Without a lens on my E-M1 body, I found myself in need of a diverse kit lens to use for impromptu food and street photography. This Olympus 12-50mm fit the bill. Thanks for the intro and the wonderful summary quote from Mad Magazine!
I recently purchased this lens for my e-pl5. I think it was a good choice giving me a great deal of versatility and respectable quality verses price. It was a substantial step up given my original kit lens, 14-42mm. Thanks for your information. I recently subscribed to your channel and I'm enjoying your reviews.
Thanks for the review. I have the lens as the E-M5 kit option. It will be my all-round casual lens when I need to be prepared for anything. If something special pops up, I'd have to switch to either my Rokinon 7mm, Pana 20mm or Zuiko 50mm. But for traveling/fool proof everyday lens, the 12-50mm is OK. As you said, it's not pretty, but it's not very ugly either. I wish it was half the physical length. The weather sealing is nice, and so is the macro mode. Your MAD quote suits it well.
I own the omd em10 mark 2 with the 14-42mm pancake lens. Coming from a Canon DSLR this was the first lens that introduced me to powerzoom. While I like it most of the time, I do miss the control and speed of manual zooming. Also, the manual focus-ring is insanely small on that lens. After watching your review I think I want this lens in addition to the pancake as a standard lens for those situations I prefer control over size.
Thanks John. As you say, not the best but more versatile than the 12-35 and little difference in sharpness in day to day use. The 17mm would make a nice general purpose lens and be handy on the odd occasion you really need some speed.
I just received this lens from Olympus that was on sale as refurbished. I recorded a test video on my EP3 using the power zoom and then uploaded to my PC. When I play the recording I can hear the zoom above the noise of TV playing in the background. I then repeated the test with my G6 and couldn't hear the zoom above the TV. I repeated the test on my G6 with TV muted and could hear the zoom. It appears the power zoom is noisy on the Olympus 12-50mm EZ lens. I could not find any mention of this problem on the internet, but most of the reviews were by owners who bought the lens with the EM5.
Thanks David, I now understand your perplexed response to this rather hybrid chemilion lens! I replied to your comment on my thread at DPreview. This is very helpful, sort off - just as you say, what a curious beast! Thanks for your effort.
Watched this video and bought the lens. I took 100 pictures this afternoon at the Botanical Garden and they were very nice. I love the macro feature. Manual focus with focus peaking works well too. Color and sharpness are great. E-zoom works very well with the Panasonic GX7. Only problem: dark for videos in darker rooms. We interviewed a WWII vet in his home and I should have used my kit lens or 20mm.
Yes, it's an incredibly versatile lens at knockdown price but at the longer end it is slow. On the other hand, at 42mm it's virtually the same speed as a kit lens. And at the 12mm end it's only a half a stop off the expensive f2.8 12-35/40 zooms. But indoors....faster is better!
I watch this every few months when I get the urge to change systems. I pretty much have the same lenses as David and feel that his evaluation is fair. Thanks David.
Earl Headrick I read about stuff like the Sony A7s and I think the same as you. Then someone said to me to take a more realistic look and, excellent though they seem to be they are still bigger and more FF than I want. Today I went out on my bike with my MFTs, with a complete range of lenses in my small backpack and I realized anew why I like MFT. It isn't any absolutes, it's the blend of attributes. That applies in spades to the 12-50. Do other lenses do some of what it does better? Yes, they do. But does any other lens have the blend of attributes that this one does? No, nowhere near.
I might decide to get one of these for video anyway, as any optical shortcomings compared to the pro variant are likely to be irrelevant at video resolutions.
one very important point you did not mention is that by pushing the and pulling the MACRO NOTHING CHANGES it just function like a luck , by the other words the macro is not extended any closer to the object one want to shoot , unlike some other lense when you push the macro it takes it one level or more higher
Great information and as entertaining as always! I've just order one for my E-pl7 (pushed by a bargain price I must say), even though I've got the 14-42 EZ pancake. I think the 12mm is going to make it for me, plus if a little better IQ/sharpness can be felt compared to the pancake, I'll be pretty happy. Fingers crossed. Regards from Barcelona Spain!
Hello David, I enjoy your videos, I need you advise. I am switching from Nikon D800 because of weight. I am looking to buy Olympus EM 5 mark ii. I am also looking at these prime lenses. 12mm f/2.0, 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.5 and 45mm f/1.8. Which lenses would you suggest for Landscape, Street Photography, Portrait and Travel. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.
For a light setup meant to be carried around during hiking/cycling trips, do you think this 12-50 + Olympus 40-150 R (not the pro one) would be a good combination? I've been wondering wether it would be better to try the new 14-42 power zoom that comes with the E-M10mkII (and then need to buy a macro lens to have that covered), or simply use the 12-50 for the occasional macro shots. I already have the 40-150 thanks to a 99$ promotion, so I'm looking for a dual lens setup, rather than a single 14-140.
The 14-42 Olympus power zoom is rather disappointing optically and I'd choose one of the other options anyway. The thing about the 12-50 is that it is just so versatile with pretty decent optical quality too and if you do any video the power zoom is particularly well worth having. For a small, versatile outfit for cycling and hiking your two lenses are well night perfect. The only thing lacking is a fast lens but given the stabilization of the E-M10 mk11, for travel that's no big deal. Unless you want to photograph night time downhill mountain bike races, of course :-)
Thanks! I've picked up the E-M10mkII just yesterday and I've been playing with the 40-150. Oly menus definitely demand some learning curve, I feel much more at home with my Canon 6D but I guess it's mostly a matter of getting used to it. Thanks for the feedback regarding the 12-50, I'm now looking for a second hand copy of that lens (here in Taiwan it's only sold as a kit).
The Olympus menus are, erm, not exactly intuitive! The first thing to do is get a rough setup how you want it and set it as a MySet (Custom setting, basically). For example set 4:3, ISO 200, Aperture Priority, RAW+JPG and set that to Myset 1. From then on you can change parameters using the SCP on the monitor and if you prefer them write them to MySet 1 again. That way you always have a basic go-to setting and if you get lost, turn off the camera and it will reset to that. Good luck!
Hi David, thanks as usual for the latest videos... I'm now back to this older one asking you for a little advice, if you can. I upgraded to an EM-5 (mark 1) from a Lumix GX1, as I needed weather-sealing and wanted some more control on my shooting, and also because it seems the E-M5 features a slightly better sensor. As weather-sealed lens, I can get this 12-50 for about 125pounds, second-hand (I live in the UK, London). But the new 14-150 mark II is quite attractive and it sells for a little less than 300 pounds used. I already have the 12-32, 17 1.8, 45 1.8 (as you can see I watch your videos!). I know we are talking of two different things and quite a different price range, but the latter seems to be quite worth it - and more or less the same size. As you never reviewed a 10x zoom or so (if I'm right) I was wondering whether you had any occasion to handle it and would recommend it. I don't often need a 300mm equivalent f-o-v, but yes, sometimes it just gets handy (till now I've been adapting a cheap Tamron 28-200 EOS mount, but with manual focus and such a long focal length everything just gets much slower). Thanks in advance!
Hello Giorgio - the only wide range zoom I've tested is the Panasonic 14-140 which is on of my most used lenses due to its versatility and good performance. Given the nice gear you already have, I'd buy the 40-150mm. I haven't tested one but I've yet to find a bad Olympus Micro Four Thirds lens. Even if you don't use the short end much, the long end will extend your picture possibilities and sometimes a wide range zoom is so very handy. Just put it on the camera and you know you are covered for any eventuality. That's why my Panasonic gets so much use.
Thanks for the thorough answer and suggestion David. The 40-150 would make a lot of sense, and it's a true bargain these days. Being in need of weather-sealing the options were very restricted though - the lack of small weather-sealed primes is my only complaint about the current status of the MFT system! I eventually made the economic effort and got (for a good price) a 14-150 II, which so far is living up to expectations. It seems to be a wonderful lens and as you said for the 14-140 I sense it will get a lot of use... I'm already missing the 12mm wide end honestly, but as you know the 12-32 easily fits in a shirt pocket :) I owe you a coffee or a beer for all these suggestions!
It got a bad rap because it is not the sharpest lens. But this is one of those lenses that doesn't come out well on a test bench. In day to day use, I found it to be as sharp as I need and certainly not noticeably unsharp under any circumstances. The point is its versatility, small size and now, silly low price.
Thank you Mr Thorpe for adding to my comment I didn't expect that. You owe me a lot of money because I have bought so much gear solely based on your opinion, and recommendation by the way I purchased the Lumix 15mm 1.7 Leica lens, 17mm was never wide enough for me, and the 12mm too wide it is a wonderful lens (I had the Oly 17mm 2.8). Again always looking forward to your very informative reviews.
+Grady Wilson Hi Grady - sorry I'm costing you money. If you let me know what you are planning to buy next, I'll do a review saying it a waste of money. Then we split what you save 50/50 :-)
Have to agree with the earlier comments, very nicely done review, entertaining and informative. Attractive lens and reasonably sized considering the useful range.
I do like this lens for a walk around lens as its lite weight. Its not a pro lens like the Olympus 12-40mm but its also a good back up event lens if you have a Panasonic 12-35mm or Olympus 12-40mm this can be a great back up lens if your on a job and something happens. When I talk to people that have a interest in wedding photography I always say keep that cheap kit lens you never know when you might drop your good lens and you will need a back up right then and there.
I bought this lens with the e-m5 Mk I, your right. 24-100mm equivalent, weather sealed, electronic zoom for video, "macro fonction"; all-in-one solution. I d'ont know what to say. Just thanks Olympus to care about your consumer because this is really an impressive standard kit lens and f*ck Canon and Nikon with your awful 18-55mm ^^
Thanks for the review, i am thinking of purchasing this ,lens as a general purpose zoom lens but mostly for its close focusing would recomend this as it would be my only zoom lens
It seems to go on a sliding scale so its around f5.6 by between 35 and 40mm and gradually reaches f6.3 at 50mm. I'd be guessing but it would probably be f6 at 46mm, for example.
Wow, you were able to sum it up very nicely! In my words, this lens is slow, quite long, and the IQ is not spectacular. Otherwise it's a perfect lens. I think you did not mention (quite) silent motor and internal focusing. The L-fn freezes the AF on Panasonic, so it is quite useful for video on Panasonic bodies, too.
I will always keep this lens around if one is traveling and is limited to how much can be carried, the weather seal is invaluable, together with OMD EM5 weather seal camera, it makes for a good compromise.
+Grady Wilson It must be almost the ultimate travel lens. It's an unusual combination of features and I think it has been underrated generally. It's not pretty, it's not fast and it is not a sharpness star. But it is plenty sharp enough, it's compact, light and for video has power zoom. Certainly if I had to be limited to owning just one lens, I'd likely pick this one.
Hi David, thank you for other Great Review. Do you know if this Lens are parfocal. In Video Mode will the Lens keep the subject in Focus during Power zooming? Dankeschön!
Hi - No, it's not parfocal. If it's on autofocus the camera will try to adjust focus as it moves, of course but on manual focus it'll go off. Offhand, I can't think of any Micro Four Thirds zoom that is parfocal.
Great review, my sentiments of this lens reflects yours completely. I personally own an Olympus OM-D E-M5 with this 12-50mm lens. Personally, I feel it’s not the best, but not bad either. I would like to get the Panasonic 13-35mm f/2.8 but I can’t afford a lens the same price as my camera body. This lens does the job. I plan on buying the M. Zuiko 17mm f./1.8 or the 12mm f./2.0 as my main prime sometime in the future. Excellent review David, thank you.
Thanks for the inf. If the lens was 3.5 to 5.6 and they spent a bit more money on the CA and flare, improved the long end performance a bit, they'd have a must have lens for everyone. Amazon have it for about £260 - if that price were £350 with those improvements - not a big upgrade, just a tidy up - I doubt there would be an MFT shooter without one.
