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Technical Details
Color: Black
- Brand Name: Olympus
- Model: V314040BU000
- Lens Type: zoom
- Minimum focal length: 12
- Maximum focal length: 50
Product DetailsColor Name: Black
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Product Description
Color: Black
This zoom lens has a maximum magnification of 4.2X, covering a range that extends from a wide angle of 24mm (35mm camera equivalent) - ideal for taking wide shots even indoors - to a medium telephoto focal length of 100mm (35mm camera equivalent), - optimal for portraits.
Available Warranties for This Item
Color: Black
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black
Before I bought the lens, I had read many negative comments, pointing to the slow f/6.3 at the tele end. Yes, it's slow. But that's just one aspect of the lens.
Compared to other kit lens, you get a wider 24mm equivalent, weather-sealed body and the macro mode.
This lens reminds me of those lens you find on compact cameras. Wide and with macro. Now, it's available on the Micro Four Thirds, well, in a much larger body.
It's smaller than I expected. Its height is close to the zoomed out standard kit lens. This lens is fixed in size because the zooming is internal.
It's made of mainly hard plastic and weighs 212g. It's light. The standard kit from Olympus weighs 113g and Panasonic 165g.
It's great there are two colours for this lens. I bought the black one to go with my black camera. It looks good together. I think contrasting colours of the lens and camera will draw unwanted attention.
The lack of any lens information marking on the front is a nice design touch which makes it discreet.
Olympus still can't find it in themselves to include a lens hood. This one uses the Olympus LH-55B Lens Hood which is used with the Olympus 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 lens
The focusing ring is smooth and nice to turn. This ring also functions as a zoom mode selector for macro mode, manual or electronic zoom.
The electronic zoom is well implemented and it's really made for video. The smooth zoom is great for video and the speed depends on how much you turn the ring. With manual zoom, I always get shaky video when zooming, but not so with the electronic zoom. It's a big plus here.
Autofocus is instant and silent.
Manual focus has an excellent, as usual, focus-by-wire implementation.
As for image quality, I felt it was good enough. Colours are nice. It's not as sharp as the 12mm prime, but it's not far off. At the 50mm end, it's sharp, well, it's shooting at f/6.3 after all.
As this isn't really considered a fast lens. It's good for outdoor use and have limited indoor application unless you're shooting at 12mm which is at f/3.5. Actually at 12mm, you should be able to get a sharp photo at 1/30s comfortably. Long end is f/6.3 so a firm hand and sometimes high ISO is needed.
The macro mode is extremely convenient. Especially useful for closeups like when you want to capture details of small items, e.g. shoot some products. The macro mode focal length is fixed at 43mm and aperture starts at f/6.0. It's not much of an issue here because for macro photos, the aperture has to be smaller for a deeper depth of field.
Macro's closest focusing distance is 20cm. Magnification is 0.72x. It's able to capture really fine details. I took a photo of a watercolor brush and can see every single strand of hair clearly defined.
Chromatic aberration is slightly discernible at the wide end on Panasonic cameras.
It cost about 300 bucks more than those kit lens. Is it worth it? It depends on what you value. I really like the 24mm and macro mode. Weather-sealed is not a criteria I look at when buying this since I don't shoot in conditions that require that. 300 bucks for 3 features you don't find on the standard kit lens. Not too bad actually. It's definitely a lens worth considering if you're choosing a kit lens. More so if you don't like changing lens.
I see this lens primarily as an outdoor lens. Great for walkabouts, casual shots.
I'll rate it probably 4-4.5 stars out of 5.
At a glance
+ Well build weather-sealed body
+ Not too big
+ Light
+ Fast and silent focus
+ Wide angle at 24mm
+ Useful and convenient macro mode
+ Electronic zoom useful for video
+ Reasonably good image quality
+ Worldwide warranty
- Slow f/6.3 at tele end
- No lens hood provided
- No lens pouch provided
--- Compared to Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 Lens ---
By the way, I've the 12mm f/2 lens as well. I might be suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The 12mm f/2 prime has become the lens I use most frequently, to my surprise really. I was just using it recently at a night BBQ party, shooting at mostly f/2 1/30s at ISO 1600. You won't be able to do that with the 12-50mm lens without going to ISO 6400.
