Patent: Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8!
As I told you weeks ago Olympus may introduce a contsant f/2.8 lens soon. Specs are yet unkown but Egami spotted a new Olympus patent that may describes exactly what’s coming. Basically the patent is about the sam lens but in two different variations:
1) 12-40mm f/2.8-40 lens:
39.100mm – f = 12.247 focal length
Fno 2.88 -. 4.08
31.11 ° – 2ω = 88.03 angle
BF 18.407 – 27.202mm
133.86mm – 136.25 Length
Mod 0.35m
15 sheets of 13 group lens configuration
Three six-sided aspherical
3 ED glass sheets
2) 12-40mm with constant f/2.8 aperture.
39.081mm – f = 12.249 focal length
Fno. 2.88
30.85 ° – 2ω = 85.27 angle
BF 16.194 – 16.192mm
131.16mm – 140.24 Length
Mod 0.35m
13 images in 11 groups lens configuration
5 three aspherical surface
3 ED glass sheets
That lens will be certainly weather sealed and a real competitor of the Panasonic 12-35mm X lens.
Snicklefritz
3 months ago |1st post. Yay.
Sounds like the perfect partner for the OM-D.
minnow
3 months ago |+1
gf
3 months ago |if the two new olympus zoom f2.8 lenses turns out to be as sharp as the 60mm f2.8 macro lens, with the same weather sealing, and very competitive price, then they’ll really an edge over the panasonic lenses.
gf
3 months ago |** then they’ll really have an edge over the panasonic lenses.
also hopefully, both lenses will have internal focusing so that they will not extend like the lumix 12-35mm
Ckmaui
3 months ago |Do wish the 12-35 did not extend
Still a great lens lets hope OlY one ups it
TheEye
3 months ago |Internal focus and internal zoom, please.
Jordan S.
3 months ago |In doubt it would be internal zoom. I’ve never seen a fast internal zoom from wide to tele. Canon, Nikon, everyone has extending fast standard zooms. Even Panasonic, which has been doing impressively small internal zooming lenses like the 45-175 and 35-100.
Then again, the Oly 12-50 is the only slow standard zoom I’ve ever seen with internal zoom, but even so, with large elements, I think the size penalty wouldn’t be worth the internal zoom mechanism.
Ulli
3 months ago |Possibly the resistance against dust/moisture is better with non-extending/internal focus/zoom designs?
Esa Tuunanen
3 months ago |Internal zoom sure allows easier (=cheaper) weather sealing but because of outer structure needing to be extended all the time lens will be big for its optical quality…
Or lack of it like in case of 12-50mm.
peevee
3 months ago |“131.16mm – 140.24 Length”
Looks like it extends.
Anonymous
3 months ago |But surprisingly little, and that is probably the lens system without casing. So it’s not unthinkable that they would construct it similarly to the kit lens. It would be great not to have it suck in all the dust…
Ckmaui
3 months ago |Flat part of the mount and the part that sits in a bit is my guess or front of element to actual endmof the baody on those numbers
Thats just 9mm not much
Martin
3 months ago |If the new Olympus zoom lens turns out to be as sharp as the 12-50mm lens and will be overpriced the similar way as the 17mm f/1.8 or the original version of 75-300mm, then Panasonic will certainly have an edge over this lens
Lol-WHUT?
3 months ago |“and very competitive price”
Competitive to WHOM??
Canon, Nikon, Ziess??
You can best believe this lens will cost much more than the Panasonic 12-35.
You better hope its in black as well!
oluv
3 months ago |if the specs are right, this lens would be longer than the panasonic 100-300.
no thanks, i rather stick to MICRO four thirds.
Ross
3 months ago |If you want larger aperture lenses it has to be bigger & if they do that it would also be most likely a nice sharp lens, otherwise stick to your kit zooms & if they serve you well, then fine.
minnow
3 months ago |Just stick to your kit zooms then. I and many others appreciate a faster lens and are willing to accommodate some extra size for that.
true homer
3 months ago |Are you 2 kidding? The panna 12-35 is diminutive! If the 12-40 is as big as the 100-300 then its a joke! That lens is 8 inches long!
peevee
3 months ago |“True homo” is trolling again. 100-300 is 5 inches long. But from the specs the 12-40 it looks even longer. I doubt they will produce it like that, will probably make it collapsible.
true homer
3 months ago |ok, im trolling….
