Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.8 Gets the Job Done - Fall Colors

Can I ask if the lens has field curvature?

A
Here is the photo without distortion correction, so, what do you think?

The lens is supposed to be rectilinear.

For proper operation, it is important to keep the lens level.

Allan

Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
You can’t really tell from this image. The building interior has veiling glare under the arch and looks as though the plane of critical focus is curved, as well as reduced contrast in corners.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-field-curvature

You can’t correct field curvature, only vignetting, distortion and LaCA.

Andrew

--
Infinite are the arguments of mages. Truth is a jewel with many facets. Ursula K LeGuin
Please feel free to edit any images that I post
 
Isn't this lens a rectilinear lens? I might be wrong, but my feeling is that in rectilinear lenses, the corners are stretched out, therefore, it is more difficult for IBIS to compensate for small movements (in the corners). This goes against the intuition that wide-angle lenses should be easier to handhold at long shutter speed, due to the 1/focal length rule. Therefore, I think the corner softness is caused by motion blur due to the long shutter speed.

In any case, these are wonderful images, the colors are amazing.
The theory may say that but, in practice, I am not sure it would give the results as shown.

The Live ND takes multiple exposures to create the effect. So, with a UAW rectilinear lens at slow shutter speeds, edge softness may occur.

Allan
 
Can I ask if the lens has field curvature?

A
Here is the photo without distortion correction, so, what do you think?

The lens is supposed to be rectilinear.

For proper operation, it is important to keep the lens level.

Allan

Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
You can’t really tell from this image. The building interior has veiling glare under the arch and looks as though the plane of critical focus is curved, as well as reduced contrast in corners.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-field-curvature

You can’t correct field curvature, only vignetting, distortion and LaCA.

Andrew
Well then, it's Artistic

Allan
 
Excellent series, I very much like the fall colors there. Out of curiousity, did you choose F16 in that one shot to achieve DoF or to prolong the exposure time? I try to avoid going over F11 as it is well into diffraction.
I agree, I typically don’t like going over f/8 on mft, but I did in this case for the longer exposure. It was still pretty bright at the f/16 shot, but maybe I still could have got the effect I want with a slightly shorter exposure. I was shooting a lot of different perspectives of this waterfall in shutter priority and probably forgot to check where the aperture was falling for this particular photo.
 
It's about size of pany 14-42mkii I have. Properly considering trading in three adapted canon ef lenses to pickup this dinky cute 9-18.

--
Photography after all is interplay of light alongside perspective.
 
Last edited:
The humble Oly 9-18 still surprises me sometimes. I had one back in 2013 with the original E-M5 and loved it then...sold it when I took a detour to Fuji/Sony/Nikon...and purchased it again used for around $250 last year when I jumped back into OM System.

I think about getting one of the better, and much more expensive ultra-wide options from time to time, but for what I use it for, it just gets the job done! I used it this weekend quite a bit in conjunction with the internal ND filter on both the OM-1v2 and OM-5, and was always happy with the results.
Overall, these are pretty good photos, and it's a shame when the equipment lets you down. It's even stranger when the OP chooses to ignore it.
I apologize in advance for opening the photo full-size; this is the sharp area, while everything else is blurry. Perhaps this was taken handheld? In other photos, the edges are far from perfect, but not as bad as this one.

b1bf2856b2364c3daf4a4595a8ae07f4.jpg
Douglas Falls | W.V.
Douglas Falls | W.V.

Elakala Falls | W.V.
Elakala Falls | W.V.
Yup, I totally agree about the edges not being sharp. Luckily, I stopped being a pixel peeper a long time ago and try to take the image as a whole. That's not to say that image sharpness isn't at all important to me, but the overall quality of the picture (to my eyes) for its intended use is what's most important.

I hike, bike, and backpack with my equipment, and there are a lot of non-imaging qualities that also come into play with my choice of lenses and cameras.
Thank you for not taking offense at the criticism
I've used many lenses, and unfortunately, one of the worst was the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8, which produced very similar results. I couldn't put up with this and soon sold it.
You're not the only one on the forum who says they don't examine pixels in photographs. Coincidentally, for some reason, this statement has become very common on this forum.
It's good if you're happy with the result.
Whether the lens is to blame, or whether it's also due to handheld shooting and a live ND filter, only you know.
@RobbieV: I liked your photos, you have a good eye for composition and color, and you've taken these in beautiful settings that offer great memories. However, as SonyX points out, the technical quality isn't superb.

I've owned a copy of the the Oly 9-18mm myself and, although I don't have a very high bar when it comes to image quality (I'm satisfied with the P14-140mm f3.5-5.6 and P12-60mm f3.5-5.6 lenses, for example), my copy of the Oly 9-18mm left me very dissatisfied with shots I took on a National Parks tour through several of the great parks (Arches, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands) and I sold it. After that trip, I swapped it for the PL 9mm f1.7 which I'm much happier with from an IQ perspective, and the faster aperture has come in handy for interior travel shots as well.

All lenses are compromises of some sort. Can we live with them - that is the question.

