Image courtesy: DC.watch.
Olympus 40-150mm tested at CameraStuffReview and writes:
The construction and image quality of the Olympus 40-150 mm f/2.8 are absolutely top class. The combination of an Olympus OM-D E-M1 or Panasonic GH4 with an Olympus 12-40 mm f/2.8 PRO + 40-150 mm f/2.8 PRO is a compact, high-quality tool that weighs a couple of kilos less than a traditional 24-70 f/2.8 + 70-200 mm f/2.8 and a professional SLR, which the image quality comes surprisingly close.
More tests:
Some 40-150mm example photos published by Kenneth Lehtinen in Finland.
40-150 VI Bokeh Shootout (Pen And Tell).
French LX100 movie test at Focus Numerique.
Panasonic GM5 review at Digitalversus.
LX100 sample gallery at Imaging Resource.
LX100 hands-on at DC.watch.
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Panasonic preorders:
LX100 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto. Europe at WexUK.
GM5 at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto. Europe at WexUK.
GM5 in red at Adorama.
35-100mm at Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto.
Olympus preorders:
Silver E-M1 body at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus. In Europe at Wex UK.
40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus. In Europe at Wex UK, Technikdirekt and Amazon.
LH-76 lens hood at Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus.
MC-14 1.4x teleconverter at Amazon, Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus.
PRF-ZD62 Z protection filter at Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus.
PRF-ZD72 Z protection filter at Adorama, Bhphoto, GetOlympus.
General links to all new Olympus stuff at Adorama.
ALL new stuff announced at Photokina at Amazon.
79 Responses
quick impression of the pen & tell comparison: the zd 50-200 background gives blurrier aperture openings in the background at 100mm. At what max value does this zoom opens at 100mm? arounf f/3.0 ?
sorry, misread…that was the shot for the 40-150 at 150mm, so nothing spectacular as i thought
and the first two images: 40-150 and 35-100 at 40mm, on 35-100 image the background is blurrier… are these shot in different apertures?
you right, i did not see that, much difference, but the 35-100 is more zoomed in. so more then 40mm
removed…identical reply
For the flower shot vs the 90-250, it looks like the 90-250 is focused differently, on a different spot.
The pictures don’t have any EXIF so its difficult to say what’s what
The GM5 is such a lovely camera to own . If I have to rate it , it definitely my “object of desire” for 2014 .
There is only 1 downside of this camera
as it fell in the catogories of 12 months cycle model which I fell it just too fast .
nice combo you have Yun
Not yet till I own the GM .
I’m frustrated with Oly lenses today .
I sent in my GX7 pair with 45mm for free service at Pana centre & only realise when pana technician told me , my 45mm lens got fungus .
I went to Oly with my 75mm lens together for checking , all got light fungus .
Damn , the cleaning cost also not cheap & Oly tell me no guarantee after the cleaning , the lens back to it’s very best .
This is unacceptable !
Although I love this 2 lenses very much , I still feel Leica DG lenses is more solid build .
My 25mm lens still in good order after come back from checking .
Fungus is not the fault of the lens maker, surely? Neither of these lenses are weathersealed. I think you live in Singapore? The climate there is very conducive to fungal growth, moreso if you bring the lenses in and out of an airconditioned environmemnt. You probably need to buy a dehumidifier (drybox) to store your camera gear.
Definitely .
you dont have a dry box for lenses and body? those are sold alot in asia against mosture & fungus
Not my standard practice but I think I have to do it fr now on .
Still I have to praise Leica DG lens for that outstanding optic endurance .
fungus happens with many lenses, except maybe for the sealed ones..i think it happens more in tropical climate then elsewhere…my brother’s glass got infected with it…2 or 3 times cleaned by specialist but it always came back….not nice but some fungues not impacts the photos, but when it keeps growing , its hard to resell
According to Oly personal , it depend on fungus type & cleaning percentage , if hit 100% , means all clear & lens back to it’s very best .
Otherwise you have option to change the lens if you still asking for no compromise in image quality .
I urge everyone have the similar lenses to send in to check .