Hi! Very good video! I see that you know the lenses very well so I was wondering if you could help me. I just bought an OMD EM10 mk1, but body only ( it was a great deal). I am pretty new to the photography wordl, so I'm lloking for a all-around lens to start with. The obvious choice is the 14-42 that is provided in most kits, but then I saw the 12-50 from the old em5 kits, and it really looks handy! The more wide angle and macro mode seems attractive because it adds more versatility, and it can be turned to manual zoom as well as e-zoom (I certainly will do videos too). The size don't really matter to me, as long as it is not a monster lens. So is there any good side to the 14-42?? And since the 12-50 is a little older, it is very affordable today. Thanks for your answer, and great videos!
Thanks for the kind words. The 14-42mm pancake kit lens is a bit disappointing - I'd much prefer the 12-50 which is very versatile and has pretty good performance across the range. What's more its focal length range covers 90% of subjects, from buildings to portrait. If I ad to have just one lens, this would be a strong candidate.
Were all the examples at the end, like the comparison between 12-14mm, shot with the lens on the GH3? I just learned about 2x crop factor of MFT, and realized that I've completely messed up my feel of DOF, thinking 35mm looked like 70mm...
TeamFlamingStones Yes, most were on the GH3. I didn't have a hood for the lens, so no hood used at any time. I think the time for expressing lens information by focal length has had its day and it's about time we used the horizontal angle of view as the measure since that applies regardless of the sensor format.
Hi David, I would like to hear your recommendation regarding this lens. I use the MFT system since 2013 and I love the praticity and portability. I currently have the GH5, GH4 and GX80. And I have many lenses. Over time I ended up dividing the use of the equipment according to the need. GH5 is only used professionally and with PRO lenses. The GX80 I use as a camera B professionally or for personal use when I want something very compact, for example with the 12-32. The GH4 has become my „Camera C“ for work when I need a Second Camera with V-log, or for personal use when the day is rainy. In this scenario I lack a more basic lens, which is not expensive like 12-35 (which I do not like to "risk" in personal use with children with me) and Not so fragile like the 12-32. Do you still see 12-50 in 2019 as a good option? Is this lens, in your opinion, a good choice for scenarios: rain, beach sand or playground and travel? I can buy one for about 100 Euros used. Thanks for your help. Greetings direct from south Germany
Yes, the 12-50 is unique in its versatility and for €100 is a steal. It's not ultimately sharp as the 12-35 but it's plenty sharp enough and as a travel lens much more versatile. As I point out in the video, f/6.3 seems slow but that's at a focal length that other standard lenses don't cover. All the best from London!
David Thorpe Thank you so much David. I just come back from a little vacation with the kids and the 12-50 was the perfect lens. Playgrounds with sand and water, running and games, are the perfect environment for this lens. Loved the macro capability (or close-up) and found the electronic zoom Perfect for family videos. By the way, even professionally, I miss the electronic zoom. I worked a lot with larger camcorders and I'm used to zooming. That's what I miss most now, now that I use small cameras. The other lens I took on the trip was the Oly 75-300. It does not have the quality of the PL 100-400, but is extremely compact and lightweight. Surprisingly there are almost no reviews of this lens. Thank you David. All the best from the Black Forest!
@@TITAOSTEIN I'm glad it worked well for you. Yes, the power zoom is great for video. The Olympus 75-300 has always been overshadowed by the 100-300 Panasonic, I don't know why. It may just be that Panasonic are much more liberal in lending out stuff for review in magazines and web sites.
David Thorpe weather resistance and OIS are important. But in my case (I also own the PL 100-400) the size and weight are more important. 75mm in the wide side is also better for my needs. And the price... 270 vs 420 Euros in Germany.
I am somehow intrigued by this lens (not going to buy it though, at least for the time being) and your review does a very good job of showing its pros and cons in everyday life.
Do you have any experience of the 12mm f2 Olympus lens? I shot a wedding this weekend using a borrowed 12-40 f2.8, and, whilst the results were stunning, my Sigma primes are even better wide open than the olyzoom. Hence my query about the 12mm prime.
