I know some of you will ask - How about the M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 IS PRO lens? How does it compare to the M.Zuiko 12-40mm PRO? The answer is here 11:30 Also, my video on the M.Zuiko 12-100mm is here: ruclips.net/video/A7wPSN1x3kY/видео.html
I shoot commercial property, weddings, events, portraits, and high volume sports with the 12-40pro. I came from Canon and shot all L glass. This lens is among the best zooms I’ve ever used in any system. It’s a work horse! This is the one lens I can’t go without!!!! Oh and I also my tripod over while shooting a waterfall. My em1mkii and 12-40 were completely submerged in 3’ of water for 30sec. Nothing happened. Amazing
How to define a perfect zoom lens? 1. Has constant aperture, regardless of focal lenght. 2. Keeps focus while zooming. 3.Covers wide to short-tele range (eg.12-40 / 24-80 when calculated to FF). 4. Can be used for wide shots without distortion, to portraits with bokeh, and even macros. 5. No aberrations. M. Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 is all above and its weather sealed on top of it. I own it for 5 years now, and its the best all-round use lens I ever had, so much i sometimes dont feel the need for prime lenses.
After watching so many of your videos I finally sold my last Fujifilm camera to MPB and bought this lens and the OM-D EM1. It is my first Olympus since the OM20 film camera I still have 😊. Thank you for all the great videos
I use this lens at my work and am very impressed by its optical quality. For private use, however, I prefer smaller lenses. There are lots of photographers who sell their 12-40 mm f2.8 Pro lens, because of the availability of the excellent Olympus 12-100 mm f4.0 Pro lens, so the 12-40 mm lens can be picked up for very reasonable prices second-hand.
Thanks Robin. 3 years down the road, this is still a great video. I can get this model as a used lens for a good price and, based on your video, I can't go wrong. Thanks., Peter.
Brilliant description of the advantage of a breakable lens mount. Everyone must be familiar with the crumple zones designed into car bodies to absorb collision impact by now. This makes your explanation easily acceptable.
Michael Matthews sadly in Australia the repair cost may not be so cheap, I dropped my 40-150 pro lense while it was on an OMD mk2 body and the mount repair was 80% of the cost of the lens, well over AUD$1000. To be fair to Olympus the offered me a discounted replacement... still...
As long as I have 1 or 2 MFT bodies, I will own this lens. It can shoot pro-quality and is perfect for portraiture, events, close range sports, and especially video. The clutch focus is awesome. Olympus lenses rock, and this is my favorite MFT lens hands down.
I love this lens. I purchased it on the first day it was out. Two years ago I fumbled with seating my camera back on the tripod mount. The camera and this lens fell 3' to the asphalt. It got scared a little bit. It still functions perfectly! No issues. The only change was that the 12-40 marks on the outside seem to be shifted just a little. Excellent lens. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Could not agree more, being using this lens with my EM5 M2. It is my only lens for sunrise, sunset, street and event. Is my trusted partner that I know it will deliver every click!
Glad that you clarified that you are human Robin. This lens came as the kit with my EM5II. I took this combo to Europe for 3 weeks and go some great images. If I need a longer reach I use the 14-150. For light option I take a couple of primes. This covers all bases.
I have been watching your videos for a while, even though I shoot Canon. But I have been thinking about M4/3 and this video told me a lot of things I didn't know about the 12-40, a lens that I could use for a lot of different types of shooting. It is a very strange time to be buying into the Olympus system but the more I watch, the closer I get to making a big decision. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with the photographic community around the world.
On the basis of your comments about this lens, I have one arriving tomorrow. Grateful for your videos, they are among the best on RUclips. The depth and breadth of your knowledge of photography and Olympus gear is incredible! Thank you again, Robin.
Agree, definitely my favourite lens. I use it all the time except when I shoot macro photos. The ideal working horse, whether it concerns landscapes, close ups, portraits, you name it. It handles everything you throw at it effortlessly. Especially the AF is very impressive.
Having started out in MFT with an E-M10ii double zoom kit and the 14-42 EZ/40-150 R I wanted to try one of these. I watched for a good deal on eBay and finally got one for an excellent price on an E-M5ii body. It is an amazing "standard zoom" and the best lens I've ever owned. I use for general photography and video. Having finally moved up to the E-M1 iii I now see even more quality coming from this star lens.
Nice review! Makes sense on the lens mount. I did not know this lens was so good on close focus. Replaces the 12/17/25/45 set of primes which I rarely shoot at f1.8 - like to have nose AND ears in focus. 😉
Yes. I have, and love, the 25mm f1.8, the 45mm and the 70mm. I still love them, but since I got the 12-40mm, it is hardly ever off my camera. I make 11x14 prints, and I don't see any difference in resolution, and f2.8 is plenty fast enough for the work I do. (I'm really not interested in paper-thin depth of field.). I still use the primes if for some reason I really want a smaller, lighter package, but the 12-40 is my main lens now. I do often want something longer, but he 12-100 is just too big. I can carry the old 40-150 in my pocket and while it's not as amazing as the newer lenses, it does just fine.
I am currently waiting for my third used copy and hopefully the first fully working one of this lens. First one was from a brick and mortar store, but had mould and moisture inside, which was not visible in the dodgy store lighting, the second one was wildly decentred rendering it unusably soft. I have a 45mm 1.8 for portraits, but having one lens that dies everything from landscapes, to portraits and product shots, in a small and lightweight, weather sealed package sounds like a good dealt to me.
I dropped my original E-M1 with 12-40 PRO from a roof in Thailand and maybe more than 10 metres height. The lens mount was broken, but the camera was working perfectly. The lens mount was repaired in the Czech service center and is still rocking 4 years later.
Robin the interesting part is that my only other lens was 17mm f/1.8 and for more than a month of travel I was forced to work with this lens. I was so mad, that I lost my lovely zoom. but the truth is that this gave me creativity boost and forced me to think and walk more, not to be just a lazy photographer.
