First E-M1 and 12-40mm session by Pekka Potka (Click here):
They form a very balanced and capable tool. Of these two, maybe the lens is more important for me as it gives the best combination of portability, handling and optical performance for the focal length range I use most. E-M1 is in many ways an overkill for me. I need so few of it´s features. But on the other hand it surpasses E-M5 handling and performance in many areas which I find valuable. One feature which I find outstanding is the improved stabilization.
New review at The.me (Click here):
Overall conclusion: Very, very good. Almost impossible to disappoint. Olympus as I said has a long history. Without doubt it also has a long future.
Also Imaging Resource (Click here) posted their full E-M1 review:
The Olympus E-M1 delivers the sharpest, most detailed JPEGs we’ve seen from a Micro Four Thirds camera — if just by a hair over the E-M5 and E-P5 — with image quality that rivals that of most high-end APS-C DSLRs and CSCs. And despite its comparatively small chip size and 16-megapixel resolution, the E-M1 does especially well in low-light situations at high ISOs, with its JPEG processing outshining that of the top enthusiast,
The Olympus 12-40mm got tested at SLRgear (Click here):
Olympus has shown that it can make a lens with the optical quality as well as build quality that these users demand, and professional photographers such as photojournalists and adventure photographers should take note.
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E-M1 Preorder Links:
Olympus E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto, Amazon DE (via DL), Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL), WexUK, Topshot FI, CameraWorldUK.
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, AmazonDE (viaDL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-40mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK and CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus E-M1 with 12-50mm Lens kit at Amazon DE (via DL), WexUK, CameraWorldUK, Amazon UK (via DL), Amazon ES (via DL).
Olympus EP-13 Eyecup for E-M1 at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus HLD-7 Battery Grip for E-M1 at Amazon, Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LC-62D Metal Front Lens Cap for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
Olympus LH-66 Lens Hood for 12-40mm at Adorama and BHphoto.
73 Responses
Hurry up and deliver that lens to Sydney!
Pekka Potka:
” E-M1 is in many ways an overkill for me. I need so few of it´s features. But on the other hand it surpasses E-M5 handling and performance in many areas which I find valuable. ”
LOL…Don’t those two statements cancel each other out? LMAOROTF!
No.
In a few functions that he cares about it surpasses the EM-5. But all the other functions are of no concern to him. So ‘in many ways’ (his words) it is overkill because he is not using all the functions it offers. In some ways (my words) it is not overkill. No contradiction at all, it just comes down to what you are willing to pay for the few advantages it offers.
Thanks for yet another imaginary story of your own making.
Features have nothing to do with handling and performance, different aspects, no contradiction at all.
This gets funnier by the minute. Let’s see…..
fea·ture
noun
plural noun: features
a distinctive attribute or aspect of something.
“safety features like dual air bags”
synonyms: characteristic, attribute, quality, property, trait, hallmark, trademark; aspect, facet, factor, ingredient, component, element, theme; peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk; informalX factor, wow factor
“a typical feature of French music”
For the M1:
1. The extended grip would be a feature, (that adds to the performance of the camera).
2. The Sony 16MB sensor with no AA filter would be a feature, (that adds to the performance of the camera).
🙂
Sigh… if you enjoy such nitpicking:
man·y [men-ee]
adjective
1. constituting or forming a large number; numerous:
It is in no way exhaustive or all-inclusive. One can be disinterested in many aspects of a camera without being disinterested in all of them.
For example: “I dislike most jellybeans. However, I do like the red ones.”
Maybe its poorly structured, but its not contradictory.
….but you can have no performance from the camera without “many” of the “features”.
(they started picking on me…I was stating the obvious. The writer is saying “I like the camera, I don’t like the camera in a three sentence spin”, which doesn’t tell me much about what he thinks of it. If you are writing a review, have an opinion…not wish wash.
SLR Gear review confirms that the 12-40 is an exemplary lens with fantastic build. If anything I think the review still underplays some of the strengths, ie
-Excellent close (albeit not macro) magnification
-Weight is not that heavy, less than Panny 14-140, 100-300 or any of the VL glass and only 80g more than the Panny 12-35 or 7-14.