Yes, I do have experience of the 12mm which was a lovely little lens but my 12-40mm was sharper and I sold the 12mm. Not so much because of the sharpness itself which plenty good enough but because there was little reason to use it over and above the zoom and it wasn't being used.
Thank you for your thoughtful and deeply intelligent comment. I hope your photographs are as perceptive and well-crafted. Have you ever considered writing poetry?
When in manual zoom, at the widest and Tele position, is there a definite stop in twisting or merely an increase in resistance (but still able to twist)?
SRS had this lens on special offer new, a couple of years or so back, just over £100 with a lens hood and I couldn't resist. It's not a bad lens at all. I live about an hour's drive from SRS on a good day (if the M25 is playing up it could be half a day to get there!) and over the years I've spent too much with them for the good health of my bank balance! Roll on tomorrow (24th) and the new OM-D announcement
The ultra-wide zooms like the Panasonic 7-14 don't trombone but all of the standard zooms, 12-32, 12-35 Panasonic, 12-40 Olympus and so on do. Why, I don't know. So basically, no and I definitely prefer no tromboning.
I just got the lens. I have a question . when it's trying to seek focus do you see little static lines across the screen or when it's focus hunting? I just want to know I'd this is normal.
Great review Dave, I currently having an epl5 with 14-42 and 40-150, I always wanted something wider than 14mm with good optics and price, what's your suggestion?
Hi James - very similar overall but a great deal more versatile with its almost macro capability, wide range and motor driven zoom. Probably the most versatile standard zoom of all. I never found the sharpness lacking at all.
Extremely helpful! I had been wondering if you could control this lens zoom from the camera body (yes!) and the answer was certainly hard to find. How is the autofocus when recording video? (especially in relation to the Panasonic Lumix 12-35 kit lens)
Glad it was helpful. The autofocus won't be as good as the Panasonic 12-35 in low light, especially at the long end, due to the aperture difference but the major factor in autofocus performance is the camera body. For video under reasonable conditions it will work well but if you want to shoot in extremes the latest lenses will do better. For the video I do I wouldn't hesitate to use it.
thedexterbros How is the auto focus when recording video? Sucks! In the long end, some times it goes hunting. I would stay on manual focus when shooting videos
SharonHaber66 yes, everyone tells me that manual is best for video anyway. I find this lens auto-focuses video fine under reasonable conditions, though. I also find that some of the later lenses still hunt on video under poor light.
David Thorpe I was filming in wedding And the auto focus (out of focus) was quite annoying. Not much of a problem at a wide angle, but while zooming in it has it's own agenda. And yes, it wasn't a day light. This lens, which shown in your review is the only one I have. It came with the camera
Thanks again for your great review! Question: having a Lumix GX7 and the standard 14-40mm and the 14-150mm would you suggest me to have this Olympus because its macro and the 12mm and the ability to film quite smoothly. I'm thinking of traveling with my family and make movies and also to shoot in landscapes.
Jorge Rzezak I would for travel because of its great versatility as you say. The only thing to remember is that the GX7's IBIS doesn't work with video whereas your present kit lens does.
David Thorpe So, maybe a better choice for image stabilization would be the LUMIX G VARIO 12-32mm. Do you think I would add something interesting with that lens? 12mm against 14mm is really important?
Jorge Rzezak Difficult! I do prefer 12mm over 14, the extra angle is very useful. The 12-50 doesn't go to long telephoto so stabilization is less important on video. I think that even without stabilization, it is a better choice for your travel purposes than the 12-32. Also, the 12-32 does not photograph close-up at all well.
5 лет назад
Is it possible to control the power zoom with on-body buttons? For example, pairing this lens with M1
I'm really not sure about this one. I bought an E-M5 body and am in search of an adjustable lens. Weather sealing is very attractive as i'm the wild camping, backpacking type. I like making videos as well. I'm pretty sure i'll be getting the panasonic 20mm 1.7 and found a cheapo Nikon E series 50mm 1.8. I could get this for $200Canadian. Maybe a bit less after christmas if someones ditching their old gear.... Being that i'm on a budget, would this still be a decent lens to grab these days? Or should I just save up the cash for something 5x or more the price? Hard decisions! This is all coming from a guy moving up from point and shoot.