This 12-40 f/2.8 is awesome.... my mistake was getting the 12-100 f/4 pro lens too. Hard to take either off the body for the other, or for any other for that matter. Should give up one, but that is liking having twins and giving up one of them....
I'd take the F2.8 for the better depth of field control and shooting in low light. But if those are not important to you then 12-100mm is a better choice.
This has been my main lens for 2020. So far i've been loving it, the image quality is even better than my primes, and it's super reliable. I've been doing events, weddings, some reportage, commercial pics, and the images I took have always been outstanding (both on my M10.2 and M1.2).
Enjoy using my 12-40mm lens. Purchased it new last year just before the release of the 12-100mm. Did the same with purchasing a new EM5 Mark II just before the release of the Mark III. i have a habit of doing that. Maybe it’s just bad timing on my part but not looking back. Very happy with both. Also purchased the 40-150mm so understand your advice on not needing the 12-100mm. Your videos are great . Thanks for taking the time to make these.
Thank you for another great video Robin. I had the 12-40 pro with the E-M1 for 2 years and it was a great lens. It was so good that I had to switch back to Olympus from Fujifilm because I couldn't find a comparable lens on that system. The Fuji 16-55 was way too heavy, 16-80 from the reviews was not great and the 18-135 I had was really bad. I now have a Pana Leica 12-60 f2.8-4 which I also find, is a bit disappointing. I was actually looking to replace the Pana Leica with either the 12-100 or the 12-40. You have made it easy for me to decide now. I do have the fantastic 40-150 pro, so getting the 12-40 pro would be more ideal for me. Thank you Robin!
Yeap, you got the hard truth there, Olympus may not be able to beat others when it comes to camera bodies (smaller image sensor and all) but when it comes to lenses, Olympus is second to none! Difficult to turn back once we have experienced shooting with the Olympus lenses.
@@robinwong You are so right Robin! I learnt the hard way, financially (sold Olympus, got Lumix body, sold Lumix plus Olympus lenses for Fujifilm system, sold the Fujifilm system for Olympus.) Now I am finally happy! :)
Wing Tam I agree. Been shooting Fuji for several years. They have done little over those years for photographers. Everything has been for video shooters. Tried the em1 and found I preferred it over the Fuji xt2. Olympus lenses are outstanding and their camera have better use and features for photographers.
I love it ! This is my first and unique pro lens for now. Fortunately (or not), I bought prime lenses before 😁. I totally agree with you about the ability of this zoom to make us lazy because the final result is so close 😳. To be honest, I have to force myself to switch for my primes for three conditions : 1 - low light (as you said) 2 - add constraints to improve my skills 3 - have a coherent photography series at the same focal length (because I can not control myself when I have a zoom in hand 😅). Thanks again for your vidéos 😉
Great video Robin! Coming from a Pentax K3-II, I just ordered a M1 Mark III with the 12-40 (mostly travel/street photography). Can't wait for my new system to arrive :-)
I couldn't agree more with Robin's assessment. I switched to M43 six months ago starting with the 12-40 Pro on an ex-demo EM-5 II. I intended to quickly buy prime lenses but after a few weeks with this lens, I've not bothered to get any more glass. Loving this lens.
My first pro lens purchase and has been my go to since 2016. Currently on my OMD 1.3 MY PEN-F Has the 17mm 1.8 for indoor low light shooting. I also have the 40-150 pro, and 1.4 tele. The 12-40 pro accounts for 80% or more of shooting. I have several other lenses and none are used nearly as often. Thanks again for your work.
Great video Robin. I’ve had the 12-40mm Pro for some years now and it covers 80% of my photo opportunities. It is a great travel lens and has been to four different countries with me. Sharp, with great colours, sensational focussing speed; it is rarely off my omd em-1. When paired with my excellent 40-150 Pro, you have just about all bases covered and a simple choice for focal length coverage .....all at a constant f2.8 aperture. Keep up the great videos. Regards Tony from Australia
Been using this lens for my food photography. Versatile enough to take close up of foods and restaurant environment without changing lens. I like to shoot my food close up at F8 at ISO 200 with natural light, take a steady hand to get a really sharp photo at that aperture.
Great video Robin. I own the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens since I bought my EM1. It is may favorite GOTO lens as it is crazy sharp and versatile. I use this lens most for ma landscape shooting. It just such a fine piece of kit.
I went out on a late evening photowalk in Warsaw with my Panasonic 12-35/2.8 this summer, and accidentally enabled the image stabilization of the lens. As a result, the camera totally disable image stabilization, and image after image came out as total crap until I finally figured out what was wrong, and by then it was almost totally dark. I cursed and cursed, and last week I went out and bought myself the 12-40/2.8. 😄
Bought this lens as second hand, it never leaves my camera, pairing this with Em1 mkii... they are both tank, they can hold any condition you throw at them, well said to that match up.
Thanks Robin for the great info. Have the lens and really like it. Didn't know about the lens mount, clever engineering, and good to know if it were ever to happen.
Thank you so much for your informative videos Robin. I have this very lens and as you do, I use it all the time and rarely take it off my camera, it’s just a perfect workhorse of a lens. I am a huge Olympus fan and use the Olympus OM-D-E M5 Mark III and I love my camera. I was struggling to get the most of my feature packed camera until I stumbled accords your channel and can honestly say that your advice has changed the way I use the Mark III. I learn something new in all your videos and look forward to your uploads to thank you from a U.K. based subscriber 🙏🏻
Ordered this lens base on the reviews and yours was a big factor. Very detailed review. Thanks for showing your beautiful photo examples. This will be my first pro lens. Fell in love with the em1 and the 30mm macro and 14-150 lens. I prefer using it over my Fuji xt2. Image quality has been superb.
Great video. I have been using the 12-40/f2.8 since it was first released. It is a great lens. My main lens combo is the 12-40/f2.8 and the 40-150/f2.8.
