In summary
Only slightly longer and heavier than the first lens with the PRO designation (the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO), the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO covers a much wider zoom range and is, therefore, much more versatile.
As a travellers’ lens, the 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO is hard to beat and its constant f/4 maximum aperture works well for photographers who want a ‘go anywhere’ lens for general photography. It’s fast enough to be used for street shots in most light levels yes wide enough to provide nice bokeh at longer focal lengths. All told, it’s a really nice lens to use on an OM-D E-M1 camera (either generation).
If you only wanted one lens for your OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO would be the first cab off the rank.
Full review
Announced just before Photokina 2016, the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO lens covers a sought-after range of focal lengths spanning the equivalent of 24-200mm in 35mm format and has a constant f/4 maximum aperture. Developed to meet the needs of pro photographers, it features a metal body with dust- and splash-proof sealing at 12 locations and the latest Sync-IS-compatible stabilisation system.
Side view of the M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO lens without end caps and hood. (Source: Olympus.)
The optical design of this lens is complex and encompasses 17 elements in 11 groups. Among the exotic elements are five ED (Extra-low dispersion) lenses for minimising coloured fringing, three aspherical lenses plus an extra DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) element, one HR (high refractive index) lens and two Super HR (super-high refractive index) lenses. Together they address common aberrations while keeping the overall length of the lens relatively short.
The optical design of the M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO lens.(Source: Olympus.)
A cutaway view showing the positions of the various exotic elements and the location of the elements used for focusing and stabilisation. (Source: Olympus.)
1. DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens; 2. Aspherical lens; 3. ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens; 4. Super HR (High Refractive Index lens) lens; 5. HR (High Refractive Index) lens; 6. Image stabilising lens; 7. Focus driving lens.
New Z Coating Nano technology is used on this lens to suppress ghosting and flare by coating the lens surface with a layer of nanoscale-size particles filled with air. This coating has a similar refractive index to air, thereby reducing surface reflections.
The diagram above shows the effects of the new Z Coating Nano technology. (Source: Olympus.)
1. Air; 2. Nanoparticles; 3. Incident light; 4. Reflected light; 5. Vapor deposit film; 6. Lens.
The MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) autofocusing mechanism is driven by a micromotor that moves one of the internal elements to provide fast, smooth, quiet, and accurate autofocusing. The light focusing element contributes to the speed and precision of focusing, while also keeping the lens compact. The Manual Focus Clutch mechanism allows quick switching to manual focus by pulling the focusing ring back.
The lens includes an in-lens image stabilisation system that, alone, provides up to five stops of shutter speed compensation. On an Olympus camera with in-body 5-axis image stabilisation the lens stabilisation can synchronise with the body stabilisation to provide the equivalent of 6.5 shutter speed stops of shake correction.
The diagram above shows how the in-lens image stabilisation system works with the 5-axis stabilisation in Olympus camera bodies to provide up to 6.5 stops of shutter speed compensation. (Source: Olympus.)
The closest focusing distance for this lens is 15 cm from the front of the lens at the 12mm setting, which provides a magnification of 0.30x (equivalent to 0.60x in 35mm format). At 100mm, the closest focusing distance is 45 mm from the front of the lens, which gives a shooting magnification of 0.21x (0.42x in 35mm format).
The lens is supplied with the LH-76B lens hood, LC-72C front and LR-2 rear caps, the LSC-0914 lens case a printed instruction manual and a warranty card.
Who’s it For?
The focal length range covered by this 12-100mm lens is equivalent to 24-200mm on a 35mm camera, which is a great range for all kinds of wide-angle shots (landscape, cityscape, architectural) and covers the ‘ideal’ focal lengths of portraiture (80mm to 105mm) as well as providing modest telephoto coverage. This lens can be used for close-up work and its fast and quiet autofocusing system makes it eminently suitable for use when recording movies.
Its relatively light weight (516 grams) and powerful stabilisation will be welcomed by active photographers and travellers alike, particularly if they own Olympus cameras with in-body 5-axis stabilisation. Environmental sealing makes it useful for outdoor photographers with similarly-equipped cameras, particularly the OM-D E-M5 and E-M1 models.