– the manual focus clutch and its ability to pull focus to a preset point.
It is the Swiss Army knife of lenses!
Did you see it has more than twice the ca of the 12-35?
Did you see that the E-M1 corrects for CA with this lens, just like Pana bodies do with the 12-35?
I have the lens and it is the best wide to medium tele zoom i have ever used. I have used Nikon and Canon I&II equivalents (and by equivalents I only mean sort of because the extra 10mm of reach is unrivaled in Nikon and Canon mounts) and this lens beats them for color rendition and rendering. It is my favorite lens on my em-1 and I think it outperforms my previous fav the 60mm macro in terms of those two aspects. Of course the macro lets me do things I couldn’t otherwise, but the zoom is unrivaled afaic.
Hello everyone
Yesterday I received 12-40mm and immediately noticed that zoom operation isn’t as smooth as expected. it’s bit rough/grainy between 12-18mm and 35-40mm.
Another weird thing is when the lens is attached to powered camera makes funny sound while zooming (non existing with camera turned off) It’s not the sound of stabilisation or anything like that. I know all the sound and this one is new, zipping sound is directly related to the zoom ring movement. (it’s not loud though)
Can any 12-40mm owner confirms if that’s normal behaviour?
Let’s hope is not a design flaw!
Mine makes the same sound while zooming with power switched on. The lack of smoothness is I think due to the weather sealing maybe, could loosen up with use but I don’t find it an issue. Prefer that to a zoom that is slightly looser and extends of it’s own accord whilst carrying.
The new Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4 Contemporary has the same tightness issue, if you can call it an issue.
Where do you folks live? With U.S. retailers, the story is that the lens won’t be “released” until 7 December.
I have read varying stories for the release of the lens in the US….anywhere from early Nov., to mid Nov. to the Dec. 7 date that you quote…. I think that the more recent projections from Olympus (since the “kit rebate” was announced), were early to mid Nov. …lets hope that that is the case…since the rebate is not valid after Dec. 2nd.
My lens arrived last Friday Nov 1 from Adorama. I preordered in the first couple of minutes of availability from Adorama. I love it. Is the perfect compliment to the em-1 and will remain on it I’d guess 60% of the time indoors and 80% outdoors.
Im sorry justin, hut thats a lie. I JUST hung up the phone with them and they told me they havent had a copy not even for promo display. He was clear the lens has not been available yet And that the first expected batch is in december.
Ritz camera, the only ones who have em1s in stock, also say itll be in december at the very least
I just remembered….there was a very recent post here on this site that stated something like..because of all of the pre-orders that shipping was going to be delayed. That was posted not to long ago here…after all of the ship dates I had heard, and the rebate offer (ends Dec. 2nd)…I think I remember something like late Dec. if we were lucky.
Not a lie. In my possession straight from adorama and loving it.
I’m not too worried about the rebate date, since Dec. 2 is the deadline for ordering it, not for the thing shipping. Still, it’s encouraging that at least *some* copies of the lens are shipping now. I pre-ordered on Amazon about 30 minutes after they started accepting orders, and am getting quoted a Dec. 12 delivery date.
Some stores don’t charge your card and don’t set an invoice as paid until the items ships, which may be an issue with picky rebates. I would keep an eye on it.
UK
I ad received my 12-40 from 17 stores last tuesday which is in a late october,.and the E-M1 body three weeks prior or about a month ago,.if you live in NYC ,.you better contact,.17street photo or H and B photo at 46st,.both stores always have an early stock come in ,.compared to B&H or Adorama ,.but they always come with a very short stock,.just like the 12-40 it was only 4 item..
I ordered from Amazon and in my order it says delivery will be December 11th
I picked the 12-40mm up at Dodd Camera yesterday in Cleveland. As far as I know, they only got 1 in. It’s now beautifully paired with my EM1 that I got from Cameraworld.com last week!
