, 2 HR lenses, 1 HD lens, 1 DSA lens and 2 aspherical lenses. It has a 7-bladed circular aperture that stops down to ƒ/22.

Laowa 4mm f2.8 Fisheye: recently announced, it offers a circular perspective with a 210˚ angle of view. Not yet tested, and I admit I’m not keen on circular fisheyes (but that’s just me). It’s cheap though.

Conclusion

The Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro lens attached to an Olympus OM-D E-M1, extended to 40mm The 12-100 is a compromise. A great lens, by all accounts, but still a compromise. You already state very clearly that you find this lens slow. I think you might find it a compromise too far. Many of the posters state that they use the 12-100 more than the 12-40 when they own both. I would totally expect this. Much more of my shooting is in good light than indoors or in poor light. I would like to produce something presentable for my meeting on Friday. Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? The first one is just to show you what I'm trying to capture with the second one. Though the thread is quite old, it is still found by people searching the lens, so I will still add my experience:

Asda Great Deal

Free UK shipping. 15 day free returns.
Community Updates
*So you can easily identify outgoing links on our site, we've marked them with an "*" symbol. Links on our site are monetised, but this never affects which deals get posted. Find more info in our FAQs and About Us page.
New Comment