(FT4) Olympus announcement on December 14. Lens has powerzoom!
Finally I got the news! The new Olympus high quality zoom lens will be announced on December 14! That’s Wednesday next week! Ironically that is also the last day Olympus has to present their financial results to avoid the delisting from Tokyo Exchange.
That’s all I know about the announcement: There will be a new zoom lens which has super-high-speed-AF, it has with powerzoom (it’s a video-lens!), it starts with 12mm and has NO constant aperture, it’s similar but equal to the Olympus Four Thirds 12-60mm f/2.8-4, and has a high optical quality. I hope to get more info about the specs and price soon. But it sounds like this could become a “cheaper” alternative of the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 (or brighter) zoom that will be announced in January.
On Wednesday (6-7 am London time) you can follow the announcement live on 43rumors.
P.S.: Don’t forget to join the Facebook 43rumors fanpage (Click here).
pete
2 years ago |OMG!
Powerzoom? Video?
I sold my E-System, because there were no new bodys and lenses.
Do I have to sell my Pen-System to, because there wll be no new lesnes anymore???? I need a good, fast zoom for travelling like the 14-54 I had bevore…..
$%§&! for video lenses with powerzoom
Tobias
2 years ago |Powerzoom is not as bad as you think. And lenses suitable for video can still be great for stills. Just wait for the announcement.
The Panasonic 45-175 has ideal Powerzoom because it also has the traditional zoom ring in addition to the powerzoom levers. And internal zooming is just an incredible feature.
Probably internal zooming is harder to achieve in the wide angle range …
wonderer
2 years ago |probably what he meant is even with this lens, video from Olympus cameras (say flagship) E-P3 will be worse than even iPhone4S video!
and google for comparison if you don’t believe it. Olympus has horrible video output, Panasonic is much better here (GF2/GX1) but all falls short for Sony NX systems, at least twice as good.
Why do you need video lens on crappy ‘video camera’s olympus is producing? Just get iPhone4S or any decent Android phone (say Galaxy SII has nice 1080p video).
Or even better, get a compact (say again Sony HX9) and be amazed what it can do (video wise) this time even with zoom. You pay for it 1/3rd of a price than this lens.
sorry for rant, but it simply is truth. Hard to listen but it is! Plus, it won’t have OIS in lens (like pana lenses) and you can’t use Olympus IBIS as it simply isn’t suited for video (sensor shift) as it will introduce infamous jelly all over.
I welcome this lens, but they should focus on image quality, or do something with encoding, as I cry every time I see video from Olympus on a web. Take 2 lemons, spray them in your eyes, and watch some movie. You get an idea. (even in compacts, XZ1 is having the worse video that camera ever had – dpreview forums are full of it)
Miroslav
2 years ago |“get a compact (say again Sony HX9) and be amazed what it can do (video wise) this time even with zoom”
I second this. I often use my brother’s HX5 for video and the quality is fantastic – for my needs and my 32″ full HD TV anyway. Large DOF of small sensor and excellent IS implementation makes it very simple to shoot. I can even have nice videos of myself shot by other people – something not possible with my E-PL1
.
“Olympus IBIS simply isn’t suited for video (sensor shift) as it will introduce infamous jelly all over.”
That’s not IBIS, that’s DIS – pixel shift. IBIS is not enabled in video in Oly cameras.
Andrew Howes
2 years ago |Video quality on the Nex 5n is significantly worse than on the GH2. See this video on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/28529236
I had the 5n briefly, and it was a pretty nice camera, but the video quality (at least in terms of sharpness) didn’t compare very favorably to the GH2.
I understand if people don’t like the video being put out by the Pen cameras, but it doesn’t really matter if the lens has a rocker on it. If nothing else, it will make it somewhat more useful on the GH2. Who knows, maybe Olympus will come out with a more video-friendly Pen.
wonderer
2 years ago |well the GH2 (together with hacks) is the best ‘video-camcorder that can take nice pictures’
currently on market (and the price is right as well). No arguments here.
I was talking about more compact versions of m43 cameras (GF2/GX1) which are really _much_ smaller once you have the chance to hold them against “big” (but amazing) GH2.
yes, for GH2 this lens is a plus, but it is being released by Olympus thus targeting PEN cameras first, that is why I wonder. Many point out that something is rotten with encoding in Olympus cameras, sensor+lenses are there, so how come it can’t match half the quality of HX9 with weaker lens/sensor?
shallow DOF isn’t such a problem, would be in Nex cameras (ASP-C sensor) with fast lenses, not here – with most lenses (say kit) you’re getting “right” DOF wide open. You wish it would be even more shallow sometimes.
