Olympus 7-14 f/2.8 PRO Review
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With the launch of the much-anticipated and long awaited Olympus OM-D E-M1 mark 2, you're now able to find lots of offers and bundles on Olympus PRO lenses too. Most notably a few of the larger and well known camera stores here in the U.K are promoting the E-M1 mark ii bundled with the 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO for example. But today, I want to emplore and encourage you to take a serious look at the wonderful Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO lens.
It's been around for a while now but after including it in a recent post as one of my top three Olympus Micro Four Thirds lenses I've had a couple of emails from subscribers asking me more about the lens and whether it really is as good as I said it was in that post.
There are ofcourse a plethora of technical reviews available on the Internet from the likes of DPReview, but from a practical standpoint I thought that the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO really does deserve it's own post here on the blog. So, here you go...
Just like Olympus with their cameras, this cyclist is breaking the rules!
I imagine that with the launch of the EM-1 mark 2 and the fact that the PRO lens line up is now what most photographers would consider to be mature, that many more photographers will be re-visiting a move to a mirrorless system. As such let's assume that you're asking yourself where in the lens lineup the 7-14mm f/2.8 sits in terms of quality.
Quite simply: the Olympus PRO range of lenses are Olympus' answer to Canon's L series lenses if you will. As the 'PRO' name suggests they're designed for professional use. They are the top lenses on offer from Olympus.
Olympus M.Zuiko PRO lenses all feature constant a aperture, covering a complete focal range of 7mm - 300mm (or, 14mm to 600mm in terms of the Micro Four Thirds equivalent field of view). PRO lenses feature the most premium quality optics, superb build quality and are dust, freeze and splash proof.
On the widest end of Olympus' PRO lens offering is this, the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO super wide angle.
Of all of the Olympus lenses I own, the 7-14mm f/2.8 is my most recent addition, purchased back in March 2016. Although I've had it all this time I didn't want to write a review until such a time that I thought I had given it a fair run out and put it through it's paces. So after 16 weddings, a few landscape outings and other various bits and pieces; I think I'm pretty well placed to give you my thoughts on this lens.
Let's start with the stats, specs and highlights: (skip past these if you don't care for details)
Specs & Details
- 7-14mm focal range provides a 14-28mm, 35mm equivalent field of view
- Retails here in the UK for around £800 - £900
- 7 Round Bladed Aperture for circular bokeh
- 14 elements, 11 Groups
- Angle of view: 75.4 degrees when zoomed to 14mm and 114.2 degrees at the widest end
- Splash, Freeze and dust proof the same as the M.Zuiko 12-40 f/2.8 PRO
- Metal construction, feels even sturdier than the M.Zuiko 12-40 f/2.8 PRO!
- The lens hood is physically part of the lens and cannot be removed. As with many wide angles the front element is very concave and protrudes outwards. As such use without a lens hood wouldn't be advised anyway. The lens hood offers physical protection to the front element and is there not only for reducing flare and ghosting.
- The front element does extend when zooming, much like the 12-40 f/2.8 PRO. However, the front element does not extend beyond the end of the body of the lens - the lens remains the same size, albeit the front element simply extends outward (not beyond the lens hood). The physical travel of the front element when zooming is very small.
If you're coming from a DSLR then the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO pits itself against the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 and the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. Panasonic also offer their own MFT Mount 7-14mm as well, but it's worth noting that is an f/4 lens. I'll reference these in this review.
Horwood House, Milton Keynes, UK
My first outing with the 7-14mm for my first wedding of 2016
Size and Weight
If you picked up an OM-D as part of a kit you may well already have the brilliant 12-40mm f/2.8. If it's a lens you're familiar with, then you're not far from being able to imagine the size, dimensions and general feel of the 7-14mm f/2.8. The diameter and feel of these two lenses are very familiar with the 7-14mm f/2.8 being a little larger, if anything. So, if you've become well adjusted and comfortable using the 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO, picking up the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO should give for an immediately familiar feel.
The lens weighs in at 534 grams. Given its' relatively similar size to the 12-40mm f/2.8 therefore you'll be pleasantly surprised by this when you pick one up for the first time - by comparison, the 12-40mm f/2.8 is a shade lighter at 382 grams. For further comparison, the DSLR equivalents from Canon & Nikon are both heavier. Canon's super 16-35mm is just 100 grams heavier at 635 grams and the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 comes in at a comparatively whopping 970 grams. Sticking with the Micro Four Thirds comparisons though, Panasonic's own 7-14mm is rather light at 300grams. So, if weight is an important factor to you, perhaps due to an injury, then the Panasonic may be the way to go. I would however debate Olympus' 7-14mm offering feels beautifully balanced when mounted to an OM-D. Those few hundred extra grams give for a reassuringly premium feeling construction.