The only pro lens I could afford. I have (or had) many of the amateur lenses to compare with, and although I wouldn't fault any other Olympus lens as they are all above expectations given their price range (except the 17/2.8 which is a lemon and the 17/1.8 which is IMO too soft), there's a clear quality step when entering the pro realm. The 12-40 is buttery smooth, solid, fast, sharp and very importantly highly predictable. Even shooting straight at the sun, the image will remain sharp and contrasted.
I have both 12-40 and 12-100 PRO. During day time 12-100 is stuck in my camera. I only use 12-40 for the 1 stop advantage for indoor and night photos. I wanted to sell 12-40 a couple of times but I always decide to hold it.
Superb images in this blog…video. ;) I’m mainly a prime shooter but I’m extremely torn between the 12-40 f2.8 and 12-45 f4. The smaller f4 lens will balance better on my EM5II, will be an almost perfect landscape lens, but f4 on m43 worries me a bit for general / golden hour street shooting. Thx.
Great video Robin. I love the 12-40mm f2.8 Pro lens too. It is my workhorse lens and like you, is the lens that usually lives on my EM1 m2. However, I do also own the 40-150 f2.8 Pro and the 12-100mm f4 Pro and love both these lenses as well. I got the 12-100 specifically as a travel lens and I now travel exclusively with this lens (well, unless I know I’ll be shooting landscapes/Astro when I will also bring the brilliant 7-14mm Pro lens too). The value for money of all the Olympus Pro lenses relative to much more expensive full frame glass equivalents is another not so insignificant benefit of MFT.
Indeed, I seriously disagree when people say Olympus lenses are expensive. As you have pointed out, value wise Olympus offers a lot more than anything the competitors are doing in the market at the moment. Not only the lenses are generally priced lower, you get a lot more out them as well.
Nice review Robin of this warhorse. I use this lens every week and it´s amazing good and sharp. 100% value for the money. Bests regard from Portugal. Keep going Robin.
For my OMD E-M5 Mark II I have only two pair of lens : the 12-40mm f2.8 and the 75mm f1.8 . Seems like I'll never have enough of them, I have never felt the need to purchase another product, I'm just in love with my (amateur's) kit..
Looks really nice the idea so no problem with rain and compact lens from wide to small tele. Is new that lens, I guess is part of the new portfolio lenses from Olympus.
Hi Robin, your pictures are very sharp and well-composed, I am really impressed by your skills. Recently I bought an Olympus Zuiko 12-40mm 2.8 Pro lens for my daughter to replace her kit lens on her Olympus EM 10 MK III, and I tried out some shootings, the pictures were not really sharp, I don't really know the reasons. I shot the pictures with JPEG, will it affect the quality of the images? or EM 10 III is not able to produce good pictures? or the lens needs some calibration? Thanks.
I really like my Zuiko 12-40, the main reasons are its fast AF, constant aperture and usability throughout the zoom range (very important for a universal zoom lens). Its size and weight are just about right, too. This lens is already very good at f2.8 especially when zoomed out, and sharp as a tack if stopped down to f4. The only sharper lens I have is the Sigma 56/1.4. Still, I'm not a big fan of the 12-40's rendering if I compare it to other lenses side by side. It often looks a bit too "clinical" and lacking character to me, although I can't pick what exactly makes me think so. And sunstars are kinda meh on the 12-40 so I would probably pick something else to compliment it if long exposure night photography is your thing.
I am a total noob and consider to get the OM D E M5. I do lots of hiking and need a light alternativen to fullformat / mirror DLSR cameras. This lense was recommended by several forums as the "ideal landscape lense" and - I know this must sound stupid but I am a beginner as I said - I wonder what the differences are to the much cheaper Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R lense you get with the pen epl cameras....
Hey! The EM5 M2 is great! It's the camera I first started with and caught some of my favorite photos with the 12-40 f2.8 lens, even after I upgraded to the EM1 M3, some of my favorite shots was taken with the EM5 M2. Hope you're doing well!
Hey Robin ! I was not aware for the breaking point of that lens. It's incredible. Thank you for your advice. It's a very good news... Yes it is genious. But how do you know that ??? It's not write on the notice... Bye bye !
I'll add to the chorus celebrating this lens. One of the greatest all-rounders ever made, for any system. I use the lens on the GH5, and there's no problems at all. Tough as nails (I've dropped in on the floor - no ill effects), great in bad/raining weather, great zoom range, and best of all, the amazing focus clutch. All in a very small package. The only other MFT zoom lens that is arguably better is the Panasonic 10-25mm 1.7, but that lens costs nearly 4 times as much. I'd love to see Olympus come out with the 12-40 in a 1.8 f stop version. I'd be all over that. For anyone wanting to see this lens in action, I used it for a 3 part zombie series of short movies: ruclips.net/p/PLK42onFAODr2xJOJg3t21PiiX1IFYsVbd
I agree, it truly is a great lens.. Have had mine for quite a few years now.. And having just watched Peter Forsgård's video on the OMD digital teleconverter, of which I know you are not all that fond, the 12-40, as well as some of my other lenses, may have become even more handy.. Time will tell, as I have not done any test shots as yet.. Regardless, I love my 12-40 2.8 PRO!
Three out four pictures I take are shot with this lens. It is the lens which is on my camera (Pen F) per default. Only in very special circumstances ("real" macro -> 60mm, low light and repro/scan -> 45mm 1.2, and wildlife/zoo -> Panasonic 100-300mm) I put something different on my camera. I decided for 12-40 in favour of the 12-100mm mainly because of its smaller size and weight and secondary because of its wider aperture.
This is my only Oly pro zoom lens. I love it in every way. Took it on a trip to San Francisco and shot fantastic images of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. . 👍 p.s. good background blur in your sample images and they are bright and sharp. 👍
Yes, a fantastic lens. I just wish it was a tad bit longer at times. It spends quite a bit of time on either my body or in my daily carry bag as it is always an option. Produces crisp images and the added bonus of being weather resistant means that I'm more likely to take the camera out than leave it safe and dry and miss a shot.