D3xmeister
2 years ago |ibis could be enabled in my E-5 for video, but it degraded image quality (probably crop and resample)
Duarte Bruno
2 years ago |@wonderer:
Wow! You have made one of the most misinformed comments of the season (if not the most).
The only real advantage that Olympus had in rehashing the fossile that is the E-P(L)3 sensor is that when shooting video it’s a fully binned sensor that will even put the EOS 5d Mk II to shame in low light. Do your research before making these wild claims!
BTW, your stabilization remarks (even though true) have little to do with the reality of a videographer where hardware stabilization comes with the territory.
Compacts? Smartphones? Sure, you’ll get great video snipets out of it. Now, to lesson 2: Isolation.
wonderer
2 years ago |for first, why don’t you englighten me then? I like to learn and be proved wrong, one thing is theory, the other is practice. I had E-P3 and was shocked from the video output (considering the price of the system and what competition offered) probably a bit less frightened than seeing what Samsung NX200 “produced”, with bigger sensor and better zoom/video lenses – straight to bin (well I have some standards you know
).
So I welcome you to post some youtube 720p/1080p video from m43 olympus system where I will jump from excitement.
P.S. yes, youtube compresses the video so quality is a bit worse, but that is true video sample from any camera there so comparison is possible.
I get your lesson2, as I wrote above (shallow DOF comment) sometimes the issolation is hard to achieve on most zoom m43 lenses with its 2x crop sensor. But yes, it is miles better than on compacts (SONY HX9 has the biggest compact sensor to date though) but to achieve something Sony NX like, you need to have fixed lenght fast lenses (Oly 45mm, no OIS), not that great video wise here.
as
Duarte Bruno
2 years ago |I have a GH2 and I jump in excitement everyday, but probably you are much more difficult.
I’m lost on the evidence (I thought it was in EOSHD but I can’t find it anymore) there were some stills from video of a microchip that trounced the EOS 5D Mark II at High ISO.
Anyway, check pages 11 to 13: http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Olympus-E-P3-Digital-Camera-Review/Video-Color-amp;-Noise.htm
It compares very favourably to the G3 which should be on par with the GH2 (the de facto benchmark for video).
BTW, nothing wrong with this (except for YT compression as you said) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6OcarZo2eQ
che
2 years ago |Man you are delusional. All m4/3 cameras are great for video or better say cinematography. All you need are few wide and normal manual lenses from old times. Like fd or even pro disuse ones. And you need to know your stuff. In addition to my words in backing it up with my own video http://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001554344674&__user=541214720#!http://video.ak.fbcdn.net/cfs-ak-ash4/343107/963/242348889160254_32740.mp4?oh=65f5dbd44a0190b30b5dfdc46355f363&oe=4EE4BF00&__gda__=1323613952_b9e1ee8a00a37f3ec7e01589398f4b2e it is done with canon fd 28 mm 2.8 and one 60 w lamp. Not perfect but neat setup. Did you really compared iPhone with super35 equivalent sensor. That’s just ignorance.
Miroslav
2 years ago |One more reason for power zoom maybe that in order to design smaller zoom lenses, moving elements need to be operated electronically, since coupling them physically with the zoom ring would require much more space.
Pete
2 years ago |O.K. you’re right, let’s wait for the announcement. And I didn’t knom, that you can une a traditional ring too, thas sounds good.
Thank you for making my weekend a little better
mpgxsvcd
2 years ago |It is not a video lens if it doesn’t have IS.
tmrgrs
2 years ago |I agree that no video lens would/could be introduced that doesn’t have OIS and I also think that admin has been fooled by his source on this rumor. If there is a new fast zoom coming out soon from Olympus, it’s very unlikely that it will have power zoom. We’ll see soon whether I’m right. If I’m wrong, all I can say is that it’s happened before!
Jim
2 years ago |Sorry don’t agree….
What happend to the good ol’ tripod? which is what should be used if you want to make a good video… I know IS has its place but realy if you are setting out to make a video you need to plan everything, including use of tripod… I know you know this, I just don’t see why it HAS to have IS to be a video lens…. shaw I agree IS is better than no IS…
Paulus
2 years ago |+100%!
