DP Review on the tiny Olympus Micro Four-Thirds wide angle
The new 9-18mm F4-5.6 Micro Four-Thirds lens from Olympus is finally due to start shipping at the end of this week, and has got a broadly favourable review from DPReview.
What’s most impressive about this 700-dollar lens is its tiny size. Our thumbnail shows it dwarfed by the Zuiko Digital 9-18mm F4-5.6, also made by Olympus for Micro Four-Thirds cameras.
The question camera owners need to ask is: does the tiny size make up for optical distractions such as high chromatic aberration and soft-ish corners when the lens is used at its widest?
Since Micro Four-Thirds is all about making high quality photographic kit that takes up less space, it seems a moot point. If the aim was to carry less stuff around in the first place, buy the tiniest lens you can afford. And if space never was an issue, perhaps putting up with something a little more bulky might be the best option.
It’s good to see the range of Micro Four-Thirds lenses expanding now. One of the great benefits of the standard is that it is a standard, applying across manufacturers. As more lenses emerge, we’re hopefully going to see ever greater competitive efforts by lens makers to offer value for money.
