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

So I can presume the Panasonic 14-140mm, specially mkii, is better IQ wise then? (Since it's generally thought to be better than the Oly 14-150). The macro performance is significantly improved (0.28 vs. 0.18 without adapter or 0.4 with the macro adapter). Is still not a true macro lens, but at least is usable for some real close-ups (the largest image size is actually 0.8 if you consider the 35mm equivalent).

If you have any appreciation for the wide end perspective, which can render dramatic compositions, then the deal breaker, at least for me, is a zoom that goes to 12mm. I would find 12mm vs 14mm very noticeable. When I shot Nikon APS for 12 years, I never felt zoom that started at 18mm (12mm m43 equivalent FOV) enough to satisfy. However, if you already have a 14-150, I would simply compliment it with the Oly 9-18 or PL 8-18 - I have owned both and sold the Oly 9-18 for the better range. The 18mm long end is key for ultra-wide zoom if you hate lens changes. 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. Want to find out more about this multi-purpose zoom? Then be sure to read on! Build Quality and Ergonomics Chromatic aberrations are well controlled at all but the widest end of the zoom when stopped down. At 14mm, fringing starts to exceed one pixel width at f/11 and gets more severe as the aperture is stopped down. Internally, the construction remains the same, and it’s a relatively complex formula that reveals Olympus’ design savvy with 15 elements in 11 groups, complete with three aspherical elements: one double-sided aspherical (DSA) element, one aspherical ED (EDA) glass, and one conventional single-sided asphere.

Ease of Use

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. Unfortunately, we found color fringing in our tests with this lens. Still though, there is no reason for you to cry about it, just incorporate another step. But for a lens at this price and offering so much, you have to expect it. At 25mm the maximum aperture drops to f/4.7. The lens manages 1,902 lines on the center-weighted test, with edges that are a bit soft at 1,371 lines. At f/5.6 it's a better performer; 2,171 lines across the frame with edges that show 1,799 lines. The best performance is achieved at f/8 (2,409 lines average, 2,201 lines at the edges). 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.

TheOlympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-150mm f/4-5.6 lens is a compact, lightweight lens with excellent sharpness in the centre. At the 150mm end, the angle of view narrows to 8.2°, equivalent to that of a 300mm lens mounted to a 35mm full-frame body. Olympus FT useres have always dreamt of such a Holiday-Lens with good performance, now its real - but not for FT - too bad! For creative photos, this lens seems way ahead of that 18-180 Four Thirds DSLR lens (remember that?) - it is waterproof, it has fast AF, it is not big at all - and for those times when you only want one single lens, not limited to a 25mm prime, again this lens would work as you have shown.

Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Specifications

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 Given that the 14-150mm covers such a wide focal range, it is normal that there is some vignetting at the fastest apertures and longest focal lengths. If you set the aperture to f/5.6 at 150mm, for example, vignetting can be quite noticeable in some situations. It gradually becomes less pronounced up until f/13, at which point it completely disappears. Vignetting at 150mm at f/9 – E-M1, 1/125, f/ 9, ISO 200

Distortion is very well controlled for a superzoom lens. Imatest detected 1.7% barrel distortion at 14mm and a negligible amount of pincushion at 150mm. This low level shouldn't pose many issues, but if absolutely straight lines are needed, you'll be glad to know that it should be relatively straightforward to correct as the distortion pattern is uniform across the frame. It gets some dust behind its front-lens, but I haven't noticed so far any effect of it on the image quality The Olympus 14-150mm f4-5.6 II lens is a really good option for most photographers. It isn’t going to give you the absolute best images, but the images that it delivers are still quite good. If you need a superzoom with weather sealing and a pretty good zoom range, you can’t beat this one. Slap it into your camera and go shooting. You won’t be disappointed; and if you are, you can just fix it in post. Looking to upgrade your equipment? Get competitive prices on major brands with our part-exchange service.Finally, at 150mm, there is a slight drop in performance, but sharpness is still excellent in the centre of the frame at maximum aperture and very good towards the edges of the frame. The molded grips on the slim silver ring adjacent to the mount aid in mounting and dismounting the lens. We give the Olympus 14-150mm f4-5.6 II lens four out of five stars. Want one? B&H Photo has them right here for you. Recommended Cameras and Accessories No lens hood is supplied as standard with this lens, which is a shame. However, it is quite resistant to flare so a hood may not be required in many cases. MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth.