Review on 📷 Olympus M ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 Micro Four Thirds Lens - International Version (No Warranty) for Olympus & Panasonic MFT Digital Camera by Manni Diaz

As of July 2015, there are only 3 ultra wide angle zoom options for Micro Four Thirds: this lens (Olympus 9-18mm), Panasonic 7-14mm F4 and Olympus 7 -14mm F2.8. I chose 9-18 mm. It's small, light, sharp enough and supports filters. It was this lens that drew me to the Micro Four Thirds format. The Panasonic 7-14mm is said to be sharper, especially in the corners, than the 9-18mm. It's also much bigger, heavier and slightly more expensive. In addition, filters are not suitable for 7-14 mm. And there are numerous reports of purple flashes on the bodies of Olympus. I had a lens that was prone to magenta flare; It's a pain and almost impossible to delete in the mail. The Olympus 7-14mm received rave reviews - it's sharper, faster and has higher contrast than the Panasonic. But it weighs over 1 pound and costs significantly more than the Panasonic. I knew I wouldn't like lugging a lens of this size and weight around town. While I really wanted the wider 7mm field of view, I decided to try the Olympus 9-18mm before settling on the larger, heavier option. . I'm glad I did. The 9-18mm is a wonderful flexible lens. On my copy of 9-18mm, the center is pretty sharp. The corners are a bit softer than we'd like, although they do get a bit sharper between f5.6 and f8. The corners never approach the sharpness of the center, but the softness is rarely perceptible when viewed normally; only at 100% magnification. For me, the miniature size and light weight of this lens outweigh the lack of slightly rounded corners. This lens is always in my bag; something I don't think I would say if I were going for any of the 7-14mm options. I leave. Build quality is good - mainly polycarbonate. It's not a build that exudes quality like Pentax Limited or Leica lenses, but it's comfortable enough to use and doesn't feel cheap. I personally prefer polycarbonate designs as they reduce weight and cost. About the lens lock. Some people find this "feature" annoying. Although a breechless design would have been preferable, I think it's a good compromise to achieve a compact design. Once you get used to the lock, the irritation will go away.