Build and Ergonomics
Like other M.Zuiko PRO lenses, the ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO includes dustproof and splashproof sealing and is built to withstand temperatures down to around -10 °C. It boasts the same high-quality metal exterior design as the other lenses in the M.Zuiko PRO series and has the same Manual Focus Clutch mechanism for easy switching between auto and manual focusing; push the focusing rings forwards for autofocusing and pull it back to engage manual focus.
Moving to the manual focus position uncovers a distance scale, marked in metres and feet and ranging from 0.45 metres to infinity. Like the 25mm f/1.2 PRO lens the focusing ring rotates through 360 degrees in the AF position but turns through about 90 degrees in the MF position, with hard stops at each end of the range. Because autofocusing is electronically controlled in Olympus cameras, there’s not much tactile feedback in the MF mode.
The focusing ring begins about 10 mm back from the front of the outer barrel. It’s roughly 20 mm wide, with the front 13 mm finely ridged to provide a grip.
Immediately behind the focusing ring is a 33 mm wide zoom ring, which is linked to the inner barrel. The inner barrel extends by about 44 mm when the lens is zoomed in from the 12mm position to 100mm. The front of the lens doesn’t rotate during focusing and zooming.
The leading 27 mm of the zoom ring carries six narrow bands of fine ribbing for a secure grip. Immediately behind the last band is a metal ring on which the various focal length settings are stamped, covering 12mm, 18mm, 25mm, 35mm, 50,, 75mm and 100mm positions. These settings line up against a red line on the non-moving section of the outer barrel.
Around the left hand side of this section are two controls: a slider for switching the IS stabilisation on and off and a Lens-Function (L-Fn) button. The latter can be programmed via the camera to control a single function (focus peaking, AF stop, AE/AF lock, depth-of-field preview, one-touch WB, AF area select and Home, MF selection, RAW+JPEG/JPEG selection, Test Picture, exposure compensation, Live Guide, Digital Teleconverter, Keystone compensation, HDR, bracketing, ISO, WB, level display, EVF display modes and magnify), making it instantly available when the button is pressed.
The lens steps inwards to the solid metal mounting plate, which is chromed for durability. A line of 11 gold-plated contacts enables signals to pass between the camera and lens. The front of the lens is threaded to accept 72 mm filters.
The lens is supplied with a relatively shallow hood made from hard black plastic. It’s petal shaped and attaches to the bayonet mounting at the front of the lens with a very solid click. There’s a release button on the hood, which must be pressed when removing the hood, which reverses onto the lens for storage.
Performance
Most of our sample shots were captured with the lens on the pre-production OM-D E-M1 Mark II body we covered in our recent ‘First Look’ review. However, all Imatest tests were photographed with the lens on our OM-D E-M1 camera body.
We were really impressed by the quality of the shots we obtained with the E-M1 Mark II and the capabilities of the lens were confirmed by our Imatest testing, which showed the lens to be capable of exceeding expectations for the camera’s sensor at a number of focal length and aperture settings.
The highest resolution we obtained was with the 50mm focal length at f/5.6, although other aperture settings at this focal length and other focal length settings at between about half a stop and 1.5 stops down from maximum aperture also produced results that exceeded expectations. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.
Some edge softening was measured at all aperture settings but it reduced gradually toward f/11, where diffraction kicked in very rapidly. We wouldn’t recommend using this lens at apertures smaller than f/13.
Lateral chromatic aberration remained within the ‘negligible’ band for all but one of aperture settings and that was f/22 at 12mm, as shown in the graph of our test results below. The red line marks the boundary between ‘negligible’ and ‘low’ CA.
Because in-camera corrections are applied for both vignetting and rectilinear distortion, we had to use ORF.RAW files to see whether they were present. Vignetting was found with the f/4 maximum aperture at all focal lengths, particularly in the form of corner darkening. It was most noticeable at 12mm and barely visible from 50mm on.
Rectilinear distortion was typical of many zoom lenses with noticeable barrel distortion at the 12mm focal length and very little dist5ortion thereafter. Because both vignetting and distortion are easily corrected in-camera and when converting raw files into editable formats, we don’t see either as a serious issue.
The combined camera and lens stabilisation systems delivered impressive results. We were able to shoot with the camera hand-held at shutter speeds as slow as 1/5 second with the lens at the 100mm focal length and obtain a high percentage of sharp images.
Autofocusing was both fast and accurate, particularly in bright outdoor lighting, where the fast burst shooting speeds of the E-M1 Mark II enabled us to record some worthwhile action sequences. Even without using burst mode, autofocusing was quick enough to ‘grab’ action shots. The lens also handled backlit subjects very well.
