Canon has enjoyed the massive benefit of its USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) technology for superior lens autofocusing for two decades. Now, Olympus, with its patented Supersonic Wave Drive system, has, at last, joined the 'sonic focus' club that already numbers Nikon (Silent Wave), Sigma (Hyper Sonic Motor, or HSM), Konica Minolta/Sony (Super Sonic wave Motor, or SSM) and, most recently, Pentax. (SDM). Four Digital Zuiko lenses will be endowed with SWD (details below).
Meanwhile another response to requests from users has been answered with the announcement of a 2x teleconverter (model EC-20) to stand alongside the existing 1.4x converter that was launched with the E-1 nearly four years ago.
Although not to be equipped with SWD, a fourth lens in the super-telephoto category has been announced too.
Here are the details for the three new Digital Zuiko SWD lenses, plus a new super-telephoto zoom:
ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-60mm (24-120mm equiv) 1:2.8-4.0 SWD
5x zoom
Extreme wide angle capabilities from 12mm (24mm equiv)
ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50-200mm (100-400mm equiv) 1:2.8-3.5 SWD
4x zoom
ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-35mm (28-70mm equiv) 1:2.0 SWD
Extremely bright 1:2.0 aperture across entire focal range
2.5x zoom
ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 70-300mm (140-600mm equiv) 1:4.0-5.6
4.3x zoom
Extreme telephoto capabilities to 300mm (600mm equiv)
Sonic what?
So what is all the fuss about ultra-sonic technology? If you have ever used a lens equipped with sonic focusing, you don't want to go back to old fashioned AF drive again. Sonic motors are virtually silent, impressively smooth and usually very fast to find accurate focus.
Sonic motor technology works by using extremely high frequency vibrations to make mechanisms with opposing surfaces move against each other. In lenses, this often involves rings vibrated by piezo crystals, hence the term 'ring motors'.
Canon was the first to harness the benefits of the technology with its USM lenses as long ago as 1986.
Olympus has been busy developing and patenting its Supersonic Wave technology for a variety of applications, many of which are outside the field of conventional photographic equipment. In the future, we will see an Olympus DSLR featuring no less than three Supersonic Wave systems: one for the sensor dust cleaning system that has been a feature of all E-System cameras, a second to drive the moving sensor image stabilisation debuted in the E-System with the new E-510 model and, finally, through SWD autofocus on selected lenses.
When will these lenses be available? We don't yet know, but we will be asking that very question later in the week.
E-1 replacement at the show?
The revelation of SWD lens technology is very welcome, coming on the eve of PMA 07 in Las Vegas, but a lot of people are holding their breath for news of the long-awaited E-1 pro-spec DSLR replacement, a prototype mock-up of which was shown at Photokina last September. Naturally, Olympus would prefer the focus to be on its two interesting new consumer models, the live view E-410 and E-510. At the time of writing , we don't know if an E-1 replacement prototype will be on the booth at the show, but we'll be quick to let you know if there is. Watch this space, to coin a much over-used term!
