In Summary
The M. Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens has produced the best set of test results of any lens we have tested in the last decade. Couple that with superior build quality, compact size and ease of use with the E-M5 (and other) camera bodies and it’s difficult not to be impressed.
Although comparatively expensive, this lens is a sophisticated product that provides both speed and versatility for serious photographers who use M4/3 cameras. Equally suited to those who shoot stills and video enthusiasts, it will also perform well for anyone who records a mixture of both.
For portraiture, it provides a working distance of around one metre when you want face shots or about two metres for portraits from the waist up. The f/1.8 aperture setting is ideal for blurring distracting backgrounds, while stopping down to f/2.8 allows the subject’s ears to appear acceptably sharp.
Currently, there are no other prime lenses with this focal length/maximum aperture combination for the Micro Four Thirds system. Although the 75mm focal length is available with a number of zoom lenses, the maximum aperture is around f/5, which reduces the ability to blur backgrounds. Lenses built for larger sensors may be fitted to M4/3 cameras via adapters ““ but with a reduction in maximum aperture.
Buy this lens if:
– You’re looking for a fast, medium-tele prime lens for a Micro Four Thirds system camera.
– You require high resolution at all focal lengths, along with good flatness of field.
– You’d like a lens that requires no readjustment when you fit polarisers and graduated filters.
Don’t buy this lens if:
– You need macro capabilities.
Full review
Announced towards the end of May, the Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens is now widely available. Offering a focal length roughly equivalent to a 150mm f/3.5 lens in 35mm film format (thanks to the 1.999x crop factor of 4/3 format sensors), this lens claims to be one of the highest performance digital lenses Olympus has ever produced. It’s also very compact for its focal length and well matched to the OM-D E-M5 body that was provided for us to use for this review.
The Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens. (Source: Olympus.)
Although Olympus has promoted this lens as a portrait lens, it’s actually more versatile and has a long enough reach to be used for shooting stage productions and indoor sporting events. Creative close-ups aren’t out of the question either, thanks to the excellent bokeh at wider aperture settings and the ability to focus to within 84 cm of subjects.
The optical design of this lens is quite complex, with ten elements arranged in nine groups. Three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HR (High Refractive Index) elements are included to minimise common aberrations and proprietary ZERO (ZUIKO Extra-low Reflection Optical) coatings have been applied to cut internal reflectance to half of that found with conventional lens coatings.
Olympus’s MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) autofocusing mechanism drives focusing by moving internal elements, which means the filter thread doesn’t rotate, allowing angle-critical attachments to be used without re-adjustment. A nine-bladed iris diaphragm closes to a circular aperture for attractive bokeh.
The lens is supplied with front and end caps but no lens hood is provided. We consider this a serious oversight for a lens of this calibre ““ and with such a high price tag.
The optional LH-61F lens hood sells for around AU$80 and has been developed specifically for this lens. It’s a rather clunky, old-fashioned design that clamps in place with a thumb screw. An optional LC-61 lens cap (around AU$30) can be fitted over the lens hood when it’s in place.
Build and Ergonomics
In line with its premium pricing, the 75mm f/1.8 lens has a smart-looking and compact metal body with ‘Made in Japan’ engraved on its under-side. It’s only available with a silver finish, which looks great with the silver version of the E-M5 but isn’t such a good match with the black E-M5 body.
A solid chromed mounting plate bonds the lens tightly to the camera. Eleven gold-plated electronic connections inside the lens mount provide connections to OM-D and PEN cameras. This lens will also work with Panasonic’s Lumix G Micro series camera bodies.
Only one control surface is available: the focusing ring, which is approximately 30 mm wide and situated 19 mm behind the front of the lens barrel. No distance scale is provided. An 18 mm wide grip ring with fine ridges ““ made from the same metal as the lens barrel ““ is located around the middle of this ring.
The focusing ring turns through more than 360 degrees in either direction. There are no stops to indicate when you have gone too far. Fortunately, the mechanism is geared so focusing speed matches the speed at which the ring is rotated. Turn the ring slowly for fine adjustments or rapidly to move quickly between near and distant subjects.