The 100-300 is super small!!!! this is an engineering achievement by oly. fantastic!!yay!!!!
look!!!its so tiny!!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7244/6907354546_cd56b6725e_z.jpg
kGi
3 months ago |You are right true homer but you should know better than to upset the Olympus fannyboys probably the same ones who will be buying $80 hoods and wetting their pants when the special edition black model comes out
safaridon
3 months ago |The specs show that the lens lengths are 134-136mm and 131-140mm and do not extend much so likely are internal focusing as most are hoping for. However at over 5 inches long parked will make the EM5 bulkier to carry around compared to the Pany equivalent lens.
Ckmaui
3 months ago |Sounds promising
My panny 12-35 is very nice at least my copy
The oly 75 1.8 is Amazing !
If they could better the Panny 12-35 I would buy one and hope they do a 35-100 style constant 2.8 also
HMR
3 months ago |Oly’s will be 35-105 constant 2.8 ☺
rrr_hhh
3 months ago |I prefer a sharper F2.8-F4 to a soso F2.8 constant aperture. It seems that the variable aperture will also be somewhat smaller.
Jshaw6000
3 months ago |I’d get it for those extra mm if it has OIS. Unfortunately I’m locked to Panny zooms since OIS is a big deal—I mostly shoot handheld video. Hopefully Oly comes out with a GH3 rival (in terms of video) that has IBIS.
Atlasman
3 months ago |Jshaw6000
After I began shooting video with the E-M5, I stopped using the GH2. Nothing beats the E-M5 for hand-held video capture.
I looked at the GH3 and prefer the E-M5—I’d rather give up a little in image quality for the sake of hand-held stability.
Anonymous
3 months ago |Somehow, I think you will wait a very long time for Oly to produce a lens with built in IS, when you consider they believe in IBIS, they have no need for a lens with built in IS.
rrr_hhh
3 months ago |He is not wanting an Olympus lens with OIS, but an E-M? With IBIS and video secs up to he GH3.
Bob B.
3 months ago |This is welcome news…and the MFT lens quiver keeps getting bigger and better. Cool!
Narretz
3 months ago |Variable length means protruding front element, right?
minnow
3 months ago |yes.
Personally I don’t mind it on cheaper lenses, but it makes a lens feel rather fragile and tacky.
Goose
3 months ago |Hope both are coming, so 12-40 F2.8-4.0 would be cheaper option.
Sunny
3 months ago |Yes! A cheaper and compact 12-40 F2.8-4.0 for the PENs and a weathersealed 12-40 F2.8 for the OMD.
Indra1221
3 months ago |Agree…Don’t need constant 2.8 if you must spending a lot of money and a bulky lens…I’d like to keep it simple…more versatile for work and travel.
rrr_hhh
3 months ago |From the specs it may be a little smaller and hopefully be sharper (it has more glass elements). I don’t want a cheap lens, there are enough around, I want a sharp lens Ffreeing high IQ and think that the variable aperture is more likely to offer that.
Burnhard
3 months ago |THIS is interesting! I can’t remember when I said this before about a m43 lens.
Sunny
3 months ago |For a 12-40 2.8 I would sell my 12-50, 20 1.7 and 45 1.8.
I hope it´s not much more expensive than about 800 euros.
Dunne
3 months ago |Maybe the 12-50 and 20 1.7, but the 45 1.8? Never!
Dunne
3 months ago |As much as I love my primes (12, 20, 45, 85) when it comes to events like birthdays when flexibility is needed, I would love to have a zoom. 12-40 stills seems to be a little short, but I would go for it even at 2.8-4 – given the optical performance is much better than the kit lenses.
Loga
2 months ago |I’m not sure what about you guys, but a 12-40 f2.8-f4.0 would be just a _little_ faster than the 12-50 kit zoom. Less than _one stop_ at the short end and about one stop at the long end (at 40mm!!). Is this the big deal? A constant f2.8 would be the real upgade, IMHO.