Great for stills (!):
A fast (powerzoom) wide zoom high grade m.zuiko lens could be the best for traveling and reporting photography (photojournalists) – not only for video!
Fastest autofocus plus fastest fixing of the optimal focus distance range (even by trial and error) is very important for stills too (wildlife, sports, photojournalism …)!
My personal favorite: a weather sealed Olympus Pro MFT body (E-5 styled) with additional zoom controller next to the release (for example like the Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_C-8080_Wide_Zoom
Miklós Rabi
2 years ago |.
Miklós Rabi
2 years ago |Tobias:
Have you EVER tried the 45-175?
It has a zoom-ring-by-wire feature, not a real manual zoom. Don’t mixed the two.
Brian
2 years ago |I refuse to buy and power zoom lenses I want more manual control not less… I like tactile feel. Is Leica the only ones who get this?
lnqe-M
2 years ago |“Power zoom for Video” well i hope that is water pro.
M
2 years ago |you’ll never get oly zooms for m4/3.
Panasonic will make 2 subpar zooms, 12-35 and 35-100.
This is not a camera system and never will be one, people, understand that. it’s a platform for primes, to be used for casual street photography and nothing else.
wonderer
2 years ago |exactly, and that’s why Sony NEX5 falls so short (although having crystal clear 1080p 24/60 fps video output) as it doesn’t have _one_ single pancacke lens. 16mm is a garbage, not a lens.
I would welcome 20mm MKII, would pay even £500 for it be it:
1. smaller
2. quieter with faster autofocus
carrying big lenses for thousands of pounds (comming X-lenses) is pointless, you want chunky? Buy a decent DSLR + lenses for less instead and save money! Image quality will be twice as good. I really wonder where the mirrorless system is heading…
Andrew Howes
2 years ago |If nothing else, Pany’s new lenses will be great for the AF100 and for video users on the GH2.
nobody
2 years ago |M wrote, “This is not a camera system and never will be one, people, understand that. it’s a platform for primes, to be used for casual street photography and nothing else”.
I think it’s rather you who shows a lack of understanding. Understanding that not everybody else has the same wishes and needs that you have.
Combined with the 2 new high grade zoom lenses (and the 7-14mm) my GH2 will be a great allround photo and video camera that I will be using even for professional purposes.
Pete
2 years ago |!
M
2 years ago |those aren’t going to be high grade zoom lenses.
nobody
2 years ago |I see no reason why they should be worse than the 7-14. IMO, that is high grade quality.
And looking at reviews from renowned sources it seems to be not only my opinion.
Of course, YMMV
Bob B.
2 years ago |….so I guess M stands for Misfit.
Brod1er
2 years ago |No, I think it stands for Major bullshit. MFT will never be a system? Define system. I think MFT qualifies. I have used mine with various lenses for trekking and mountaineering, wildlife and safaris, people, ultra wide to extreme tele. For me the only main limitation is AF tracking. However I must be wrong, as it is only suitable for casual street photography. Ooooops!
Boooo!
2 years ago |I tend to agree with him – m4/3 doesn’t have any telephoto capabilities, and there are no good zooms (yet). Even battery life is too low to shoot something like a wedding, not to mention that an Oly flash is larger than a PEN body
We’ll see what future cameras bring to the table, but for now, I also wouldn’t say m4/3 is a system. That might change, but I’m afraid that it’s Panasonic who will be making that change, not Olympus.
Oilymouse
2 years ago |Last year, we had people condemning the m43 system, too. Then, they were whining about slow autofocus and lack of primes, and how Olympus was not delivering – blah blah blah.
Now we hear we’ll never get good zooms, ever! For sure, really! Hahahaha. It would be nice to see last year’s whiners eat their words, but by the time reality kicks in, the trolls are bullshitting about something else under different aliases.
I recently bought a G3, a great addition to a great system. Do I hear anybody still whining about high iso performance on those “small sensors” now?
Fact is: M43 just keeps getting better for all those not-so-moronic photographers out there. Personnally, I’m saving up for all the stuff that’s coming out next year. I wonder if should just sell some Nikon gear, so I can afford those crappy Panny zooms (seriously)!
Esa Tuunanen
2 years ago |> bought a G3, a great addition to a great system. Do I hear anybody still whining about high iso performance
And usual 4/3 limited dynamic range at base ISO because of narrow minded high ISO only optimizing. Out of 4/3 sensors the most balanced one is GH1′s sensor which has twice the DR at base ISO. Also GH2′s sensor is more balanced.