The review lens felt very well balanced on the E-M5 body but may be slightly front-heavy on smaller PEN cameras. Autofocusing was fast and almost silent, which is advantageous for recording movies. Built-in stabilisation isn’t necessary as it’s provided in Olympus’s PEN and E-M5 camera bodies.
Performance
We rarely indulge in superlatives when reviewing any product. However it’s difficult not to be excited by the results of our Imatest tests, which showed this lens to be capable of matching expectations for the OM-D E-M5’s 16-megapixel sensor right up to the f/16 aperture setting.
Imatest showed the maximum sharpness to be between f/2.5 and f/5, with a gradual tailing off to f/11, where diffraction kicked in. Some edge softening was measured at wider apertures but by f/3.5 the differences between centre and edge resolution were small enough to be negligible. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.
Lateral chromatic aberration remained within the ‘negligible’ zone for all aperture settings, as shown in the graph below. (The red line marks the boundary between ‘negligible’ and ‘low’ CA.) We also found no signs of longitudinal chromatic aberration, which can often appear with fast prime lenses.
We found very slight corner darkening at the f/1.8 aperture setting but it was gone by f/2.2. There was no apparent distortion in the test shots we took and the shots confirmed the lens’s excellent flatness of field.
It was possible to force the lens to flare when a very bright light source was inside (or just out of) the frame. However, normal backlighting was handled very well with minimal loss of contrast and colour saturation.
Although this lens isn’t designed for shooting close-ups, it can be used for larger subjects, provided you can work with the minimum focusing distance of 84 cm, which provides a 1/10th life size magnification. Bokeh was smooth in the shots we took, examples of which are reproduced below.
Conclusion
The M. Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens has produced the best set of test results of any lens we have tested in the last decade. Couple that with superior build quality, compact size and ease of use with the E-M5 (and other) camera bodies and it’s difficult not to be impressed.
Although comparatively expensive, this lens is a sophisticated product that provides both speed and versatility for serious photographers who use M4/3 cameras. Equally suited to those who shoot stills and video enthusiasts, it will also perform well for anyone who records a mixture of both.
For portraiture, it provides a working distance of around one metre when you want face shots or about two metres for portraits from the waist up. The f/1.8 aperture setting is ideal for blurring distracting backgrounds, while stopping down to f/2.8 allows the subject’s ears to appear acceptably sharp.
Currently, there are no other prime lenses with this focal length/maximum aperture combination for the Micro Four Thirds system. Although the 75mm focal length is available with a number of zoom lenses, the maximum aperture is around f/5, which reduces the ability to blur backgrounds. Lenses built for larger sensors may be fitted to M4/3 cameras via adapters ““ but with a reduction in maximum aperture.
Buy this lens if:
– You’re looking for a fast, medium-tele prime lens for a Micro Four Thirds system camera.
– You require high resolution at all focal lengths, along with good flatness of field.
– You’d like a lens that requires no readjustment when you fit polarisers and graduated filters.
Don’t buy this lens if:
– You need macro capabilities.
SPECS
Picture angle: 16 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 10 elements in 9 groups, including 3 ED elements and 2 HR elements
Lens mounts: Micro Four-Thirds
Diaphragm Blades: 9 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) High-speed Imager AF
Stabilisation: No
Minimum focus: 84 cm
Maximum magnification: 0.1x (35mm equivalent: 0.2x)
Filter size: 58 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 64 x 69 mm
Weight: 305 grams
RRP: AU$999; US$899
Distributor: Olympus Imaging Australia; 1300 659 678, www.olympus.com.au
TESTS
(based on JPEG files from the Olympus OM-D E-M5)
SAMPLES
Vignetting at f/1.8.
Rectilinear distortion.
Close-up: ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f/1.8.
Crop from the above image enlarged to 100% to show sharpness, bokeh and absence of coloured fringing.
Portrait at f/1.8; 1320 second at ISO 200.
Flare; ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f/5.
ISO 200, 1/3200 second at f/1.8.
ISO 200, 1/250 second at f/8.
ISO 200, 1/4000 second at f/2.5.
ISO 200, 1/1600 second at f/5.
Rating
RRP: AU$999; US$899
- Build: 9.3
- Handling: 9.0
- Image quality: 9.0
- Versatility: 8.5
