Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 Pro Lens, for Micro Four Thirds Cameras

I was on the preorder list for this here on Amazon, so I got one of the earliest copies that Olympus released. The construction is very solid and the weight is slightly high for an M4/3 lens, but nothing to worry about. I find the slight heft to lend itself nicely to the feel and perceived durability of the optic. The only problem I've had with this lens was on the first copy I received. Within 20 minutes of general us - I was actually photographing something for online auction - the lens inexplicably locked itself out at the max zoom. I got nervous. In 15 years of pro shooting I've never had a lens lock up on me like that. Not Nikon, not Canon, not Fuji, not Tamron, not Panasonic, not Olympus. The quality of the lens ushered in even more surprise as it doesn't feel cheep or poorly designed. I finally managed to get it to back in by applying slight pressure to the front element while rotating the zoom ring. It did it a few more times over a 24 hour period. I sent it back to Amazon for an exchange, which took several days to get in obviously, because of the early demand. Since getting the new copy I've had no issues. I've only been shooting M4/3 for a few months now, but I really am enjoying it. The Olympus E-M1 is literally the funnest camera I've ever used (review coming once I do a few more tests) and this is the camera I've used to test this lens. As I've mentioned, this lens has a wonderful weight and design and the quality is top shelf. When I was looking for a lighter/smaller, general shooting/international travel kit I first went with the Fuji X system after offing my secondary full frame DSLR and lenses. This isn't a Fuji review, but the gear was mostly aces except for the plastic, flat X-E1/2 bodies. The lenses, however, have a VERY solid and esthetically pleasing designs (though some, like the 23mm 1.4 have terribly slow AF) and this 12-40 is reminiscent of that. To me, this Olympus lens feels more solid, despite it's smaller size overall. If you've used to or are familiar with the Fuji X lenses, this Olympus will feel akin to that class of optic. Performance is very solid with quick and quiet AF. The AF is very accurate and really isn't fooled easily. Yes, the camera plays a role in all of this, but the partnership is excellent. I also found it quiet in continuous AF while shooting video as long as you're letting the camera acquire the focus. Pressing the shutter half way will generate gear noise as it realigns the optics to a great degree. The manual focus sift ring - also very similar to the newer Fuji X series - is a nice touch and works well. The lens is pretty sharp even wide open and does well stopped down a bit. I'm not a pixel peeper at the corners by any stretch, but nothing I've taken stood out to me because of negative attributes. I've been shooting Nikon FF with pro optics most recently (and still do for work) and the biggest hurdle I've had to overcome in moving to M4/3 for personal work is the inherent resolution/noise limitations of sensors by comparison. However, for practical purposes, it's not much of a problem. I say that to argue that if I'm not seeing red flags going up when reviewing my images, this lens is more than doing it's job. I've not put this under a running faucet to test it's splashproofness, but I've seen videos of others doing it with splendid results. I have, however, had it out in mist, light rain, sleet and snow with zero complications. I've not done a freeze test either, but it performed admirably in snow in temps in the mid to lower 20s. As far as dustproofness, well I can't attest to that as deeply yet, but I have used it on the beach with flying sand shooting an athletic event and no grains seems to get inside the body. Yes, grains are bigger than fine dust, but it's the best testament I can give right now. I was able to blow grains off the camera/lens with no complications. This will be in my travel kit to Africa this summer and that will be excellent testing grounds for this area as I usually have to clean my cameras and optics a few times a week because the orange dust begins to layer up on them. I'll follow up toward the fall if anything changes or to give added testimony. Overall, it's very hard to fault this lens. The stuck zoom aside on the first draft, I find this lens to be stellar, even for the money. An optic of similar performance on a traditional DSLR will easily run you close to double or at least a few hundred dollars more. Even the Tamron equivalent is $300 or so more, but it does include vibration control. Olympus leaves that up to the camera body and the 5-axis system in the E-M1 is the best I've ever experienced, even versus optically controlled systems. So, in a nutshell, it's no MORE expensive than any quality 2.8 of this range on the market. It's a 24-80 focal length equiv, so you do get a bit more reach, and what it might lack in, say, optical stabilization, it makes up for in exceptional environmental sealing. You won't see too many folks put their Canon or Nikon's under the faucet :) I have NOT used the supposedly excellent Panasonic 12-35 2.8 lens, so I can't compare them. I know that the Panny is also supposed to be dust and splash proof and does have the built in OIS, but it's over $100 more as well. In a nutshell this 12-40 2.8 Oly performs very well and it's added durability and looks make it a winner in my book and a welcome addition to the ever-expanding M4/3 lens arena. If you require faster optics in a zoom lens, this is a very good option in my opinion. Oly's claims about it's capabilities are certainly holding up for me so far and I'll easily change my rating in the future if I find that it comes up short in the field. With the (currently) available rebates that Oly has set in place it becomes an even better option. I purchased this with the E-M1 body and the pair qualified for a $200 mail-in rebate on the lens - making it $800, which is a bargain for this quality of lens. I'm highly looking forward to the upcoming 40-150 2.8 that will fall in this same class. This lens has easily met my expectations and I have no hesitations in highly recommending it to anyone seeking its performance level. BONUS: You actually get a freak'n lens hood with it! I guess Olympus decided to make the concessions with the zooms because their prime certainly don't come with them. Rediculous...

Excellent build quality and feel. Sharp images. Compact build

Schnelle Lieferung gute Verpackung Nutze es auf Städtereisen. Super Bildqualität

La calidad de este lente en cuanto a construcción y operación superó todas mis expectativas. Los resultados son maravillosos también. Puede parecer caro hasta que miras el costo de los lentes equivalentes de otras marcas. Si haces video o foto en micro cuatro tercios este lente es una gran inversión.

The lens is really well built and sharp. I'll have to get use to not having a longer focal length but 40m should handle most situations. I've replaced my primes with this one. My only gripe is that Amazon shipped the lens in a very worn, obviously used box so I didn't feel like I received a new lens. I have asked for a replacement. Update - Amazon quickly replaced the lens with a brand-new one. Nice!