Ton
3 months ago |Bring it on! If this turns out to reality, i’ll start saving money for a year. I’m afraid this will be more expensive than the panny 12-35. But I have high hopes, that this will be more stellar lens than the panny 12-35
Matthias
3 months ago |Price? Availability?
Farrukh
3 months ago |This could be quite good!
Andrew
3 months ago |Competitive pricing? I wish that as much as anyone here. But I don’t recall any lens being considerably “competitively priced” in m43 by Olympus or Panasonic.
Flash
3 months ago |Maybe Olympus 45?
Andrew
3 months ago |The 45 is a great lens…it’s as fast as canon and nikon’s $100 50mm f/1.8 though probably at least on par with canon/nikon’s f/1.4 optically speaking which are obviously faster, bigger and of better build. MUCH better housing and yet the Olympus is more expensive than all of them. Again, great lens, love having it, but it’s not exactly competitively priced.
-
3 months ago |c’mon, the f/1.4 are soft as a baby butt wide open and cost over 300 bucks, and the f/1.8 are well.. you get what you pay for. Especially the Canon 50 II is an assault with its plastic mount and unprecise AF gears. Oh, I fotgot the nice pentagon-bokeh
And yes, I had them..
Andrew
3 months ago |Right. Want a high quality version of the Canon/Nikon 50mm f/1.8? Then be willing to pay 3-4x the price. You get what you pay for, but it isn’t a steal.
-
3 months ago |Well at that time as a canon user I could only choose between the L and the sigma. So i fetched me a 50/1.4 OM, a high precision focusing screen and it was ok but it is pity that no manufacturer sells hier something like the 35L or 85so mm, which are all pretty good. May be the new zeiss will set a benchmark here, we will see
tryyt
3 months ago |Try that experiment with the same DOF the 50mm F1.8 lenses have the same DOF as an F0.9 mFT lens. Though the 50mm F1.8G from Nikon already delivers very good results across the frame from wide open with scores as high as any mFT lens, at the same DOF as an mFT lens it wipes the floor with anything in mFT land. The Nikon costs $190 their other new F1.8G lenses also deliver amazing bang for the buck. Small lenses use a fraction of the materials and only have to cover a sensor a quarter the size.
Flash
3 months ago |I can count on my figures the times that DOF, for a real shoot, was a problem for the gear I was using. I have used cameras of various sizes and covering over 50 years of production. And about half it was that it was not big enough. Real poor quality bokeh is more of an issue IMO; inconsistent results between different examples of the same lens is my pet pev of probles, I have borrowed and rent a bit.
Bobafett
3 months ago |For CHF 299.- the 45mm is definitely competitively priced!
Andrew
3 months ago |lol, sure.
Andres
3 months ago |This news means: wait! don’t buy panasonic! Wait for oly
Sunny
3 months ago |No news. It´s a rumor.
true homer
3 months ago |Its not even a rumor, its a patent.
Sunny
3 months ago |A patent is a patent. Not a product.
MFTfan
3 months ago |It is true that a patent is not a product, but in this case, the detailed specification and drawings would suggest that this lens was ready for production when the patent was filed. It typically takes 18 months after filing for a patent application to be published by the USPTO. That is sufficient time for Olympus to set up manufacturing of the lens.
true homer
3 months ago |so its gonna be the biggest mft lens ever made?
sneye
3 months ago |This would be bloody expensive. A lot of glass, much of it exotic (5 aspherical surfaces and 3 ED elements. Bloody hell). I would guess $1600-1700. It’s also far from being small, so the compromise is in size rather than in image quality.
Tropical Yeti
3 months ago |This would be bloody expensive. A lot of glass, much of it exotic (5 aspherical surfaces…
Well, not really. “Aspherical glass” is nowadays mostly just “moulded plastics”, which is cheap. Oly is expert in this area.
Polishing glass aspherically is what is really expensive. But I don’t believe this will be the case in such a lens.
sneye
3 months ago |AFAIK plastics can’t be used in larger optical elements due to their sensitivity to temperature. Otherwise I would imagine in-camera software correction of geometric distortion would not be necessary.
