bluevellet
Senior Member
Pros:
Two things have remained the same: first, you have to pay around 300 bucks to buy the lens on its own. But if bought as a pack-in with a Olympus camera, it's practically given away and that's probably how most people will acquire this lens. Second, the zoom range remains the very standard 14-42mm with the same variable aperture (f3.5-5.6). It's a useful range, but you'll be mostly limited to daylight and/or flash due to the relative slow aperture (more on that later in the review).
First impressions are good. Better build than I had expected. Smooth and silent operation too. Works fine on Panasonic camera bodies as well (Lens shown with original lens cap).
However, with those details out of the way, the first major change can be discussed: They've really made the lens small. As small as a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake prime. That is over twice as small as the original kit zoom and apparently made the lens a bit sturdier in the process. Not a premium build, but the largely plastic build still feels solid (lens mount is metal).
Another improvement is the collapsible design itself: no need to unlock and then twist the lens in order to use it. No, just turn on the camera and the lens will unfold itself in half of a second, ready to shoot, regardless of brand and generation. I admit I was impressed by how this is done, how quick and silent. Perfect for video. Turn off the camera and it will fold unto itself.
The lens, coupled with a similarly smallish camera body, works very well as a carry-anywhere, photographic solution. Better to stick to daylight shooting though.
You do have to put on/off the lens cap, a slight minus. But Olympus does offer an optional auto lens cap, sold separately, to spare you the inconvenience of the standard lens cap. I've tried that particular accessory and I find it simplifies camera start-up to a single step (turn on a camera), a bit like a compact camera. Definitely recommended. Though be warned that extensive use the auto-lens cap will make you take it for granted and thus if you happen to use another lens, you are more likely to forget taking the lens cap off.
When it comes to AF, I would consider it "good enough" but the answer is a bit complicated because it depends on a lot of factors. For example, if you use the lens with one of those Olympus Pen camera bodies (or any other entry-level body on m43), you're dependent on a contrast-detect only AF system of the camera itself. It's snappy in single shot mode, but it hesitates and pulsates more in continuous shooting mode. It's not intended for sports, but is generally responsive in more pedestrian uses. Now if you happen to pair this lens with a more advanced camera body like the E-M1 Mark III, the lens acts a lot more confident. Not quite as well and as fast as more premium/pro lenses, but definitely better than on entry-level bodies. But even with that said, the improvement in performance is up to a point. Indoors in bad light, it can falter pretty badly and I suspect it is the slow default aperture that is the culprit: not enough light gets to the sensor.
View attachment 07bbc37b4fee4e9fa53e31f925d202b8.jpg
For maximal convenience, I most definitely recommend buying the auto lens cap sold separately. It works with a simple mechanism, it adds only a few millimeters to the lens and you'll never have to take the lens cap on and off ever again. The auto lens cap even works with the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom.
Similarly, with video AF, some other factors come into play. On an older camera body like the Panasonic Lumix GM1 (released in 2013), video AF, while silent, isn't particularly reliable or smart. But pair the lens with a more recent (yet still entry level) body like the Olympus Pen E-PL9 (released in 2018), a camera with some vlogging design in mind, and the video AF is a lot smarter, particularly when it comes to people. It's also purposely slower to react and to adjust itself so it doesn't pulsate like it does when shooting stills (in continuous drive mode). Even paired with the right camera body, I wouldn't shoot a professional video production with it, mind you, but for casual uses, this lens seems more than adequate.
Ok, so design, operation and AF covered, what about image quality then? Well, it's a bit of a typical kit zoom really. Kind of sharp at the center, fuzzier around the edges. The zoom has worst image quality at its widest (14mm) but gets better when you zoom in. You can stop down to improve the image quality somewhat but since the lens is already kind of slow, you can't stop down much before diffraction kicks in and nullifies the improvements. Again, in my opinion, the slow aperture is a drag for IQ and limits you to mostly daylight shooting. I feel in practice this is not a particularly good lens for landscape or any situation where you want the whole scene in focus with crisp details. Conversely, if you shoot people, pets or any subject that is largely center-framed, with the rest of the image out-of-focus, the pancake zoom fares much better there. I strongly suspect this lens, on average, is used in the latter scenario for most photographers.
