New Lens Thoughts
The second G9 arrived with its 12-60 kit lens.
The kit lens is designed to support the excellent 12-40 Olympus, which is suffering from a “lumpy” zoom mechanism, so has been consigned to life on my video rig (I draw the line at zooming while shooting).
First image. Wide settings, wide open, low shutter speed and a fine result. Even with this math applied, there is some smooth fall-off. Just goes to show, Bokeh is always relevant even for slower M43 lenses at longer distances.
Nice colour and contrast. This gentle look is another tool to use. Long end wide open.
Nice off centre sharpness wide open at 60mm.
Again nice centre quality. Not a scientific test, just hand held, medium ISO, EM10 Mk2, slow-ish shutter speed.
On an EM10 Mk2 it is sometimes a little hesitant with focus, but so is the Leica 8-18. The Leica is quicker on an EM1 and G9, so it is an EM10 thing.
I had read that flare was better controlled on this than the Leica 12-60 and to be honest, I had to search for any at all. I recently pointed my 17mm at this scene and it blew out like the sun!
Contrast and Bokeh seems nice. This had some shadow raising and highlight smoothing, but without issue. The colour tint of the lens looks to compliment the warm EM10 sensor nicely, something I noticed on the 8-18. The wall colour is spot on to reality.
A little gentle work added. It is similar to the 40-150 kit. Micro-contrast sharp, medium global contrast and saturation, controlled Bokeh.
Wide shot controlling distortions well and no vignetting.
It feels nice and tight, has no rattle or wobbles and is a good fit for an EM10. In Australia they retail on their own for $599.00, which I do not find at all appealing. For basically $80-100 in a kit, it is a real bargain.
Different brands they may be, but this and the 75-300 Olympus are a good pair, almost covering the full range from 24-600. As a landscape kit, this is ideal. Stopped down a stop or two, both lenses are as good as you need.
Both punch above their weight, both fit easily in a bag and take the same filters, both seem to handle strong light well and they are slow, so a couple of small, fast primes compliment them without contradiction. All in a small and light package.
I know from testing one of these with a bunch of other lenses when I worked at the shop, that they are potentially better than many dearer lenses (this and the Pana 14-140 both surprised, only the 12-100 Pro and 15mm Leica cleanly beat it).
Mine does not seem to be de-centred, the most likely indicator of a zoom fault, so I am happy.