Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Standard Zoom lens with FourThirds max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
MFT cameras.Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO was replaced with OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II. Follow the link to read our comparison of these lenses:
Compare Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO vs OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II
What type of photography is the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens good for?
The choice of photography type for which you intend to use the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is a crucial decision factor. Below, we have assessed its suitability for various photography scenarios:
Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount with Same Focal and Aperture Range
Reasons to Buy the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens in a list form to assist you in determining whether it offers the features you need.
Weather-sealed |
Autofocus |
Distance Scale |
Hood supplied |
Full-time Manual Focusing |
Fast Aperture at Wide end |
Fast Aperture at Tele end |
Constant f2.8 aperture throughout the range |
Minimum focus distance of 0.2m / 7.9 inch |
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Lens Extends while zooming |
Lens Mount
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is compatible with cameras that have a Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
The size and weight are crucial factors to consider when searching for your next lens. Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has a maximum diameter of 70mm and total length of 84mm when not extended. It weighs 382g / 13.5 oz.
Below, you'll find a scaled side-by-side image comparing the sizes of the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO and the OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II, offering a better understanding of their dimensions in real life. Check the detailed comparison of these two lenses here.
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has a filter thread of 62mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO:
Focal Range
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has a focal range of 12-40mm and 3.3X zoom ratio which has a 35mm equivalent focal range of 24-80mm when used on a FourThirds format camera.
Weather Sealings
The Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is a weather-sealed lens, which provides extra protection to prevent water and dust get inside the lens and camera body under light rain, snow and wind. In order to have effective protection, you have to pair the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO with a weather-sealed camera body such as the OM System OM-1 II, Panasonic G9 II and OM System OM-5.
Optical Image Stabilization
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO doesn't have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).
Alternatively, you can check the Panasonic Leica 12-35mm F2.8 in Micro Four Thirds mount that have similar focal range but features Optical Image Stabilization.
Lenses Similar to Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO With Optical Image Stabilization
Zoom Method
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO features Rotary (extending) zoom method where the length of the lens changes as you zoom in or out. This makes it possible to design the lens with a smaller minimum length ( generally when it is zoomed out) compared to internal zoom lenses. The disadvantages of this design are being harder to seal against dust and moisture, weight balance shifting while zooming and zoom creep in certain lenses.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.3x and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.2m. For a non-macro lens, the 0.3x is considered a high magnification and will come handy for close-up shots.
Below are the 3 Standard Zoom type MFT mount lens alternatives with highest max magnification ratios:
Aperture
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f2.8 from 12mm all the way to the 40mm .
Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
12mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
40mm
|
F2.8 |
F22 |
Optical Formula
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO's optical formula consists of 14 elements in 9 groups . Following special elements are used in this design:
- 1 aspherical element
- 1 dual-sided aspherical element
- 2 ED glass elements
- 2 HR glass elements
- 1 EDA glass element
- 1 HD glass element
Lens Hood
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos. The model number of the hood is LH66.
Body Colour
Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO is available in Black color.
Popular Comparisons of Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Olympus ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO Lens
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