Again compared to sensors Sony puts into their NEXes G3 has only one fourth the dynamic range at base ISO. (and achieved with nearly same pixel size)
Nikon 1′s Aptina sensor has better DR at its lower base ISO.
And while clearly all around loosing in SNR (no wonder with those tiny pixels) even Pentax Q has better DR at its lower base ISO, just like Canon Powershot G12.
Real nice job from Panasonic when even tiny sensors can give you better DR for example in nasty situation of snowy landscape.
Boooo!
2 years ago |It’s still not really a system. It has primes, and that’s it. No battery grips, no fast zooms, no telephoto, no rugged, weather-sealed equipment, not even a “pro” body with good ergonomy and tons of various buttons to press to make operation easier.
We still don’t know what the 12-35 and 35-100 lenses from Panasonic are going to be like, nor this 12-60, but what we do know is that so far we’ve had mostly mediocre lenses that IMHO rely on software correction too much.
Like Esa just wrote, the sensors have DR issues, and when your premium 12mm vignettes by 1.5EV, that’s honestly appalling and never seen before on 4/3.
Keep in mind that not a single m4/3 lens produced so far managed to be better than a similar or equivalent 4/3 lens in terms of image quality. I personally saw the Panaleica 25mm tested in both variants (to those wondering – I can’t post anything online, there’s no model release and my friend won’t CC the photos either), and the original was better. Might have been sample variance, but that’s pretty much the closest pair of lenses available on both systems. The rest are just measurably worse on m4/3.
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |@Boooo!
“Even battery life is too low to shoot something like a wedding, ” strange that I’ve shot hundreds of weddings with four thirds and micro four thirds cameras.
If battery life isn’t good enough then you must be taking too many dud and repetitive shots that you will end up deleting anyway.
You should be able to proof 65-80% of the photos you take at a wedding.
Boooo!
2 years ago |You’ve shot hundreds of weddings with m4/3 cameras? And 300 shots per battery, without chimping or reviewing, is good for you? Well, okay. Good thing you haven’t shot my wedding
Bob B.
2 years ago |M is for Mundane….he is sooooooo boring….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
M43Photo
2 years ago |But how useful for video will this lens be, given that it doesn’t have OIS?
The experience shows that handheld video with a long lens, say, around 25mm and longer, is difficult without OIS. Olympus cameras have an option of digital IS during video, but as I understand, it doesn’t work very well.
I guess it can be made smaller than the original 4/3 12-60mm lens, given the shorter flange register distance of the Micro Four Thirds format.
Rr
2 years ago |It amazes me to read the garbage some of you are speculating and posting. Why dont you wait a couple of weeks and review the real product.
Olympius
2 years ago |@ pete
You should have never let go of that 14-54, if it was a Mk II variant….
Not only is an excellent lens for 4/3, but with an adapter, the Mk II variant is the BEST lens you can buy for micro 4/3 too, thanks to it’s ability to do CDAF. It’s not as fast, focus wise, as it would be on a DSLR, but the image quality is still incredible.
No need to wait for Oly or Panny to create a micro 4/3 equivalent, just get the 4/3 14-54 Mk II and an adapter….and enjoy a super fast f/2.8-3.5 lens with incredible IQ.
- Olympius
DingieM
2 years ago |Zuiko or M.Zuiko?
MJr
2 years ago |Isn’t it obvious ?
Oilymouse
2 years ago |Indeed, the Mk II is a fine specimen (and *just* not too big). Just focus manually or between shots and you’ll have great-looking video!
Oliver
2 years ago |+1
Video is a nice-to-have, but for me it´s all about photography! I want a bright, light and compact zoom-lens, starting at 12mm and at least one stop brighter than the usual 3,5-5,6!
adventsam
2 years ago |Olympus dont do video anyway, why would they optimise for video without OIS, Oly dont have a clue what they are doing. If it has OIS well I apologise but I can bet it wont, they are too wrapped-up in ibis, hence they will never do video without Pana OIS lens.
Miroslav
2 years ago |Don’t be so negative, maybe they’ll enable IBIS for video in their new model(s), like Pentax and Sony did.
BLI
2 years ago |> Oly dont have a clue…
A pretty pathetic comment, all the time *we* basically don’t have a clue about details of what (might) come.