BTW, some polymers make better optical material than glass. They have higher transmission, lower dispersion and are easier to work with. So even if they did use plastic elements it would not compromise optical quality.
twoomy
3 months ago |Man, I’m still living in a fantasy world where the old 43rds 12-60 f/2.8-4 gets recreated in M43. Yes, it would be a bigger lens, but that 12-60 had wonderful image quality AND wonderful range. Not much lens switching with that beast…
Matthias
3 months ago |I suppose the optical quality will not be as good as the FT 12-60, but the price will be 50% more…
JimD
3 months ago |Now this sounds like a lens I might be interested in to take away my fast focus 12-60mm longing. but 10-50 2.8-3.5 would have been better. I am happy to lose a bit to a slightly wider lens. 14mm was the widest for yonks, then we got 12mm its time to think 10mm, without losing to much at the longer end.
The days of narrow band zooms are technically past. How about a Tamron 18-270mm with a built in focal reducer. Or a Tamron 18-70 2.8 with a focal reducer built in to make a nice “real” 18-70/f2.
twoomy
3 months ago |I’m there with you for a zoom starting at 10mm! Don’t see it happening, but I’d love it anyway. That would be my landscape lens on my camera 99% of the time.
EspenB
3 months ago |Without built in stabilization its useless for anything but IBIS owners.
And as usuall the sun hood comes at a premium extra and no lens bag is included.
Salty
3 months ago |Bit of a sweeping statement. Plenty of highly regarded Canon and Nikon zooms with no image stabilisation.
Flash
3 months ago |Hand holding an equivalent 24-80 , especially with the ISO that our cameras use, is easy. It just takes simple technic. Just start with a fast ISO of 400 and practice, after reading a how to hold your camera tutorial. Shoot a hundred shoots then start using slower ISO and longer speeds; eventually you will be able to handhold even 1/10 of a second shutter speeds. After a week you will find your shoots better then when using stabilization.
Anentropic
3 months ago |number 2) please
-
3 months ago |They are damn huge, 140 mm!
I’d rather stick then to my FT glas morgue
sneye
3 months ago |Geometric distortions are most probably optically-corrected, which requires a complex design and a large physical size. But then, such lenses would have sharper corners than, say, the Panasonic 12-35.
-
3 months ago |My 12-60 SWD has sharper corners than the MZ 12/2 at f/2.8 and less native distortion (-2.5 vs -5.xx). I just cannot imagine what would be done better with that much more glass un a µFT glass
ok, it could be superb, but the 12-60 is very close to being superb – eventually even at a fraction of the cost, because I expect such zooms to have 4-digit market prices
sneye
3 months ago |The 12-60 IS superb, but can’t focus fast enough on a m4/3 body.
-
3 months ago |Not yet but that is what Oly tries to do afterall – make the FT glass run on mFT
With the introduction of an mft 12-40 or so, this would sound like resignation – I do hope they get it somehow
JF
3 months ago |It is longer than the 12-60 mm !! WTF ?!
OMD owner
3 months ago |133.86mm – 136.25 Length ???
131.16mm – 140.24 Length ???
Why is it so big?
Panasonic 12-35 f/2.8 has 74x68mm.
Panasonic 35-100/2.8 has 68x100mm.
Panasonic 100-300/4-5.6 has 74x126mm (and is too big for my OM-D).
Nawaf
3 months ago |Good glass? I really don’t mind as long as it’s as sharp as a blade.
true homer
3 months ago |Hahahaha…come on people! Stop being Fanboys! A lens with that range that is that insanely big is a joke! Stop trying to defend it! When the 35-100 came out everybody here was calling it huuuuuuge and now this lens is bigger than the 100-300, a lens with about 10 times its focal lenght and its ok??!!
Fanboys? here? Nooooo, not here
Fish
3 months ago |Who are you talking to? Nawaf just said that he didnt mind the length of the lens as long as it was extremely sharp. And to that personal opinion you explode in a rant about fanboys?
Newsflash for you: Newaf doesnt speak for everyone here. Some people will value size more, others will value optical quality more. Some people will want both but that is a tall order, especially with a zoom.