I think for most cases the 12-40mm is sufficient. for longer reach consider having 40-150mm or 75mm in your arsenal, and you should be able to cover all bases!
I really enjoy your videos as I am a new Olympus user and love the system so far. I am always looking for ways to learn about the system and lenses. Keep up the great work and thanks!
Hi Robin, I always enjoy watching the videos you make and have learnt a lot about Olympus. I was considering an upgrade to my E-M10 mk II, but am now considering getting the 12-40mm PRO, to sit alongside my 25mm f1.8, which I love using. This decision was helped by the fact that many of the great photos you showed here were shot with the E-M10, and some shots I got the other day with this camera are great, too. Keep those great videos coming.
I got my 12-40/2.8 with my EM1mk1 body 4-5 years ago (it was a bargain on the used market). Though the EM1 died :(, the lens is still going strong, paired either to my EM5.2 or EM1.2 I use for paid gigs (2nd card slot!). I have rented the 12-100/4 and that's great for outdoor events, but long and heavy in comparison. I got a Panasonic 35-100/2.8 instead, for the shots that need the reach. That 'breakaway mount' feature is great -- not only does it reduce the odds of damaging the lens, but also an easily replaceable lens mount is better than ripping your frame mount! Do any of the other Olympus lenses have this feature?
Wow, it's looks very interesting pro lens. Your video move me want to buy one 😁😁😁. Anyway, thanks for the video. Greeting from Singapore. Have a nice day.
I have been contemplating to upgrade my kit lens to this but now that I see 12-45 Pro F4 on the lens road map, I'm inclined to wait since I already have all 3 F1.8 and 12mm F2 primes. I'm hoping that the size 12-45 F4 is more compact compared to the F2.8 so that I can really travel light with the F4 zoom and 45mm F1.8
The main advantage of the 12-40 over the 12-100 is (apart from the size & weight and price) the 2.8 max. aperture. But the 12-100 has double "sync" IS, does that not make them equal in low light? (on IBIS Olympus body's). Furthermore, would it not be possible that the 12-100, when zoomed in, has even more capability for shallow depth of field than the 12-40, despite it's larger max aperture? If so, the only benefit that I can see for the 12-40 is in fact weight/size.
![Coheed and Cambria - Searching for Tomorrow [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hDsYGLbmadg/mqdefault.jpg)
I know some of you will ask - How about the M.Zuiko 12-100mm F4 IS PRO lens? How does it compare to the M.Zuiko 12-40mm PRO? The answer is here 11:30
Also, my video on the M.Zuiko 12-100mm is here: ruclips.net/video/A7wPSN1x3kY/видео.html
Robin Wong can get this to use with my Epl7 ??
And om de m1 vs epl7 which one is good
😊😊bccha😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊o 14:25 😊😊😊😊😊😊❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I shoot commercial property, weddings, events, portraits, and high volume sports with the 12-40pro. I came from Canon and shot all L glass. This lens is among the best zooms I’ve ever used in any system. It’s a work horse! This is the one lens I can’t go without!!!! Oh and I also my tripod over while shooting a waterfall. My em1mkii and 12-40 were completely submerged in 3’ of water for 30sec. Nothing happened. Amazing
How to define a perfect zoom lens?
1. Has constant aperture, regardless of focal lenght.
2. Keeps focus while zooming.
3.Covers wide to short-tele range (eg.12-40 / 24-80 when calculated to FF).
4. Can be used for wide shots without distortion, to portraits with bokeh, and even macros.
5. No aberrations.
M. Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 is all above and its weather sealed on top of it. I own it for 5 years now, and its the best all-round use lens I ever had, so much i sometimes dont feel the need for prime lenses.
Indeed! The 12-40mm F2.8 is quite a marvel if you have really shot and experienced the results it delivered.
exceptionsl image quality
plus compactness
it's THE STANDARD lens for me
The lens that stays on my camera 95% of the time. Truly outstanding. Like your video, Robin, well done!
After watching so many of your videos I finally sold my last Fujifilm camera to MPB and bought this lens and the OM-D EM1. It is my first Olympus since the OM20 film camera I still have 😊. Thank you for all the great videos
One of the best Oly lenses around. Picked one up used for under €500. Almost glued to my em 1 mark II. Could not be happier.
Glad you have the 12-40mm lens too!
I love olympus pro lenses. They are all great
They are indeed!
@@robinwong The 75mm 1.8 is better :D
I use this lens at my work and am very impressed by its optical quality. For private use, however, I prefer smaller lenses. There are lots of photographers who sell their 12-40 mm f2.8 Pro lens, because of the availability of the excellent Olympus 12-100 mm f4.0 Pro lens, so the 12-40 mm lens can be picked up for very reasonable prices second-hand.
I'd still take the 12-40mm lens over 12-100mm for the wider F2.8 aperture.
Thanks Robin. 3 years down the road, this is still a great video. I can get this model as a used lens for a good price and, based on your video, I can't go wrong. Thanks., Peter.
I changed the L-Fn button to "Magnify" under Button Functions in the Custom menu. Great for manual focusing details.
Brilliant description of the advantage of a breakable lens mount. Everyone must be familiar with the crumple zones designed into car bodies to absorb collision impact by now. This makes your explanation easily acceptable.
Michael Matthews sadly in Australia the repair cost may not be so cheap, I dropped my 40-150 pro lense while it was on an OMD mk2 body and the mount repair was 80% of the cost of the lens, well over AUD$1000. To be fair to Olympus the offered me a discounted replacement... still...
@@tonywilkins1684 I think the design for 40-150mm PRO lens mount is slightly different, it has to be strong enough to hold more weight.
