Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

This is a fantastic lens to use.. and own!!! As an upgrade from the Zuiko 14-42mm ED lens, I can quickly notice some important differences: pro feeling, sturdier, better grip, much faster and quieter AF, faster aperture speed and brighter viewfinder, more accurate colors, more predictable IQ results. I have also had the chance to try the 12-60mm versus this Zuiko 14-54mm Mk II: the former tends to produce slightly more contrasty images and provides a convenient travel-proof range, whereas the latter seems to generously offer crystal-clear portrait/candid photos while acting much faster in Imager-AF mode.A winner, not only for financial reasons...[...]

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I could not afford a digital Leica with lenses and have found this system, the poor man's Leica reliable, rugged and fun, with well thought design construction and it fits my small hands.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

The lens+adapter is a little bulky and heavy for my Oly E-PL2 but the quality of image more then compensate the "disconfort". [...] good prices.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I used this lens with a Oly e-520 and honestly found it to only function moderately better than the 14-42mm kit lens. Given the massive price difference, I didn't find it at all worth it and in the end returned it to upgrade the camera body instead. It may be a better buy for the e-620.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I've had this lens for a nearly a year now, I guess it's time to review it...

The Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f.2.8-3.5 zoom has been around since the beginning of Olympus DSLR's, and was the lens to get with a shiny new E-1. It is truly the workhorse of the Olympus lens line-up, and even though the newer, fancier 12-60mm zoom would seemingly make this lens redundant, Olympus tweaked it a bit a couple years back, called it the "Mark II" and has given this zoom it's own interesting little niche in the high grade and super high grade lens line-ups.

Olympus did three things with this lens that set's it apart from the older model: gave it a 1:2 macro capability that is just incredible to behold, gave it a 7-bladed circular aperture mechanism that gives the most wonderful bokeh you've ever seen in a zoom lens, and most importantly, gave it the ability to work with contrast detect focusing mechanisms, which makes this a far more versatile lens than it's more expensive 12-60 stable mate, which lacks contrast-detect.

First of all, let's get the whole image quality thing out of the way, because that what you are buying this lens for anyway: it's typically Zuiko in that it works extremely well at all apertures and focal lengths, and has probably the biggest "sweet spot" of any normal zoom lens you'll encounter: from 14mm at f.2.8, to 54mm at f.11, everything will look suburb. No need for "stopping down" to get sharp focus, it's right there at f.2.8, and only goes from good to outstanding as you close down the aperture. Like all digital lenses, things start to fall apart beyond f.11 due to diffraction.

When this lens is mounted on a Lumix camera, ether 4/3 or micro 4/3, you can really see just how amazingly sharp it is at all apertures and focal lengths. I've just stared using this lens on a Lumix GH1, and I'm overwhelmed with the detail and image quality that I'm getting. No matter how large I magnify a GH1 file, either RAW or JPEG, this lens stays super sharp, so much so I can do 1/10 crops of an image frame and get results that look as good as if I meant to take the photo that way: I literally could not ask for anything more. And again, did I mention it's sharp no matter what aperture or focal length I'm using? Just wanted to make sure to get that point across...

But that's something very important to point out about this lens, and all Olympus high grade and super high grade lenses: every single one of them will give you sharp focus wide open at their maximum aperture. Unlike just about every other f.2.8 zoom lens on the market from those other camera manufactures, where f.2.8 is just a soft focus setting, the Olympus zooms really can be used, and used well, wide-open. That alone justifies the asking price.

But wait, there's more....

This lens is also fully dust and weather sealed, which means when there's a rain storm, snow, or even dust storm, you don't have to run inside or seek shelter from the elements...you just keep shooting, as long as you have one of Olympus' excellent weather-sealed DSLR's: the E-1, E-3 or E-5. I've used mine on my E-1 in snow, in rain, and even intentionally left it outside in the snow, and there has been no problems what-so-ever. The weather sealing lives up to it's billing, it is a great lens for a person who likes to spend time outdoors, in less than inviting environments.