+blacksunapocalypse The only thing against this lens is that it is not the very sharpest. It is, however, sharp and in normal use you wouldn't perceive any difference unless you are going to pixel peep or print at very large magnification. It is, though, about the most versatile lens in MFT mount and with its motor zoom (great for video) and almost macro capabilities, plus wide zoom range a real bargain. If I had to do everything I do with one lens, it would have to be this one.
Cool, thanks the reply. i've been recommended to go for a zoom lens like this, but also go for a prime as well (I was thinking pan 20mm 1.7)... Would you do this combo or would you save the cash and just go for something like the 14-150mm?
+blacksunapocalypse If I was going to buy a prime as well I wouldn't go for the 20mm simply because it is quite old now and the focusing is not the best. The Pansonic f/1.7 25mm would be a nice high speed match and more useful for video than the 20mm. Or the Olympus 25mm.
im looking into getting this lens for supercar photography iv got a lumix g6 with 14/24mm which is the one u mainly use and the Olympus 45/150 that i love but its got to much zoom for my type of photography so it it worth the money as i havent got a lot thanks
+supercars of kent hi - Why do you want to change the 45-150? You don't have to us the full zoom range and I can't see the 12-50 would add anything special. Unless you want to just carry one lens? The 14-42 is a decent lens too. The 12-50 has a bit wider angle and focuses very closely but I cant see much advantage otherwise. What are your thoughts?
+David Thorpe hi im not planing of upgrading my 45\150 mm as i feel that its good enought for my work but i am planing of upgrading my 14/42 mm kit lens the main lens i use for supercar photography as i feel its not as sharp for the work im doing i was its good but just wondering if upgrading to the Olympus would be worth the £200. thanks
+supercars of kent I'd expect the Olympus 12-50 to have similar performance to your present lens. Both are pretty good in the centre of the field but suffer a bit at the edges. The sharpest of the standard zooms is the 12-32mm but that may be a bit limited in range. Having said that, it's not a big jump from 32mm to your tele lens. If you want really sharp and not expensive, the new Panasonic 25mm standard will do the trick.
+Dr23rippa Ideally video is shot from a tripod. If not, you just need to make sure you hold things still! This lens only goes to a mild telephoto, so stabilization isn't strictly necessary. I don't have a problem with it and my hands are not steady at all.
+Christiaan Berger No, I'm English. Just a convenient bit of lettering to focus on. I do like the Netherlands, though and spent a happy few days in Den Bosch recently.
Good News. I have rented 15 MF3 lenses, sold my Oly 12-50mm 3.5-4.6. I simply don’t like it and have settled on my collection: Oly 12-40mm 2.8 (yes i have it right now, got it straight from Japan) Oly 45mm 1.8 Pany 20mm 1.7 Comparing Pany 20mm / Sig 19mm, the 20 was smaller, faster and better IQ, but autofocus was slower. Comparing the Sig 30mm / Oly 45mm, the 30 almost got me on value, but at similar price the 45 took superior images and bokeh. I was sold. These lenses fit my style best.
What I don't find that intriguing is that f6.3 :) Could you please tell me at approximately which focal length it's already f6.3? Thank you very much indeed
hay daivd this still a great review and the information you provided is priceless when make buying choices. i use the 14-42 and i'm very pleased with the overall results. however considering the extra 2mm on the 12 vs the 14 for me it's a matter of the aperture and budget. those comparisons with the 12 and 14 really makes a difference but i never knew about a 6.3 but i'm sure the 6.3 may be a horror to see in low light but as your quote goes "for people who like this sort of thing this is the sort of thing they'd like". as a indie filmmaker your review really helps me with lens selections and understanding when and why to use these ultra wide angles lenses. cheers
Hi, and thank for all your reviews, i might get this lens for less than 100€ to complete my 45-200mm ( just got it for 160) . I would like to know if you ever tryed the Olympus 75mm 1.8, according to all the reviews i've read it looks like an incredible lens with outstanding iq, could you review it ? An other thing, could you make a sponsored amazon.fr link so i could use it to help your channel ? ( i use amazon.co.uk rarely because of the fees to ship in France ) .
