Customer Reviews

Olympus 18-180mm f/3.5-6.3 Zuiko Lens for E Series DSLR Cameras

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The overall size and weight of the Olympus D-510 2 lens kit (14-42 and 45-150) offered a small, light kit that is very versatile. My only issue is I find myself in a lot of situations where a rapid lens change is required with this combination so I was looking for something in a single lens that offered a larger zoom range.

This lens offers the zoom range I was looking for, but its almost the size and weight of the two kit lenses put together and is slower than either. I did not have any color or clarity problems attributable to the optics in this lens and in theory its a step up from the kit lenses.

Unfortunately, largest aperture falls off to f6.3 rapidly and that makes for a slow lens over the majority of its zoom range, which also causes a dimmer viewfinder image, and slower auto focus.

Its not quite disappointing enough to return, but in general you are better off with the kit lenses from a size/weight/quality standpoint. If you REALLY need the zoom range in a single lens, this is worth considering, but the compromises that come with this lens are greater than I've seen in other third party lenses with a similar zoom range (admittedly for other lens mounts).

I think I'll look towards the 50-200mm f2.8-3.5 Olympus lens next.

I had previously owned one of these lenses and as I noted in an earlier review no one could have wanted this lens to be the great single lens "travel lens" more than I did, but alas the lens just came with too many shortcomings to work well with my E-500. Enter the E-510 with built in image stabilization and much better high-ISO performance and in my opinion a new day has dawned for this lens.

This is not a fast lens and that will never change but finally this is no longer a deal breaker. The lens has been performing very well indeed on my E-510 as long as I keep the design limitations of the lens in mind.

Points to consider:

- This lens is not super sharp wide open (maximum aperture) the way a Zuiko 12-60mm or 50-200mm lens would be - it's "acceptable" for some but not for my needs.
- Stopped down about two notches or simply set to f/8 or f/11 this lens is very sharp indeed - it sharpens up nicely - however the depth of field at shorter focal lengths might be too generous for some shooters needs.
- The lens is not weather sealed and is not made to the same quality as the mid-grade or top pro-grade Zuiko lenses. It's built to pretty much the same standards as a kit lens, which is to say just fine (it has a metal base).
- It focuses much closer than the Zuiko 50-200mm lens and makes a very good general purpose walkabout lens for use in strong lighting.
- The lens uses 62mm threads at the front and as a result several lens attachments from the old Olympus E-10/20 DSLRs will fit.

If you're using an older E series Olympus camera I can't recommend the lens without reservation, but for those shooting with the new image stabilized Olympus DSLRs I think that this lens can work very well as a travel lens or a general walkabout lens high on the convenience factor.

I've loved my Evolt Camera and its lenses -- but I've wished that I didn't have carry my two Olympus lenses with me when I was going to be taking images at both shorter and longer focal lengths. Having received the Olympus Zuiko 18mm-180mm ultra zoom lens (which is the equivalent of 35mm-350mm) as a present this Christmas, I no longer have to. This lightweight all-digital lens, made especially for the Olympus four thirds system, receives very sharp, very colorful, distortion-free images. Its weight is a little heavier than either of the two separate lenses that came with the camera and it's not quite as fast a lens. However, neither of these differences diminishes the value this great lens has afforded me. If you are like me and have been inconvenienced by having to lug around all your lenses to assure yourself of being able to capture all the images you want, then the Olympus Zuiko 18mm-180mm lens is for you! I think you'll be very happy with the high quality results you'll get and I know you'll be happy with the convenience it will provide. Enjoy!

Finally! It's here! The all purpose lens us Olympus E Series fans have been waiting for. And it is wonderful. Pictures are sharp edge to edge, indoor and out. Shots taken both Auto Focus and Manual have turned out well. I have no complaints. For an all purpose lens, it works well in a variety of light conditions, an area of concern when I bought the lens. Now I feel set. I can keep this one on the camera and I'm prepared for all those impromptu shoots you end up on. I'll still use my other lenses, but only when I know the specifics of the shoot ahead of time. But now if I just want to grab the camera, sans the 10 lb. bag, and go shoot pictures of my kid at the zoo, I can. And like you, I love that freedom. Bottom line, I couldn't be happier and if you are looking for an all purpose zoom lens for your E-300, E-500, E-1 (and soon to come E-3 and E-330) cameras, look no further. This is the one you want (trust me I tried the Sigma for Olympus alternative... stay clear of that one). I know it costs almost as much as your camera body, but in the end you'll find the shots you end up with in the long term will more than make up for any buyer's remorse you may suffer in the short term. So get off the fence, Click the Buy button, and get to work on those shots... whatever the situation.