If you want to shoot wide at low light, there's not much option to choose from. And because of that, I might actually end up having two 12mm lens. Gasp! I can't believe I just wrote that.
--- Compared to Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 Lens ---
It doesn't feel right to compare these two lens. The Panasonic one is a macro lens and yes, some use it for portraits also. The Olympus is a lens with macro as a feature. The Panasonic wins in terms of image quality of course, but at the price it's selling at, it should.
Once again, I must add that it's incredibly convenient to have a macro feature without having the whole lens being dedicated for that purpose. The respectable macro quality on the 12-50mm lens is a big plus.
Compared to other kit lens, you get a wider 24mm equivalent, weather-sealed body and the macro mode.
This lens reminds me of those lens you find on compact cameras. Wide and with macro. Now, it's available on the Micro Four Thirds, well, in a much larger body.
It's smaller than I expected. Its height is close to the zoomed out standard kit lens. This lens is fixed in size because the zooming is internal.
It's made of mainly hard plastic and weighs 212g. It's light. The standard kit from Olympus weighs 113g and Panasonic 165g.
It's great there are two colours for this lens. I bought the black one to go with my black camera. It looks good together. I think contrasting colours of the lens and camera will draw unwanted attention.
The lack of any lens information marking on the front is a nice design touch which makes it discreet.
Olympus still can't find it in themselves to include a lens hood. This one uses the Olympus LH-55B Lens Hood which is used with the Olympus 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 lens
The focusing ring is smooth and nice to turn. This ring also functions as a zoom mode selector for macro mode, manual or electronic zoom.
The electronic zoom is well implemented and it's really made for video. The smooth zoom is great for video and the speed depends on how much you turn the ring. With manual zoom, I always get shaky video when zooming, but not so with the electronic zoom. It's a big plus here.
Autofocus is instant and silent.
Manual focus has an excellent, as usual, focus-by-wire implementation.
As for image quality, I felt it was good enough. Colours are nice. It's not as sharp as the 12mm prime, but it's not far off. At the 50mm end, it's sharp, well, it's shooting at f/6.3 after all.
As this isn't really considered a fast lens. It's good for outdoor use and have limited indoor application unless you're shooting at 12mm which is at f/3.5. Actually at 12mm, you should be able to get a sharp photo at 1/30s comfortably. Long end is f/6.3 so a firm hand and sometimes high ISO is needed.
The macro mode is extremely convenient. Especially useful for closeups like when you want to capture details of small items, e.g. shoot some products. The macro mode focal length is fixed at 43mm and aperture starts at f/6.0. It's not much of an issue here because for macro photos, the aperture has to be smaller for a deeper depth of field.
Macro's closest focusing distance is 20cm. Magnification is 0.72x. It's able to capture really fine details. I took a photo of a watercolor brush and can see every single strand of hair clearly defined.
Chromatic aberration is slightly discernible at the wide end on Panasonic cameras.
It cost about 300 bucks more than those kit lens. Is it worth it? It depends on what you value. I really like the 24mm and macro mode. Weather-sealed is not a criteria I look at when buying this since I don't shoot in conditions that require that. 300 bucks for 3 features you don't find on the standard kit lens. Not too bad actually. It's definitely a lens worth considering if you're choosing a kit lens. More so if you don't like changing lens.
I see this lens primarily as an outdoor lens. Great for walkabouts, casual shots.
I'll rate it probably 4-4.5 stars out of 5.
At a glance
+ Well build weather-sealed body
+ Not too big
+ Light
+ Fast and silent focus
+ Wide angle at 24mm
+ Useful and convenient macro mode
+ Electronic zoom useful for video
+ Reasonably good image quality
+ Worldwide warranty
- Slow f/6.3 at tele end
- No lens hood provided
- No lens pouch provided
--- Compared to Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 Lens ---
By the way, I've the 12mm f/2 lens as well. I might be suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The 12mm f/2 prime has become the lens I use most frequently, to my surprise really. I was just using it recently at a night BBQ party, shooting at mostly f/2 1/30s at ISO 1600. You won't be able to do that with the 12-50mm lens without going to ISO 6400.
