Those are the three new Fisheye, Wide-Angle and Macro converters. You can fit them on the new 14-42mm II lens, on the [shoplink 14800]14-150mm[/shoplink] and [shoplink 15864]40-150mm[/shoplink] lenses. I don’t know if you can use it on the current kit lens (I guess and hope yes). I have no price indication yet.
49 Responses
There is a typo in the second sentence… should read ‘use’.
Yeah, but I’d LIKE to sue Olympus for wimping out with converters rather than expanding their line of actual lenses!
Converter development and lens development are not mutually exclusive. Developing converters is much cheaper: no mechanics, no electronics, simple optics. That also means that it doesn’t take so much time, so it can be done *in addition* to expanding their lines of actual lenses, not *instead*.
From a marketing point of view, it’s a good move:
1- converters will be make the system attractive to users who want the versatility without the budget/price/weight/size of multiple individual lenses, and don’t need top quality (for now… see point 3)
2- margin on converters is higher than on lenses
3- Oly needs to build its user base, and many users of point 1 will eventually upgrade (probably in the same system). Oly shouldn’t make the same mistake than for “classical” Four Thirds where they initially targeted high-end only and ended up with a user base that mostly left the system b/c at the time of upgrade Oly was developing its lower-end …
Agreed. Those converters would be really nice… but only if they worked on primes or at least also on primes.
For example: I would shot 2-3 fisheye pics per year. No way I’d buy a dedicated fisheye. But I’d happily buy a $50-$100 converter for a lens I already own. Problem is: I don’t own (nor I plan to buy) any of the lenses on which these work.
How would the pictures of a fisheye converter attached to a 14-150mm lens look like at 150mm???
when using fisheye or wideangle adapters, there is only a limited focal range to get the most effect out of it. should work the same here
Thank you admin, but watch your typos!
olympus continues to embarrass themselves on levels once not thought possible
I can understand the need for macro and teleconverters (of which there aren’t, sadly), but fisheye and wide-angle converters? Ugh.
why not?
I never bought a ultra wide lens for my 43rds system, because the “19mm” converter for my GX-100 was much smaller and cheaper and good enough.
Why pay for an expensive lens if you rarely use it?
There are already “real” super wide angle lenses available in µFT if you want those…
I think that a few converters are a good idea. They will not suit everyone, but nothing does…
i’m using a Canon wideangle converter on my 17mm lens. IQ is still quite sharp
If hope that this does not indicate, where Olympus will drive m4/3 to: a low end system directed to point & shooters.
Really strange product strategy: neglecting the development of lenses and releasing converters instead.
Those coneverters will be introduced at CES, that’s not a fair for “professional photography equipment” but for consumer electronic products.
Expect more expensive stuff at PMA where it belongs (in the no Photokina years).
“Those coneverters will be introduced at CES, that’s not a fair for “professional photography equipment” but for consumer electronic products.
Expect more expensive stuff at PMA where it belongs (in the no Photokina years).”
No, no, no… “consumer electronics” is everything you can buy in shops, including Olympus E-5, Canon/Nikon FF cameras, Leicas etc. The term has nothing to do with low end products. As opposed to industrial electronics which is designed and made for specific purposes and not sold freely.
BTW, this year PMA is in September.
Isn’t m43 a camera system with wide angle, fisheye, and macro lenses? Why does Oly now want to sell cheap adapters instead? How low do they want to go???
Not a good idea, IMO.
edit: for adapters read converters
Q: how many people will actually fork out $700 for a Panasonic fisheye?
somebody should explain to nobody why it would make sense to use a fisheye adapter instead of buying a dedicated $900 fisheye lens.
> want to sell cheap adapters instead?
The problem of their cheapness can be easily addressed … by setting price high.
Considering how much EC14, EC20 and EX25 cost, one shouldn’t expect reasonable pricing from Olympus.
they probably had some market study, primarily targeting the point and shoot crowd, if what are they chances they’d buy a new lens other than the kits. the probably had a low turn-on of “yes”. then the next question is, would you buy a cheaper converter instead? probably got a better response.
just a speculation, but i’ve got a feeling they did have some research put into this. remember, the E-PL series targets the P&S market, not the enthusiast/pro segment.
Cheers Admin. 🙂
You have set a new record for typos: one for sentence:
re FOR are
sue FOR use
rpice FOR price
i think he’s typing again with his iPhone 😉
Hate iPhone, hate myself having so no time now 🙁
I am very busy at work and tomorrow I have work to do in Bruessel. One of the goal for this year is to find at leats one good guy that can help me on 43rumors 🙂
43rumors is hiring 🙂
I would offer my help, but my typos are even worse 🙂
Hm…the converters seem to be made for 58mm.