My zoom ring feels quite smooth. Maybe some resistance is what you are noticing? Every good zoom I’ve ever used has some resistance, which you want, otherwise you can overshoot. In the viewfinder of the Em-1 it reads out the zoom length and I find I can make it move in 1mm intervals which is all I require of my zoom ring.
all reviews sponsor by olympus good at high iso LIE terrible up to iso 1600 ypu need to spend hours in pp with camera
Do you have the camera? NO. You’re just trolling around. Get out of the house and take some pictures or take a look at my blog. I’m using a 4yo D90 and a 5yo D60 (bad at high ISO). You can take great pictures without having FF, and the E-M1 wich will be my next camera (coupled with the 12-40mm f2.8) it way better than cameras like Canon 60D, 70D, 7D regarding the sensor and the new PRO and premium lenses are better than the DX and EF-S lenses.
http://photobyandrei.wordpress.com/
What do you have against Canon? Virtually every comment you post includes some fangirl remark about the poor performance of Canon compared to Olympus. And yet you own neither brands….
I used the Canon 60D for some work assignments and it was way below the D90. Canon has good lenses (L line). And good marketing. Pentax has better APS-C bodies that both Nikon and Canon but poor marketing.
I’m not a fanboy and I like to use every camera. Even compacts!
Your comments are a LIE every time.
ISO noise performance is excellent even at 6400.
Yes high iso is not that good on M43. It gives blurry pictures.
I tried the Em1 today, just few snapshots in the store, center Venice (actually I was surprised to see it: two arrived this morning, one already sold, not pre-ordered).
I haven’t tried it with 4/3 glass, I was in a hurry, so I can only say something about the hand feeling and EVF.
Great.
The grip is good, but if you have normal/large hands like me, your little finger will barely find a place on the grip: optional grip on Em5 adds almost a cm to the bottom of the camera. Not this.
I think I’ll have to get used to it..
Yes, because it feels as solid as an AK47, light, made to last, with all controls ready at your fingers (the on/off on the left side is truely better and so OM style), and I’m going to buy it.
Looking for a special price now 😉
@Marco — I’ve got big hands, too. I’m now learning to hold my E-M1 with my little finger curled under its body (as if it’s helping hold the camera up). Different, but it works.
It makes sense Eric, (trying now) thanks for the advise!
My hands are big enough where both my pinky and ring hang off, but I find the grip comfortable enough where it doesn’t matter. Another thing I notice is that the grip is incredibly good for balancing the weight of the entire camera. I use the EM-1 with a wrist strap and when held at my side walking for example, the grip balances on one finger on the underside of the grip and my thumb on the back of the camera. It’s hard to describe but I can hold the camera with a finger and a thumb easily when not in use at my side.
@justin I understand what you mean: I use a silk Artisan & Artist strap, sometimes I wrap it around my wrist and I can hold Em5 + grip with just the thumb. (I can’t do it with Voigtländer lens though, it’s too heavy)
Had a little ‘chat’ with Olympus in the past few days due to a ‘mishap’ with an introduction event last weekend.
Availability in Europe is improving, expect to see E-M1s being available at many more shops by the end of next week.
Olympus is quite well distributed in the area where I live. I was only surprised that Em1 was already in THAT shop! 🙂 Anyway, I took the chance to have a chat with an early adopter (the guy at the store) and hold it for awhile.
I didn’t buy it only because I’m sure I can find it for a better price.
They are generally pretty well distributed overhere as well, with one premium dealer, 3 ‘e system’ dealers and a few more resellers. Typically buying a m4/3 related product just means going into town and checking a few shops. But availability of the E-M1 has been virtually non-existent so far.
I just called my fav shop: I hold the line while they were calling Olympus agent to ask why the 12-40 kit was not there: it seems the expensive kit is going to arrive later.. The body is available as well as the 12-50mm.
They made me a fairly good price, considering it’s a brand new model, so I think I’ll get it in a couple of days, once I’ll have the time to go to the store!
yes 1 cm more higher would be the best…I had the same feeling..