If you want to shoot wide at low light, there's not much option to choose from. And because of that, I might actually end up having two 12mm lens. Gasp! I can't believe I just wrote that.
--- Compared to Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 Lens ---
It doesn't feel right to compare these two lens. The Panasonic one is a macro lens and yes, some use it for portraits also. The Olympus is a lens with macro as a feature. The Panasonic wins in terms of image quality of course, but at the price it's selling at, it should.
Once again, I must add that it's incredibly convenient to have a macro feature without having the whole lens being dedicated for that purpose. The respectable macro quality on the 12-50mm lens is a big plus.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By carolina2834
Color Name:Black
From day one, the micro-four-thirds line-up has been flooded with 14mm zooms. Need a standard zoom for basic day-to-day usage? You can have one of the 14-42s, a 14-45, a 14-140, or even a 14-150. Take your pick. Everywhere you looked it was 14mm, 14mm, ad nauseam, 14mm. I'm not too keen on the physics behind each lens, but reasoning tells me that the choice of focal-length was probably due to physics rather than a decision made in a shadowy dark room by a band of sinister lens-designers whose main evil plot was to chain everyone into shooting 14mm. Although most of the zooms are great in their own quirky little ways, they're frustratingly not wide enough to actually be wide. Enter the 12-50mm. (Note: I would mention the 7-14 or the 9-18, but they're both priced way out of the standard-zoom bracket. And well, they're really not standard zooms.)
In the end, what matters most in a zoom is how it feels in-use and how it renders. From my experience, the 12-50mm hits the spot on both accounts. The cool thing about the 12-50mm is that it has all has all these zoom levers covered in a series of neat clicks right at the tip of your fingers. When needed or preferred, you can click the the barrel of the lens down and leave it in a tactile zoom position. From the latter position, you can click it forward and the lens magically turns into a power-zoom. And if you feel like getting close to some bugs and shooting macro, you simply hold the macro button down on the lens and shift the lever all the way forward. The lens suddenly transforms into a macro. Before I received the lens, I wasn't expecting this. To be honest, I was just expecting a 12mm zoom that would cover a good range when I needed it. The implementation is quite clever and definitely caught me by surprise. It's kind of like having three different lenses in one body. (But don't tell that to the wife before grabbing the plastic.)
Like all other zoom lenses, this lens has received some flack for a compromise on optics. A lot of it isn't as bad as what many enthusiasts claim. In my opinion, that's for pixel-peepers. I'm not a pixel-peeper, nor am I a photographer, but I do enjoy capturing fleeting memories whilst enjoying life in the present. I've printed a few 12x16 canvases for fun, all which turned out fabulous, so I can safely say that this lens passes my litmus test for image-quality. (Your requirements may be higher.) If my composition is spot-on, the lighting ideal, and the prints somehow turn out remarkable, then this lens must be pretty darn good. Oh, and the focus is lightning quick too.
I could make this review all rosy, but there are a few negatives. The lens is dark from 12mm on out; lacks image-stabilization on Panasonic bodies, which is a concern for heavy run-and-gun video shooters; and is somewhat longer in length compared to the smaller lenses in the lineup. The pictures are deceiving though. Once you grab your hands on it, the lens feels and looks smaller than whats represented in the marketing photos. The lens is similar in size to the small, skinny Coke cans that you find in grocery stores in Germany or Japan. It doesn't extend in-use, so it always stays the same size. Overall, I have to say that this lens is great value for its price. It's sharp, fast, flexible, wide, long, weatherproof, and does an admirable job at macro photography. If you're looking for any of the aforementioned, don't hesitate. For what it is, I give the lens a 5/5.
In the end, what matters most in a zoom is how it feels in-use and how it renders. From my experience, the 12-50mm hits the spot on both accounts. The cool thing about the 12-50mm is that it has all has all these zoom levers covered in a series of neat clicks right at the tip of your fingers. When needed or preferred, you can click the the barrel of the lens down and leave it in a tactile zoom position. From the latter position, you can click it forward and the lens magically turns into a power-zoom. And if you feel like getting close to some bugs and shooting macro, you simply hold the macro button down on the lens and shift the lever all the way forward. The lens suddenly transforms into a macro. Before I received the lens, I wasn't expecting this. To be honest, I was just expecting a 12mm zoom that would cover a good range when I needed it. The implementation is quite clever and definitely caught me by surprise. It's kind of like having three different lenses in one body. (But don't tell that to the wife before grabbing the plastic.)
