Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens

2022-04-26T20:00:00

This is an amazingly versatile lens, both the focal length range and the very good close-up capability. Is it as sharp as my f/2.8 lenses? Not quite, but still very good. I purchased this lens primarily for hiking and backpacking, where I often don't have time to switch lenses, and often am in dusty conditions where even with the camera's great dust reduction, bad things can happen when the lens is removed. On a recent backpack in the Utah desert I even shot star trails, using the Live Composite feature, with great results. The lens does vignette, especially wide open, but the built in lens profile usually takes care of that in LR

Andy

Originally posted at

2022-03-03T19:00:00

All recent reviews nailed this lens' benefits. The ideal travel lens when paired with my E-M5 Mkiii body. I also have a 14-45mm f/4 and may sell it, because the 12-200mm is just so good.

MikeinRaleigh

Originally posted at

2022-01-31T19:00:00

I love this lens. It?s the perfect travel lens. It real does it all. Doesn?t matter if it in my E-10, EM-1 or EM-1x. It?s versatility personified! Get for wildlife and street photography. I never looked back after this purchase!

Marc

Originally posted at

2021-06-23T20:00:00

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Lens has quickly become my favorite lens. Is is perfect for all occasions? No, of course not, but it is extremely versatile. The 24-400mm equivalent focal length lets me go from wide angle to a very close up zoom in a small package. This has become my everyday lens. It stays on my OM-D E-M5 Mark III 99% of the time. This lens has gone around my yard, neighborhood, town, and a few minor league baseball games with me. It never fails to deliver.

Robert

Originally posted at

2021-06-22T08:41:34

A fall and a broken 14-150mm Olympus lens brought me to this purchase. I loved my previous 14-150mm but the 12-200mm has been easier for me to focus and get the close-ups I want. I am an artist and I use my photos as sources for my paintings. It ended up being a silver lining. I did buy accident insurance as well!! Great price on the insurance as well.

LAUREL N.

2020-05-18T20:00:00

It has become my go to lens as I can use it for so many different photo shoots.

Cas

Originally posted at

2019-12-19T19:00:00

This lens has really changed my mind on the quality and capabilities of lenses with very variable ranges. I've gotten some great, sharp pictures at 12mm and wonderful high zoom pics all the way out near 200mm. Honestly, I love the quality of images I've been able to capture from so far away. Having quality glass in a weatherproof build that's capable of so much in drastically different situations has allowed me to keep a single lens on more regularly and to get a shot quickly without having to swap out lenses for a different focal length. I hate the feeling of missing a picture because I had to change something, and this lens means I miss so much less than before. Thanks, and congrats Olympus on another winner.

Adam

Originally posted at

2019-12-13T19:00:00

This is an ideal all around/walk around lens. With the efov range of 24-400 it basically gets most things I would shoot. I used a Nikon 28-300 lens in the past which I loved but I believe this Olympus lens will be my favorite by far. With weather shielding and camera stability as well as reasonable weight, it will be my most used lens by a lot.

Joel

Originally posted at

2019-10-26T20:45:48

I took this lens with me on a recent Alaska cruise. Although I own an EP5, I wanted a weather-sealed kit for this trip. And I was concerned that the small (or non-existent) grip on the EP5 would make a lens of this size unwieldy. Fortunately my brother lent me his M1 body which is both weather-sealed and has a nice pro-style grip. For this type of use -- a vacation where weather may be an issue and the need to limit the amount of gear to carry -- you cannot beat this lens. It's very, very good throughout its range, although at any given focal length I can point to a m43 pro zoom or fixed lens that will be sharper/faster/better (and heavier/more expensive). But if you need just one lens to rule them all -- this one is about as good as it gets. The build quality is very good -- it feels like one of the pro-line lenses. But it's lighter because there is more plastic used in the barrel. The only negative thing I can say -- and this is mentioned in some of the online reviews -- is that the zoom action is very non-linear. The lens zooms smoothly from 12-120 and then goes from 120-200 in a hurry. So it's a bit tricky to get the zoom just right at the long end, but not so much that you don't get used to it.

JEFF G.

2019-09-15T20:00:00

Pictures are sharp, lens operation is smooth and easy. I took a two week vacation with only this lens on my OM-D E5 II and never felt a need for anything else.

John

Originally posted at

2019-08-20T20:00:00

Great lens for almost any situation. I've used it for a variety of different shots and haven't been disappointed.

Clayton

Originally posted at

2019-07-01T20:00:00

Took this lens and the M.ZUIKO ED 12-40MM F2.8 PRO on a vacation. I left the M.ZUIKO ED 40-150MM F2.8 PRO at home due to weight. I used the 12-200 in every situation except one where the lighting was lower and I could not use the flash. The pictures even in most lighting came out great. I would love to have an overall 12 to 200 f2.8 or 4.0 but the weight would be preventative to hike around with. The 12-200 is a decent compromise for a lens. It handled everything I used it for and the pictures looked great.

John

Originally posted at

2019-06-27T20:00:00

The lens arrived a week before we left for a cruise, so I didn't return it, but the zoom action is extremely stiff and "sticky" on this particular example. That notwithstanding, the photographic results have been outstanding attached to my OMD E-M5 with over 1,000 photos taken already in all kinds of light and humidity conditions, but no temperature extremes.It seems to have "loosened up" some with use, but I still would not characterize it as "smooth zooming." That is the one reason I did not give it a 5-star rating.

Larry

Originally posted at

2019-06-19T20:00:00

Excellent all-in-one zoom solution is great for travel and for situations where you need to change focal lengths in a hurry. Sometimes, swapping lenses may cause you to miss that "perfect" shot. However, with the 12-200mm, which offers a 35mm equivalent of 24-400mm, you can easily go from ultra wide to long telephoto with a single lens, reducing the need to swap lenses. Given the range, it is not super fast, but a faster lens would have been larger and more expensive so Olympus chose to stay in the sweet spot and in bright sunlight, the 12-200 can stay on your camera all the time.

SN

Originally posted at

2019-06-06T20:00:00

The lens is quite remarkable for a lightweight, long range zoom. It is light and nicely balanced on an E-m1 II. Focusing is quick and precise. Sharpness and bokeh are very good for a medium priced lens. There is some trace of color fringing but it is very slight and does not generally require any correction in postprocessing. It is an excellent choice for a travel or walk around lens.

Richard

Originally posted at

2019-04-26T20:00:00

This is an outstanding lens. Professional quality from the wide to the tight end, and a really useful zoom range of 24-400mm (35mm equivalent). Focusing is quick and silent, and the image stabilization when used with the EM1x or EM1- II is astonishing. If you can hold the camera solidly, exposures of 1/2 second produce great sharpness. Build quality is also outstanding. There is nothing I don't love about this lens. This is the lens I keep on the camera when I travel as it does everything well.

Michael

Originally posted at