As long as I have 1 or 2 MFT bodies, I will own this lens. It can shoot pro-quality and is perfect for portraiture, events, close range sports, and especially video. The clutch focus is awesome. Olympus lenses rock, and this is my favorite MFT lens hands down.
Indeed, this lens is stellar in anything it does!
I love this lens. I purchased it on the first day it was out. Two years ago I fumbled with seating my camera back on the tripod mount. The camera and this lens fell 3' to the asphalt. It got scared a little bit. It still functions perfectly! No issues. The only change was that the 12-40 marks on the outside seem to be shifted just a little. Excellent lens. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Oh dear, that was a scary accident, glad the lens and camera survived.
Could not agree more, being using this lens with my EM5 M2. It is my only lens for sunrise, sunset, street and event. Is my trusted partner that I know it will deliver every click!
It is one lens to upgrade to or get serious about photography if you are using Olympus!
Glad that you clarified that you are human Robin. This lens came as the kit with my EM5II. I took this combo to Europe for 3 weeks and go some great images. If I need a longer reach I use the 14-150. For light option I take a couple of primes. This covers all bases.
Haha, yes I am human! I love my zoom lenses too, though I use mostly primes these days.
I have been watching your videos for a while, even though I shoot Canon. But I have been thinking about M4/3 and this video told me a lot of things I didn't know about the 12-40, a lens that I could use for a lot of different types of shooting. It is a very strange time to be buying into the Olympus system but the more I watch, the closer I get to making a big decision. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with the photographic community around the world.
One of my favourite lenses along with the 40-150 pro, I bought it as a two lens kit with the E M-1 mkii 2 years ago. Never regreted it
The pair is made to match the OM-D perfectly!
The Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 is my go-to lens
Yes, for me this lens is a must have for my E-M1!
Agreed!
yes,this is a great lens,for me best ever made by olympus!!
I am starting to think so too
On the basis of your comments about this lens, I have one arriving tomorrow. Grateful for your videos, they are among the best on RUclips. The depth and breadth of your knowledge of photography and Olympus gear is incredible! Thank you again, Robin.
Yes. Love this lens. My only lens for BMPCC and M5ii.
I love this lens too!
Agree, definitely my favourite lens. I use it all the time except when I shoot macro photos. The ideal working horse, whether it concerns landscapes, close ups, portraits, you name it. It handles everything you throw at it effortlessly. Especially the AF is very impressive.
It is one lens to do almost everything, very worth upgrading to for most who are using 14-42mm EZ
Having started out in MFT with an E-M10ii double zoom kit and the 14-42 EZ/40-150 R I wanted to try one of these. I watched for a good deal on eBay and finally got one for an excellent price on an E-M5ii body. It is an amazing "standard zoom" and the best lens I've ever owned. I use for general photography and video. Having finally moved up to the E-M1 iii I now see even more quality coming from this star lens.
Nice video Robin, you are the best! I agree with you, the 12-40 is one great lens. That's mounted on a M5III.
It is awesome on the E-M5 Mark III too!
Nice review! Makes sense on the lens mount. I did not know this lens was so good on close focus. Replaces the 12/17/25/45 set of primes which I rarely shoot at f1.8 - like to have nose AND ears in focus. 😉
Yeah the close up shooting is better than any of the prime lenses (except for the dedicated macro lenses).
Yes. I have, and love, the 25mm f1.8, the 45mm and the 70mm. I still love them, but since I got the 12-40mm, it is hardly ever off my camera. I make 11x14 prints, and I don't see any difference in resolution, and f2.8 is plenty fast enough for the work I do.
(I'm really not interested in paper-thin depth of field.).
I still use the primes if for some reason I really want a smaller, lighter package, but the 12-40 is my main lens now.
I do often want something longer, but he 12-100 is just too big. I can carry the old 40-150 in my pocket and while it's not as amazing as the newer lenses, it does just fine.
I am currently waiting for my third used copy and hopefully the first fully working one of this lens. First one was from a brick and mortar store, but had mould and moisture inside, which was not visible in the dodgy store lighting, the second one was wildly decentred rendering it unusably soft. I have a 45mm 1.8 for portraits, but having one lens that dies everything from landscapes, to portraits and product shots, in a small and lightweight, weather sealed package sounds like a good dealt to me.
yes. good affordable lens.
Indeed!
Thanks, Robin. This is definitely a fantastic lens, even as old as it is. And it's not even particularly expensive, as lenses go.
Yes, you get a lot for what you pay for in the 12-40mm PRO
I dropped my original E-M1 with 12-40 PRO from a roof in Thailand and maybe more than 10 metres height. The lens mount was broken, but the camera was working perfectly. The lens mount was repaired in the Czech service center and is still rocking 4 years later.
That is a scary experience! OMG, glad the camera and lens survived. Thanks for sharing the story.
Robin the interesting part is that my only other lens was 17mm f/1.8 and for more than a month of travel I was forced to work with this lens. I was so mad, that I lost my lovely zoom. but the truth is that this gave me creativity boost and forced me to think and walk more, not to be just a lazy photographer.
Dittos! On my Pen-f, the 12-40mm is lens heavy, but easily manageable! Sharp! I like your street portraits & people pix! Beautiful colors & details!
Thanks for the kind words on my photography! Still learning and improving here.
I also use most of the time the combo Pen-F & the M.Zuiko 12-40 prime lens. Quiet heavy but I am used to it now and I have big hands😉
This 12-40 f/2.8 is awesome.... my mistake was getting the 12-100 f/4 pro lens too. Hard to take either off the body for the other, or for any other for that matter. Should give up one, but that is liking having twins and giving up one of them....
I'd take the F2.8 for the better depth of field control and shooting in low light. But if those are not important to you then 12-100mm is a better choice.
I just bought the 12-40 2.8 last week, and I am impressed with the quality.
Glad you got yourself the 12-40mm lens!
Bought a 12-40mm pro for £323 which is a good price. Can't wait to try it out!!