My first bride of 2016 photographed with the Olympus M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO lens
First Impressions
As with all of the lenses so far in the M.Zuiko PRO range, the resistance (or stiffness) of the rings on the lens feels great. In fact, if you own any of the M.Zuiko PRO lenses, such as the 12-40mm or the 40-150mm for example, then then you'll find that the 7-14mm f/2.8 handles very similarly in that respect. That universal and consistent feel and operation that Olympus have given to their PRO lenses is something I can really appreciate. Each time I pick up one of the 'Holy Trinity' of lenses (these being the 7-14mm, the 12-40mm and the 40-150mm) they operate pretty much in the same way. By launching these lenses at around the same time, give or take a year, they've presented them to us in a way that Canon never did. The Canon 24-70mm for example feels nothing like, or even operates anything like the 70-200mm. They don't look the same either.
The 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO feels dense, strong and solid. All features that I'm sure you've come to know from the other lenses in the PRO lineup.
If you've owned a Super Wide Angle Zoom before on a different system, then the lens cap won't be anything new to you. However, if you've found your way (back) into photography through an OM-D and this is your first Wide Angle - then the pinch-style lens cap may at first seem a little odd. The lens cap, unlike other standard zooms and primes, has to take into account the concave and protruding nature of the front element, meaning it therefore cannot sit flush in front of that element. So, as a result it mounts neatly around the lens hood, which is an integral part of the 7-14mm body. You could say it's shaped a little like a hockey puck. It's solid and features the same front panel design of the other PRO lens, lens caps.
Image Quality
When it comes to lenses a good one will often outlast the cameras you own. I'd say this is the case with the 7-14mm for sure. Everything I've said about the image quality of the 12-40mm and the 40-150 is exactly the same for the 7-14mm: It's incredibly sharp both at 7mm and at 14mm, even in the corners which isn't common for a super wide angle. Here are some sample images for you to take a look at to demonstrate (all new images unreleased before now:)
Even though it's an Ultra Wide Angle lens, distortion isn't overly extreme unless you angle the lens at your subject. For example I recently found myself with very little space to shoot a few large formal photographs at a wedding, which called for the 7-14mm in order to fit the group of people in the frame. Ordinarily I would be somewhat concerned about the warping and distortion that tends to take place in the outer edges of the frame, but what I actually found is that if I shot square on at chest height to my subjects I achieve a pretty standard feeling frame . A minor distortion correction in Adobe Lightroom corrected this even further and left no after-effects or extra-wide or oddly-tall family members on the outside edges of the frame.
That said though, with little effort you really can create a distorted and stretched image if that is your intention. All you have to do is simply to exaggerate and change your angle and that result will happen. Check this out:
Who is this Lens for?
Whilst a super wide angle isn't a lens that every photographer will need, Wedding Photographers and Landscape photographers will definitely want one of these in their bag. It's weather sealed - of course - meaning it can stand up to inclement weather. So whether you're in a field or up a mountain, or just outside photographing a couple for their pre-wedding shoot or lifestyle shoot you'll be safe in the knowledge this lens can handle those situations.
As with all of the M.ZUIKO PRO lenses they do come in slightly higher priced than some of the mid-range zooms and prime lenses, but you're investing in quality. Not wanting to repeat myself (but I will) - a good lens will definitely outlast your camera body! So, if you look at it that way - the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO isn't actually that expensive at all. I've had my E-M1 for 2 years now and will likely upgrade to the E-M1ii during 2017. I would imagine I'll own the 7-14mm f/2.8 for the entire duration of that camera too. I wouldn't be surprised if I one day pair it with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 mark 3!
Like most of the Olympus lenses (with the exception of a few such as relatively new Olympus M.ZUIKO PRO 300mm f/4), the 7-14mm f.2.8 it not stabilised. This is taken care of with the In-Body stabilisation offered by the Olympus OM-D range of cameras. As such if you're a Panasonic shooter and you don't have stabilisation in your camera, this lens could be less appealing to you than Panasonic's own.