I've found this makes a very nice one lens walk around kit with my E500. The sharpness is certainly equal to the Olympus 14-45mm lens where they overlap, and even sharper in the telephoto end. While not a macro lens, I've also gotten very nice closeup photos with the lens. Of course, it is not as sharp as the 50-200mm Olympus lens, which is a much bigger and more expensive lens. Autofocus is fast and accurate. But don't take my word. Popular Photography has just tested the lens and called it among the top zooms in its class.

With all the reviews I read about its sharpness I was a bit apprehensive at first before ordering it. But then I needed a really good ranged travel lens for my E520. I initially was aiming for the Sigma 18-125mm but the price for 4/3rds mount suddenly went up to something unimaginable for a third party lens in this class. So, I went for the 18180 and did my own little test as soon as it arrived...mounted it on my E520 and Viola!!! I got really crisp, tack sharp images I wasn't expecting from this lens. 18 all the way to 180, and even indoor shots. Maybe my requirements are a bit shallower than the rest or maybe my hands proved steadier but the IS in the E520 really worked wonders for this piece of glass. Not satisfied to what I saw on the LCD,I even took a quick look at the images on my PC monitor and was I happy to find they were SHARP as I've mentioned. Slow? That's another thing. But I've got real praises for this lens and I said I even tried some indoor shots. Maybe not as slow as I previously read too. Maybe my copy was perfect or close. But one that's not a maybe, I sure will recommend this lens to E5xx owners (those with IS) who are looking for a dependable one travel lens. Go for it!!!

This is the only lens I use on my 510 these days. I do a lot of Real Estate related photography and this lens seems to be the jack of all trades. Since most of my photos are shot in natural daylight, I get stunning results. I got two kit lenses with my camera when I bought it, but I honestly cannot tell you where they are now. I haven't used them since I got this lens.

I have noticed some minor focusing issues with interior shots, but it just takes a little patience to get the shot. I take about 200 to 500 photos per month with this lens. I have no complaints regarding this lens. It saves me a lot of time.

I've used this for about a month now and so far I've been quite pleased with the performance of this lens. Other than the impressive zoom, there really isn't anything very impressive about the lens. The F3.5 falls off very quickly to F5.1 at about 50mm, which means the lens is overall pretty slow. Size-wise, the lens is quite compact, but not as light as I thought it would be. The lens is pretty heavy as compared to the kit lens (although this is understandable). However, I do find myself using this lens less often as compared to the kit lens especially because of the weight. The lens works really, really well in daylight and produces some stunning results, but I would definitely not recommend this for too much night scene photography. I'm contemplating the 18-50mm F2.8 Sigma which does seem like a great night scene lens.

I am a news photographer and have been using this lens for the past 3 years, and it really provided the versatility I needed for just every sort of story, except sports; for this I do suggest the 70 to 300 zoom or better, or nature photography, animals and birds, would also do better to look at the more dedicated zooms.
But when taking landscapes, group shots, concerts, lectures and presentations, in auditoriums or small offices, and often having to go from one such event to the next, this lens proved invaluable.
I am a dedicated Olympus user, but most know the smaller sensor often results in slow focus in low light conditions. I am using the E volt 620 right now, and I resolved the slow focus problem by pretty much always working in manual mode. I found it no problem anymore. This solution I discovered after I had acquired the 18-180.
Recently, I had to send in my 18-180 for repair, after what Olympus described as "heavy use" I just got it back and it is as good as new, for about a third of the cost of buying a new lens. While in for repair, I was using a 14-42 lens, and I was having a real problem with it focusing in low light conditions, even in manual, sometimes losing the shot. I switched to a 14-45 I had gotten when I had ordered my 500, and I had much the same problem.
I found when I got my 18-180 back-problem solved! I am back to getting a good, fast focus in low light conditions, (using manual settings) so this is another advantage to this lens that I wanted to share.
I was thrilled with the options it allowed me when I got it 3 years ago; I didn't realize this additional extra it had over some of the other lenses, as I have been using it as my primary, (really only) lens for all this time, and really hadn't had the chance to compare performance until I was without it. It has definitely made my work a lot easier, and it does have this advantage of improved performance in low light conditions, which is an issue with Olympus DSLR cameras.

The lens was purchased by me as a gift for my daughter who is now a very keen photographer .She and I are delighted with the results,the weight and compactness.
Her overall remark was I think this is a lens I will use more than 90% of the time.The images enlarge well with litttle if any loss of definition. EXCELLENT.