But let's say you are also interested in those funky new micro 4/3 cameras, and want to get one to take places when your big DSLR might just get in the way. Well, this lens is fully usable on ALL Olympus or Panasonic micro 4/3 cameras with the appropriate adapter. As a matter of fact, it's the only Olympus high-grade or super high-grade lens that will auto-focus on a Lumix micro 4/3 camera body at all! That's because Olympus updated it with contract-detect focusing, that really works well with micro 4/3. It also comes in very handy on Olympus DSLR's that use live view focusing, like the E-620, E-30 and E-5. While the lens certainly focuses much faster with the normal phase-detect of DSLR's, it will go with contrast detect if that's all you have. It will literally run rings around the 12-60 when used with any micro 4/3 camera, or any DSLR with live-view. The only draw-back is that it will not auto-focus on a Lumix camera in video mode, you have to rely on manual focus. Not sure what the story is in regards to video on Olympus Pens though. So those of you looking for a fast, normal zoom for your micro 4/3 cameras, look no further.

Also, did I mention that it's lighter, smaller, and usually a little faster at all focal lengths than the 12-60, with no real difference in image quality, unless you magnify an image at about 1,000%? It's that good.

Oh, and about the macro capability: you can take flower & bug photos right up to the 1:2 limit of the lens, then crop afterwards to get 1:1 or larger, with no ill effects what-so-ever, other than the loss of pixels. I've done it, and it looks fantastic! Another interesting technique is to use the lens with the EC-14 teleconverter, which gives you about a 40% increase in macro capability with only a one stop loss in aperture. So with the EC-14, you can get an amazing 1:1.5 close-up, which look incredible, with a only a microscopic loss of overall image quality. With this lens, you really don't need the super fantastic Olympus 50mm f.2 macro, unless you want the speed that lens gives you.

And did mention that barrel distortion is so little that's it's barely worth mentioning? This lens is extremely well controlled for distortion, what small bit you may encounter can be easily taken care of manually in a program like Lightroom, or with Olympus' own proprietary software. Basically, it's a non-issue.

So are there any bad things to say about this lens? Well yes there is, but not much.

There is noticeable vignetting when using this lens wide-open at 14mm to 25mm. The vignetting does not go away entirely until you stop down to f.5.6. However, this is true of almost all fast, wide zooms, so it's no deal breaker, and I think you'll find the vignetting to be better controlled than most. The only fast zoom that does better in regards to vignetting is the Olympus 12-60mm.

Now, for those of you who already own the awesome Olympus 14-42mm f.3.5-5.6 kit lens: is this 14-54 zoom going to give you a significant improvement in image quality? Well, no it won't. Both lens are equally as sharp, and sometimes the 14-42, thanks to it's ED lens element, is a bit sharper. So if you think that you'll be able to resolve down to the one micro level with this lens or the 12-60, you will be a bit disappointed. That's not because this is a poor lens, but because that 14-42 kits lens is far, far better than most people give it credit for.

But this lens is faster, MUCH better built, weather sealed, has a slightly better zoom range, much better distortion control, and better macro focus capabilities compared to the 14-42 kits lens. So if any or all of that interests you, then the money for an upgrade will be well spent. Also remember that when you are trying to take a low-light shot at f.5.6 at 42mm, this lens will go all the way to 54mm at f.3.5, which is quite a bit of an improvement.

There is only one normal zoom lens in the entire world that's better than the Olympus 14-54mm Mk II, and that's the Olympus 12-60mm, when used on a DSLR. If you bring micro 4/3 into the mix, then the 14-54 is the better lens by far, because of the contrast-detect focusing mechanism.

This is a must-have lens for every Olympus and Lumix camera owner, whether 4/3 or micro 4/3. Highly recommended.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I've been using the 50mm macro since I got the E-500 (5+ years ago). Needed a better walk around option, especially on the wide end. Now that I have the 14-54mm, I'm a happy shooter again. Even closeups for food looks wonderful. Love the color and clarity, even with my ancient E-500.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I've had this lens for a couple of weeks and I'm very satisfied with the results. It has lived up to it reputation in low light situations. I look forward to using it more as the weather gets better. I honestly haven't found anything I dislike about it during the time I've had it.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