Calling anyone who doesnt share you opinion a “fanboy” is kind of passe. It only reveals how closeminded you are.
If the lens is really that long (which I doubt), then the most you could say is that lens is too big FOR YOU. You cant say that it’s too big for everyone else.
Nawaf
3 months ago |I totally agree with you Fish. We are not supposed to have our own opinions or needs according to true homer.
I go on fishing trips and can’t change my lens with all the spray in the air. I need a zoom that’s close to the quality of my primes. I use the 12mm and 45mm and this zoom would be perfect for these trips where I can’t or don’t have time to change your lens out.
The 12mm retails for $800 so I hope no one is expecting it to be cheap. I’m sure it will be weather sealed though, a must for a zoom like this.
true homer
3 months ago |I call fanboys people that act like so. And this place is pack full of them. the 12-35 is smaller and has ois, this is gonna be the biggest mft lens ever made and its only 40mm at the long end. If you give that a pass youre a fanboy.
The same people giving it a pass are the same people that comment how the 35-100 is soooo big and expensive. That is until oly announces their version…
Whatever somebody else does deserves a crusade against them but when oly announces a 1000$ pen and a 6 inch long short tele its all good, and oly has done it perfectly.
ITS BIGGER THAN THE FULL FRAME 24-70
what bothers you is that Im right
Abraham
3 months ago |Of course this place has “faboys” it is an enthusiast site… WTF are you doing here? It is a sad person who torments himself the way you do
true homer
3 months ago |Im here because im a m43s owner. both olympus and panasonic. So i wanna know whats comming up. simple
Ckmaui
3 months ago |Lens is notmout ?
We dont know for sure
No fan boy I use my OMD for work along with FF to me quality comes first
And its not that big ?
Dont like it ? Dont buy it ?
Dont like the size go back to your point and shoot then like the RX100 if you want tiny
Dont like the size use slow kit lens options or that compact X that panny has ?
true homer
3 months ago |thats exactly what Ill do, Ill stick with the 12-35 instead of this joke. i too have an omd and i cant imagine having a lens bigger than the 100-300 for a short tele. The 100-300 on the OMD looks huge, and this lens is bigger than that. THERES NO DEFENDING IT!
OM-4ever
3 months ago |Looks good, but a 10mm-17mm f2.8, would be better.
alexander
3 months ago |!!!!! 12-60mm !!!!!
Harold GLIT
3 months ago |no a 12-60mm could not hold the 2.8 aperture across without a massive weight and lowe r quality at max aperture at 60mm
Harold
Anonymous
3 months ago |Note, unless this possible Oly zoom lens has image stabilization built in, it really is not a direct competitor to the Panasonic constant aperture zoom lenses. Oly and Panny have chosen fundamentally different approaches to image stabilization, so, their lenses are never really comparable. There are also the other differences, such as the fact that Panny lenses perform software based corrections (but only on Panny cameras). I don’t understand why so many folks need to directly compare Oly and Panny lenses when they have such basic differences?
Anonymous
3 months ago |Because, as an Olympus owner, I can choose whatever lens I want. CA correction is a total non-issue since it’s so easy to do in post. Panasonic owners really get the short end of the m43 stick.
Anonymous
3 months ago |panasonic owners get the short end of the stick? Having owned both brands, I would have to disagree. I like the Pany lenses better and feel they are better built as well as the bodies. They come with lens hoods, are black and are not really attached to a hoard of uninformed Oly zealots. Pany quietly makes professional quality stuff, while, Oly mesmerizes idots with gimmicks.
Fish
3 months ago |You and True Homer appear to be the zealots here. Read your post over again.
Comments about lenses are perfectly fine, consumers will prefer different products over others, thats why there are different products. But are you so insecure about hardware that you need to change the focus to insulting people instead?
