Olympus 50-200mm Zuiko Digital f/2.8-3.5 ED Lens for Digital SLR Cameras

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 4.7 inches ; 0.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000Y5TI4
• Item model number: 261002
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Olympus 50-200 millimeter Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens expands the power of the E-System, the world's first 100 percent all-digital interchangeable lens SLR system, delivering higher resolutions and superior image quality. Developed specifically for digital capture with smart technology, Zuiko digital specific lenses deliver edge-to-edge sharpness with reduced distortion and shading. The lenses are designed to perfectly match the imager so light strikes the sensor directly, ensuring rich, accurate colors, sharp contrasts, and bright images even at the edges.

The significantly smaller and lighter 50-200 millimeter Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens provides the impressive power of a 100-400 millimeter zoom lens in 35 millimeter photography. It features 16 elements in 15 groups, including three Extraordinary Dispersion glass elements to minimize color smear, chromatic aberration and fringing, ensuring sharp and accurate edge-to-edge detail.

The Zuiko digital specific lenses are based on the FourThirds System, an open standard for digital SLR cameras and interchangeable lens systems that utilize a 4/3-type image sensor. The FourThirds System is designed to achieve an optimal balance between image quality, camera and lens size, and system expandability. The system maximizes the performance of image sensors and lenses with a 100 percent digital-from-the-ground-up design.

What's in the Box:
50-200 millimeter f2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom lens, lens hood (LH-70B), lens case (LSC-7), tripod adapter (TRA-72), lens cap (LC-67), lens rear cap (LR-1), instruction manual, warranty card

Product Description

Olympus E-1 Digital SLR System This is the world s first 100% interchangeable lens SLR System designed from day one exclusively for digital photography. The new 4/3 type image sensor is designed to achieve the optimal balance between image quality, camera size and system expandability. This state-of-the-art 5.08 megapixel CCD delivers groundbreaking edge-to-ege sharpness. The E-1 is an uncompromising realization of the full benefits of pure digital technology with body and lenses designed to perfectly match the image sensor. Its Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses deliver higher resolutions, faster aperture speeds and focusing and more compact sizes than equivalent 35mm lenses built for digital. A high-performance digital specific telephoto zoom lens that s one of the lightest and most compact in its class. This Zuiko Digital Lens includes 3 ED glass lens elements to correct chromatic aberrations and features a maximum aperture of f/3.5. Like all Zuiko Digital Lenses, the barrel and all connections are designed using all-metal components and rubber seals make it highly resistant to dust and moisture. The 50-200mm zoom comes with a lens case, lens hood, removable tripod adaptor front and rear lens caps. Item Specifications: Product Description: Olympus Zuiko DIGITAL ED - telephoto zoom lens - 50 mm - 200 mm Weight: 0 oz Length: 6 in Min Focus Range: 4 ft Lens System: Telephoto zoom lens Lens Aperture: F/2.8-3.5 Focus Adjustment: Automatic, manual Focal Length: 50 mm - 200 mm Mounting Type: Four Thirds Lens Construction: 15 group(s) / 16 element(s) Filter Size: 67 mm Special Functions: Tele, zoom

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great IQ., April 4, 2006

By 

M. Lo - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus 50-200mm Zuiko Digital f/2.8-3.5 ED Lens for Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

This was the second lens I got for my E-500. The combination is superb. The lens is fast focusing and razor sharp wide open. I had the 40-150 to compare, as well as canons 70-200 f4L on a rebel xt. This lens is sharper, has better contrast and is faster, worth every cent.

54 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it because you want great pictures..., July 3, 2006

By 

R. A Gibson (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus 50-200mm Zuiko Digital f/2.8-3.5 ED Lens for Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Wow. I just got it. And already I can't say enough. I love this lens. The pictures are wonderful.

Given like many of you, I have limited means, I feel vindicated about my decision to save up (I understand how you feel attempting to reconcile the cost of this lens vs. the cost of your camera... some of us will spend more on THIS lens than the camera body...ouch! ...right now that'd be everyone save the E-330 crowd and the Panasonic DMC-L1) and BUY THIS ONE.

Understand, the advantage this lens gives you is a larger max aperture (f2.8-3.5) at all focal lengths which translates into much better action shots (your subject is in focus and your background is blurred) and greater opportunity for low light images (e.g., candlelight) at a better ISO (e.g., you might get away with ISO 200 on a shot instead of 400 translating into less noise). Couple that with the knowledge that your 50-200mm lens functions as a 100-400mm (factor is 2x given the 4/3rds sensor size compared to a 35mm frame) and you've got a lens that is as versatile as it is beautiful. Your only downside is that it is heavy, so you're going to have to either start working out or for long shoots (e.g. your kid's soccer match) bring the monopod (there is a well centered mount that comes with the lens).

In any event, why would you buy this lens? The same reason you'd make any purchase surrounding your camera setup. Because you're after GREAT pictures (leave the average stuff to the point and shoot crowd). With this lens on the end of your Olympus E Series camera, you can get there. So start saving (time for a garage sale?) and soon you'll be the envy of the soccer pitch, football field, and dance recital with your beautiful, versatile Olympus 50-200mm Zuiko f/2.8-3.5 ED lens that you, with great wisdom and foresight, bought because you're taking great pictures...

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent lens by almost any measure, February 14, 2007

By 

M. Olson "olsons36" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus 50-200mm Zuiko Digital f/2.8-3.5 ED Lens for Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I cannot recommend this lens highly enough if you feel you need a lens with this much telephoto reach. For those of you who have "old school" experience, this lens is about as large and heavy as those 70-210mm zoom lenses that became ubiquitous with 35mm SLRs back in the day, but it has a more solid and beefy feel to it. It's a very well crafted bit of kit without question.

I would have to say that the defining characteristic of this lens is its' reputation of being razor sharp from edge to edge, even at maximum aperture. It's simply stunning. I have to disagree with another reviewer in that I don't find the bokeh to be particularly great unless one shoots wide open (in which case it's very good indeed), but excellent sharpness with so-so bokeh seems to be a characteristic that this lens shares with it's sister lens the Zuiko 14-54mm zoom.

Autofocus speed is only average, but accuracy on my E-500 is excellent. Camera handling is compromised with such a large lens, but removing the tripod mounting foot subtracts a considerable bit of weight from the combination. The lens hood is absolutely huge and I wonder if one significantly smaller wouldn't have sufficed for 90% of user's needs, but it is well made and I have toyed with the idea of buying a second and turning it down to about 1/2 the length of the standard hood just for those days when I don't need a lens hood that's nearly as long as my lens.

In summary: This is one of the best lenses in the Digital Zuiko line and as long as you are prepared for a large lens you will very likely be highly pleased with this lens because it performs optically so very well.