Oly Lens Question by Email

[Andy]

I appreciate your response and I would like your input on the new Zuiko 18-180 3.5-6.3 for about $440.00 (#261054) Looking forward to hearing from you re this lens and anything else that you think might be of interest. (I'm about one step above a full-fledged amateur.)


:ear

[marlof]

It's not easy to say something about the 18-180, since it's very new and hard to get by in some areas. The specs (which -including the internal build- looks remarkable like the Sigma 18-200) indicate it might be a dual headed beast:

the plus
- 36-360 FOV will give you a nice reach
- it's not too heavy and large
- it would make it a nice walkaround lens (when you only want to pack a body and one lens)

the minus
- it's only 36 FOV, which would mean I'd have to bring an extra lens for wide angles.
- it's not a very fast lens, meaning that at full tele the largest aperture you can use is 6.3. So this would mean you'd need enough light to get a fast shutter speed.

As for images: according to the photographer, about 95% of the images in his gallery on Tenerife (http://www.fotobram.nl/gallery2/v/tenerife/) was shot with the 18-180.

As a holiday, or walkaround the town lens, I think the 18-180 might be nice enough. As a one-size-fits-all, I don't think I'd go that way. I'd suppose even the 14-45 and 40-150 dual kit lenses might be a better solution. Or, if you mainly shoot wide, even the 14-54 and the 40-150. Or, if you mainly shoot tele, even the 14-45 and the 50-200. Or, if you like good lenses for a decent price, the 14-54 and the 50-200. It's up to you, and what you should do depends on your needs, your budget, and your vision for the future.

Edit: and for E-system specific questions, also keep an eye on a thread on the Olympus SLR forum (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022) at DPReview where someone (Mr. Anonymous by e-mail???) posted the same question (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1022&message=17284964).

[swintonphoto]

I have never used the new lens. It seems like a wonderful tool because of the huge zoom range. However, if you should get it depends on a lot of things. If you are looking for a first lens with your Oly SLR then it could be a great option, though more expensive than the two lens kit upgrade on the E-500. However, if you don't mind changing lenses, the two lens combination of the 14-15 and the 40-150 will allow you to work in a bit less light for about the same amount of money. If you have a kit lens like the 14-45 or 14-54, then this lens may not be the best option, but one of thier telezoom lenses might be a good option. The 40-150 runs for $250, and the 50-200 runs for $1000.
The convenience and size of the 18-180 is very tempting and the price is also excellent. So, I would suggest deciding what niche the lens will fill in your lens lineup, and decide from there.

[Bob&Glennie]

Based on my experience with my E500 I'd say that you're best to go with the 14-45 and the 40-150 kit lenses. I'll admit that the 18-180 has pretty good reach (36-360 equv.) but, as one other forum member said, "if you don't mind changing lenses, the two lens combination of the 14-45 and the 40-150 will allow you to work in a bit less light for about the same amount of money."

If you must have longer reach than the 40-150 I highly recommend the Sigma 55-200 f4-5.6. This is a lovely piece of glass. Made with the Oly E mount, it has very fast auto focus response plus manual focus at the flip of a switch on the lens barrel. I use this lens quite a bit and although I have no way to test it's optical quality other than to compare images taken with it to the Zuiko 40-150, I'd have to say that it is equal in every way.

I must confess that I'm a little disapointed with the 14-45 kit lens. It seems to exibit visible chromatic abberation at the short end. It's nothing that I can't fix on the computer but I'd rather not have to.

Happy shooting
Bob