If you dare to venture beyond JPEG images straight-out-of-camera and pull up your sleeves to do some RAW image post-processing, you can improve image quality some more. As you'd expect, the lens is software corrected so many of its optical flaws are hidden in JPEG images but can be revealed with RAW files. Some vignetting and fairly massive distortions are there, those can be corrected of course. Though at the wide end (14mm), you may want to leave the distortions alone as they are effectively giving you a wider field of view, something more akin to 12-13mm. In the end, I am afraid whatever you do, some of the finer image details in the corners can not be recovered.
The two main pancake zooms on m43 compared, along with a couple of small m43 primes. The primes offer better overall image quality and better subject separation. When pitted against the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom, the Oly 14-42 has a less useful zoom range and worse image quality but conversely has the edge in build quality, operation and convenience.
Inevitably, if this Olympus pancake zoom is mentionned, people will try to compare it to the Panasonic equivalent of that lens: the well-regarded Panasonic Lumix Vario 12-32mm f3.5-3.6. For starters the two pancake zooms are essentially the same size: The Oly is slightly shorter, yet a bit wider. While the Panny is slightly longer, yet thinner in diameter. A few millimeters here and there. Insignificant. Overall, the Panny lens has better relative IQ and a more useful zoom range while the Oly lens is better built and has better operation. Both lenses have roughly the same minimum focusing distance so it evens out here. The Panny features optical stabilisation (while the Oly does not), but that only matters if you use a camera body without in-body image stabilisation. The Panny lens has no manual focus ring whatsoever and needs a Panny camera body to activate a special in-camera manual focus adjustment tool; the Oly lens has a focus ring and it works no matter the camera body, Oly or Panny. Whatever your priorities, pick the lens that best suits you.
As expected, compared to some bright primes like the classic Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 or the Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm f1.8, the kit zoom does not fare so well. Not only is the optical quality better with the primes, but the fast aperture on the primes allows you to shoot at a much lower ISO settings (contributing to better image quality) and with dramatically better subject separation as well. No contest. But the primes have a fixed focal length, whereas the pancake zoom can always... zoom.
Compared to a pro zoom like the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, the little pancake zoom also pales in comparison in all categories... except for size and price.
Yes, you can take photos at night with this lens, with no flash, no tripod and no IBIS at all. But your subjects better be still and your hand-holding technique half decent.
Interestingly, Olympus sells a macro lens accessory that is compatible with many other Oly lenses, including the pancake zoom that is subject of this review. And yes, the accessory does improve the magnification of the pancake zoom (without affecting image quality, apparently), although it doesn't truly magnify your subjects to the degree a true macro lens can. And despite being relevant to this review, I didn't acquire this accessory because it makes little financial sense in itself: At around 70 bucks, it is not really expensive per se, but add a 30-40 bucks and you can acquire the real thing: the 30mm f3.5 Macro from Olympus. Technically, that macro lens sells at closer to 200 bucks, but on sale, it can be had at a little over 100 bucks. That's how I acquired mine directly from Olympus. Aside from true macro magnification, the 30mm lens, like other primes, has much better image quality as well.
My conclusion for the kit lens lens is definitely get it if it's packed in with a camera purchase. A no-brainer. The lens is small, gets you decent IQ and you have some zoom range to play with. Yes, as highlighted before, not ideal in bad light. But on a sunny day out, maybe together with the kids or with your significant other, and travelling light, this will be fine. I believe it is what it was designed for after all.
