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My 12-40 F2.8 has arrived...

tashley

Subscriber Member
OK, I am sold. This is one great lens.

I took it for my evening stroll only today, it was later than usual (from early to late dusk) and it was pouring with rain much of the time. I shot the lens on an EM-1 and with a variety of well-tried scenes and subjects and the combination of lens and camera scores very, very highly in my personal pantheon.

Of course I need now to 'test' the lens (I'll be doing a review of it and also of the EM-1) but my first impressions are that it is sharp from edge to edge wide open at every focal length at close and middle distance, but at the long end of the zoom with landscape distances (distant hills and trees) it needs F4 to really tighten up the edges.

Even better, some initial brick wall shots show the corners to be pretty good, easily acceptable to me, wide open at both ends of the zoom range.

Focus is fast and sure (one mis-focus out of 60 frames and that was an ambiguous subject better suited to MF) and the bokeh is generally pretty nice, though a little nervy on bright, clearly defined edges. Nothing I can't happily live with.

I've had a lot of mid-range zooms. This one seems to me more thoroughly competent than all of them. In fact the only real competition comes from the Nikkor 24-70 F2.8 and that lens is a bit weak at the wide end. In fact, were I going for another low-ish light walk I would probably take the Olympus kit in preference to the D800 kit (regardless of weight and size!) because a combination of the abilities of the lens and the IBIS (I got perfect shots as low as 1/12 sec) mean that even if the ISO performance of the D800 can't be matched, it mostly won't be needed. In fact, to be honest, I have some very venerable primes on the D800 which even at F5.6 can't 'do' a good edge convincingly, and though I have to test this to confirm it, I think that a 20" print from the Oly setup would actually beat a 20" print from the Nikon, even with some primes, under many circumstances.

Unless some fatal flaw is revealed in further testing, this is a godsend of a lens and I think that it, with the EM-1, will likely become my new travel kit.

Having recently tried the new Sony Zeiss 16-70 F4 on my Nex-7 I can say that there is simply no contest, though I hear from the dealer that the lens I used has been for repair and had some components replaced so I might try it again.

Anyone who hasn't yet ordered this new Oly zoom should do so. It looks, feels, handles and performs as well as I hoped and I think it is great value and an absolute must-have.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
:cool:

I will, as I always do, post pictures when I have some that can stand up to aggressive scrutiny. I will then publish a full review. I have no intention of posting murky snapshots at dusk of boring subjects. You are extremely welcome to regard it as worthless, knock yourself out! But there are people around who like a first reaction and, dare I say it, there are some people who, rightly or wrongly, have at least some faith in my ability to assess a lens... so please regard this as for them, however few they might be...

:D
 

k-hawinkler

Well-known member
Tim,

Thanks for your first impressions. Much appreciated, as always.
I am looking forward to your in depth reviews.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Thanks Karl-Heinz - I just wish I had some lovely New Mexico light (Santa Fe is one of my most favourite places) to shoot it with but the forecast here is for days of rain, which means my usual aperture series tests will have to wait.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Sounds like a grand piece of kit!

Given my strange reluctance with mid-range zooms, though, I'm more likely to punch the button on an old favorite, the Panasonic/Leica Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH OIS.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
I hear you Godfrey - but I have always wanted an effective mid range zoom and it looks like this might just be it. I read Ming Thein's review weeks ago and have been salivating and it looks like he was right about it, though I really do need to do a lot more shots and at ISO 200 in good light so there's no digital noise to muddy the waters of perception...
 

jonoslack

Active member
Thank You Tim
There's nobody more likely to make me press the button on a lens (it's a kind of compliment - I hear that they can be terribly effective :) )

You've pushed me over the edge, and mine should arrive on Monday. Perhaps Saturday if I'm lucky.

Emma and I are off for a first trip to the Canaries next Thursday . . . . . It'll be fun giving it the runaround amongst all that black sand!

all the best
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Well I really hope you're as impressed as I am or I'll feel terrible! Have a lovely trip. A nice tan sure helps one face the winter with a spring in the step...
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Thank You Tim
There's nobody more likely to make me press the button on a lens (it's a kind of compliment - I hear that they can be terribly effective :) )

You've pushed me over the edge, and mine should arrive on Monday. Perhaps Saturday if I'm lucky.

Emma and I are off for a first trip to the Canaries next Thursday . . . . . It'll be fun giving it the runaround amongst all that black sand!

all the best
Arrgh. I've wanted to visit the Canary Islands for a decade or more. Heck with the lens ... I'll just buy air fare!

G
 

jonoslack

Active member
I don't think you need worry Tim - I fear that my standards are much lower than yours - and I'm sentimentally disposed to like Zuiko lenses anyway (currently I'm mostly using the 12-60 on the E-M1)

Must get rid of some kit though - I'm rather settled at the moment with the M and the E-M1, but I've tried an awful lot of stuff getting there, and it needs to be shifted!
 

jonoslack

Active member
Arrgh. I've wanted to visit the Canary Islands for a decade or more. Heck with the lens ... I'll just buy air fare!

G
Hi Godfrey
I'll report back when I get back (or even from there if we have internet).

We're staying in some fisherman's cottages in the west of Lanzarote at El Golfo - but we'll be driving around - the intention is to alternate walk days with beach days. Definitely a chill out!

Normally we go to Crete in September for our last minute sun . . . but this year it was complicated by babies and children, hence the Canaries in November.

Beach Cottages in El Golfo
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
I don't think you need worry Tim - I fear that my standards are much lower than yours - and I'm sentimentally disposed to like Zuiko lenses anyway (currently I'm mostly using the 12-60 on the E-M1)

Must get rid of some kit though - I'm rather settled at the moment with the M and the E-M1, but I've tried an awful lot of stuff getting there, and it needs to be shifted!
Well just so's you have time to cancel the order if you like, here are some very unscientific handhelds from centre, far right and far left of frame at or around 1/25th and at 40mm and f2.8 with AF-S ISO 400... crops resized to 50% from RAW with a bit of sharpening. The focus was on the furthest left and right points but, unscientifically, the right hand shot is slightly angled.





 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Thanks Tim for this (and other) great reviews!

I ordered mine together with the EM1 and they should be delivered around next week (here in Austria).

Cannot wait to get my hands on these .....
 
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