Would it be possible to attache these to 52mm 9-18?
That would be really wide 🙂
Now I’m confused. The 14-150mm and 40-150mm lenses both have 58mm thread, while 14-42mm II has 37mm. Do 14-42mm II owners get free step down ring :)? And why they could not be used on other Olympus m4/3 lenses such as the 17mm? I guess we’ll know the answers tomorrow along with the magnification of these converters…
The quality should be much better than those cheap e-bay converters so I actually look forward to these. We don’t need 8mm fisheye copy from Oly, and this could mean they’ll make a proper portrait lens which could be converted to macro with this addon.
Miroslav, agreed, these look like Oly put some serious glass in ’em, unlike the cheapo third-party converters. And I am likewise confused about how this’ll work both on the 14-150 and 14-42.
If these converters can also be used inside the new underwater housing, that’d be pretty cool… Anyways, I think it’s good to have a cheaper wide-angle & macro option, besides the dedicated lenses.
This is silly. The converters are for the new fixed lens compact. Don’t get worked up over nothing.
I think introducing converters is a good idea. Personally, I bought my Oly because of its small size to IQ ratio. Sure full size dslr sensors do it better but I also don’t want to be carrying one around when im backpacking.
So the ability to change one lens into 3 rather than having a bagful of lenses is intriguing, im not a pixel peeper so if they do the job and have decent IQ which I assume they will have then I’m in providing they arent too expensive
Is it a joke?
Yes.
It’s always the same complaint: “Where are the large aperture lens?”, “Where’s the larger ISO, bigger DR?”, etc etc… I think stuff like this is great, considering most users are not pros anyway. As a non-pro, I don’t want to carry around a multitude of lens, so these adapters would be perfect for me.
Is the some so remember what Olympus do by, IS-1000, IS-2000 and IS-3000 camera on -80 and -90 tall, The same so the do now, low end M43.
And what if you can also use the new XZ-1?
vomit
On which 40-150? The Zuiko or M.Zuiko? Or both?
I wonder if really such a small fisheye can have 180 degrees FOV on top of a 40mm.
Admin, any news on whether there will be an adapter to use these converters on the new olympus compact? If not, that is a major oversight in my opinion
+1
Unlikely – if the posted previously pictures of the ZX-1 are real.
http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-an-olympus-xz-1-hands-on-report-price-450/
There is even no thread on the lens’ front. And it is a collapsible lens too.
They wouldn’t screw into the treads directly, but into an adapter that attaches to the lens. The telescoping lens isn’t an issue. Look at the LX3/5 wideangle and telephoto converters. If Oly is serious about this camera they should do the same, especially since the lens starts at 28mm. A wide-angle converter, at least, seems like a no brainer, and given the cross compatibility of other Pen accessories, why would they make two converters?
I bought the fish eye in Jan 2010 (isn’t new). The cost for that item is ~US$250.
Yikes! $250 for a converter and Oly has the nerve to call that “affordable”? WTF!
I think these converters makes good sense. The market for a dedicated fisheye lens is pretty small at best – especially at the current price point. Same with macro really – the m43 bodies without an EVF to focus with aren’t really ideal for macro. Doesn’t mean that I never want to take a macro shot – even if I hesitate to spend several hundred dollars for a dedicated lens to do it with.
Another thing to consider is that many people choose m43 because the system is small and a set of these converters can be put in a very small camera bag. No changing lenses – just slap one of these on for those occasional-use photos that require a specialty lens.
Step-up rings are a viable option here. I have used them for years on my Nikon lenses. I buy an excellent quality circular polarizer (for example) that fits my largest lens, and cheap step-up rings. Why wouldn’t you do the same with these converters?
btw, Is there any 3rd party converters like that available?
I know about close-up lenses, but always assumed that there are more implements of the sort. Now I read people here and it sounds as if Oly made something unique.
Why does 43 keep posting GF1 for $299 at Amazon with a link, and every time I go there it shows $449?
Hi admin,
it seems from the press release that the conversion lenses will only work with the 14-42mm kit. but of course we could use a step-up ring to make it fit on other lenses
“Add-on Conversion Lenses – Olympus has three new affordable and compact conversion lenses that mount on the new MSC ED m14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens to further expand what you can do with the E-PL2”
Is the filter thread in the m.Zuiko lenses different from standard filter thread ?
If so, hadn’t read about what’s so special about their solution compared to the filter thread attached wide or tele converters that’s already in the market.
PS: still waiting for the result of admin’s bet 😀