Like all other zoom lenses, this lens has received some flack for a compromise on optics. A lot of it isn't as bad as what many enthusiasts claim. In my opinion, that's for pixel-peepers. I'm not a pixel-peeper, nor am I a photographer, but I do enjoy capturing fleeting memories whilst enjoying life in the present. I've printed a few 12x16 canvases for fun, all which turned out fabulous, so I can safely say that this lens passes my litmus test for image-quality. (Your requirements may be higher.) If my composition is spot-on, the lighting ideal, and the prints somehow turn out remarkable, then this lens must be pretty darn good. Oh, and the focus is lightning quick too.
I could make this review all rosy, but there are a few negatives. The lens is dark from 12mm on out; lacks image-stabilization on Panasonic bodies, which is a concern for heavy run-and-gun video shooters; and is somewhat longer in length compared to the smaller lenses in the lineup. The pictures are deceiving though. Once you grab your hands on it, the lens feels and looks smaller than whats represented in the marketing photos. The lens is similar in size to the small, skinny Coke cans that you find in grocery stores in Germany or Japan. It doesn't extend in-use, so it always stays the same size. Overall, I have to say that this lens is great value for its price. It's sharp, fast, flexible, wide, long, weatherproof, and does an admirable job at macro photography. If you're looking for any of the aforementioned, don't hesitate. For what it is, I give the lens a 5/5.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Color Name:Black|Amazon Verified Purchase
My E-PL1 came with Oly's standard 14-42mm kit zoom, a good lens with a collapsing feature. I hoped Olympus would make a lens with more range that would still be portable, and maintain Olympus' very good imaging qualities. The 12-50 is the answer! It seems plenty sharp at both the wide and long ends, and the macro feature makes it a keeper! The electronic zoom is smooth and easy to like; I've photographed postage stamps, flowers and bugs, landscapes and portraits with this lens. The 14-42 sits in the bag while the 12-50 lens stays on my camera.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works nice
Good price and nice lens. Nothing great, but worth it. Nice for video work and works well for pic's too.
Published 25 days ago by 35years in trades
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent kit lens for the Olympus OMD...
This kit lens came with my Olympus OMD. My initial apprehensions of the "slow" aperture of F3.5 - 6. Read more
Published 1 month ago by nagappa
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hood is not included
Wow, what a difference this lens makes. I tried to go cheap and use my old DSLR E-510 lenses with the adapter, but they were soooo slooooow and significantly inferior in picture... Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Coughlin
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not so great
I already have the 14-42 kit lens and thought this could be better.
But the rings feel pretty "sandy" and rough. And it is just too big for what it is. Read more
But the rings feel pretty "sandy" and rough. And it is just too big for what it is. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Antoine Guilbaud
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Grab and Go Lens!
Bought this lens for my girlfriends OM-D body as a "first lens". Wanted her to have something in the 24mm range--one of my all time favorite "standard" lenses from... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Christopher Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
Lens is a little dark given it's high aperture range, but the Macro function on this lens is really, really good. Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. Nichols
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compact and elegant
This lens is elegant, dust and rain sealed, and has smooth and quiet zoom. It of course cannot be as sharp or gather as much light as the Olympus 12-54 or 12-60 mm f2. Read more
Published 4 months ago by 14carbonman
2.0 out of 5 stars
Regret
Bought this item used. Came quite beat up. Seems to have had a tough life. Difficulty in focussing, makes me wonder if it wasn't dropped. Quite dissapointed.
Published 4 months ago by Walter Mcalister
4.0 out of 5 stars
Capable all-arounder
This is a capable all-around lens. The fact that it's weather-proof makes it very useful as a walk around lens where weather may be an issue (national parks, around the pool with... Read more
Published 5 months ago by L
4.0 out of 5 stars
Versatility makes this a most unique Lens
Movies, macro, portraits, landscape. A do-all lens. I wish I had one in Silver. The Black only came in the kit with the OM-D. Read more
Published 5 months ago by David Cole
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