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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 lens (24mm equivalent)
This high-speed, single-focal– length, wide-angle lens is ideal for shooting everything from dramatic landscapes in low- light conditions to hard-to-get, spontaneous street shots. It has a beautiful full-metal body and a snap ring that enables photographers to pan focus with a distance indicator.
Product Description
This high-speed, single-focal– length, wide-angle lens is ideal for shooting everything from dramatic landscapes in low- light conditions to hard-to-get, spontaneous street shots. It has a beautiful full-metal body and a snap ring that enables photographers to pan focus with a distance indicator.Olympus m.12mm F2.0 Zuiko Camera Lens Silver.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
75 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Please be aware the lens does not come with the hood. That must be purchased separately. The picture, on this page, is a bit misleading.
We'll start of with the greatness of this lens. This lens is the best constructed m4/3 yet. It is optically amazing and fast. The autofocus is ultra silent and quick (I only have Pani bodies). The feel of this lens is magnificent. When you pull back the ring to manual focus, it has hard stops and the focus speed is variable depending on how fast you turn the ring. While not up to the quality of Leica (what is?), this lens is a true gem. There are currently only 2 m43 lenses that go this wide (7-14 and 9-18) and they are bigger, heavier, and 2 stops slower. I am not sure why the m43 bunch is caught up on the 28mm length but this lens is a welcome step in the right direction.
So if this lens is so nice, then what is the dilemma? The answer to that would be the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5. The 14mm is not in the same league as the 12mm for build quality. However, it is much smaller and cheaper. (Not that the 12mm f/2 is that big in fact it is tiny for what it is, the 14mm f/2.5 is just tiny.) If you don't need the extra Field of View (FOV) of the 12mm then the 14mm is a very good alternative. I just got back from shooting at two automotive museums and the 14mm performed admirably. It was rare I needed a wider FOV. However, for tight location shooting this thing is an absolute gem and now offers a m43 shooter a real professional alternative to a Nikon or Canon equivalent. Now it would be possible to tote the D7000 w/ 70-200mm f/2.8 and a G3 w 12mm f/2. Much lighter than another Nikon DX body with 14-24 f/2.8 or FX body with 24mm f/1.4.
Overall, if you don't know why you would need this lens over the Pani 14mm f/2.5, then you don't. However, if you need the 9 deg extra FOV or you merely want to use a world class lens then you will be very happy with 12mm f/2. Bravo Olympus. Now please make a 35-100mm f/2 for m43.
Pros:
Great 24mm equivalent focal length
By far the best build quality of any m43 lens yet
Optically outstanding
Fast silent autofocus
Best handling of any m43 lens yet
Beautiful to look at and hold
Cons
Quite a bit pricer than the Pani 14mm f/2.5 (It is actually reasonably priced if you compare it to Voigtlander, Zeiss, or even Nikon and it will get cheaper)
Bigger than Pani 14mm f/2.5 (Takes a Panasonic G3 out of the compact camera size into Mega Zoom camera size range)
There are no real cons of this lens as it is outstanding. However, for most people the Pani 14mm will be the smarter purchase (14mm + 20mm still cheaper than 12mm)
We'll start of with the greatness of this lens. This lens is the best constructed m4/3 yet. It is optically amazing and fast. The autofocus is ultra silent and quick (I only have Pani bodies). The feel of this lens is magnificent. When you pull back the ring to manual focus, it has hard stops and the focus speed is variable depending on how fast you turn the ring. While not up to the quality of Leica (what is?), this lens is a true gem. There are currently only 2 m43 lenses that go this wide (7-14 and 9-18) and they are bigger, heavier, and 2 stops slower. I am not sure why the m43 bunch is caught up on the 28mm length but this lens is a welcome step in the right direction.
