Olympus Micro Four Thirds system gets four more lenses
New M.ZUIKO lenses cover all the bases
From high-end Macro to go-anywhere Body Cap
Hamburg, 17 September 2012 – Olympus promised owners of PEN and
O-MD cameras the full array of dedicated interchangeable lenses and
accessories – and the launch of four new Micro Four Thirds lenses
comes good on that pledge. This new generation offers optical
engineering of the highest standard for anyone who appreciates toplevel
image quality – from macro enthusiasts to snap-happy PEN
owners and ambitious hobby photographers with an eye for
outstanding design. The new splash and dust-proof M.ZUIKO DIGITAL
ED 60mm 1:2.8 (120mm*) Macro lens is ideal for use outdoors. Nearsilent
focusing and 1:1 magnification as close as 19cm makes this
robust lens perfect for high-resolution close-ups of the natural world,
but its imaging potential is impressive wherever you shoot. Beautiful
circular bokeh, a practical Focus Limit switch and virtually non-existent
spot flaring make it an extremely attractive addition for owners of the
high-end O-MD E-M5, or of course a PEN. The high-grade, largeaperture
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:1.8 (34mm*) lens is currently under
development. This stylish, compact beauty will incorporate a
sophisticated focusing mechanism designed especially for top-notch
snapshot photography. The third lens of the quartet is a collector’s
item. An elegant, limited-edition black version of the existing M.ZUIKO
DIGITAL ED 12mm 1:2.0 (24mm*) wide-angle ‘Street Photography’ lens,
including a metal lens hood and cap. Last but not least, the superaffordable
and ultra-slim 15mm (30mm*) 1:8.0 Body Cap lens is all
about shooting on the fly, ideally with a PEN. The 17mm goes on sale in
early 2013, whereas the other three will be available from October 2012.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro lens
In terms of sheer image quality, this handsome lens gives PEN, and in
particular O-MD owners, the potential to capture images on a par with highend
Four Thirds cameras using a ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 50mm 1:2.0 macro
lens – but with significantly less outlay. With its dust and splash-proof
housing and excellent macro credentials, its natural habitat is just that: the
natural world outside. At 19cm and 1:1 magnification, close-ups of animal
and plants come to life in spectacular fashion, with high resolution and
contrast edge-to-edge. And in bright light, its multi-layer ZERO (ZUIKO
Extra-low Reflection Optical) lens coating halves the effects of ghosting and
flaring compared to similar conventional coatings.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 17mm 1:1.8
This is an extremely bright, large-aperture, high-resolution lens and a musthave
for anyone looking to capture exceptional images on the spur of the
moment. The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 17mm 1:1.8 is packed with the same
advanced optical technologies that have proved so successful on other
high-end Olympus lenses, including the silver version of the M.ZUIKO
DIGITAL ED 12mm 1:2.0 ‘Street Photography’ lens launched earlier this
year. Attractive circular bokeh is a common strength, with none of the offaxis
aberration or colour fringe effects that can otherwise spoil your shot.
Both lenses also make it especially easy to set the depth of field for stills
with intentional background blurring. Snapshot specialists will appreciate
built-in depth of field and distance indicators that show the distance at
which objects are in focus, so you can focus instantly without having to look
at the camera display. These indicators come into play in Manual mode,
which you activate by pulling back the focus ring.
Special-edition M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm 1:2.0
Collectors will be counting down the days to the launch of this limitededition
designer piece that comes as a kit with a matching lens hood and
cap – all in classic black. With its wide-angle capacity and fast aperture, the
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm 1:2.0 lens performs superbly in low-light and
snapshot situations where a flash or tripod would be inappropriate – and is
of course ideal for capturing high-quality landscapes and other broad shots.
As an Olympus system lens, it also benefits from the Image Stabilisation
(IS) built into every new Olympus camera. Most rival wide-angle lenses
don’t come with stabilisation technology, which can leave you susceptible
to shake and blurring with cameras that don’t have built-in IS of their own.
15mm (30mm*) 1:8.0 Body Cap
An ultra-slim cap and flexible, fixed-focus, fixed-aperture lens in one; this is
an ideal first accessory for the powerful new PEN Lite and PEN mini. PEN
cameras famously combine portable dimensions with ease-of-use for goanywhere
SLR-quality imaging, and the Body Cap stays true to that
philosophy. It adds a mere 9mm to the depth of your camera so you can
still slip it into a jacket pocket with the confidence that sensitive
components will be safe from dust, scratches and smears. When you pull it
out again, you’ll be able to capture subjects on the spur of the moment from
one metre to infinity – with no need to focus and without attaching a fullsized
lens. For close-ups, there’s a lever to extend the focus range to just
30cm from your subject.
Availability, accessories and prices
With the exception of the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:18 lens, all these
lenses will be available from October. The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm
1:2.8 Macro lens will cost just £429 and is compatible with a host of
dedicated Olympus accessories. These include the specialist macro RF-11
ring flash and TF-22 twin flashes (in combination with the optional FR-2 adaptor ring). The special-edition M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm 1:2.0 Street
Photography lens will retail for £849, which includes the matching metal
lens hood and cap. The 15mm 1:8.0 Body Cap lens for PEN is a bargain at
just £70. The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm 1:18 lens is currently at the
development stage and more details will be announced nearer the launch.
* 35mm equivalent.
