Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18 mm F4.0-5.6 Lens, Wide Angle Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

Product Information

The 9-18mm's only direct competitor in the Four Thirds system is the Sigma 10-20mm 1:4-5.6 EX DC HSM, which at the time of writing is rather cheaper and features ultrasonic-type focusing, but loses at the wide end where every millimetre of focal length counts (9mm offers an extra 5 degrees angle of view over 10mm). The Sigma will be subject of a future review; for now let's see how the 9-18mm fares in our tests. Use of the Panasonic L10 as Four Thirds test body I miss the extra 2mm on the wide end. For some landscape/seascape work I really like the extra field of view. So the dilemma now is a used copy of Olympus 9-18 (~300Euro) vs a new PL 9mm/f1.7 (~500E). Quality wise I don't expect them to be very different. The Olympus 9-18 mm offers you a 2x zoom range. In practice you will discover that the 9 mm focal length will be used predominantly. Set to a focal length of 9 mm, the Olympus 9-18 mm delivers an impressive viewing angle of 100 degrees. This is ideal for panoramic photographers, because you – taking into account sufficient overlap – only need 5 shots to make a 360 degree panorama. In this case, a single image has been cropped to a panoramic format. Construction and autofocus The lens barrel is almost entirely constructed from lightweight plastic, with the only metal part being the mount. Despite the lightweight construction, the build is more than acceptable, striking a good balance between keeping the weight down and durability. The fit and finish is good, although this is certainly not a professional grade optic.

Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f4-5.6 (Micro Four Thirds) Review: Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f4-5.6 (Micro Four Thirds)

Well 35mm sensors just perform better due to having the laws of physics behind them. However those same laws make the camera's and lenses bulky and unwieldy. m43 compromises High ISO in favour of having a smaller more nimble system. Whether one thinks it's a good trade-off is personal opinion. Edit: I wouldn't automatically go for the PL just because it's sharper or faster, more about that in general in my comment on the previous thread. Practical things like flare resistance or even weather sealing can be just as valuable as some extra sharpness. The MFD of the PL will apparently be shorter and that's another thing I'd considera practical advantage. I’ve always been satisfied with the speed and accuracy of Micro Four Thirds lenses, and the Leica 8-18mm and Olympus 9-18mm are no exception. Even though the Olympus is one of the older lenses for the system, it had no trouble focusing in various light conditions on the Lumix GX85, Lumix GH5 and Olympus OM-D E-M1. Both also feature a very silent autofocus mechanism. Extremely light weight, small size, and decent image quality out of this lens. Samples of my favourite shots out of this lens:While we haven't yet tested this lens, the most obvious alternative would be the non-M Zuiko equivalent of this lens design, which can be used on the PEN series of camera with an adapter. However, it's twice as heavy and slightly longer and wider. For the price premium, you're getting the storage functionality of the M.Zuiko.

Olympus 9-18 mm f/4-5.6 ED M.Zuiko Digital (M43) Review Olympus 9-18 mm f/4-5.6 ED M.Zuiko Digital (M43)

I use the 8-25 lens when covering outdoor large crowd events like a Veteran's Day memorial commemoration on Thursday of last week, or a local outdoor car show. I thought it was perfect for those and I enjoyed having the additional 8-11 mm focal length range that I have never had before. While the crop factor of MFT format cameras boosts the telephoto abilities of lenses, it makes the design of ultra-wide optics more of a challenge. The M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro is a remarkable wide zoom lens with a minimum focal length of just 7mm, delivering an astonishing 114-degree viewing angle, similar to using a 14mm lens on full-frame cameras.Like other lenses in the Pro line-up, it’s immaculately turned out, with fabulous build quality. Contrast and sharpness are outstanding, while color fringing and distortions are negligible. As with many ultra-wide lenses, however, the hood is built-in so there’s no filter attachment thread.

Gear Used

That said a small m43 body with the 14mm 20mm and 45mm should not be underestimated. It's capable of profesional results that can be printed in magazines if the person behind the camera is as capable as the body lens combination. I would really value some input from people who have used the Olympus lens on a Panasonic body, does the camera implement distortion and CA control as it would with the Panasonic lens. The Olympus 9-18mm M.Zuiko doesn't offer much for macro work: just 0.1x magnification, and a minimum close-focusing range of 25cm (around 9 inches).

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5.6 Review

Though Panasonic hasn’t stated one way or the other, the Leica behaves much like a parfocal lens in that the focus point doesn’t change when you zoom in and out which is useful for video work. The Panasonic 7-14mm ƒ/4 is compatible with the Olympus PEN series of camera, and compared to the Olympus 9-18mm, the lens is sharper, provides better results for chromatic aberration, and less distortion. The Panasonic lens is more expensive, larger, and doesn't store like the Olympus, however. With a focal length of 18 mm and the Olympus 9-18 mm on an Olympus OM-D, the profit thanks to 3-stop Image Stabilizer: One with the Olympus 9-18 mm from the hand-made image made with a shutter speed of 1/40 second without stabilization is just set / unset as a image made with image stabilization and a shutter speed of 1/5 second. It has weak micro contrast and my copy is decentered, and it also has distortion. Also has CA which DXO or in camera will take care of, but it is a tiny lens. I plan to buy the 9mm F1.7 for low light. I currently use the Panasonic 8-18; it is smaller, lighter, and takes filters. Since I use UV filters when shooting in sand and water, and ND filters for motion blurring, it is ideal for my use. Since the Panasonic is f/2.8 at 8mm, it is also good for low light interiors. So it just doesn't get to 7mm.

Usefully, both lenses feature a filter thread for ND filters. The Leica’s is a 67mm type whereas the Olympus is a 52mm type. The Panasonic lens is bigger and heavier than the Olympus (300g vs.155g), largely due to its constant f/4 aperture. The front element is large and bulbous, compared to the small, flat front of the 9-18mm lens. This design choice creates distracting purple flare when shooting with the sun or any other bright light source anywhere in or near the frame, despite the built-in petal lens hood. The Olympus 9-18mm, in contrast, doesn't include a hood but shows impressive flare resistance in the field. Before we begin this comparison, it is important to keep in mind that we are dealing with two very different lenses with equally different target audiences. Whereas the Leica is a premium product with a price tag and build quality to match, the Olympus is not only the least expensive wide-angle zoom for the system but also the most compact. Like Ray said, the differences in optical performance are probably trivial in most practical situations. I wouldn't worry yourself with those differences. I don't think anyone is complaining about the results from either lens. The lens features an extremely compact and lightweight design for a wideangle zoom, realising one of the benefits promised by Olympus for the Four Thirds system on its launch. This is achieved with an optical formula of 13 elements in 9 groups, including an ED glass element to minimise chromatic aberration and extensive use of aspherical lens surfaces (the front element is 'Dual Super Aspherical', no less). Also making an appearance is Olympus's 'focus-by-wire' system, with no direct mechanical connection between the manual focus ring and the motor-driven internal focus group.