With this super short focal range you do find that the stabilisation is even more effective than on lenses with longer focal ranges. Which is always a nice, added bonus.
Criticisms
I've tried very hard to find something wrong with this lens, but in truth I really can't pick fault at it. It stacks up against the DSLR lens offerings from Canon and Nikon in every way with superb optical quality and build.
I mentioned when I wrote a review of my 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO that it suffered a little more than most when it came to chromatic aberration when you shoot toward a light source. The same can be said for the 7-14mm f/2.8 too. But this is as much to do with the distance between the sensor and the camera mounting point of the camera & lens (the flange distance) as much as anything else.
Although, as a wide angle lens, this Is somewhat expected and not completely unsurprising behavior. The shape of the front element being what it is will always contribute to less predictive behavior when it comes to the way that the light 'bounces around' inside the lens between the elements. That, coupled with the very short flange distance (the distance between the very rear element of the lens to the sensor) will contribute to some Chromatic Aberration (CA). That said so far I've only had CA on a couple of photographs I've made using this lens and fortunately it's not apparent in some of the more common CA-causing scenarios (such as portraits with a strong and contrasting rim light, or a cool, blue window light), but if you shoot a branch with the sky as the background, or if you photograph a building, looking upward, you may spot some aberration along the edges. Now, I know what you're thinking: "CA is easily removed in Lightroom" - and you're right. But this does have to be mentioned. So, this does become less of an issue, but I still wanted to point it out.
Conclusion
In short, Olympus have done it again and have produced yet another lens more than able to take on the mantle of being a 'PRO' lens. Superb build quality combined with outstanding optical results mean we have a lens that can take on whatever we choose to throw at it.
The 7-14mm f/2.8 confidently now sits at the widest end of the 'Holy Trinity' of lenses, meaning us Olympus MFT photographers have a trio of lenses covering focal ranges from 7mm to 300mm, all the while maintaining a constant f/2.8 aperture.
No matter what you choose to shoot, if you need a wider field of view then the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO is ready to step in and serve you well.
Feels great, looks great, works great - all in a lens that is reasonably priced. Well done Olympus yet again!
Your views
Do you own the Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO? Have you used this lens before? What do you think? Be sure to drop a comment below and we can chat! Please, as always, be sure to include a link to your website and work too :)
Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Deal
I'll keep this blog post very short and very, very sweet. I don't usualy do this either, but this deal from Olympus is too good not to share. It's better than anything I saw on Black Friday as well...
Olympus curently have their 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens down to just £837 on Amazon.co.uk! That's not bad for a lens that usually retails at £1,200!
This is via the official Olympus Shop on Amazon. It's not a knock-off or grey import either. If you were looking to buy one now seems like a pretty good time to go for it!
Some may still see the 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO as an expensive lens, even at this price, but if you ask me I'd call this a bargain. I purchased mine along with the 1.4 teleconverter back in early 2015 not long after it's release and so far it's been worth every penny (and I paid the full price of over £1,300!). So, this may explain a little why I'm writing a dedicated post to promote the amazing deal currently on offer.
I wrote a full review of the 40-150 right here on the blog (which you can check out here: http://bit.ly/Olympus40-150review) so if you're in any doubt about the pedigree and quality of this lens, please do have a read!
Here are some sample photographs, but there are also some more over in that review as well:
I apologise if you already have this lens and this is spammy. As I say I don't usually share this sort of thing at all, but as I'm sure you'll agree - those who don't own this lens - perhaps because of the price being a barrier - should go and buy this now!
Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Review
More and more professional photographers are making the switch to mirrorless cameras than ever before. With cameras such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1 being sturdy and built to take on the rigors of professional assignments, yet considerably smaller and lighter than DSLR's, photographers are reaping the benefits of such systems. However, it's one thing for the camera body itself to be up to the task - but what about the lenses?
One must-have lens in any wedding, event or wildlife photographers' arsenal is a 70-200mm f/2.8, whether it be Canon's 70-200 L Class offering or Nikon's 70-200 f/2.8 Nikkor: These lenses provide us with a convenient focal range and great low-light ability. They're typically built to very high standards, making use of metal bodies and quality optics. They can take a real beating in everyday use and continue to produce excellent images. These are the tools of the pro photographer.
Now, Olympus have introduced their professional-grade, weather sealed, constant f/2.8 aperture telephoto offering, giving professional mirrorless photographers the lens they've been waiting for.
