Handling and Features
Performance
Verdict
Specification


This telephoto zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system cameras provides an angle of view equivalent to an 80-300mm lens used on a 35mm format camera and sports a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range. The lens is also moisture and dust resistant, and is available from around £1300. In this review we'll take a look at how it performs.

One image can change us.

A picture, a moment can change the way we feel. Change how we see ourselves. Change our understanding and change the rules. Provoke and change history.

MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth. Sell the kit you’re not using to MPB. Trade in for the kit you need to create. Buy used, spend less and get more. Buy. Sell. Trade. Create.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Handling and Features

The lens barrel is constructed from a combination of metal and high quality plastics, with a glossy finish and the bayonet is metal with a rubber gasket to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture into the camera body. Despite the robust build and the telephoto range covered this lens only weighs 760g. As far as size and handling are concerned, this lens is a perfect match Micro Four Thirds cameras with a deep grip, such as the Panasonic Lumix G6, but it can feel a little unwieldy on smaller bodies, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M5 used for testing, when used without the optional grip.



As focusing is performed internally the 72mm filter thread does not rotate, which makes this lens ideal for use with graduated and polarising filters. Sliding back the focus ring reveals a distance scale and automatically changes the camera to manual focus mode, which is ideal for applying quick adjustments. However, it is incredibly easy to nudge this by accident when removing the lens from a bag, or case, so care needs to be taken to ensure the lens is in the desired mode for shooting. A deep circular hood is supplied with the lens, which has a novel feature of being collapsible. By simply pulling the hood back, it locks into place in a collapsed position, making it easy to stow away in a bag. The minimum focus distance is 70cm throughout the zoom range, which is incredibly close for a lens offering a telephoto field of view like this. A removable tripod collar is also supplied with the lens.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Performance

At 40mm sharpness is already outstanding in the centre of the frame at maximum aperture, although performance towards the edges falls behind somewhat, only reaching fairly good levels. Stopping down improves performance across the frame, with peak sharpness across the frame being achieved at f/5.6. Here clarity is outstanding in the centre, and very good towards the edges.

Zooming to 70mm results in a reduction in sharpness in the centre at maximum aperture to excellent levels, although performance towards the edges is improved to very good levels of clarity. Peak performance across the frame is achieved at f/5.6 where sharpness is excellent in the centre and falls just short of this towards the edges.

Finally, at 150mm sharpness drops to very good levels in the centre of the frame at maximum aperture and clarity towards the edges of the frame drops just below good levels. When stopped down, performance across the frame improves, with excellent levels of clarity being achieved between f/5.6 and f/8 across the frame.

[email protected]
 

[email protected]
 

[email protected]
 

How to read our charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges. Averaging them out gives the red weighted column.

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. Simple.

For this review, the lens was tested on an Olympus OM-D E-M5 using Imatest.

Chromatic aberrations are well controlled throughout the zoom range with fringing barely exceeding half a pixel width unless stopped down below f/11. This low level of fringing should barely be visible and should pose few issues, even in large reproductions or harsh crops from the edges of the frame.

[email protected]
 

[email protected]
 

[email protected]
 

How to read our charts

Chromatic aberration is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on an Olympus OM-D E-M5 using Imatest.

Falloff of illumination towards the corners is well controlled for a fast aperture telephoto zoom lens, and shouldn't pose too many issues. At 40mm and f/2.8 the comers are 0.7 stops darker than the centre of the image and at 150mm, the corners are 1.2 stops darker than the image centre. Stopping down to f/5.6 results in visually uniform illumination across the frame throughout the zoom range.

Distortion is well corrected in camera, but without corrections applied, Imatest still only detected 0.342% pincushion distortion at 40mm being replaced with only 0.327% pincushion distortion at 150mm. This extremely mild amount of distortion should pose few issues for day-to-day shooting.

A collapsible circular hood is supplied with this lens, which does an excellent job of shading the lens from extraneous light that may cause issues with loss of contrast or flare. Even without the hood in place, this lens is very resistant to flare and contrast levels are retained well when shooting into the light. 

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Sample Photos

Value For Money

Currently, this lens is available for around £1300, which seems pretty good value for a lens of this quality, especially when the price of equivalents for 35mm cameras are taken into account.

For example, Sigma's 120-300mm f/2.8 S OS HSM is the closest equivalent for any camera system, which costs around £2690 and weighs over twice as much.

Panasonic's 35-100mm f/2.8 OIS lens is the closest equivalent for Micro Four Thirds system cameras, which is quite a bit cheaper, costing around £870, but it lacks the same telephoto reach. 

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Verdict

The combination of great build quality and performance alone are enough to recommend this lens. The fact that it offers a unique zoom range, whilst maintaining a fast f/2.8 throughout is even better. It's capable of delivering excellent image quality too, and is even fairly reasonably priced. For the most part, it handles well too, thanks to its robust build and relative light weight and compact size, although it's worth noting that it still may be a little large for use with the smallest Micro Four Thirds bodies. On the whole, this lens is an excellent addition to the Micro four Thirds line up, that will win over many fans.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Pros

Excellent sharpness, especially when stopped down a little
Relatively compact and lightweight
Robust build
Dust and splash proof
Quick access for manual focus
Good value
Fast focusing

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Cons

Manual focus control easily nudged
May be a little large for many MFT bodies
Sharpness could be better towards the edges of the frame at 40mm

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO is an excellent addition to the Micro four Thirds line up and delivers excellent performance.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Specifications

View Full Product Details