For me, a powerzoom is not particularly desireable — to me, video possibilities are just a nice extra; I don’t have the patience to edit video pieces into anything remotely professional looking, anyway. I prefer to have manual control of the zooming. But I accept that others might disagree, and would be happy with a good lens. Regarding OIS/IBIS: my experience is that for photographs, image stabilization is not terribly important in this zoom range. Those who dream of lenses with OIS: look for Pana lenses! As a PEN owner, I don’t want to pay extra for OIS/carry the extra bulk.
MJr
2 years ago |???? The sensor has stabilization …. therefore making ANY lens on it stabilized. AND saving weight/space for no need of OIS in the lens. Now THAT is having a clue.
Traciatim
2 years ago |Oly IBIS is disabled in video. Electronic stabaliziation (IE, cutting your video and stretching out what’s left) is garbage. Who has a clue?
Jim
2 years ago |EIS – might does not have to cut video and strech…. what if it operated on a larger than 1080 video to start with … then after crop and stabalize it coudl end up as 1080…. EIS is not a bad thing if done right – only thing it it will make your lens slightly longer!
Also what is it with all video lenses have to hav IS – have people realy forsaken the tripod?!
Oilymouse
2 years ago |Agreed. And if you have a camera with a viewfinder it’s not that hard to have good video with lenses up to 35mm, as many people using legacy lenses on a GH2 will agree on. On a G3 I shoot video without stabilization and I’m very happy with the results (being a complete amateur).
So I’d say: skip stabilization as much as possible, for better image quality (on Olympus) and longer battery life (when disabling OIS on Panny). If you really are that serious a videographer, you can always post process later. (Or invest in proper hardware.)
blohum
2 years ago |NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robbie
2 years ago |sounds like a bummer
Bernd
2 years ago |Having a powerzoom doesn’t qualify a lens as video lens, because almost every cheap P&S camera had one since ages without being able to shoot video at all. But as I use MFT for professional video only (for photo assignments I prefer “good old” DSLRs), I really hope it’s a usable powerzoom and of course I hope even more that this lens will get a manual zoom ring, too! The last thing we need, is another small and light amateur kit lens with crippled handling.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |+10 Great IQ FIRST, please!
M4/3 already has a full compliment of middling zooms. The 12-60mm range is compelling, so hopefully it will be sharp through the entire range and be a worthy M4/3 version of the fabled Oly 12-60mm 4/3 lens!
Fluff features, like power zoom and collapsibility, may help sell lenses to cat and brat shooters, but unless it’s bright enough and sharp enough, I have zero interest. I’m happy with my bandolier of fast primes (plus the 7-14mm).
It’ll be interesting to see how the 12-60mm and 12-35mm compare head-to-head, especially in terms of IQ. I’d like a wide & fast travel zoom to replace my 14-140mm… and a bit smaller… so hopefully one of them will be a marked improvement!
Miroslav
2 years ago |December 14 – that’s a short notice
– as usual for Oly rumors. If it indeed has power zoom, I hope it has a zoom ring, not a lever, and that the main reason for power zoom is small size, like 14-42 X, not video…
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |hahah great timing with the announcement
it will be nice to have a choice between an Olympus and a Panasonic fast zoom
@Thom Hogan
in other news Fujifilm launch face cream range (suspicious behaviour eh???) http://photorumors.com/2011/12/05/you-will-be-able-to-buy-fujifilm-skin-care-products-before-their-mirrorless-camera/
Dummy00001
2 years ago |> suspicious behaviour eh???
No. Diversification is traditional to Japanese business. (Check for example Mitsui)
(Guessing what you’re talking about) But rare company would diversify into e.g. waste disposal, like Olympus did. And there were more “shady” businesses Oly took part in. And such “diversifications” in past were observed precisely in the companies taken over by the yakuza. (Can’t find a single article to link – on the damn internet of today, news from month ago are already “too old” to show up in any search. Almost relevant link: http://www.petapixel.com/2011/10/26/the-olympus-scandal-and-white-collar-organized-crime/ )
Edit1: yep, that’s the right link
http://www.japansubculture.com/2011/10/olympus-bringing-it-into-focus-a-special-breach-of-trust/
Jim
2 years ago |What you got with Thom… he is not Anti Oly…. its just top brass at oly was (is?) a bunch of liying, to proud to admit it looseres who should have taken their leave years ago… but like all bad men they hung on to the end, trying to cover their incopetence – to proud to be honerable….