Enter, the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm ED f/2.8 PRO!
Specs & Details
- 40-150mm focal range provides an 80-300mm, 35mm equivalent field of view
- The 40-150 ED f/2.8 PRO is available for around £1,150 on it's own
- Also available with a 1.4 teleconverter for around £1,300 all together
- 9 Blade Aperture for circular bokeh
- 16 elements, 10 Groups
- Splash, Freeze and dust proof the same as the M.Zuiko 12-40 f/2.8 PRO
- Metal construction
- All-metal tripod mount collar included. Removable.
- Intelligently designed extending lens Hood. This is removable, just like a regular hood that you may find on the Canon 70-200, but the mechanism simply allows you to store it on the lens, without having to remove it and reverse mount it for storage. Very clever
- Internal focusing mechanisms (no extending parts, unlike the 12-40 f/2.8 PRO)
Size
The lens weighs in at 880 grams and is 160mm long, making it both shorter and much lighter than Canon's 70-200 (weighing 1490 grams) and even more so than Nikon's (weighing 1540 grams). Considering the Olympus has a field of view up to 300mm, this makes this a pretty impressive feat indeed. If you're reading this and you shoot with a DSLR, it would be a nearer comparison in weight and size to Canon 24-70 f/2.8 (weighing 805 grams, and is 113mm long)
The Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm ED f/2.8 PRO towering over the rest of the Olympus lenses
As Micro Four Thirds lenses go, the 40-150 is certainly the largest. In fact, it does somewhat go against the idea of what Micro Four Thirds is all about in that it isn't as small as many of the other lenses, but in a way, on this occasion, it isn't such a bad thing: the size and weight of the 40-150 when mounted to any of the OM-D's, especially when fitted with a grip, feels very neatly balanced. Coupled with the E-M1 it also makes for a serious looking setup too. So, if you're conscious about how you and your gear look on a wedding day, this will probably go some way to compensating for you feeling inadequate. (not that this should matter though). In short it looks the business!
First Impressions
When you pick the lens up you'll immediately be pleasantly surprised by how dense the lens feels. The quality of the build and the materials is instantly apparent. The focus and zoom rings aren't too loose or too tight, they're just about right. These also have a metallic, textured feel to them so you can both find them without having to take your eye away from the EVF and also to allow you to get a good grip when you've been working with the lens for long periods and may be a bit sweaty. Although having said that - I do feel that rubber zoom and focus rings would have been a better option (I'll expand on this in my criticisms below)
If you remove the tripod mount collar you instantly shed a fair amount of weight from the lens. So for those of us that will use this for weddings and portraits we can instantly make the lens lighter. I've personally no need to mount this lens to a tripod during a wedding, so mine usually ends up in the back of the car. The collar itself keeps up with the excellent build quality and feels like a very solid, chunky piece of metal. Which is reassuring when that is the part that will keep your precious gear sitting atop a tripod!
Remove the lens hood completely and the lens becomes even more compact.
Image Quality
When it comes to lenses a good one will often outlast the cameras you own. I'd say this is the case with the 40-150. It's incredibly sharp both at 40mm and at 150mm, which isn't common in a lens with this range of zoom. Here are some real-world photographs I've made with the 40-150 over the past few months. These photographs were all made in a variety of surroundings too: an engagement shoot, a model shoot in a studio environment and of course street photography:
As you can see from these photographs a good shallow Depth of Field is present thanks to the useful focal length and f/2.8 aperture. The photographs are all superbly sharp as well. The 40-150 in combination with the E-M5 and E-M1 really makes this lens come to life.
Who is this lens for?
The 40-150 is a must have for any MFT photographer shooting professional assignments or for any serious enthusiast shooting sports or wildlife. To be honest the lens is so versatile that it's going to be useful to a variety of photography niches.
The lens is designed to be able to continue to work in adverse conditions, so you're investing in a lens that can really do a professional job. It will certainly be around for many years and in my opinion, it's set to be a lens that many look back on as one of the great telephoto lenses of this generation: sealed, sturdy and up for the task, yet lighter and smaller than a DSLR equivalent. This lens is perfect for those who shoot portraits, weddings, wildlife or sports.
