four-thirds

Olympus' new street-shooter-friendly prime lens

Olympus continues its trend of releasing fast, Micro Four Thirds-mount (MFT) prime lenses with the 17mm f1.8 (34mm equivalent). Incorporating the same design as the 12mm f2 -- metallic finish and a pull-down ring for distance-based focusing -- the lens sounds like a solid addition for street-shooting MFT photographers.

Mount Micro Four Thirds Focal range 17mm Aperture range f1.8 - f22 Aperture blades 7 Minimum focus distance 9.8 Angle of view 65 degrees Elements 9: 3 aspherical, 1 high-refractive index Filter diameter 46mm Minimum length 1.4 inches Maximum length 1.4 inches Weight 4.2 (est) … Read more

Schneider widens range with SLRs, Micro Four Thirds lenses

COLOGNE, Germany -- Every 99 years or so, a company has to shake things up a little bit.

Thus it is that Schneider Kreuznach, a high-end lens brand founded in 1913 that's been focused on cinema, medium-format, and large-format markets, unveiled four lenses for more ordinary 35mm SLRs, three for Micro Four Thirds cameras, and even a polarizing filter for iPhones. The lensmaker, part of the Jos. Schneider Optische Werke, unveiled the lenses at the Photokina show here.

Its earlier lenses for conventional SLRs were the company's relatively exotic Super Angulon line, tilt-shift models that can enable perspective … Read more

Olympus primes its Micro Four Thirds lens selection

Cameras are nice, but to me, lenses are where the rubber meets the road, and Olympus has been turning out some very nice Micro Four Thirds lenses these days. At Photokina, the company is showing off a new moderately priced 60mm f2.8 macro, odd 15mm f8 body-cap lens, a black limited edition version of its 12mm f2, and announced development of a new 17mm f1.8

Optimized to be used in conjunction with the OM-D E-M5, the 60mm macro is weather-resistant to match that camera. It's relatively large -- 13 elements -- and Olympus makes use of all … Read more

Olympus reveals fast telephoto prime lens

There's not a lot to say here, except that this lens, with its effective focal length of 150mm on the Micro Four Thirds system and a fast aperture of f1.8, sounds like a great addition to the pool of MFT lenses.

Olympus doesn't currently have any fast telephotos in its MFT lineup -- just some really clunky, slow zooms, and Panasonic's best equivalent only goes as low as f2.8 (for about the same $899.99 price). Olympus' 45mm f1.8 is one of my favorite MFT lenses, and this looks pretty similar. I can't wait to give it a shot, so to speak.… Read more

Panasonic sees wide angle with new X series lens (hands-on)

With the announcement of a new 12-35mm f2.8 lens in its X series of Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses, I am now officially confused by Panasonic's lens marketing. The X series lenses do seem to have a slightly better build quality and design than the plain old Lumix G models, composed of more metal and less plastic, but all the usual markers that manufacturers use to differentiate between classes of lenses -- coatings, wide apertures, features -- are absent.

When Panasonic first announced the X series, I had though that X would be defined by the power zoom or video-optimized quieter stepping motor (designated by an HD), but there are non-X HD lenses (like the veteran 14-140 f4-5.8), and the new 12-35mm lacks power zoom. There are non-X lenses with Panasonic's Nano Surface Coating plus low-dispersion (UED) and high refraction (UHR) lenses, like its Leica-produced DG Summilux 25mm f1.4. And Panasonic doesn't have enough lenses in its lineup to use price as a discriminator. … Read more

Olympus' best shot yet: First days with the OM-D

Olympus invited a handful of reviewers out to Whistler, Canada, to pick up our evaluation units of the OM-D E-M5 and get some shooting in at the Olympus-sponsored Telus World Ski and Snowboard festival. (CNET paid my way.) I previewed the E-M5 when it was first announced, and for the most part thus far the camera lives up to -- and down to -- my expectations.… Read more

Olympus brings OM series into the 21st century (hands-on)

Much as it did when launching the PEN series of Micro Four Thirds cameras, Olympus trots out another beloved film brand and updates it for the digital age. This time out, though, Olympus frames enthusiasts squarely in the scene.

When Olympus revived the venerable PEN brand with the PEN E-P1 in 2009, I suspect its product planners were a bit taken aback by how well it was received by prosumer photographers and slightly dismayed by its failure to become a blockbuster among the coveted point-and-shoot crowd.

This time around, Olympus' reincarnation of its OM film line targets those enthusiasts who've proven to be either Olympus loyalists or fans of the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) interchangeable-lens standard. And while I'm not fond of the nomenclature--the first model is the overhyphenated OM-D E-M5--Olympus certainly deserves points for style. … Read more

Tamron, Kenko Tokina boost Micro Four Thirds lens alliance

Tamron and Kenko Tokina, two third-party lens manufacturers, have thrown their weight behind the Micro Four Thirds alliance, helping Olympus and Panasonic during a major shift in the camera industry.

Olympus and Panasonic were the early entrants to a new class of interchangeable-lens cameras much more compact than traditional SLRs. They're both members of the Micro Four Thirds partnership that governs image sensors and lenses, meaning that Micro Four Thirds lenses can be used on either company's camera bodies.

The new membership, like that of third-party lensmaker Sigma before, means photographers can expect more variety for Micro Four … Read more

Olympus going even more retro with OM-D camera

Olympus looks set to debut a new compact, high-end camera model whose OM-D name capitalizes on the company's old camera brand.

Olympus teased about an "OMG" camera in recent ads, emphasizing the O and M letters, 43 Rumors reported. And it more recently trademarked OM-D, the site said, adding a February 8 launch, a $1,100 price tag, and a March date for worldwide shipping.

In the film days, Olympus' OM line was one of the majors in the SLR (single-lens reflex) world--indeed, I learned photography with my first camera, an OM-10 I used for many years. … Read more