@MarcoSartoriPhoto,
I have had the E-M1 for two weeks now. Your experience will 4/3 lenses will vary. The 4/3 Pana/Leica 25mm is like a new lens. Insanely quick and snaps to focus even in low light and better than on my E-30. The 50-200 SWD will be no better and no worse than on 4/3rds body, the copy of the 12-60 SWD I have seems to be great in good light, but sometimes gets confused in low light but with focus peeking and manual focus it is very workable. I know that Olympus has put adjustments in software for 4/3 lenses and I hope this gets further tweaking. Overall, 4/3 lenses focus acceptable but do not expect them to be on par with 4/3 body in some cases.
For those who own Metz Flashguns, make sure you update to the latest firmware for the Flashgun. My 58 AF-1 works much better on the E-M1 than E-30 although I miss the pre-flash that would also turn on the focus grid. I know why, but still miss it. I find I no longer have to do the flash compensations I had to do before.
Thank you for the feedback Zo! Honestly I’m looking for a 150mm f2 beast, but its price is high..
The RRS l-plate solves this by adding about .5″ to the bottom and makes it more ergonomic! even for me who wears a S/M glove.
as decisionless as I am I “decided” not to go for the E-M1 but probably will put my money in the Noctitron if the rendering suits my taste.This was my decision for today…..
We will talk again tomorrow 🙂
UK
As for the oly 12-40mm on SLR gear, my understanding is that the difference between Olympus and Panasonic high end standard zooms will be features, not IQ.
In favor of Oly:
5 mm longer
Better manual focus mechanism
Closer focusing distance
Currently cheaper
In favor of Lumix:
OIS (crucial for Panasonic users)
Smaller and lighter
Looking at the results from that same review the pana is sharper and the oly has more than twice the chromatic aberrations. Something the pana was criticized here for a lot.
“Something the pana was criticized here for a lot.”
Which is kinda funny. Been using the 12-35 on an E-M5 for quite a while now, and yes, it has some CA, but not to such an extent that its a problem usually, and where it is, its generally a one click fix.
Not to mention, when using it on a Lumix body, that CA gets corrected anyway… but the same is true when using the 12-40 on an E-M1, so eh, whats the point?
When looking at distortion and vignetting, the 12-40 does better, at least from what I can tell. Not enough so to replace my 12-35 with a 12-40, through combined with the better weather sealing of the 12-40 I might still replace my 12-35 with one if I get a nice deal on it (or can sell the 12-35 for a nice price)
The Olympus 12-40mm is very good, a better lens than 12-35 all around. 12-35 tends to suck in extreme situations and its build quality is mediocre to poor. Some people reported that dust got in their 12-35 after only one or a few months.
🙁
The OM-D E-M1 has perhaps the most disappointing panorama mode in any MFT camera I’ve reviewed. Instead of creating a panorama from a series of images taken while the camera is panned across a scene, the E-M1 simply takes a normal series of photos, providing only an on-screen grid to help line up the shot.
Some other cameras with a similar lack of in-camera stitching go so far as to display the previously shot pano frame in the grid of the next frame to help line up the image, but instead the E-M1 creates a static grid. In practice this is no more helpful than simply capturing a series of images without a grid.
I don’t mean to offend anyone, but this could be a result of the decision to call it a pro camera. By the time they start producing in camera raw file panoramas, they will surely take care of this. 😉
I guess I’m in the minority, but I don’t ever want a camera to do my stitching for me. There is no way to correct for ghosts and off artifacts in camera after it stitches the images. That takes some kind of post processing software.
+1
I would like it!!!
The ones who don’t want it, just don’t use it – that simple 😉
Some people are speculating that the 12-40 delivers a better performance with the E-M1 (and future Olympus cameras) then with the E-M5 because of the correction and sharpening software in the E-M1. I don’t hope so. But these are only speculations.
And most of the people in systemkamera-forum.de that always received a 12-40 wrote that the lens is waggling if extended. For me it doesn’t sounds good if it’s so.
“Some people are speculating that the 12-40 delivers a better performance with the E-M1 (and future Olympus cameras) then with the E-M5 because of the correction and sharpening software in the E-M1. I don’t hope so. But these are only speculations.”