If you are in the Panasonic side of the MFT camp, then this lens may not be of as much interest to you owing to the fact it doesn't have stabilisation built into the lens (of course, when you shoot with Olympus the stabilisation is in-body and all lenses are stabilised). However, a Panasonic shooter will still find their stabilisation in their lenses, instead of the body. Effectively, this isn't stabilised when used on Panasonic cameras.
Criticisms
It wouldn't be fair to review this lens without at least pointing out something negative about it. Much like my review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 when I first bought that last year, I really do have to be picky to find faults with this lens. I can't fault the build quality. I can't criticise the optical performance and the size is a positive. I guess If I had one thing to say, it would would be about the aforementioned zoom and focus rings (I would emphasise I am being hypocritical here):
Canon and Nikon's DSLR and Lens systems are very mature and have been around for a while, so naturally, as they have iterated they've made small, but useful enhancements and adjustments to their equipment that just adds to an overall feel. Things that we don't even realise as useful, because, well they've been that way forever. It's only when you move to a different system, such as the E-M1 and Olympus M.Zuiko lenses that you realise certain things about the other systems. Such as rubber zoom and focus rings on their lenses.
Olympus have opted to use plastic or metal on a majority of their lenses for these components. Whilst on smaller primes and even the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro this isn't an issue, the larger circumference of the 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro perhaps warrants a different material for the rings on the barrel of the lens.
Again, this is me trying to find a fault. Sometimes, in a bid to be different and do things their own way, Olympus opt for a design or a method that perhaps is just that - different, but not better. Having said that though the PRO line of Olympus M.Zuiko lense have a theme to them; all black, metallic finish, professional feel. If they updated or adjusted the way one lens from that range looked, you'd have to update the others too. As a lens lineup, they look stellar.
I would also point out some chromatic aberration when you shoot into strong light as well. I've only had CA on a couple of photographs I've made using this lens and fortunately it's not apparent in some of the more common CA-causing scenarios (such as portraits with a strong and contrasting rimlight, or a cool, blue window light), but if you shoot a branch with the sky as the background, or if you photograph a building, looking upward, you may spot some aberration along the edges. Now, I know what you're thinking: "CA is easily removed in Lightroom" - and you're right. But this does have to be mentioned. So, this does become less of an issue, but I still wanted to point it out.
Now, I have probably gone on too long about the rings on the lens and through fear of risk of me sounding like you can't operate this lenses zoom and focus rings (you can, with ease), I would simply say that rubber would have perhaps been a better option. That's all.
So, those two very picky things aside, we have an absolute marvel of a lens here.
Conclusion
Quite simply, if you were ever hesitant to switch to Olympus, or Micro Four Thirds because of a lack of a constant aperture professional grade telephoto, you've now got it and there shouldn't be much to hold you back at all.
This is the lens that could push any photographer at war with themselves whether to switch to mirrorless, to switch. If you're having a dilemma and worry about lens selection when moving to Olympus - you shouldn't be concerned. This lens adequately replaces the 70-200 offerings on the table from Nikon and Canon. Whilst doing so it offers a greater focal range in a smaller package with apparent better edge-to-edge sharpness.
As a previous DSLR shooter with a heavy investment in Canon, I was reluctant to sell my Canon gear purely because I didn't believe there was an equal and equivalent lens to my Canon 70-200mm L f/2.8 IS USM ii. It was a lens that cost a good amount of money and worked excellently when paired up with the Canon 1.4 EX ii as well. Sure, the lens stopped down to f/4 when used with the adaptor, but it was built like a space rocket and was amazingly responsive. The resulting image quality from that lens was also unmatched by any other lens I had in my bag at the time.
My own migration to Olympus hinged on this very lens being as good as it is. Without a quality Olympus 70-200 challenger I wasn't prepared to move. My Canon 70-200L f/2.8 was the jewel of my kit bag. It was the one thing I'd save from my house if it were on fire (photographically speaking that is). After testing this lens at the Olympus Image Space last year I had seen enough to convince me it was capable. When I bought it and used it for an engagement shoot and some portraits, the Canon 70-200 was sold immediately.
The Olympus 40-150 is a feat of optical engineering and an incredibly well-considered design. The lens hood, the size, the very near minimum focussing distance of 70cm which is maintained throughout the entire zoom range make this a must-have tool for any Olympus photographer. The fact is goes to 300mm is a very welcome bonus indeed!
It's not as expensive as Canon or Nikon's 70-200's, but it's every bit as good a lens and one I would recommend without hesitation.