Bought the lens as main lens for Olympus E30 which I also bought recently(bought last store demo E30 in my area). With MMF2 adaptor I can also use with EPL1. After buying the EPL1 first, I was so impressed with Oly colours and jpeg detail, however missing was some lack of AF speed in M43, I decided I wanted E30 (E5 too expensive to consider for personal use, as I also have a pro Nikon), ... wanted E30 specifically with this lens to get the fast AF speed and edge to edge sharpness of this lens and interchangeability between bodies. Definitely not disappointed. Works well as advertised. And I can bring this lens along with EPL1 when I want to go out liter, than using E30, on site-seeing walk arounds and activities with 2 young children. For M43 EPL users, the 14-54mm II lens is the smallest 4/3 HG PRO lens (so far) that has this versatile zoom range, the only other lens to consider as well, (and have better AF speed than the older first EPL1 kit lens that I do not like) is the newer MSC 14-42mm kit lens, or MSC 14-140mm lens (which I also now have and love its faster AF speed) or Pany 20mm lens, which I think are the best M43 lens for Oly EPL1 and EPL2 users so far.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I want my GF1 have a fast lens, but this item is too heavy.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I got this lens as an upgrade from the GH1 14-140 kit lens. I wanted the one stop advantage at this range so I could drop one stop of ISO for better image quality. I just shot two episodes of a web series with the 14-140 and only had to go past ISO 500 once, with this lens I'd have shot everything at ISO 250 and wouldn't have to go past ISO 500. I was also impressed by the clarity this lens provides, it seems sharper (in a natural, non-videoy way) than the 14-140.

This lens fits my plans perfectly to cover from wides to mediums with a single lens, with a faster aperture at tele than the fastest aperture at wide in the 14-140. I'd also recommend getting a Sigma 105mm 2.8 along with this as a close-up lens, please notice that the Sigma is manual only on the GH1, however that's not a problem for my needs.

The only downside I could find with this lens is that the ring is fly-by-wire, therefore not follow focus friendly.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

For landsacape photograph at low light conditions is very useful.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

Great all purpose lens with excellent clarity.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

used the e500 kit lens for a few years, and was not very happy. this lens re-establishes my faith in the 4:3 system. this is a nice high grade lens that delivers on it's promises... if you do a lot of lower light, indoors, action photography, etc. this is a dynamite lens.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

It's not worth to buy it! It would be better to buy panasonic/ leica 25mm f1.4.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I purchased an Olympus Pen, E-P2. The Olympus Pen is a micro 4/3 camera that came with a 14-42 "kit" lens. For 90% of photographic situations, this combination provided me with excellent results.
But, there are areas where flash photography is prohibited. Ergo I wanted a little faster lens. With an adapter, the MM2 from Olympus, the camera will mount and utilize this lens (as well as any other current Olympus lens).

What this lens does on the E-P2 is amazing. Focusing is very fast, faster than the kit lens. Pictures are clear, crisp,and detailed from edge to edge. This is one fine lens.

I can recommend this lens without reservation.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I bought this instead of the 14-35mm f2 which costs 4 times as much. I was hoping for the best, and I am blown away with this 14-54mm. Its incredibly sharp, a lot faster than the GH1 stock lens, and a generous zoom range. In general, the quality is as good as any of the best lenses I have. The manual focusing is super smooth, and the near focusing is plenty enough for getting decent macro shots throughout the whole zoom range. The focusing may be a little slower in extremely low light, but most lenses are. I will be using this for stills as well as video, but I'd recommend keeping the camera on a tripod since there's no image stabilization. Also, you won't be able to use the on-board camera mic when recording video since this lens is fairly noisy when focusing. Rack focusing has a minimal amount of breathing. Lastly, the lens is not parfocal, but its not horrible either. It just means you need to always re-focus when changing focal length. At the price its going for, this lens is a big bargain.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

Better than my 18-180 in terms of focus speed and better in low light. Highly recommended for a great four thirds lens.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I have the Olympus E300 and E30 systems, with the kit lenses, now that I purchased the 14-54mm lens, I can see exactly what I've been missing, which is pretty much everything, the clarity of this lens is amazing. Iuse it for basically everything I do, from posting pics of merchandise I sell on on line, to weddings.

Fast focusing, Great clarity, very versatile lens.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

Very sharp, fast and heavy. I use an SLR mostly to photograph flat art where I need a better tonal scale than smaller sensors. At around f5 the lightweight, inexpensive kit lens image quality looks about the same so I returned the 14-54.

Comments about Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens:

I use E30, for the person who usually goes tour, 14-54 II is a good choice, it light and handy than 12-60.
For the 14-42 users, this is also a good upgrade to choose, AF speed have obvious difference.
I will regard as it tour lens, wedding ceremony photography.