So if this lens is so nice, then what is the dilemma? The answer to that would be the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5. The 14mm is not in the same league as the 12mm for build quality. However, it is much smaller and cheaper. (Not that the 12mm f/2 is that big in fact it is tiny for what it is, the 14mm f/2.5 is just tiny.) If you don't need the extra Field of View (FOV) of the 12mm then the 14mm is a very good alternative. I just got back from shooting at two automotive museums and the 14mm performed admirably. It was rare I needed a wider FOV. However, for tight location shooting this thing is an absolute gem and now offers a m43 shooter a real professional alternative to a Nikon or Canon equivalent. Now it would be possible to tote the D7000 w/ 70-200mm f/2.8 and a G3 w 12mm f/2. Much lighter than another Nikon DX body with 14-24 f/2.8 or FX body with 24mm f/1.4.
Overall, if you don't know why you would need this lens over the Pani 14mm f/2.5, then you don't. However, if you need the 9 deg extra FOV or you merely want to use a world class lens then you will be very happy with 12mm f/2. Bravo Olympus. Now please make a 35-100mm f/2 for m43.
Pros:
Great 24mm equivalent focal length
By far the best build quality of any m43 lens yet
Optically outstanding
Fast silent autofocus
Best handling of any m43 lens yet
Beautiful to look at and hold
Cons
Quite a bit pricer than the Pani 14mm f/2.5 (It is actually reasonably priced if you compare it to Voigtlander, Zeiss, or even Nikon and it will get cheaper)
Bigger than Pani 14mm f/2.5 (Takes a Panasonic G3 out of the compact camera size into Mega Zoom camera size range)
There are no real cons of this lens as it is outstanding. However, for most people the Pani 14mm will be the smarter purchase (14mm + 20mm still cheaper than 12mm)
42 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally, a fast wide angle lens is here for the Micro Four Thirds system. The other two lens that can shoot at 12mm are the Olympus 9-18mm and Panasonic 7-14mm, both start at f/4.
Build quality for this lens is excellent. It is full metal with a smooth finished surface. It weighs 130g, just slightly twice that of the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens. It's also twice as tall but still smaller than the kit zoom lens. As wide angle lens go, this is as small as it can get - the beauty of the Micro Four Thirds system.
The lens doesn't come with a lens hood which you have to pay (heavily) for.
There's a 46mm filter thread, similar to the Panasonic 14mm and 20mm. I have a 2-stop ND filter that I can re-use here. Nice.
Autofocus speed is snappy and operates silently.
The focusing ring is great. It can be pulled back to go into manual focus mode instantly, and push back to go back to auto-focus - no need for menus if you're using a touchscreen camera. When it's at the back, it reveals a distance indicator. This lens can focus from 0.2m to infinity. So you can either manual focus with the distance indicator (fast), or manual focus the focus-by-wire way (slow), I prefer the former.
The optical performance is remarkable. At wide open, it's sharp at centre and corner. It's sharpest at f/2.8 though, but the difference between this and f/2 is possibly visible only at 100 per cent view. Chromatic aberration and vignetting are not really noticeable. Distortion is controlled really well, even for faces near the edge of the photo.
I'm using this lens more for landscape (typically buildings) and street shooting. The f/2 is a huge advantage when shooting inside buildings (tight spaces) where lighting is low most of the time. f/2 can give you some depth of field but only when your subject is very close, in-your-face close. In typical usage, the depth of field is minimal.
Composition with this lens is challenging, but you can always crop, which will be most often the case if you don't get close enough. If you don't like shooting so close to people, you might want to use a lens closer to 35mm or the 50mm equivalent.
I find that a zoom at wide angle is more flexible, for me anyway, but sometimes the low light just hinders the chances at getting shots. I was once in a bar with the 7-14mm and I had to put the camera on the table to get non-hand-shaken shots at high ISO, at least now, I can get two stops of advantage with this 12mm lens and not shoot off a table, or tripod.
Yes this lens is pricey, but it's worth it. If you need the low light wide angle lens, you have that option now.