Thom is not anti oly – and the investments oly made into dubious companys was just that… dubious – with one perpous – not make money but hide a loss.
Reading the article you linked – this is not a dubious investment or an out the park technology…. yes I think skin care and beauty is a exsacise in immoraly extracting huge sums of cash from the vain, with a poor & ultimatly usless prommis of youth and beauty. But as an investment it kinda makes sense…
“developed by using the findings of collagen research, anti-oxidization technology and nano-technology accumulated over many years of research and development of photosensitive materials”
Its just a by product of their resurch… not a dubious activity or a reason to attack Thom…
YouDidntDidYou
2 years ago |@Jim
Dummuy00001 got the meaning of my argument, no worries.
Kevin
2 years ago |OH NO… high quality standard powerzoom optimized for video…doesn’t that sound EXACTLY like panasonics? X kit lens?
Fresdy
2 years ago |Any idea about the price ?
Kylberg
2 years ago |It will be very interesting to see what IQ – Olympus (like many others) are phenomenal at bragging when they bring something new to the market. I don’t do video, but can live with power-zoom if it works well. As happy user of 12, 20, 25, 45 primes main interest is on Pana 35-100. Given the IQ is there, 12 – xx could be of interest as a “luxury” addition
ReadingZ
2 years ago |Lets wait and see what benefits could the power zoom bring to us, personal not so in this funky stuff, we will see
scotth
2 years ago |Well, that is unfortunate.
thevoiceoverman
2 years ago |More endless whining before anyone has even seen a review. Merry Christmas.
Jim
2 years ago |not only that but whining about a feature they included? eh… I’de love to get one… not that I will…. but its nothing to do with lens quality
WT21
2 years ago |Sad about a power zoom lens. More “me-too” stuff
JF
2 years ago |“power zoom” that’s not very exciting…but let’s wait and see…
Bob B.
2 years ago |..yawn….so when is someone going to make a 100-200mm fast prime for still photographers?
Jim
2 years ago |90mm f2 macro please
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Instead of waiting, FOREVER, I just bought a used Nikon 105mm f2.8 AI-s macro from KEH.
So far, VERY nice!
I’m going for a long walk today and do a bunch of shooting to compare it with my Nikon 60mm f2.8 macro and Pentax SMC Takumar 105mm f2.8.
@Trevor… Pens, maybe, G and GH series will handle them well.
Jim
2 years ago |Nice….
I got a 100mm F2.8 OM (not macro – pitty) its a very nice lens, but I just find 100mm a little too long – I reckon 90mm would be sweet!
When I got the OM I was also looking at the 90mm F2 macro OM – alas £450 i was not gonna part with for an old lens!
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Cool. How is the OM?
I found out a few weeks ago that my late grandfather left me an OM 135mm f3.5. He had 2 OM-G bodies and a 50mm, too.
Already got an adaptor from Rainbow Imaging, now I’m just waiting to get the lens.
Went out with the Nikon 105mm earlier. It’s REALLY nice! Only checked JPEGs, but the color is very good, it’s seems to be very sharp, even wide open and works well in lower light. I even tried it with my Nikon 2x TC-201 teleconverter, with my monopod and even that was quite good. i’ll have to try it earlier in the day with more light.
Jim
2 years ago |the OM is nice and sharp – even nice and usable wide open @2.8… but is slightly low on contrast… still probably the best “old” lens I have…. although I have an F1.4 c-mount I love too – sooo sharp wide open but vinetts a little… mind you my other oly OM f1.4 50mm is to be blunt – crap – wide open only realy any good by f2.8…. I also have a 35mm F2 OM which is somewhere between the too, quite contrasty tho… all a bit of a mixed bag…
Trevor
2 years ago |I think you’re in the wrong system for fast telephoto. Too big to match those bodies.
Andi
2 years ago |I hope they are delisting Olympus, just because of producing such a mess.
Please, no shitty power zoom. never ever!
JeremyT
2 years ago |Power zoom means a new kit lens, I guess? Remember how all of the rumors about Panasonic’s X line indicated that they would be high quality, but they were just kit lenses too.
Well, if it starts at 12mm, that’s at least a cut above the current kit lenses. And the fact that they need no OIS in lens means that Olympus can make it smaller than a Panasonic equivalent.
Mikey
2 years ago |Seriously, power zoom?