If you were actually satisfied with what you have, there would be no reason for your comments
Anonymous
3 months ago |HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA And what’s stopping me from using Pany lenses on my Oly camera ? hahaha god you’re naive… To argument about fanboyism in a system that has cross-compatibility is the most stupid thing you could do, go back to trolling canikon fanboys. Seriously, why can’t people get over the fact that you can mix and match bodies and lenses as desired ? What’s stopping me from enjoying both companies cameras as well as the lenses, you could have a GX camera and a OMD and this trolls would still call you a fanboy.
true homer
3 months ago |I have both, and the difference is I dont have an olympus blindfold and feel the need to defend everything olympus does EVEN WHEN THEYRE CLEARLY SCREWING YOU. What of what he said is not true?
Does olympus not charge a premium for hoods?
Does olympus not charge a premium for black lenses?
Will the ep5 not be a 1000$ viewfinderless gimmick?
Go ahead and read the previous comment…first a guy says that panasonic owners get the short end of the stick, no one say nothing to him. But when a guy says that panasonic is actually doing it right and making professional products we’re called zealots. A zealot is a fanatically commited person, who do you think that term applies to more here?
Then you get mad if your called a fanboy.
Lupo
3 months ago |Is it imaginable that this lens will be the standard kit lens of the new E-P5? It would justify a kit price of 1000 $…
Jens
3 months ago |The lens alone will start at 1000$ (see Panasonic’s starting price)
There might be a OM-D II kit for 2000,- in autumn
amalric
3 months ago |Yes, a 2000 $ E-P5 kit with no built EVF. How times change
Jimpeters
3 months ago |well said lol , and lets not forget a few hundred extra euros for us in the EU
Lupo
3 months ago |Panasonic 12-35/2.8 has OIS, no competitor for this zoom class so far and it seems to be smaller. The Oly zoom must be cheaper.
Furthermore the price for the Pana will decrease significantly when Oly will enter the market. My estimation: Pana 700-800 $, Oly 500-600 $
Lictor
3 months ago |Interesting, by your logic Panasonic 20 1.7 would be the most expensive lens in the line-up, since it’s the smallest, and 100-300 most expensive.
The price of the lens is determined by the size and complexity of the glass inside, and if this lens has more glass or bigger glass elements than the Panasonic 12-35 it will be more expensive. For the reference, just look at the price of 4/3 12-35 f2.0 Olympus zoom – both it’s size and price. And Panasonic is a good lens, but far from be all and end all in optical quality, so there is room for improvement and therefore larger price.
And didn’t you notice that in all systems bigger lenses cost more? Ie. lenses like large telephoto primes or 2.8 zooms.
sneye
3 months ago |Certainly not. This lens (assuming something with similar specs is coming) is in an entirely different league. A more realistic kit lens would be the 12-50.
Jens
3 months ago |Any news about its big brother? 40/12 = 3.333 zoom. -> Will we get a 40-133mm 2.8 big brother then? I’d like to have a 40-150 F 2.8 or 2.8-3.5 rather than a 40-120 2.8 constant aperture…
Miroslav
3 months ago |12-40mm F2.8-4 seems more probable to me. No such lens in the system. Constant F2.8 is already covered by Panasonic.
my name is Olympus
3 months ago |covered by Panasonic means no money for Olympus.
true homer
3 months ago |Same price with no ois and a much longer barrel also means no money for olympus
true homer
3 months ago |oh wait, I forgot where I am. this lens will see a lot of buyers here
bobthewrecker
3 months ago |Looks like my earlier guess might turn out to be correct! Somehow I didn’t count for a 35-100 type as the first Oly fast zoom so I went for the Lumix 35-100 first. I hope AF in the new Oly zooms is as fast as in the 12-50. I know that bigger elements mean more inertia but the 12-50 compared to the 35-100 is a lightning. Don’t get me wrong, both AF fast, but in general I feel that the msc lenses focus faster on the OM-D than the Panasonic ones.
Harold GLIT
3 months ago |I have three focal lenghts that would cover 95% of my needs ( in 35mm equivalents ) 24, 40mm and 80mm ( a very difficult focal to find except on not so bright 80-200 or 300 mm zoomz). so that zoom would be ideal
Let s hope it is black , weathersealed and … let s be daring olympus… includes a HOOD
Harold
stev
3 months ago |Sincerely I’d prefer a classic 14-35 2.8 smaller and lighter or a 14-35 f/2 to obtain a decent DOF. I don’t want to use a 2.8 long 140 mm, more than my Pentax 50-135 2.8 for dslr with internal zoom!
peevee
3 months ago |“131.16mm – 140.24 Length”
It is too long for m43.12-40 is of course a little more versatile compared to 12-35, but just barely. Give me 11-60/2-4, damn you!