Let’s see if my claim is right .
Even with Drybox & silicone gel is not 100% can prevent this from happening according to Oly staff .
imagine your lens being the breeding spot for a new lifeform
I am intrigued by the GM5. My only hold back is the fact that I would have to deal with yet another menu system. (Have Canon FF and 2 Oly bodies).
I wonder if Olympus intends to compete with the GM5? My readings tell me probably not…..
Menu system in Pana cameras are most friendly users in record book , beat Sony , Fuji & Oly .
Forget about Olympus , there don’t really have camera at this moment to rival the GM in the sense of compact & stylish .
Oly need to redesign the whole camera & scrap some of the PENs in order to give way to this new GM rival if Oly willing to do it .
Just like Pana give up on GF to give way to GM due to GF6 disappointing sales performance .
They have to do it cause m4/3 buyers are still limited .
I disagree. After spending some quality time with my brother’s new G6, I find panny’s menus to be all over the place and not as intuitive as Olympus. Sure, Oly gives you a laundry list in the customize menu, but at least its all there, in that one spot. Also really like the super control panel on Olympus.
Yet another menu system ?
Skip the nine o’clock news and you’ll know the menu inside out.
Unfortunately, the answer is “most obviously, no!”. If Oly intended to compete, the PL7 would have been not bigger than the EM1/2 (and preferably smaller). Instead, it is bigger than the PL5 and only marginally smaller than the P5.
And, no, this choice makes no sense to me, either; so, I bought a GM1 and I am perfectly happy with it.
GM5 looks nice !
Well, the 40-150/2.8 is a must buy, for me. Indoor and outdoor sports for two kids, my E-M1 has to wear this.
The LX100 has me a bit conflicted. I currently use the 12-50/slow-ass kit lens on my E-M1, because I was too cheap to buy the F2.8/Pro model. I regret that now, because I have some beautiful landscape images that are just too soft to print really large. So, do I buy the LX100, or bite the bullet and upgrade to the 12-40/2.8? The LX100 is faster, cheaper, and only weighs 11g more than the 12-40/2.8! If the LX100 lens turns out to be even nearly as sharp, I’m very tempted.
I suggest you to buy the camera: less time spent in swapping the lens.
Thanks Marco, that is definitely a factor! But the 12-40 would be almost always on the E-M1 anyway. It’s more a question of achieving satisfying detail in landscapes…if the LX100 can deliver this, then it’s a better choice.
I have sharp prints up to A1 size from my E-PL1/14/2.5 and old FZ18 bridge cameras: sadly, the E-M1 wearing the 12-50 or 75-300 doesn’t print as well, for me.
With the kit lens (12-50mm) I took just some macros, then I bought the great 60mm. Since then the lens is on the shelf..
I suggested to buy the camera assuming you would buy also the 40-150mm, therefore leaving the latter on the Em1 and having the wider option on the second camera. Actually my Em1 fits the Nocticron, and use the RicohGR for the wider photos when walking around.
The fact that you can use an “old” lens on a new body is another point to consider though.
I suggest you buy the lens. In 2-4 years you will probably want to buy the latest camera with new features and a new sensor. Owning the LX100 you will need to buy 2 new cameras.
Thanks Eddie. Not so sure, these days. 12MP is all that’s needed for printing, and more than is needed for the web. But you’re probably right, GAS takes hold eventually!
Its not really about MP, but better high ISO performance, less noise when pulling shadows even at low ISO, more digital range overall, etc.
If you are buying the 40-150/2.8 you will have significant investment in this system and while you may want to pass on the next model, its highly unlikely you’ll stick with the E-M1 several years down the line
I spent a day with the 12-40 on my E-M5, and although I took some lovely photos with it, the ache in the shoulder reminded me why I got rid of my DSLR gear. Even with the 12-50 because of its length and f6.3 at 50mm, the LX100 appears to do everything that combo does, in a much smaller package. I will keep the E-M5 for my 40 -150 which I love for the odd trip to the zoo. Appears to be a no brainer IMO
Yeah, the 12-50 feels very awkward to carry, not balanced at all. And the 12-40/2.8 is the same length, only fatter…
The 12-40mm only weighs 382g + 430g for the EM5. That’s not exactly heavy.