This has been my main lens for 2020. So far i've been loving it, the image quality is even better than my primes, and it's super reliable. I've been doing events, weddings, some reportage, commercial pics, and the images I took have always been outstanding (both on my M10.2 and M1.2).
How is it going? Are you still using it?
@@hellsing0999999999 yes, no problem with it
Buy 12-40 tomorrow,thanks robin
Robin Wong. Yes, the 12 - 40mm f2/8 Pro is brilliant lens and compliments the 40 - 150mm f2.8 Pro + MC14 beautifully. I love Olympus lenses.
Indeed, I love them too
Hey Robin!
I just purchased this lens second hand here in KL based on your review. I am loving it so far! Thank you for all of the detailed reviews!
Enjoy using my 12-40mm lens. Purchased it new last year just before the release of the 12-100mm. Did the same with purchasing a new EM5 Mark II just before the release of the Mark III. i have a habit of doing that. Maybe it’s just bad timing on my part but not looking back. Very happy with both. Also purchased the 40-150mm so understand your advice on not needing the 12-100mm. Your videos are great . Thanks for taking the time to make these.
Thank you for another great video Robin. I had the 12-40 pro with the E-M1 for 2 years and it was a great lens. It was so good that I had to switch back to Olympus from Fujifilm because I couldn't find a comparable lens on that system. The Fuji 16-55 was way too heavy, 16-80 from the reviews was not great and the 18-135 I had was really bad. I now have a Pana Leica 12-60 f2.8-4 which I also find, is a bit disappointing. I was actually looking to replace the Pana Leica with either the 12-100 or the 12-40. You have made it easy for me to decide now. I do have the fantastic 40-150 pro, so getting the 12-40 pro would be more ideal for me. Thank you Robin!
Yeap, you got the hard truth there, Olympus may not be able to beat others when it comes to camera bodies (smaller image sensor and all) but when it comes to lenses, Olympus is second to none! Difficult to turn back once we have experienced shooting with the Olympus lenses.
@@robinwong You are so right Robin! I learnt the hard way, financially (sold Olympus, got Lumix body, sold Lumix plus Olympus lenses for Fujifilm system, sold the Fujifilm system for Olympus.) Now I am finally happy! :)
Wing Tam I agree. Been shooting Fuji for several years. They have done little over those years for photographers. Everything has been for video shooters. Tried the em1 and found I preferred it over the Fuji xt2. Olympus lenses are outstanding and their camera have better use and features for photographers.
I love it !
This is my first and unique pro lens for now.
Fortunately (or not), I bought prime lenses before 😁. I totally agree with you about the ability of this zoom to make us lazy because the final result is so close 😳.
To be honest, I have to force myself to switch for my primes for three conditions :
1 - low light (as you said)
2 - add constraints to improve my skills
3 - have a coherent photography series at the same focal length (because I can not control myself when I have a zoom in hand 😅).
Thanks again for your vidéos 😉
Shooting for primes surely is important to help us improve. I have used more prime lenses recently too.
Great video Robin! Coming from a Pentax K3-II, I just ordered a M1 Mark III with the 12-40 (mostly travel/street photography). Can't wait for my new system to arrive :-)
I couldn't agree more with Robin's assessment. I switched to M43 six months ago starting with the 12-40 Pro on an ex-demo EM-5 II. I intended to quickly buy prime lenses but after a few weeks with this lens, I've not bothered to get any more glass. Loving this lens.
My first pro lens purchase and has been my go to since 2016. Currently on my OMD 1.3
MY PEN-F Has the 17mm 1.8 for indoor low light shooting. I also have the 40-150 pro, and
1.4 tele. The 12-40 pro accounts for 80% or more of shooting. I have several other lenses
and none are used nearly as often. Thanks again for your work.
Great ...used my head ...got the 12-40 and the 40-150 pro lenses .happy .
Glad you are happy!
Great video Robin.
I’ve had the 12-40mm Pro for some years now and it covers 80% of my photo opportunities. It is a great travel lens and has been to four different countries with me. Sharp, with great colours, sensational focussing speed; it is rarely off my omd em-1.
When paired with my excellent 40-150 Pro, you have just about all bases covered and a simple choice for focal length coverage .....all at a constant f2.8 aperture.
Keep up the great videos.
Regards
Tony from Australia
Thanks for the kind words. Indeed it is a great lens, and glad that it worked for you alongside the 40-150mm F2.8 PRO!
I love my M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 Pro. Downside? - It makes me lazy not using my primes as much as I should.
The primes have their places, so don't worry enjoy the convenience of the 12-40mm
Been using this lens for my food photography. Versatile enough to take close up of foods and restaurant environment without changing lens. I like to shoot my food close up at F8 at ISO 200 with natural light, take a steady hand to get a really sharp photo at that aperture.
Indeed, paired with Olympus 5-Axis IS, you doget super steady shot!
Great video Robin. I own the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens since I bought my EM1. It is may favorite GOTO lens as it is crazy sharp and versatile. I use this lens most for ma landscape shooting. It just such a fine piece of kit.
I went out on a late evening photowalk in Warsaw with my Panasonic 12-35/2.8 this summer, and accidentally enabled the image stabilization of the lens. As a result, the camera totally disable image stabilization, and image after image came out as total crap until I finally figured out what was wrong, and by then it was almost totally dark.
I cursed and cursed, and last week I went out and bought myself the 12-40/2.8. 😄
that lens is super amazing... if I get M43 again I will definetly get the 12-40pro again, it's great. and it's not as big/heavy as some claim
Bought this lens as second hand, it never leaves my camera, pairing this with Em1 mkii... they are both tank, they can hold any condition you throw at them, well said to that match up.
I love your videos!
Informative, entertaining and upbeat.
Thanks
Thanks Robin for the great info. Have the lens and really like it. Didn't know about the lens mount, clever engineering, and good to know if it were ever to happen.