This makes zero sense unless Olympus is going to up their game in the video department. This means Olympus already has this in motion in at least another camera being developed.
Dissapointing to say the least.
It seems fujifilm is the one company at the moment that really understands photographers. Their x10 compact has a manual zoom!
Reggieandtfe
2 years ago |Any chance it will be weather sealed in anticipation of a future dust and splash proof pen from Olympus? I might be completely wrong on this but maybe it would be easier to design a weather sealed lens because of the internal zoom and lack of an extending lens barrel.
Giulio Sciorio
2 years ago |Well if this is true about a video specific lens then there must be a new Olympus capable of taking advantage of this lens around the corner.
tmrgrs
2 years ago |It’s more likely that this is just a false alarm from a not-so-trusted-after-all source. A video feature like power zoom in an Oly lens just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Some say that P&S cameras have power zoom so maybe this lens does as well but this an expensive fast zoom (supposedly) that’s clearly targeted at serious enthusiasts who likey have a DSLR & still photography background.
The only thing that I can imagine that would give Oly the impetus to offer a power zoom lens is that it could be lighter and more compact than a traditional style manual zoom lens but I’m skeptical that this is what’s happening here and think that it’s more plausible that the rumor is just innaccurate. We’ll see soon enough whether I’m right.
Dummy00001
2 years ago |Recent rumors: power zoom lens from Oly + coming new body announcement.
Oly’s releasing video-centric m43 body?
Joey
2 years ago |Id take ois over powerzoom for video
TheEye
2 years ago |A power zoom? No thanks. Still no DSLR-worthy substitute? The financiaI house is in disorder. I’m not waiting for Oly any longer.
WT21
2 years ago |Waiting for what? There’s plenty of good kit today, and m43 lens choices are still better than any other CSC.
TheEye
2 years ago |I have been waiting for the promised “one beautiful system” and an upper tier m4/3 Oly body with inbuilt EVF.
Oilymouse
2 years ago |The system is more than just Olympus. Either buy a Panasonic body with an EVF or just get something from Canon or Nikon or Sony or whatever. Enjoy!
TheEye
2 years ago |Oh I see. You want me to be just a good consumer like you. Some people are more than willing to just buy what’s offered. Some people rather speak up about what products they want. I belong to the latter group.
Disraeli
2 years ago |powerzoom, just what you always wanted
G_C
2 years ago |the 12mm f2 was a step in the right direction, most people looking at PENs are thinking stills not video.
metal barrel, switch-design, focus distance with DOF scale…
a power zoom lens? appeals mainly to video people… for that i’m sure i’d go for a pana anyway
more lenses like the 12mm f2 please!
TheEye
2 years ago |Oly apparently doesn’t dare to be different. Pany is already focusing on video-optimized lenses. Now Oly wants to jump in. Do they want to play catching up much? I bet Oly will soon have another 14-42 kit lens, with power zoom and some other for photography irrelevant feature.
I agree that primes should be a focal point, but then again, all m4/3 primes are apparently software-corrected, so I’m not really interested in those lenses either.
Mr. Reeee
2 years ago |Yes, the 12mm is a great lens, but the cat and brat shooters want ZOOOOOMS. And power zooms are what they’re used to in their P&S cameras. And they certainly don’t want to, nor can they conceive of paying $800 for a non-zooming prime lens.
@TheEye Oly will never beat Panasonic at the video came. They’ve been at it since VHS cameras. it is a feature many people expect to be in a digital camera, so of course Olympus needs to make a BIG effort to improve their video output.
Not ALL M4/3 primes are software corrected. The Voigtländer Nokton 25mm isn’t, but that’s hardly a mass-market, consumer-level lens. A few people have asked me about mine and guess what the first question is every time? “How does it zoom?” When I explain that it doesn’t and show them the manual focus and aperture rings, they go silent.
WT21
2 years ago |The cat and brat crowd won’t pay $800 for a lens. In the states at least, the MWACS have one DSLR and the kit lens and MAYBE the telezoom kit. No idea who an expensive powerzoom lens is aimed at. If it’s a 12-60 f/4-5.6 with powerzoom, then Oly can double keep it. If it’s 2.8-4.0, then it’ll be expensive and beyond the cats and brats/WMAC crowd.
TheEye
2 years ago |I agree that Oly won’t beat Pany at the the video implementation. I don’t care about video. What’s the point of Oly chasing Pany, instead of focusing on doing something different? They should have focused on still cameras and lenses for still cameras. They obviously can improve video implementation, but it shouldn’t be their main goal.