At a glance
+ Excellent build quality
+ Small, light & portable, relative to DSLR equivalent
+ Very good sharp image quality
+ f/2 aperture is great for low light shooting
+ Fast and silent focus
+ Focusing snap ring can be used to get into manual focus instantly
+ Accepts 46mm filters
+ Worldwide warranty
- No lens hood included
- No lens pouch included
- Pricey but worth it
Update 2 Jan 2012: I've put links to videos I shot with the lens in the comment section below.
Build quality for this lens is excellent. It is full metal with a smooth finished surface. It weighs 130g, just slightly twice that of the Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens. It's also twice as tall but still smaller than the kit zoom lens. As wide angle lens go, this is as small as it can get - the beauty of the Micro Four Thirds system.
The lens doesn't come with a lens hood which you have to pay (heavily) for.
There's a 46mm filter thread, similar to the Panasonic 14mm and 20mm. I have a 2-stop ND filter that I can re-use here. Nice.
Autofocus speed is snappy and operates silently.
The focusing ring is great. It can be pulled back to go into manual focus mode instantly, and push back to go back to auto-focus - no need for menus if you're using a touchscreen camera. When it's at the back, it reveals a distance indicator. This lens can focus from 0.2m to infinity. So you can either manual focus with the distance indicator (fast), or manual focus the focus-by-wire way (slow), I prefer the former.
The optical performance is remarkable. At wide open, it's sharp at centre and corner. It's sharpest at f/2.8 though, but the difference between this and f/2 is possibly visible only at 100 per cent view. Chromatic aberration and vignetting are not really noticeable. Distortion is controlled really well, even for faces near the edge of the photo.
I'm using this lens more for landscape (typically buildings) and street shooting. The f/2 is a huge advantage when shooting inside buildings (tight spaces) where lighting is low most of the time. f/2 can give you some depth of field but only when your subject is very close, in-your-face close. In typical usage, the depth of field is minimal.
Composition with this lens is challenging, but you can always crop, which will be most often the case if you don't get close enough. If you don't like shooting so close to people, you might want to use a lens closer to 35mm or the 50mm equivalent.
I find that a zoom at wide angle is more flexible, for me anyway, but sometimes the low light just hinders the chances at getting shots. I was once in a bar with the 7-14mm and I had to put the camera on the table to get non-hand-shaken shots at high ISO, at least now, I can get two stops of advantage with this 12mm lens and not shoot off a table, or tripod.
Yes this lens is pricey, but it's worth it. If you need the low light wide angle lens, you have that option now.
At a glance
+ Excellent build quality
+ Small, light & portable, relative to DSLR equivalent
+ Very good sharp image quality
+ f/2 aperture is great for low light shooting
+ Fast and silent focus
+ Focusing snap ring can be used to get into manual focus instantly
+ Accepts 46mm filters
+ Worldwide warranty
- No lens hood included
- No lens pouch included
- Pricey but worth it
Update 2 Jan 2012: I've put links to videos I shot with the lens in the comment section below.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
I am using this lens with a Panasonic GF-1 and it works great. Despite it being metal, it still is pretty light too. However, when I put it down on a flat surface it tips forward which can be problematic if you are setting up a timer shot. One thing to note on the GF-1 is that if you pull the manual focus ring on the lens, the camera will automatically switch to MF; but, when you turn the focus ring, it does not automatically zoom in for you like it does with other Panasonic lenses. If you go through the menu to switch to MF and keep the focus ring on the 'AF' setting, it will zoom in. Weird. Perhaps a firmware update will clear this up in the future?
The Panasonic 14mm f2.5 is similar in focal length and it is also a very good, cheap, and light lens. But the Olympus is excellent. The difference is in the materials, speed, and that small bit of focal length. For what you get, the price difference is appropriate. I took the 12mm on a trip and I think those 2mm can make a big difference in some situations. I never had to back up to get more in the shot. Also, if you got the kit lens with your camera, chances are you have the 14mm focal length covered, albeit at f3.5.