MarcoSartoriPhoto
3 months ago |Honestly Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 is tempting me (am I becoming lazy?). Off topic: what I really would like to have is a new, high quality 8/9mm.
Kin
3 months ago |I am sure its hood will sell separately no matter what it is.
avds
3 months ago |There’s just no way these lenses could be 14cm long. That “length” perhaps refers to something other. Besides this being just not possible at all, I presume they would publish lens diameter along with its length if specifying external lens dimensions were they aim.
BTW, Admin you forgot to publish info about the third lens mentioned on that page – a 12-40/4.0 fixed-fn zoom.
ph
3 months ago |Don’t care about both these zooms. Give us the long awaited 9 or 10mm UWA prime. Quite amazing that an UWA prime still is not part of the m4/3 lens line-up. Even more so, with so many players joining the party. The first brand to release an UWA prime would have an instant hit.
TheEye
3 months ago |I have been waiting for four years for a 9 or 10 mm prime. Don’t get your hopes up.
David
3 months ago |All this over a patent. Wow. Everyone calm the heck down. There are millions of patents for products that will never be produced. Oly will come out with something, in the near future, and it is unlikley to look like either of these patents. And whatever they come out with…it won’t make you a better photographer.
JL
3 months ago |Oly FT 12-60mm f2.8-4 is 79.5mm diameter x 98.5mm length… For a constant f2.8 the diameter maybe has to be larger, but the lenght… 14-35 f2 is 86x123mm.
Something stinks here. 12-40mm f2.8(-4)lens may be coming, but dimensions have to be false, or Olympus has changed the whole lens designer division.
observer
3 months ago |These will be marketed as Long Dong Silvers
true homer
3 months ago |dont say that here, youll be called a troll
sam
3 months ago |Sounds really good. The perfect kit would be:
12-40 2.8 for everyday and wide angle shooting
45-200 or 100-300 panasonic for telephoto
45mm 1.8 for portraiture
em-5
As good and flexible as it gets. If small size is what people are concerned with, just stick with the kit zoom and the 20mm pancake.
Hoping the new zoom has similar IQ to the old 14-54.
ralph
3 months ago |we can fully expect both models to be silver with an optional hood for another $80.
six months later they’ll be released as a limited edition black version for a 40% markup.
what is with olympus’ fixation on silver lenses?
kffguj
3 months ago |Olympus are unlucky in that they cant sell enough gear to make a profit ,while being lucky enough to have a small band of dedicated idiot fans who think it is fine to spend 10 times the price it should cost for hood that should be included already
safaridon
3 months ago |My guess is the 12-40 f2.8-4 lens is what we may see as kit lens on the coming EP5? Seems to fit the long box shown in the Oly teaser! Perhaps the long size is because the design for this faster lens is based more on the existing slower kit lens hence the length rather then making it as compact as possible?
amalric
3 months ago |Yes, that was my take too. The 2.8 something zoom below the blue cloth.
I don’t think it’s a good idea, since IMHO the E-Px works better as a stealth device, hence small primes are better. Marketing however has always the last word, and generally privileges affluent dentists, or rich heiresses
Don’t forget however that in April we should also see the G and GF replacements. It will be interesting to see how Panny interprets the way ahead. Perhaps they won’t be introduced as luxury items, which seems to be Oly’s temptation now.
One can still dream a no frills camera with integrated EVF, without having to weep all the way to the bank
Jono
3 months ago |Does this mean the other constant aperture F/2.8 zoom will be the aforementioned 40-150/2.8?
ralph
3 months ago |if the 12-40 2.8-4 is as good as the 14-54mm 2.8-3.5 II, and comes in black, then i shall most likely sell the 14-54. if not, then its back to saving up for the pana 12-35.
