The m.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 PRO

Disclosure: I am an Olympus Visionary and as such, receive compensation from Olympus America. However, no compensation was paid for this review. I endorse their products because I truly believe in the quality of their gear. ​

No matter how many lenses you own, chances are that you have one or two that you end up reaching for more than the others in your bag. As a long time Olympus shooter I own most of the micro 4/3 lenses on the market today, and I use many of them quite regularly depending on the situation. That being said, I am finding that the new m.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 PRO is spending a lot more time attached to my camera than any other lens. It has become my workhorse lens, for a number of important reasons.

Overview
The 12-100mm is a constant aperture f/4 lens that measures 116.5mm long by 77.5mm in diameter with a 72mm filter thread. Like all Olympus PRO lenses it has a programmable lens function button, a manual focus clutch and is weather-sealed, meaning it is splash proof, dust proof, and freeze proof.  It has 17 elements in 11 groups with high quality construction and the Z nano coating to reduce glare. Perhaps most impressive is the 5-axis Sync image stabilization that works in tandem with the in-body image stabilization of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II to produce up to 6.5 stops of IS. 

In late 2016 Olympus announced the 25mm f/1.2 PRO - an incredibly fast and sharp lens with beautiful feathered bokeh. For the past year that lens has been pacing the waiting room anticipating the delivery of two promised siblings - the 17mm and 45mm f/1.2 lenses. The wait is now over. 

​As an Olympus Visionary I was recently provided the opportunity to work with both the 17 and 45mm lenses at a press event in Charleston, SC alongside respected journalists and reviewers in the industry. After a few days of shooting I walked away (actually flew away) with a thoroughly positive impression of both lenses. They meet or exceed all of the claims made by Olympus. So what are those claims?

• Depictive performance that delivers feathered bokeh and outstanding resolution when shooting at f/1.2. This provides a 3-dimensional impression of your main subject, isolating it from the overall softened background due to the smooth transition from the sharp to the defocused areas of the image. 
• Fast, high precision auto-focusing. Both lenses provide virtually silent and smooth high-speed focusing performance, even when using the maximum aperture of f/1.2 and work incredibly well with the Face Priority or Eye Priority AF modes. 
• Lightweight, yet rugged construction. Each lens provides dust proof, splash proof and freeze-proof performance. 
• Excellent close-up shooting. The 17mm f/1.2 PRO has a minimum working distance of 20cm while the 45mm f/1.2 PRO has a minimum working distance of 50mm. 
• Premium design. All three lenses in the f/1.2 family are designed with the professional photographer in mind with a large focusing ring that allows for easy switching between auto and manual focusing by simply pulling back on the MF clutch. A  programmable Lens Function button is also included.

When Olympus released their flagship E-M1 model back in 2013 it made quite a splash. Reviewers and photographers of all stripes were thoroughly impressed with its feature-packed design. Three years later it is still a highly-regarded camera, but alas, it's time for an upgrade.  After spending some time working with the new  OM-D E-M1 Mark II, I have no doubt that Olympus has another success on their hands. 

First Impressions
Before I get into any details, I must provide two important qualifiers. First, this is not a technical review. It is a 'first impressions' write-up with a few supporting details and a lot of comparison to its predecessor, the E-M1. Secondly, all of the information in this post is based on a pre-production model of the camera.

If you would rather watch a quick summary of the E-M1 Mark II, check out my video description below. 

The OLYMPUS OMD E-M10 MARK II and 12mm F/2.0 LENS

As an Olympus Trailblazer I have the remarkable opportunity to shoot with practically any camera body and lens that Olympus makes. As a nature/landscape photographer I admit that I usually turn to one of the weather-sealed options from Olympus - either the E-M1 or the E-M5 II. After all, I often find myself in weather conditions that may not be favourable. So why am I writing a post on the E-M10 II and 12mm f/2.0? Quite honestly, more and more often I find myself reaching  for this exceptional combination. 

​Like most photographers I am always excited to try out a new lens, but the new 300mm PRO lens from Olympus is one that I’ve been eagerly looking forward to for over two years. I had the opportunity to shoot with the lens for a few days before the official announcement. Here are my thoughts, but be forewarned, this is not a technical review, rather more of an information piece with some of my first impressions thrown in. 

Let's start by saying, "I don't write camera reviews." I leave that to the more technically inclined. This post is more of a "camera impression" and the reason I write it is because a few nights ago I was at a  get together with some friends. I pulled out my TG-4, immersed it in my friend's pool and began shooting. Most of the people at this shindig had never seen a camera that could do this. When I showed them the resulting images they were quite impressed.  I am also impressed with the new Olympus Tough TG-4 - the company's latest flagship drop-proof, dust-proof, freeze-proof, crush-proof, water-proof, life-proof camera. 

At the end of January I received a phone call from Richard Pelkowski, Product Manager at Olympus, asking if I would be interested in shooting with a mockup of the new 8mm f/1.8 fisheye lens that Olympus would be releasing this summer. “Of course,” I said enthusiastically! Who wouldn’t agree to that request?

A week later it arrived at my doorstep and several things were immediately noticeable:

1. This really is a mock-up. There were no markings on the lens of any kind. It didn’t even have the Olympus name on it.
   
2. This is a pro-quality lens. Although compact in design it had the feel of a solidly built lens. I was certain that I could do some very serious photography with this piece of glass.
   
3. This is going to be fun! Put this on my E-M1 or E-M5 Mark II and get ready to see the world in a totally different way.