Thanks, glad you found the information shared useful
Thank you so much for your informative videos Robin. I have this very lens and as you do, I use it all the time and rarely take it off my camera, it’s just a perfect workhorse of a lens.
I am a huge Olympus fan and use the Olympus OM-D-E M5 Mark III and I love my camera.
I was struggling to get the most of my feature packed camera until I stumbled accords your channel and can honestly say that your advice has changed the way I use the Mark III.
I learn something new in all your videos and look forward to your uploads to thank you from a U.K. based subscriber 🙏🏻
Robin, thanks for a great review! I just wanted to say your images are GREAT!
Ordered this lens base on the reviews and yours was a big factor. Very detailed review. Thanks for showing your beautiful photo examples. This will be my first pro lens. Fell in love with the em1 and the 30mm macro and 14-150 lens. I prefer using it over my Fuji xt2. Image quality has been superb.
Great video. I have been using the 12-40/f2.8 since it was first released. It is a great lens. My main lens combo is the 12-40/f2.8 and the 40-150/f2.8.
You can almost do everything with that combo!
The only pro lens I could afford. I have (or had) many of the amateur lenses to compare with, and although I wouldn't fault any other Olympus lens as they are all above expectations given their price range (except the 17/2.8 which is a lemon and the 17/1.8 which is IMO too soft), there's a clear quality step when entering the pro realm. The 12-40 is buttery smooth, solid, fast, sharp and very importantly highly predictable. Even shooting straight at the sun, the image will remain sharp and contrasted.
I like zoom lens because my cinema rig is very compact and perfect the way it is I don't want to have to keep changing my lenses.
I have both 12-40 and 12-100 PRO. During day time 12-100 is stuck in my camera. I only use 12-40 for the 1 stop advantage for indoor and night photos. I wanted to sell 12-40 a couple of times but I always decide to hold it.
Replace the 12-40mm with some primes like 17mm or 25mm if you have not any of them!
My favourite working horse. Of course, I use it with a hood all the time, I love it and I care about it ;)
I don't remember where I left the lens hood. Hopefully it is still in the house somewhere.
@@robinwong I'm sure it's like that ;)
Superb images in this blog…video. ;) I’m mainly a prime shooter but I’m extremely torn between the 12-40 f2.8 and 12-45 f4. The smaller f4 lens will balance better on my EM5II, will be an almost perfect landscape lens, but f4 on m43 worries me a bit for general / golden hour street shooting. Thx.
Great video Robin. I love the 12-40mm f2.8 Pro lens too. It is my workhorse lens and like you, is the lens that usually lives on my EM1 m2. However, I do also own the 40-150 f2.8 Pro and the 12-100mm f4 Pro and love both these lenses as well. I got the 12-100 specifically as a travel lens and I now travel exclusively with this lens (well, unless I know I’ll be shooting landscapes/Astro when I will also bring the brilliant 7-14mm Pro lens too). The value for money of all the Olympus Pro lenses relative to much more expensive full frame glass equivalents is another not so insignificant benefit of MFT.
Indeed, I seriously disagree when people say Olympus lenses are expensive. As you have pointed out, value wise Olympus offers a lot more than anything the competitors are doing in the market at the moment. Not only the lenses are generally priced lower, you get a lot more out them as well.
Nice review Robin of this warhorse. I use this lens every week and it´s amazing good and sharp. 100% value for the money. Bests regard from Portugal. Keep going Robin.
Thanks, glad you liked the video. Indeed it is excellent value for money!
the 12-40 pro is also in combination with my Pansonic G70 a great lense! I use ist most of the time...
Glad it works out for you!
Another fantastic lens from Olympus. Thanks for this fine review, Robin.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video.
After numorous reviews and videos i did buy this lens(used) and is waiting for it to arrive.My first pro lens.
For my OMD E-M5 Mark II I have only two pair of lens : the 12-40mm f2.8 and the 75mm f1.8 . Seems like I'll never have enough of them, I have never felt the need to purchase another product, I'm just in love with my (amateur's) kit..
Looks really nice the idea so no problem with rain and compact lens from wide to small tele. Is new that lens, I guess is part of the new portfolio lenses from Olympus.
I really like the weather sealing aspect of the lens too!
Im using this with may old em5 mark 1. Together with the budget 40-150mm, they're beasts with photos. I only need minimal.post processing
Hi Robin, your pictures are very sharp and well-composed, I am really impressed by your skills. Recently I bought an Olympus Zuiko 12-40mm 2.8 Pro lens for my daughter to replace her kit lens on her Olympus EM 10 MK III, and I tried out some shootings, the pictures were not really sharp, I don't really know the reasons. I shot the pictures with JPEG, will it affect the quality of the images? or EM 10 III is not able to produce good pictures? or the lens needs some calibration? Thanks.
go through robin's channel and his videos. he has one video that mentioned about such issues.
Good video Robin and yes it is a great lens! I use it for 2 years no and I have it on my camera most of the time.
Glad you liked the video!
I really like my Zuiko 12-40, the main reasons are its fast AF, constant aperture and usability throughout the zoom range (very important for a universal zoom lens). Its size and weight are just about right, too. This lens is already very good at f2.8 especially when zoomed out, and sharp as a tack if stopped down to f4. The only sharper lens I have is the Sigma 56/1.4. Still, I'm not a big fan of the 12-40's rendering if I compare it to other lenses side by side. It often looks a bit too "clinical" and lacking character to me, although I can't pick what exactly makes me think so. And sunstars are kinda meh on the 12-40 so I would probably pick something else to compliment it if long exposure night photography is your thing.
I am a total noob and consider to get the OM D E M5. I do lots of hiking and need a light alternativen to fullformat / mirror DLSR cameras. This lense was recommended by several forums as the "ideal landscape lense" and - I know this must sound stupid but I am a beginner as I said - I wonder what the differences are to the much cheaper Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R lense you get with the pen epl cameras....