Thanks ECKOS! I'll look into links to .fr. Amazon don't always make things easy but I appreciate the thought. I haven't tried the Olympus 75mm, though I've never read anything bad about it. I'll see if I can get hold of one.
Since you already have a 14mm wide capability, 12mm isn't wide enough to justify buying another lens. The choice is two lenses really, the 7-14mm Panasonic is superb but expensive. The 9-18mm is excellent too and a better price. If you could run to it, the 7-14 would be ideal for you and you'd keep it for years if you could find the money.Otherwise, the 9-18 Olympus is good value, just that you are duplicating a lot of the range of your present zoom.
Yes, I agree. It has some limitations but it remains the most versatile of standard zooms. I mean, power zoom, semi-macro and 12-50mm for £100? OK, it's f/6.3 at 50mm but it does have 50mm which no other standard zoom does unless you start looking at multiples of the price..
Not my area of expertise, I'm afraid. I use a Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone for the Panasonic and Olympus image apps. I do know there's a new iPad out that looked useful but I haven't tried one.
This review is now quite old and the lens older still, but I wanted to add my bit to the comments nonetheless. At the original listed price, it might have been debatable whether to buy this lens new or save the money toward building a more comprehensive system. But currently this lens can be fetched 2nd hand for as little as ~100 €. At that price point, this is an absolute no-brainer. Granted, most of the time it's a bottom-of-bag queen, gathering dust. But it's there when you need it, and when you do, it's because it does things no other lens can perform solely on its own. At the price of the 15mm f/8 body cap, it's unbeatable and everyone should have one.
Yes, you have a good point. This is one of the most versatile lenses in the system, if not the most versatile. And the sharpness, while it may not be up there with the Olympus Pro range, is such that the difference is not noticeable in screen sized viewing and 10x8 prints. At that price it is probably worth it for the motorized zoom alone for video.
To be honest, I bought mine following your review. I had an e-p1 since 2010, which I liked a lot, the O17/2.8, P20/1.7, Oly kit zoom MkI, and some OM-days primes with adapter. This suited me perfectly, until age caught me by surprise robbing my eyesight of a few points of acuity. So I bought an e-m10 MkI for AF speed alone and embarked on a journey of selling disused film photographic gear I had laying about to fund a new range of AF compatible primes ; but meanwhile I wanted a lens for my system that would have a) the fastest possible AF, b) the widest possible range and c) the lowest price possible to save cash for more "serious" investments. That's when I heard of the 12-50, and your review sold me. Since then, I also have acquired a P14/2.5 (which is one of the few lens you haven't reviewed yet, and truly a gem in its own right although I believe Panasonic isn't selling it new anymore), an O17/1.8, a P25/1.7, and an O45/1.8 (again, following your reviews). As a rule of thumb, if I can I will use a prime. But I'm not parting with the 12-50 anytime. I was in London walking the south bank of the Thames this week, and the wide end of the 12-50 proved invaluable in fitting everything I wanted in the frame. As a side note, I sold my P20/1.7. For some odd reasons beside the slow-ish AF, I felt the lens which truly shined on the 12 Mpix imager of the e-p1 didn't have the same "bite" on the 16 Mpix of the e-m10. And as it was oddly wedged between the 17 and 25, well... Anyway, I tremendously enjoy your reviews. Watching them has been an incredible help to decide what I truly wanted for my current system, and what to expect from most of the lenses I now own. Keep'em coming !
Glad you find the reviews helpful! It is an interesting journey deciding and amending the ideal outfit. Certainly for something like general purpose use along the south bank where it might be buildings or a cityscape or people, the 12-50 serves very well.
A lot more money for the outfit you bought but MFT really is a system where you get what you pay for, always with the comfortable knowledge that there isn't a bad camera or lens in the system whether you can afford the best or not..
