Review on 📷 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ Lens: A Versatile Silver Lens for Micro Four Thirds Cameras by Rick Everett

When this lens was first released, it was criticized on review sites for its optical limitations. While that criticism was certainly warranted, I think it's important to balance those concerns with this lens's ease of use for the average user. Optics In personal use I find the optics of this lens acceptable. At 12mm the optics are not bad. From f/3.5 the lens is fairly sharp, sharpening only slightly once the aperture is reached. This lens cannot and should not be compared to the Oly 12mm Prime. In my personal opinion I find the Oly 14-42 sharper at 14mm than this lens at 12mm, which can be counted as a downside if desired, but the fact remains that the 14-42 just doesn't go to 12mm, so that's the comparison is somewhat controversial. At 50mm, this lens is sub-par at best. Personally, I only use the 50mm setting when I feel the need to capture a shot that I wouldn't otherwise be able to capture. This is the weakest point of the lens for me and makes the extended range of the lens almost useless. But in general I tend to shoot wider, so it doesn't bother me as much as others. And he's there when you need him. At the 43mm macro setting, the optics are actually quite decent. Showing off close-ups taken with this lens to friends and family has been admired for its incredible sharpness. While any decent photographer knows this is only because some people don't know any better, I think it's also important for a lens as it can produce high quality images to impress the casual viewer. Is it a shame your aperture starts at f6 in macro mode? Yes, BUT often macro shooting still stops at at least f6 if not f8 or even f11. And it doesn't really get sharper at f6, so it's nice that at this setting you get the best out of the lens at its maximum aperture. Other things are there, like chromatic aberration and distortion, and I think CA is high, but nothing you can't fix in a post. You may not need to fix things like this in post, but I think m43 lens production in general relies more on in-camera corrections and postfixes, so you often run into these issues on much more expensive models that are just very have few functions. this lens. For me, the distortion is acceptable. User friendliness. This is where the lens shines, bringing this 2.5-3 star lens into 4-star territory. First of all, the range. Where else can I get the range of this lens in the m43 selection (NOT including the 43 lens selection as I know the excellent 12-60 very well)? Nowhere. This lens is unparalleled in the focal length range. No one. This is very important for traveling photographers who are not interested in selling their prints or who take their work seriously. As a lens for travel photography, it is simply unparalleled. And it's not just about the range here. There are two other things that make this lens a must-have for enthusiasts and travel enthusiasts. Weather protection is one of them. You can get this lens and an E-M5 (or the new E-M1 or Panasonic GH3) and have a fully weatherproof travel/just about everything package. 80% of the time, unless you need a longer bird/animal telephoto lens, this lens will work for you. And if you put it on a weatherproof camera, you really don't have to worry. I just can't overestimate the benefit this thing brings. Second, the macro function. Not only does the lens seem to perform best at the 43mm macro setting (which is of course subject to debate, just my opinion based on my experience), but the fact that it has that setting in the first place sets it apart from any other lens the walking gear/lens category. Having such a feature in a lens with such a range is great and makes it a lens that truly is a 'complete package' for the average photographer. Therefore, the usability of this lens cannot be overstated. The build quality of my copy is good, if not necessarily fantastic. The zoom ring isn't the smoothest and feels a little "polished" when rotated, but I've read others claiming the same thing, so I think it's just the way it's set up that gets me does not bother. The fact that the lens doesn't have a clear "hard stop" at either end of the zoom range can be confusing, but once you get used to it, it's easy to tell where the zoom stops at either end. The movement of the zoom ring for the macro/power zoom modes (I didn't use the power zoom for this) works quite well and it's nice to just snap it onto the 43mm f6 macro lens quickly and easily , when you see a macro target. Lens size isn't really a problem. Despite being larger than the other lenses in the kit and not having a "fold" mode, it is in fact relatively small and extremely light. As for the price, I think it's high - $500. While this lens does *everything* with optical flaws, along with a rather slow aperture at the long end, I don't think it fully justifies the price. If it was 5.6 at the long end and the performance was a little better there, I'd feel a little better. I personally bought a used lens and am very happy with the price I paid ($260 with shipping). I think a new lens would be a lot cheaper at around $400 (or even $349) and it might end up at that price point eventually. My suggestion, however, is find a used one, since most people just read the reviews and get rid of the lens before they even have a chance to love it. In conclusion, I really don't hesitate to give 4 stars. Rating of this lens. If I could rate it in more detail I could get a 3.75 as the optics and aperture definitely hold it back. But again, the sheer ease of use cannot be overemphasized, and if I had to rate a lens on ease of use, I'd easily get a 5, if not a 6. While you're not expecting miracles from this lens, know what you're doing. If you buy it, and to be honest give it a try, I think you'll find that its pros outweigh its cons.