Although not capable of true 1:1 macro reproduction, the minimum focusing distance of 15 cm at the 12mm focal length provides limited scope for shooting close-ups. However, with a close focusing limit of 45 cm at 100mm, you can capture close-ups that are quite impressive, although the actual magnification ratio is less.
The f/4 maximum aperture produces smooth and attractive bokeh at longer focal lengths. But it is too small to create smooth transitions between out-of-focus areas in backgrounds with close-up shots at the shortest focal lengths.
Conclusion
If you only wanted one lens for your OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO would be the first cab off the rank.
Only 32.5 mm longer and less than 180 grams heavier than the first lens with the PRO designation, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO, which we reviewed in October 2013, it covers a much wider zoom range and is, therefore, much more versatile.
As a travellers’ lens, the 12-100mm f/4.0 IS PRO is hard to beat and its constant f/4 maximum aperture works well for photographers who want a ‘go anywhere’ lens for general photography. It’s fast enough to be used for street shots in most light levels yes wide enough to provide nice bokeh at longer focal lengths. All told, it’s a really nice lens to use on an OM-D E-M1 camera (either generation).
Like the M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO lens, this lens has only just been released and discounting has still to get underway. Nonetheless, you can expect to save at least AU$100 by shopping around locally.
It might be tempting to purchase from off-shore re-sellers, but most have it listed at around AU$1700, which is similar to the prices being asked locally. Add in the cost of shipping and insurance and you’ll be paying close to the local RRP and you won’t have the benefits of local warranty support and consumer protection laws.
SPECS
Picture angle: 84-12 degrees
Minimum aperture: f/22
Lens construction: 17 elements in 11 groups (including 1 DSA lens, 3 Aspherical lenses, 5 ED lenses, 2 Super HR lenses and 1 HR lens element)
Lens mounts: Micro Four Thirds
Weatherproofing: Dustproof and splashproof construction
Diaphragm Blades: 7 (circular aperture)
Focus drive: High-speed imager AF (MSC) micromotor
Stabilisation: Voice Coil Motor IS; performance with Lens IS: 5 stops; 5-axis Sync IS: 6.5 stops
Minimum focus: 15 cm wide / 45 cm tele
Maximum magnification: 0.6x wide / 0.42x tele (35mm equivalent)
Filter size: 72 mm
Dimensions (Diameter x L): 77.5 x 116.5 mm
Weight: 561 grams
Standard Accessories: LH-76B Lens Hood, LC-72C Lens Cap, LR-2 Lens Rear Cap, LSC-0914 Lens Case
Distributor: Olympus Imaging Australia; 1300 659 678, www.olympus.com.au
TESTS
Based on JPEG files taken with the OM-D E-M1 camera:
SAMPLES
Vignetting at 12mm f/4.
Vignetting at 25mm f/4.
Vignetting at 50mm f/4.
Vignetting at 100mm f/4.
Rectilinear distortion at 12mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 25mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 50mm.
Rectilinear distortion at 100mm.
12mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/80 second at f/11.
100mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/200 second at f/10.
Close-up at 12mm focal length, ISO 500, 1/80 second at f/4.
Close-up at 100mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/100 second at f/4.
Close-up at 12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/80 second at f/4.5.
Close-up at 100mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/4.5.
Strong backlighting; 100mm focal length, ISO 64, 1/640 second at f/8.
20mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/60 second at f/9.
Crop from the above image magnified to 100%:
Stabilisation test;100mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/5 second at f/9.
Stabilisation test;12mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/4 second at f/9.
12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/200 second at f/7.1.
12mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/400 second at f/10.
100mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/1250 second at f/10.
100mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/800 second at f/8.
66mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/5 second at f/7.1.
50mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/10 second at f/8.
100mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/10 second at f/6.3.
21mm focal length, ISO 1000, 1/60 second at f/5.
61mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/125 second at f/8.
12mm focal length, ISO 640, 1/60 second at f/4.5.
28mm focal length, ISO 400, 1/60 second at f/5.
Additional image samples can be found with our ‘First Look’ at the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera.
Rating
RRP: AU$1799; US$1300
- Build: 9.0
- Handling: 9.0
- Image quality: 8.9
- Versatility: 9.0