Happy this lens works for you. I nonetheless cannot recommend it to others based on my own experience and observations I've made of others' shots with this lens.

Lesson here is: What works for one person doesn't have to dictate what works for another. Glad this works for you and you're happy to share your view of the world through it.

Cheers.

--
"Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight." - Titanic musician before their final song
 
Last edited:
Can I ask if the lens has field curvature?

A
Here is the photo without distortion correction, so, what do you think?

The lens is supposed to be rectilinear.

For proper operation, it is important to keep the lens level.

Allan

Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
You can’t really tell from this image. The building interior has veiling glare under the arch and looks as though the plane of critical focus is curved, as well as reduced contrast in corners.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-field-curvature

You can’t correct field curvature, only vignetting, distortion and LaCA.

Andrew
Well then, it's Artistic

Allan
Stopping should, at some point, overcome field curvature unless it's lurid.

Perhaps best known in our corner of the gear world is the Oly 45/1.8. Curvature wide open is essentially corrected by f:2.8. This quirk can be leveraged for portraits and other subjects benefiting from softer edges and a sharp center. And it is sharp in the center wide open.

Importantly, it's something owners should know about to either work around or take advantage of.

Rick
 
It's about size of pany 14-42mkii I have. Properly considering trading in three adapted canon ef lenses to pickup this dinky cute 9-18.
I am happy with mine and its size makes it a great travel lens.

I bought the JJC LH-J55C lens hood for it although, most of the time, it does not need it.

Allan
Urban london where I reside would be darned handy.

Interior extetior architecture, street would be my most utilisation similar these 2 photos you shared Allan.
The edge softness is probably due to the Live ND and how it is created.

I have had my 9-18 for many years and I get very good results from it, especially, when processed in DXO PhotoLab.

Yes, the P8-18 and the O8-24 may be a bit sharper but they are a lot larger - and that is the main reason I never bought one. The small size of the O9-18 makes it an excellent travel lens.

The photos below are taken with the 9-18.

Allan

Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion at top centre is heat
Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion at top centre is heat

Olympus M4/3 9-18
Olympus M4/3 9-18
--
Photography after all is interplay of light alongside perspective.
 
Last edited:
I swapped it for the PL 9mm f1.7 which I'm much happier with from an IQ perspective, and the faster aperture has come in handy for interior travel shots as well.

Cheers.
Proper consideration for me. I'm not in the current situation to have spare change for various lenses. It's pretty much purchase one lens only.

Low light interior exterior is a favourite.

I might just pump for Lx100 even though it doesn't have the ibis, live comp, live time live bulb I'd get with my M1.1 + native or adapted lens. Still the 24-75 f/1.7-f/2.8 of Lx100 there's no m4/3 + lens combo to match its size specs, even if Lx100 could draw dust onto its sensor via its lens.

Urban london where I reside the smaller the camera lens combo the more appropriate convenient.

--
Photography after all is interplay of light alongside perspective.
 
Last edited:
Can I ask if the lens has field curvature?

A
Here is the photo without distortion correction, so, what do you think?

The lens is supposed to be rectilinear.

For proper operation, it is important to keep the lens level.

Allan

Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
Olympus M4/3 9-18 - distortion correction OFF
You can’t really tell from this image. The building interior has veiling glare under the arch and looks as though the plane of critical focus is curved, as well as reduced contrast in corners.

https://photographylife.com/what-is-field-curvature

You can’t correct field curvature, only vignetting, distortion and LaCA.

Andrew
Well then, it's Artistic

Allan
It can be a deliberate part of composition, for example photographing a group of people.

A

--
Infinite are the arguments of mages. Truth is a jewel with many facets. Ursula K LeGuin
Please feel free to edit any images that I post
 
I haven't sold the 9-18 even though the 8-25 is a better lens. The 8-25 is much bigger and heavier and covers more range and its weather sealed and will work in cold weather that froze and broke the 9-18 I had at the time. The time will come that I want the smaller, lighter lens and I'll use it.

I can live with the bigger and heavier 8-25 because I know the quality and range is better and I see less distortion in the images. I like zooming to 25mm and think it's very useful, especially for avoiding too much cropping. I can live with the size and weight but there will be some time/situation where I won't want to. The 9-18 is a great size and weight.
 
The humble Oly 9-18 still surprises me sometimes. I had one back in 2013 with the original E-M5 and loved it then...sold it when I took a detour to Fuji/Sony/Nikon...and purchased it again used for around $250 last year when I jumped back into OM System.
I liked your Fall Color photos.
.
The 9-18 was my first M43 zoom, after buying the Panasonic 14mm and 20mm, plus the Olympus orignal versions of the 45mm and 17mm. I wouldn;t call it humble as I paid around 5 hundred dollars, The 14-42's are humble, I did expect more sharpness, but it was good at 18mm, We all know optics are hard to handle at wider angles. I should have bought the original Panasonic 7-14 for that,

Here I have the same softness on leaves at the sides,
Here I have the same softness on leaves at the sides,

Colorado Dinosaur Monument Park,  I'm happy,
Colorado Dinosaur Monument Park, I'm happy,

Chicago thru a window,  No complaints,
Chicago thru a window, No complaints,

 Somewhere in Utah nine years ago. Maybe Arches,
Somewhere in Utah nine years ago. Maybe Arches,

Used models of the 7-14 is now down to what I call walking around money, but the larger size keeps me from adding it to my humble collection,
.
I've been intrigued by the Panasonic 7mm f1,7 though, 500 bucks.
 