Charles
3 months ago |I´ll stay with primes instead of this (semi-)fast big, heavy, expansive zooms. As far as zooms are considered, the cheap oly kit lenses fit my bill. For everything else, primes are better, at least for me. Primes are smaller, lighter, less expanisve, have better iq and their focal length restriction make the process more enjoyable.
Matthias
3 months ago |And I need zooms for traveling…
camaman
3 months ago |No way that 130-140mm figure is correct! That is ridiculous for a m43 zoom of this range! 12-50mm f2.8 I could understand. Current kit lens is 83mm.
Maybe they plan on making it with big glass and theoretically “faster” or with larger image circle to make it SHG, but the size is to big for convenience and the price will be 50% more of the Panasonic this way…
mring1
3 months ago |Not surprised at the general outlines of these lenses, though it would have been nice for it to be a little longer. They’ve obviously chosen speed over length, and that’s probably the “quality” choice. It does seem unlikely that they’ll do both lenses; that’s splitting a fairly narrow market even more. I doubt the bankers that drive Olympus will like that idea.
Cost factor will be interesting. Pany’s gotta be hoping this is a $1600 lens. Sigma and Tamron will be watching as well.
jocky scot
3 months ago |Waste of time. Too small a range. !4-54 is ideal
JimD
3 months ago |Needs to be at least 12 on the short end.
bousozoku
3 months ago |Except that Four-Thirds and micro Four-Thirds is lacking on the wide end.
Twaddler Belafonte
3 months ago |m43 continues to shine on; NEX stagnates.
I really expected more from Sony. hmm.
bousozoku
3 months ago |12-40mm f/2.8 sounds better than my 14-35mm f/2.0 mostly, if they can conquer the distortion at 12mm. Having 12mm in a (minimally-compromised) zoom would be great.
zhixian
3 months ago |not interested… more interested in something like a telephoto zoom f/2.8… 40-150 or even 40-200mm… normal zoom f/2.8 is not so great with m4/3 in my opinion.
Pekka Potka
3 months ago |The zoom pictured here extends while zooming and has internal focusing. So the longest dimension is while shooting at longest extension and this lens would be more compact while carrying. I would be VERY surprised to see anything else than internal focusing from Olympus, at least for several new lenses. Panasonic did not quite make it with 12-35 mm (IMHO), hopefully Olympus goes for image quality rather than size.
Those of you who are waiting for wider angles, there is also 8-20 mm F.2.8-4 patent from Olympus… http://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2012-10-12
As said, these are just patent drawings not necessarily lenses in production.
-p-
Milt
3 months ago |These look like easy patents. Maybe I can make one up at home.
Would not mind an 8-20mm F 2.8-4 if it has better IQ than the 9-18mm which I won’t buy. The Panasonic 7-14 is on my shopping list. A 8-9mm pancake would be nice too.
Z
3 months ago |Egh, I was really hoping for a 12-60mm or 12-54mm. 40mm will be a tad short.
!!PLEASE!!
Also, if that’s the range expect the f2.8-f4 lens, as the f2.8 would be too similar to the Panasonic 12-35mm, which would hurt the sales of both companies. The f2.8-f4 would need to come in at about $600-$700 (since the f2.8 fixed with IS is $980 now).
true homer
3 months ago |new? where? ive not seen it at that price. would you post a link?
Z
3 months ago |Read this:
http://www.43rumors.com/us-superdeals-on-all-cameras-that-will-be-replaced-soon-e-p3-gx1-g5/
It was a temporary deal, but I’m guessing the price will slowly migrate to this or we’ll see it again. Maybe.
mring1
3 months ago |Z…I really hope you’re right on the price, but I don’t see much chance that this lens is going to be $700. I’m hoping it’s “only” $900, and that’s based on it being 2.8-4.
We’ll know next month.
FTT
3 months ago |Hope the size of the 12-40mm f2.8-4 is no larger than Fuji’s 18-55mm f2.8-4. Also hope the max aperture at 25mm can stay at f2.8…
Olympus M 12-40mm f/2.8 or f/2.8-4 patents found | Olympus E-M5 Resource Blog
2 months ago |[...] Patent: Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8! [...]