The compact ultra-wide angle zoom lens designed
for Micro Four Thirds System cameras offers an unlimited 2x zoom lens
equivalent to 18-36mm on a 35mm camera. It costs about $ 675 and features a
collapsible design.
Features and manipulations
Weighing just 155g and only 49.5 mm long
when closed back, this lens is extremely compact compared with the limits it
offers. The lens itself is made from high quality plastic and the lens mount
frame is made of metal. It forms a great combination with the compact body of
the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 used for testing, and will also fit the smaller body
from the Micro Four Thirds with an equivalent range.
Olympus
M.ZUIKO Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6
As this lens features a collapsible design,
the aperture will almost double its length. Once expanded, the rotation
adjustment is limited zoom range zoom unless the side switch is activated, the
lens can then fall again to become more compact when stored hold. Focusing
process done inside the 52mm filter does not rotate during use, making this
lens ideal for use with the filter scale and bias. The AF speed is fast and the
focus ring is manually braked, which makes the adjustment process quite simple.
One odd thing on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
used to test is that the lens cannot focus all in manual focus mode. Because
this lens creates a wide-intensive range, even at maximum aperture, it will not
be a problem in practice. The lens has a silent focus motor and is labeled as
one of Olympus’s MSC lenses, suitable for videos and stills. The minimum
focusing distance is 25cm allowing capture images at close range and quite
ideal for shooting in cramped conditions.
The
body of the lens
Performance
At 9mm and maximum aperture, the sharpness
in the center of the box is great and the sharpness to the edge of the frame is
very good. There is no real benefit to achieve sharpness in the center of the
frame down by the focal length down, but the sharpness of the edges of the
frame reached the improvement with excellent lower aperture down between f/5.6
and f/8.
At 14mm, high sharpness level is maintained
at the center of the frame at maximum aperture, but obviously at the edges of
the frame the sharpness dropped. Reducing to f/8 improves sharpness towards the
edges of the frame at a pretty good level, while still maintaining outstanding
sharpness in the center of the frame.
Finally, at 18mm, sharpness in the center
of the frame is excellent with a maximum aperture at 14mm and is like, the
sharp edges of the frame to fall behind a bit, which still hits pretty well. Reducing
down to f/8 improved sharpness at the edge of the box well at this focal
length.
Chromatic
aberration review
How to read our charts?
The blue columns represent the index from
the center of the frame at the various apertures and the green is from the
edges. The average of the two figures above will be on the red weighted column.
The column on the left side shows the
resolution of the actual image. The higher the column the better the quality of
the camera lens.
In this article, the lens was tested on a
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 using Imatest.
Chromatic aberrations on the edges of the
frame are well controlled in 9mm, but rose to a remarkable point with zoom lens
smaller than 14mm. Some key points may need to be done while shooting scenes
for the position of high contrast edges near the periphery of the image area.
Definition
image review
How
to read our charts?
Chromatic aberrations are not only capable
of focusing on the sensor or blurring all colors of visible light at the same
point of the lens. High chromatic aberration gives the remarkable range or
creates a halo effect around sharp edges around the image. It can be handled by
the software.
Apochromatic lenses have special lenses (no
bridge, ultra-low dispersion, etc.) to minimize the problem, so they usually
have a much higher price.
In this article, the lens was tested on a
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 using Imatest.
The light falloff towards the corners of
the frame is pretty well controlled for a lens with such a wide angle. The lighting
visual consistency process is achieved when the lens is reduced from the maximum
aperture within its zoom limit.
The
lens when installed on the device
Deformation is also well controlled
throughout the zoom range with Imatest detecting only distortion of 1.8% at
0.1% at 18mm and 9mm. The low numbers did not cause problems for everyday normal
snapshots. If all the lines are higher than the deformed ones relatively, it
will be quite simple to fix as it is consistent across the frame.
No lens cover is supplied as standard with
this lens and the lens easily gets blurred due to the flares and sensitivity to
flashing light sources in the frame. Although the lens cover for a wide angle
will generate protection against this just a bit, it still will be better if
one comes.
Tested
picture
Sample
images
Value
This lens is currently the cheapest super-wide
angle zoom lens on the market for Micro Four Thirds system, at about $675. With
its nearest equivalent is Panasonic's 7-14mm f/4, the product retails at about
$1.245. This lens provides a wide viewing angle and a continuous maximum
aperture of f/4, but not the type that opens like this Olympus lens.
Conclusion
Those who are looking for a super wide
angle compact lens for the Micro Four Thirds systems will not be going too far
with this lens. It has a few drawbacks, as long as you realize this lens is
capable of providing more quality results.
As it stands firm in its segment, it is a
product with ultra-wide viewing angle for the best values for MFT cameras and
collapsible design, its lightweight also means it will be the perfect choice
for your trip.
Advantages
·
Collapsible design
·
Lightweight
·
Fast, silent autofocus
·
Excellent sharpness in the center of the frame
throughout the zoom range
·
Los distortion
·
Good value compared to the alternatives
Disadvantages
·
No lens cover supplied as standard
·
High CA levels towards the edges of the frame
greater than 14 mm
·
Prone to flare
|
Specifications
·
Lens mounts: Panasonic Micro Four Thirds,
Olympus Micro Four Thirds
·
Focal length: 9-18 mm
·
Angle of view: 62°-100°
·
Max aperture: f/4-f/5.6
·
Min aperture: f/22
·
Filter size: 52 mm
·
35mm equivalent: 18-36 mm
·
Internal focusing: yes
·
Min focus: 25 cm
·
Stabilized: no
·
Construction blades: 7
·
Construction elements: 12
·
Construction groups: 8
·
Box contents: Lens, Lens Cap, Rear Cap,
Warranty Card
·
Weight: 155 g
·
Height: 49.5 mm
|