When I mentioned software-corrected m4/3 lenses, I was talking about Olympus and Panasonic lenses. If Voigländer had m4/3 AF lenses I might be interested, but only if there were a m4/3 body with inbuilt EVF. That body would also have to matches of exceeds performance of the E-5, and it would have to be able to AF my 12-60 in a useable and non-destructive way (Terada san’s “one beautiful system”).
Jerry
2 years ago |Would love a 45mm 1.8 equivalent of the 12mm lens – price point and quality of the 45mm has made it a must have and a delight to shoot with. With the combination of the 20mm 1.7, 45mm 1.8 and a $400 12mm I would be all set. I still own the 12-60mm 43 version and use it from time to time with an adapter.
WT21
2 years ago |An idea: how about prioritize par focal over power zoom??? I’d prefer a par focal zoom first.
TheEye
2 years ago |A parfocal lens would be too convenient for those of us who know what it is. The apparent target of Olympus is the novice who couldn’t care less as long as he got power-everything.
WT21
2 years ago |I actually don’t even understand powerzoom without parfocal (especially with CDAF — maybe with Sony’s SLT).
TheEye
2 years ago |Don’t forget we are talking about cameras that utilize contrast AF. The computer knows how focus shifts with focal length in a vario-focal lens.
A zoom should always be a true zoom, if only for convenient MF. The lack of a useful feature is called progress – or rather how to sell everyone new gear every few years. It’s frustrating.
Dave
2 years ago |Power zoom? WTF? Nice way to screw it up. Do not want.
Jonathan
2 years ago |I have no source, but i bet on an olympus m.zuiko 12-60mm f/2.5-3.5 m43 and a panasonic X 12-35mm f/2. They have to be a good competitor against nex and fast zoom is the cure. I hope that power zoom on the new olympus would do right and would have the same control as the panasonic X 45-175, with the focus ring operating like the power zoom button so that it could be fully “customisable” by few setting for the user.
TheEye
2 years ago |What makes you believe that a power zoom allows faster and more precise zooming compared to zooming with a manual zoom? I am talking about still shots, of course. I, for one, want to zoom myself by turning a zoom ring. I neither want nor need a motor to do that for me. The Fuji X10 got a nice manual zoom lens. I guess there’s still a market for it?
As far as videos go, zooming while recording went out of style ca 1975 when overdone in Hong Kong martial arts movies. Zooming is rarely used to good effect. It’s usually amateurs that use zooms. *Yaaaawn*
Martin
2 years ago |> Zooming is rarely used to good effect. It’s usually amateurs that use zooms.
Hmm, so you think m43 is aimed at pros?
TheEye
2 years ago |No, clearly m4/3 is aimed at amateurs. However, who’s to say that an enthusiast or pro wouldn’t want a small cam with no-frills lenses?
Oilymouse
2 years ago |You should watch movies more carefully. Zooming is a technique that is used quite regularly and often with good effect. Often they are quite subtle, so maybe you just didn’t notice.
Since you claim to be such a cinematographic expert, see if you can improve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchcock_zoom
(precisely the kind of stuff the majority of E-PLx owners tend to read before bedtime!)
The “beautiful system” you whine about exists in your mind only. Buy that X10!
TheEye
2 years ago |Uh huh, and it was done without power zoom. :p
Point is, power zoom is now integrated because people coming from P&S cams expect it. That’s the main reason behind the power zoom.
TheEye
2 years ago |PS: The “one beautiful system” term doesn’t come from me. It’s from Terada, who said 4/3 and m4/3 would become one beautiful system.
Martin
2 years ago |> I have no source, but i bet on an olympus m.zuiko 12-60mm f/2.5-3.5 m43 and a panasonic X 12-35mm f/2
I have no source as well, but I bet you’re going to be dissapointed.
Martin
2 years ago |I don’t understand the constant whining even before a product is announced. Just why criticize something before it is available and actually tried?
To use this lens as an example, all the babble sounds like “WTF? Powezoom? Firstly, I don’t know what it is, and secondly the word insults me.”
Oilymouse
2 years ago |Martin, these people solely exist for our enjoyment. When more information comes in, other people will take the discussion from there.
TheEye
2 years ago |I don’t have to try power zoom to know it’s a feature I don’t want.