Maybe get a better strap… or try working out.
Seriously, get a strap you can carry sling style, which distributes weight better, rather than around the neck. It’s so much easier. I can walk or hike all day and barely feel it, even with heavy lenses like the Voigtländer 17.5mm (540g) or 42.5mm (571g) or 100-300mm (590g with Rösch tripod collar) on my GX7.
I’d get a GM5 rather than an LX100. I don’t like the idea of being limited to one short zoom.
Sorry, should have said I have spinal stenosis and 5 prolapsed discs! For me, weight really is important.
Well, that’s a different story. Sorry to hear that.
What about a GM5, the 12-32mm and a bunch of small primes?
I tried that with my EM-5, had 14mm, 19mm, & 45mm but apart from the odd occasion, always missed not having one of the lenses I’d left back home, and didn’t want to fill my pockets with them all. They are all at Ffordes now hoping to be sold to fund the next one! Also, having a f1.7/2.8 aperture lens in such a small package is so tempting with the LX100. The 12-32 is back to f3.5/5.6 and surely a lower IQ I would imagine. The Sony RX100 m3 is also tempting but can’t mention that here! Thanks Jeff.
If so, the Canon 7X should be even more tempting. And you can certainly mention it. The choice between pocketability v. 1 stop noise gain is not obvious. 1″ and 4/3 are definitely the sweet spot in terms of IQ.
Jeff, for me the weight isn’t a big deal, but the balance of a camera outfit is. The E-M1 is front heavy with the 12-50, so it tips forward when slung, either around the neck or over the shoulder.
I’ll often wear a camera for twelve of walking when travelling, so little things become annoying.
Haven’t tried the 12-40 on the E-M1 yet, but am sure the LX100 would be fine.
Maybe get a grip for your EM-5? After putting the grip on my em-10, The 12-40 became my workhorse lens.
Have you tried a clip system like the Peak Design Capture Camera Clip?
https://peakdesign.com/store/capture
I use it for hiking and just walking around with the E-M1 and 12 40: the lens is facing downwards, the camera isn’t swinging all over the place, and I don’t feel it at all for all day…just clip it to your belt and you even forget the weight problems for your back condition…
Printing large is a bad idea from M43 no matter which lens you use.
BS ! Nonsense !
16 MP is more than enough to fill any billboard !
Maybe 16MP is enough but the very small M43 sensor is not enough. You gonna get a lot of NOISE on big prints.
Idiots are always debunking themselves. LOL
(by someone who prints 2x1m from Pana & Oly RAW with absolut no noise)
Lol, ill bet they look good if you standing 20 meters away from them.
With all the noise you make, I bet you’re still ugly 100m away.
Not if they come from that petty sensor, I am afraid.
That is so ignorant, it’s not even worth a counter argument.
No offense, but the 40-150/2.8 is an abomination of the M43 system. It is in the same size and weight league as similar full frame lenses. If you are going to carry that much weight, you are much better off with all the advantages of full frame.
Olympus is diluting the concept. Olympus wants to appeal to the size = quality crowd, but all it will accomplish is people still not wanting that tiny sensor combined with people not seeing the point because the lenses are huge anyway.
No offense taken, but I disagree with you. For one thing, there isn’t a FF 70-300mm lens with this aperture. Please don’t give me any DOF equivalency BS: this lens is mainly for sports and wildlife, where you want to freeze action by using a fast shutter speed, while keeping your ISO as low as possible.
There are 10 lenses for FF listed on the B&H website that cover 300mm at F2.8. They are all primes. The cheapest is the Sigma 330/2.8 at $3,399, weighing in at 2.39kg, not weather sealed. Canon has 2 weathersealed 300/2.8 options at $6,599/2.35kg, the Sony 300/2.8 is $7,498/2.34kg.
Sorry, but the Olympus is starting to look more and more like a marvelous miniature bargain at $1,499/.880kg!