- Small, pancake design
- Auto-collapsible (just turn on/off the camera)
- Decent center IQ
- Good and silent AF
- Starts at 14mm (instead 12mm)
- Fuzzy corners
- Good to have a MF ring, but it's just focus by wire
- Auto lens cap is neat, albeit sold separately
- In the end, just a kit zoom (limited aperture, limited range)
Two things have remained the same: first, you have to pay around 300 bucks to buy the lens on its own. But if bought as a pack-in with a Olympus camera, it's practically given away and that's probably how most people will acquire this lens. Second, the zoom range remains the very standard 14-42mm with the same variable aperture (f3.5-5.6). It's a useful range, but you'll be mostly limited to daylight and/or flash due to the relative slow aperture (more on that later in the review).
First impressions are good. Better build than I had expected. Smooth and silent operation too. Works fine on Panasonic camera bodies as well (Lens shown with original lens cap).
However, with those details out of the way, the first major change can be discussed: They've really made the lens small. As small as a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 pancake prime. That is over twice as small as the original kit zoom and apparently made the lens a bit sturdier in the process. Not a premium build, but the largely plastic build still feels solid (lens mount is metal).
Another improvement is the collapsible design itself: no need to unlock and then twist the lens in order to use it. No, just turn on the camera and the lens will unfold itself in half of a second, ready to shoot, regardless of brand and generation. I admit I was impressed by how this is done, how quick and silent. Perfect for video. Turn off the camera and it will fold unto itself.
The lens, coupled with a similarly smallish camera body, works very well as a carry-anywhere, photographic solution. Better to stick to daylight shooting though.
You do have to put on/off the lens cap, a slight minus. But Olympus does offer an optional auto lens cap, sold separately, to spare you the inconvenience of the standard lens cap. I've tried that particular accessory and I find it simplifies camera start-up to a single step (turn on a camera), a bit like a compact camera. Definitely recommended. Though be warned that extensive use the auto-lens cap will make you take it for granted and thus if you happen to use another lens, you are more likely to forget taking the lens cap off.
When it comes to AF, I would consider it "good enough" but the answer is a bit complicated because it depends on a lot of factors. For example, if you use the lens with one of those Olympus Pen camera bodies (or any other entry-level body on m43), you're dependent on a contrast-detect only AF system of the camera itself. It's snappy in single shot mode, but it hesitates and pulsates more in continuous shooting mode. It's not intended for sports, but is generally responsive in more pedestrian uses. Now if you happen to pair this lens with a more advanced camera body like the E-M1 Mark III, the lens acts a lot more confident. Not quite as well and as fast as more premium/pro lenses, but definitely better than on entry-level bodies. But even with that said, the improvement in performance is up to a point. Indoors in bad light, it can falter pretty badly and I suspect it is the slow default aperture that is the culprit: not enough light gets to the sensor.
View attachment 07bbc37b4fee4e9fa53e31f925d202b8.jpg
For maximal convenience, I most definitely recommend buying the auto lens cap sold separately. It works with a simple mechanism, it adds only a few millimeters to the lens and you'll never have to take the lens cap on and off ever again. The auto lens cap even works with the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom.
Similarly, with video AF, some other factors come into play. On an older camera body like the Panasonic Lumix GM1 (released in 2013), video AF, while silent, isn't particularly reliable or smart. But pair the lens with a more recent (yet still entry level) body like the Olympus Pen E-PL9 (released in 2018), a camera with some vlogging design in mind, and the video AF is a lot smarter, particularly when it comes to people. It's also purposely slower to react and to adjust itself so it doesn't pulsate like it does when shooting stills (in continuous drive mode). Even paired with the right camera body, I wouldn't shoot a professional video production with it, mind you, but for casual uses, this lens seems more than adequate.
