Micro? Four Thirds tele zoom

[Rodchenko]

I'm a bit confused. I'd love to get a 40-150mm zoom for my Pen, to complement the 14-42 kit zoom. So far so simple.

But there seem to be several different 40-150 lenses out there, and I'm not sure what's compatible or not. What's confusing me most is the comments I've seen in a couple of places that there isn't a dedicated m43 40-150, but you can use a four thirds one with a converter. Although some lenses are sold as m43.

Er, what? Help appreciated (though I can't actually afford the lens just yet).

And can anyone decode the lens names? My standard zoom is marked as L and ED. What does that mean?

 

[dfatty]

I'm a bit confused. I'd love to get a 40-150mm zoom for my Pen, to complement the 14-42 kit zoom. So far so simple.

But there seem to be several different 40-150 lenses out there, and I'm not sure what's compatible or not. What's confusing me most is the comments I've seen in a couple of places that there isn't a dedicated m43 40-150, but you can use a four thirds one with a converter. Although some lenses are sold as m43.

Er, what? Help appreciated (though I can't actually afford the lens just yet).

And can anyone decode the lens names? My standard zoom is marked as L and ED. What does that mean?

cameta camera sells nicely priced refurbs (i've bought there with no issues) and their site has a "compatibility" tab that makes it clear if the lens is for m43 or 43. unfortunately i haven't figured out (or if i did at some point forgot) the nomenclature either so i rely on the tab.

 

[swoop]

cameta camera sells nicely priced refurbs (i've bought there with no issues) and their site has a "compatibility" tab that makes it clear if the lens is for m43 or 43.

Cameta is a nice shop and they've been around for a long time. Over the past few years they seem to have transitioned to mostly online selling. They're a physical store in Suffolk County about an hour's drive outside NYC. I once went in to get something I saw online but they said what they sell online is mostly stored in a warehouse. Though if you walk in they usually have a very nice selection of classic film cameras and lenses on the shelves at great prices.

 

[rhl-oregon]

There is the olympus m43 40-150, f3.5-5.6. I have one I used on a trip to NZ in 2011 for landscapes/wildlife. since i rarely zoom since then, i tried to sell it on RFF for a song, no interest. Now it does duty on my IR conversion EP1.

But yes, there exists such an m43 lens. Light but bulky; the 150 zooms from an inner tube.

 

[Rodchenko]

Thanks. That's reassuring. I'd rather not use an adapter if I don't have to.

 

[kbg32]

Without an adapter, you would have to use a M4/3 lens on your Pen.

I use the M4/3 Panasonic 45-200 zoom. Excellent performer.

 

[BTMarcais]

Generally, if their listed as m.zuiko, or "m." something, it's a micro 4/3 lens.
Here's a page with all the current and upcoming native micro 4/3 olympus glass.

http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/lenses/pen-omd.html?icn=topnav&ici=lensesnav_pen-omd-viewall

-Brian

 

[Godfrey]

I'm a bit confused. I'd love to get a 40-150mm zoom for my Pen, to complement the 14-42 kit zoom. So far so simple.

But there seem to be several different 40-150 lenses out there, and I'm not sure what's compatible or not. What's confusing me most is the comments I've seen in a couple of places that there isn't a dedicated m43 40-150, but you can use a four thirds one with a converter. Although some lenses are sold as m43.

Er, what? Help appreciated (though I can't actually afford the lens just yet).

And can anyone decode the lens names? My standard zoom is marked as L and ED. What does that mean?

This chart shows all the available Micro-FourThirds dedicated lenses from Olympus, Panasonic/Leica, Voigtländer, Tokina, and Sigma:

http://www.four-thirds.org/en/microft/lens_chart.html​

FourThirds SLR lenses can be used on Micro-FourThirds bodies with a mount adapter. On Olympus Pen bodies, the lenses are full function but AF speed is slower than a dedicated Micro-FourThirds lens. This chart shows all the available FourThirds SLR lenses from Olympus, Panasonic/Leica, and Sigma:

http://www.four-thirds.org/en/fourthirds/lens_chart.html​

ED in a lens name generally stands for "extra-low dispersion" glass used in elements of the lens design. L can mean almost anything depending upon the manufacturer, I'm not sure what it means in the context of your lenses.

The same site that hosts those charts has individual lens descriptions for every lens, including optical formula and diagrams.

G

 

[traveler_101]

I have the 40-150 f/4.0-5.6 for m43, which I use on my E-P1 from time to time. It was inexpensive (less than $150) so t is an expensive way to add telephoto capability to your kit. The lens is EXTREMELY light, and pretty quick to focus on my E-P1, a camera that is not known for quick focusing. The consensus opinion is that image quality of the 40-150 is "surprisingly good" for a cheap consumer zoom.

Since I bought mine a new version has come out that has been optimised for even faster focusing on the newer Olympus cameras. The specs stay the same as on the old version. I see now that the new version is on sale for $150:
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-40-150mm-F4-0-5-6-Panasonic-Cameras/dp/B0066J6EOU

The older version (the one I have) can be seen here on sale for $130: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olympus-M-Z...62676593?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item2eca4f1771

I must enter caveat about using a telephoto on the Pen cameras, without the attachable electronic viewfinder. It is hard to steady the camera and of course if it is very bright it may be next to impossible to see the screen. That said I have managed to get many pleasing shots with it on my E-P1.

 

[hugivza]

I use the Panasonic 14 to 140 4.5/5.8 ASPH which works for me for lazy days and when low apeture is not a criterion.

 

[Lss]

I have the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 40-150/4-5.6. It's a very affordable zoom lens, I think I paid about 80 euro for it without any hood. It is compact for the range (doubles in length when zooming) and light. The build quality is good for the price, although it does feel cheap. The lens is terribly front heavy and it handles poorly largely for this reason. Given that it however is so light, you don't feel the weight distribution on camera. It balances okay on camera. Image quality is good stopped down to 7.1 or so. The focusing is passable.

In summary, this lens offers great range for a small price tag and footprint.

 

[Rodchenko]

Thanks all. That's helpful. Reading the manual for my camera, I see it only lists a 40-150 in four thirds, to use with converter. I guess that the micro one came later. And there are so many more of the four thirds version on the market. Unfortunately, many ebay sellers don't specify (possibly don't know the difference), but it seems the four thirds lenses go for quite a bit less. A generic converter is about 20GBP, which might actually make it worth while, but I may just wait for a decent price on the m43 lens. It looks like a slimmer unit, for a start.