Thank you for not taking offense at the criticism

I've used many lenses, and unfortunately, one of the worst was the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8, which produced very similar results. I couldn't put up with this and soon sold it.
You're not the only one on the forum who says they don't examine pixels in photographs. Coincidentally, for some reason, this statement has become very common on this forum.
It's good if you're happy with the result.
Whether the lens is to blame, or whether it's also due to handheld shooting and a live ND filter, only you know.
Actually, I have no idea what all the factors are that contribute to the somewhat blurry parts of the image...probably a combination of everything you've mentioned. So many of the perspectives and locations I like to shoot would be just about impossible with a tripod, but I still attempt them because of the amazing IBIS of the OM System cameras. The particular photo that you've highlighted was extremely difficult to photograph with slippery rocks. My main point is that I was able to get this photo at all, and at a quality that I am satisfied with.

One of these days, I may break down and pick up an OM 8-25 pro, but there is still a good chance that if I'm out on an adventure like this one, I would still pack the 9-18 anyway.
I had the 8-25/4 pro. Nice lens but for my use case which seems to coincide with yours, MFT is all about a small body and small lenses and capturing the memories with good composition. I recently sold my OM1.2, 12-40/2.8, 40-150/4, 20/1.4 and 8-25/4 and am very happy with my OM5.2, smaller zooms and primes. My largest lens now is the 12-45/4.

I spent years as a Sony FF pixel peeper and got over the futile pursuit of optical excellence.
 
I have the Leica Summilux 9/1.7 and am very happy with the overall IQ. About the same size as the 9-18 and it is weather sealed.

I pair it with the 12-45 so the focal gap is small enough to handle with cropping
 
I have the Leica Summilux 9/1.7 and am very happy with the overall IQ. About the same size as the 9-18 and it is weather sealed.

I pair it with the 12-45 so the focal gap is small enough to handle with cropping
Some of the early reviews of the 9/1.7 had sample images with soft edges, not as soft as the images in this thread but still noticeable in subjects like buildings. I’ve also seen examples with better edges.

Care to share an example from yours with details across the frame?

thanks

Andrew

PS I went with the Laowa 10/2, which has its own “character “.
 
The OM-5.2 is my favorite body. I use it with the 8-25 f/4 PRO most of the time. The lens is a little big and heavy but worth it to me for the optical performance and the fixed aperture.

I also use the 40-150f/4, 14-150 f/4-5.6, and 40-150 f/2.8 PRO on this body. A leather half case helps with the grip with these larger/heavier lenses.

I have the 17 and 25 f/1.8 primes but rarely use them. I find f/4 is fast enough on this body, even in low light because the IBIS is so good and because of HDR and HHHR and night scenes which I find very useful and surprisingly good. The camera is smarter than I am and takes better photos on automatic settings that I do in manual. The in-camera shadow adjustment works great and seems to include NR.

I have an OM-1 I use only for birding and motorsports. For that I have the 40-150 f/2.8, the 300 f/4, and both TC's.

I'm very happy with this system. It can photograph everything I want it to. I might trade up to the OM-1.2 from the OM-1 but not this year I don't think. A little better AF and tracking would be nice, but the OM-1 is good enough. I'd like GND filters but not enough to spend the money to trade up because of the delta in value. I would not use them often enough and I can live without them.

I just bought a new laptop with an NVIDIA GPU for photo editing because I want to try AI NR in Workspace. I'm enjoying the extreme performance of this laptop but don't have a RAW image from the OM-1 to try AI NR on. I'm looking forward to that but so far, the OM-5.2 has made it unnecessary. The night scenes are that good.

This one I made with "candlelight scene" surprised me. It's a JPEG right out of the camera. Makes me wonder why I need AI NR or anything faster than f/4 for static images.

55c176e3446e48858f082871c4927d9d.jpg
 
Last edited:
PS I went with the Laowa 10/2, which has its own “character “.
Reckon gonna pick up TTArtisan 10 f/2.0 in m4/3 mount. Not expecting the earth at that price. For a compact walkaround urban london interiors exteriors should be alrighty fingers 🤞.

Fairly alrighty reviews.


 
PS I went with the Laowa 10/2, which has its own “character “.
Reckon gonna pick up TTArtisan 10 f/2.0 in m4/3 mount. Not expecting the earth at that price. For a compact walkaround urban london interiors exteriors should be alrighty fingers 🤞.

Fairly alrighty reviews.

https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-ttartisan-10mm-f-2-aps-c/

https://www.shutterbug.com/content/...-asph-aps-c-sony-fujifilm-nikon-canon-and-m43
 

Keyboard shortcuts

Back
Top