I can read that in 2 entirely different ways:
– you hope the lens is so good that such corrections won’t have any effect
– you hope those corrections don’t work..
I assume you intended the first and not the second.
From tests so far I’m afraid the corrections will have some effect, as those tests show especially a bit of CA that should be corrected by the E-M1 and future Olympus cameras.
1st one would be better 😉 I forgot that CA is corrected first time with a m43 camera from Olympus (if I’m not wrong). What about a firmware update for the E-M5 about CA correction? Not possible?
But what if the E-M1 would make some selective sharpening in images made with the 12-40, for example at the border of the pics? And in future some Oly cameras will have this feature, and other cameras not?
Well, that is progress I suppose. Depends a bit on where exactly it is applied (directly to the raw, or instructions encoded in the raw file to be used by a raw converter etc), but I don’t see why new and/or ‘premium’ cameras shouldn’t be allowed to do such things just because current cameras don’t.
Oh, and what I forgot, I’ve seen many pictures with very bad CA made with the E-M5 and the Pana 12-35, because CA are not corrected with the E-M5. I wonder how it will be with E-M5 and 12-40. Also problems with CA because they are not corrected in the camera? Before, Olympus tried to reduce CA with the lenses, not with software correction, how is it now?
I don’t want to buy a new body to replace my E-M5 before there are not really much better sensors, in maybe 2, 3 years, so if there are problems with CA and E-M5 and 12-40 I will not buy a 12-40. Or maybe I change my mind about to buy a new body, because I want better lenses then the kit lenses from Olympus – but then I will buy a complete new equipment, but not from Olympus.
I own an E-M5 (2 actually) and the 12-35/2.8. Yes, it has some CA, usually not objectionable, and where it is, its basicly a 1 click fix in pp. Would I prefer it without? Sure, but is that realistic?
Beyond that, any lens that uses refractive optics will exhibit at least some CA, which can be corrected to some extent, sometimes a very large extent, but not to 0. Correcting it to a large extent typically is expensive and requires adding more glass, which brings its own problems (more glass surfaces means more reflections means more flare).
So its going to be a question of if the amount of CA that a real world lens that you can actually afford is disturbing or not on your current camera, as it will not have 0 CA guaranteed. Now, if the 12-40 produces unacceptable CA without software correction, I can see your issue.
That it performs better on a camera using the latest technology and sold for a premium price? why shouldn’t it? Its also going to perform somewhat better with a future better and higher resolution sensor.
I don’t need 0 CA, but to much would be to much 😉 so I wait for tests and user reviews… 🙂
I know it’s possible to make corrections in LR, but I’m glad if I don’t have to do some post processing.
Can’t wait for mine! I’m loving my E-M1. I’ve had it for one week. I have the 45mm f/1.8 on it but I’m anxious for the 12-40mm. But my Amazon order says it won’t ship until December 7. Sure hope it ships that day.
Does anybody know, what next mft lenses will be next? Do any roadmap exist?
Just spotted a 12-40mm on a E-M1 in the wild! I’m in Norfolk, VA. I saw someone carrying an E-M1 and approached him about it and showed him my E-M1. He had the 12-40mm on his. I would have talked more but he was a tourist who only was speaking German. I need to brush up on my German.
Imaging Resource stresses out that no MySets can be assigned to the mode dial, which is wrong. Two MySets of your choice (out of the four available) can be assigned to the mode dial, but only at the ART and/or the iAUTO positions.
And the Time Live/Time Bulb exposures can be monitored on the camera LCD as well, not just on a cellphone over WiFi.
Besides that, a very informative, thorough and well done review!
Morning all. My camera is currently making a really funny noise when focussing, like white noise? Does anyone else have this problem.
I was really excited to get this camera. Have sent it back once already as it froze if taking a shot looking directly down towards the ground… ggggrrrrrrr…
And now that I got it back (yesterday) this noise has started to occur? Anyone else? Any ideas… Cheers Leash