Noise at moderate ISO is predominantly a function of the number of photons captured. That’s physics of light 101.
If you choose to deny that, it’s your choice.
Please, explain how that relates to shutter speed, weight and cost as detailed above? Or are you just another FF troll….Mike above was saying that the 40-150/2.8 was in the “same size and weight league as FF”, I was explaining how that is simply BS.
When it comes to telephoto, a smaller sensor has many advantages over a larger one, which is of course why many Pro sports DSLR photographers use APSC bodies over FF.
Yawn. Another idiot trying to sell equivalency water. Walk the talk: go and shoot medium format.
Any news about when the LX100 will be available for purchase? — Here in Italy you can’t even pre-order.
Il mio negozio di fiducia aspetta una risposta dall’importatore: appena mi richiama ti rispondo, se qualcun altro non ha notizie in anticipo 😉
Gentilissimo 🙂
Mi hanno appena telefonato: con certezza si saprà a metà Novembre, perché non compare ancora in listino. Sarà verso la fine di novembre/inizio dicembre, e me lo confermeranno con il prezzo a metà novembre appunto. Magari nel resto d’Europa si saprà un po’ prima..
Sounds like Europe will start getting a regular supply of the LX100 by the time the LX200 will hit the shelves in Japan?
Grrrr!
Disponibilità a fine novembre? 🙁
You can already buy the G1X mark 2. If you can live with some slowish performance, it has great UI and takes great pics.
I’m also interested in video, and the G1X II has very bad video quality and features. Thanks for the suggestion anyway 🙂
You’re joking, right? You must be.
It’s called first-hand experience, you useless troll…
Define “surprisingly”…
For sure, it is a flawed comparison. Ignorance and malice are at work here. I am not going to buy into this system as long as it is supported by so many lies.
That’s good news, obviously we’re sorry to see you go!
Great news for the world. Hope you will keep your promise. We will rejoice your disappearance.
Wouldnt tethering be a hardware thing, and not firmware update?…
Why is everybody hyper-LX100 ?
The GM5 is the way to go. A touch-screen, 16 MP vs 12 MP, and interchangable lenses, which i already have.
And don’t forget; the LX100 has a motorized zoom ! That sucks !
The speed of the lens and the overall size of the package is what intrigues me.
Why does anyone need to be hyper anything? Horses for courses. It’s good to have so much choice in m43 now that people can bitch about having choices.
Why is that a problem? It’s good to have choice. There is so much choice in m43 now, that people are complaining about having too much choice.
By the way; about the GM5 review… What is a review without samples ? Indeed, that’s a commercial, not a review !
Lol the M43 point and shoot is way bigger than the M43 GM5. Whats the use of the LX100? it won’t fit in you’re pocket!
And you can’t spell. Doesn’t stop you from writing….
Put a zoom lens of the equivalent speed on the GM5 and let’s talk about size (or close to equivalent as the LX100 has the fastest zoom lens of the m43 system). LX100 won’t fit into my pocket, but it will go into my messenger bag. A GM5 with an f/2.8 zoom won’t fit. Additionally, I love the classic controls the LX100 offers.
Actually, it can fit in a large pocket; I also think it will accelerate the end of the m43 fiasco.
4K in a pants pocket, baby. Not that you will ever “get” it.
I desperately want to get my hands on a GM5 double zoom kit.
This setup is the future of micro four thirds, and exactly hits the nail on the head regarding why I got into micro four thirds in the first place: small tele lenses and EVF. There is nothing more convenient for outdoors / extreme sports photography.
For me, most of my fancy Olympus and PanaLeica glass has been superseded by my A7 with superior Zeiss lenses. But when it comes to ultra-compactness combined with reach (tele zooms), Panasonic has a winner for me here.
The GM5 with pancake zoom, compact tele zoom and the legendary 20/1.7 ticks all the boxes for me. I can’t wait.
Same here. The GM5 really drives home to point of m4/3 and why use the smaller sensor.
The only thing I don’t like is the lack of controls. I don’t really switch focusing modes very often, so the top dial is useless for me.