Ok, so design, operation and AF covered, what about image quality then? Well, it's a bit of a typical kit zoom really. Kind of sharp at the center, fuzzier around the edges. The zoom has worst image quality at its widest (14mm) but gets better when you zoom in. You can stop down to improve the image quality somewhat but since the lens is already kind of slow, you can't stop down much before diffraction kicks in and nullifies the improvements. Again, in my opinion, the slow aperture is a drag for IQ and limits you to mostly daylight shooting. I feel in practice this is not a particularly good lens for landscape or any situation where you want the whole scene in focus with crisp details. Conversely, if you shoot people, pets or any subject that is largely center-framed, with the rest of the image out-of-focus, the pancake zoom fares much better there. I strongly suspect this lens, on average, is used in the latter scenario for most photographers.
If you dare to venture beyond JPEG images straight-out-of-camera and pull up your sleeves to do some RAW image post-processing, you can improve image quality some more. As you'd expect, the lens is software corrected so many of its optical flaws are hidden in JPEG images but can be revealed with RAW files. Some vignetting and fairly massive distortions are there, those can be corrected of course. Though at the wide end (14mm), you may want to leave the distortions alone as they are effectively giving you a wider field of view, something more akin to 12-13mm. In the end, I am afraid whatever you do, some of the finer image details in the corners can not be recovered.
The two main pancake zooms on m43 compared, along with a couple of small m43 primes. The primes offer better overall image quality and better subject separation. When pitted against the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom, the Oly 14-42 has a less useful zoom range and worse image quality but conversely has the edge in build quality, operation and convenience.
Inevitably, if this Olympus pancake zoom is mentionned, people will try to compare it to the Panasonic equivalent of that lens: the well-regarded Panasonic Lumix Vario 12-32mm f3.5-3.6. For starters the two pancake zooms are essentially the same size: The Oly is slightly shorter, yet a bit wider. While the Panny is slightly longer, yet thinner in diameter. A few millimeters here and there. Insignificant. Overall, the Panny lens has better relative IQ and a more useful zoom range while the Oly lens is better built and has better operation. Both lenses have roughly the same minimum focusing distance so it evens out here. The Panny features optical stabilisation (while the Oly does not), but that only matters if you use a camera body without in-body image stabilisation. The Panny lens has no manual focus ring whatsoever and needs a Panny camera body to activate a special in-camera manual focus adjustment tool; the Oly lens has a focus ring and it works no matter the camera body, Oly or Panny. Whatever your priorities, pick the lens that best suits you.
As expected, compared to some bright primes like the classic Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 or the Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm f1.8, the kit zoom does not fare so well. Not only is the optical quality better with the primes, but the fast aperture on the primes allows you to shoot at a much lower ISO settings (contributing to better image quality) and with dramatically better subject separation as well. No contest. But the primes have a fixed focal length, whereas the pancake zoom can always... zoom.
Compared to a pro zoom like the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, the little pancake zoom also pales in comparison in all categories... except for size and price.
Yes, you can take photos at night with this lens, with no flash, no tripod and no IBIS at all. But your subjects better be still and your hand-holding technique half decent.
Interestingly, Olympus sells a macro lens accessory that is compatible with many other Oly lenses, including the pancake zoom that is subject of this review. And yes, the accessory does improve the magnification of the pancake zoom (without affecting image quality, apparently), although it doesn't truly magnify your subjects to the degree a true macro lens can. And despite being relevant to this review, I didn't acquire this accessory because it makes little financial sense in itself: At around 70 bucks, it is not really expensive per se, but add a 30-40 bucks and you can acquire the real thing: the 30mm f3.5 Macro from Olympus. Technically, that macro lens sells at closer to 200 bucks, but on sale, it can be had at a little over 100 bucks. That's how I acquired mine directly from Olympus. Aside from true macro magnification, the 30mm lens, like other primes, has much better image quality as well.
My conclusion for the kit lens lens is definitely get it if it's packed in with a camera purchase. A no-brainer. The lens is small, gets you decent IQ and you have some zoom range to play with. Yes, as highlighted before, not ideal in bad light. But on a sunny day out, maybe together with the kids or with your significant other, and travelling light, this will be fine. I believe it is what it was designed for after all.