Hey! The EM5 M2 is great! It's the camera I first started with and caught some of my favorite photos with the 12-40 f2.8 lens, even after I upgraded to the EM1 M3, some of my favorite shots was taken with the EM5 M2. Hope you're doing well!
Hey Robin ! I was not aware for the breaking point of that lens. It's incredible. Thank you for your advice. It's a very good news... Yes it is genious. But how do you know that ??? It's not write on the notice... Bye bye !
I'll add to the chorus celebrating this lens. One of the greatest all-rounders ever made, for any system. I use the lens on the GH5, and there's no problems at all. Tough as nails (I've dropped in on the floor - no ill effects), great in bad/raining weather, great zoom range, and best of all, the amazing focus clutch. All in a very small package. The only other MFT zoom lens that is arguably better is the Panasonic 10-25mm 1.7, but that lens costs nearly 4 times as much. I'd love to see Olympus come out with the 12-40 in a 1.8 f stop version. I'd be all over that. For anyone wanting to see this lens in action, I used it for a 3 part zombie series of short movies: ruclips.net/p/PLK42onFAODr2xJOJg3t21PiiX1IFYsVbd
I agree, it truly is a great lens.. Have had mine for quite a few years now.. And having just watched Peter Forsgård's video on the OMD digital teleconverter, of which I know you are not all that fond, the 12-40, as well as some of my other lenses, may have become even more handy.. Time will tell, as I have not done any test shots as yet.. Regardless, I love my 12-40 2.8 PRO!
I won't recommend using the digital teleconverter, it is merely a crop at the center of your image.
Three out four pictures I take are shot with this lens. It is the lens which is on my camera (Pen F) per default. Only in very special circumstances ("real" macro -> 60mm, low light and repro/scan -> 45mm 1.2, and wildlife/zoo -> Panasonic 100-300mm) I put something different on my camera. I decided for 12-40 in favour of the 12-100mm mainly because of its smaller size and weight and secondary because of its wider aperture.
This is my only Oly pro zoom lens. I love it in every way. Took it on a trip to San Francisco and shot fantastic images of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. . 👍 p.s. good background blur in your sample images and they are bright and sharp. 👍
Likewise!
I bought the 12-40 and 40-150 2.8 before I even had a camera for it cause if the deal I got 😉 🔥
You got the right idea, lenses are more important than the camera.
Another excellent informative presentation.The 12 -40 is such a good lens I find it hard to justify purchasing any prime lens in that focal range.
I have changed this lens to the 12-100/4pro.
Both excellent glass. But sometimes I miss the light from the 12-40/2,8.
I am still staying with my 12-40mm lens!
Yes, a fantastic lens. I just wish it was a tad bit longer at times. It spends quite a bit of time on either my body or in my daily carry bag as it is always an option. Produces crisp images and the added bonus of being weather resistant means that I'm more likely to take the camera out than leave it safe and dry and miss a shot.
I think for most cases the 12-40mm is sufficient. for longer reach consider having 40-150mm or 75mm in your arsenal, and you should be able to cover all bases!
Yes 12-40 is a good lens in m43
It is an excellent lens
I really enjoy your videos as I am a new Olympus user and love the system so far. I am always looking for ways to learn about the system and lenses. Keep up the great work and thanks!
Thanks! More videos to come surely
Robin, looking at buying a used one, with prices at $330 to $400.
Thanks Robin. You now convinced me to keep the 12-40 and dont buy 12-100. 😊👍 .
I think like many I have the 12-40 and 40-150 pro lenses and it’s 5 stars from me.
5 stars from me too
Great review of the lens and thanks for nice picture of me taking a selfie on the bike haha.
Oh dear that is dangerous but I guess you are used to it!
Hi Robin, I always enjoy watching the videos you make and have learnt a lot about Olympus. I was considering an upgrade to my E-M10 mk II, but am now considering getting the 12-40mm PRO, to sit alongside my 25mm f1.8, which I love using. This decision was helped by the fact that many of the great photos you showed here were shot with the E-M10, and some shots I got the other day with this camera are great, too. Keep those great videos coming.
I got my 12-40/2.8 with my EM1mk1 body 4-5 years ago (it was a bargain on the used market). Though the EM1 died :(, the lens is still going strong, paired either to my EM5.2 or EM1.2 I use for paid gigs (2nd card slot!). I have rented the 12-100/4 and that's great for outdoor events, but long and heavy in comparison. I got a Panasonic 35-100/2.8 instead, for the shots that need the reach.
That 'breakaway mount' feature is great -- not only does it reduce the odds of damaging the lens, but also an easily replaceable lens mount is better than ripping your frame mount! Do any of the other Olympus lenses have this feature?
Wow, it's looks very interesting pro lens. Your video move me want to buy one 😁😁😁. Anyway, thanks for the video. Greeting from Singapore. Have a nice day.
The 12-40mm PRO is a great Olympus lens.
Good sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻! Why you don't recommend the lens hood?
Hi Robin, thank you. Can you do a video about 12-100mm f/4 for shooting portrait?
I have shot a lot of portraits in this video: ruclips.net/video/A7wPSN1x3kY/видео.html
great video. thanks
I have been contemplating to upgrade my kit lens to this but now that I see 12-45 Pro F4 on the lens road map, I'm inclined to wait since I already have all 3 F1.8 and 12mm F2 primes. I'm hoping that the size 12-45 F4 is more compact compared to the F2.8 so that I can really travel light with the F4 zoom and 45mm F1.8
The main advantage of the 12-40 over the 12-100 is (apart from the size & weight and price) the 2.8 max. aperture. But the 12-100 has double "sync" IS, does that not make them equal in low light? (on IBIS Olympus body's). Furthermore, would it not be possible that the 12-100, when zoomed in, has even more capability for shallow depth of field than the 12-40, despite it's larger max aperture? If so, the only benefit that I can see for the 12-40 is in fact weight/size.