The other question is the difference between f2.5 and f2.0. This actually amounts to almost a full f-stop (one full f-stop is f2.0 - f2.8). That won't quite halve your shutter speed, but it certainly comes close. Just some informal tests showed my camera metering the Olympus at 1/100 and the Panasonic at 1/60 shutter speed.
Image quality is tough for me to judge. Both lenses produce great, sharp images without noticeable artifact. For more scientific looks at sharpness and chromatic aberration, take a look at dpreview.com.
Finally, how can you resist the silver lens? With all these black lenses everybody's making, the silver lens just looks cool. All-in-all its an awesome, quality lens that looks cool and puts out great images.
The Panasonic 14mm f2.5 is similar in focal length and it is also a very good, cheap, and light lens. But the Olympus is excellent. The difference is in the materials, speed, and that small bit of focal length. For what you get, the price difference is appropriate. I took the 12mm on a trip and I think those 2mm can make a big difference in some situations. I never had to back up to get more in the shot. Also, if you got the kit lens with your camera, chances are you have the 14mm focal length covered, albeit at f3.5.
The other question is the difference between f2.5 and f2.0. This actually amounts to almost a full f-stop (one full f-stop is f2.0 - f2.8). That won't quite halve your shutter speed, but it certainly comes close. Just some informal tests showed my camera metering the Olympus at 1/100 and the Panasonic at 1/60 shutter speed.
Image quality is tough for me to judge. Both lenses produce great, sharp images without noticeable artifact. For more scientific looks at sharpness and chromatic aberration, take a look at dpreview.com.
Finally, how can you resist the silver lens? With all these black lenses everybody's making, the silver lens just looks cool. All-in-all its an awesome, quality lens that looks cool and puts out great images.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little tiny 24mm f:2 equivalent lens!
I've got giant Canon and Hassie H series lenses (and boat anchor bodies) and this along with the OMD EM-5 is by far my favorite little shooter. Has been for nearly a year. Read more
Published 10 days ago by J. Felt
5.0 out of 5 stars
As advertised and expected!
All likes, no disappointments.
Sharpness, colour and focusing essentially instantaneous. Very, very good lens. An excellent choice for OMD-5. Thanks!
Sharpness, colour and focusing essentially instantaneous. Very, very good lens. An excellent choice for OMD-5. Thanks!
Published 14 days ago by Tony H.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Equivalent to a 24mm on 35mm film camera
Fast glass in a prime lens. One of the best wide angles for micro 4/3 cameras. Better images than most zooms can deliver at this size. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Calvin Lau
5.0 out of 5 stars
Took a while to realize how good it is
This lens is sharp, light, small and fast. Although it is only marginally sharper than the Olympus 12-35f2.8, it is significantly smaller. Read more
Published 3 months ago by NCHammer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great lens for OMD EM5
This is a great wide angle lens for the m4/3 system. It is very sharp and does very well in low light at f2.0. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jason A. Seale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best 12mm Prime for MFT's on the Market
Zuiko 12mm f2.0 A 24mm equivalent on MFT's. A great wide angle lens, lacking the sharpness and contrast of the 45mm 1.8. The 12mm 2.0 is an expensive lens at $799. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Marc W.
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice lens
Very sharp lens, incredibly useful focal length, small, light. Compared to the Panasonic 14mm 2.5 I've found it much better -- I really like the 2/3rds extra stop of light, makes... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rich Cameron
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK, not great (refurbished item)
I've just bought this lens, which was refurbished by Olympus service center.
The design is very nice, but sadly there is no black version. Read more
The design is very nice, but sadly there is no black version. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. Seroczynski
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful, fast, small, and well made lens
This lens is a gem of a wide angle. I just wish the lens hood had been included for the price. Still getting used to it but so far after about 200 shots, I love it and it's... Read more
Published 11 months ago by koloman moser
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really Beautiful Lens From Amazon , again !
I purchased this Lens from Amazon in March , and am really Impressed with this Lens ! The Build is Hard to Describe , as it is Really so Beautiful ! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Robert E. Keay
