Lens Reviews / Olympus Lenses i Lab tested

12-200mm	$863 average price

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

Updates:
03/25/2019: First Impressions & Gallery Images added
05/10/2019: Full Review added
09/03/2019: Field Test added & Gallery updated

 

See the 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 in action capturing birds and other wildlife with the E-M5 Mark III

 

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

The Olympus 12-200mm is a versatile and compact zoom lens

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 09/03/2019

While many photographers appreciate the lightweight cameras in the Micro Four Thirds system, for me, the most pronounced benefit of the smaller MFT sensor is that manufacturers can design compact lenses with a lot of zoom. There are numerous good zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras, but the new Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 is one of the best examples of what the Micro Four Thirds system offers in terms of versatile optics.

With an impressive 24-400mm-equivalent focal length range, the 16.67x zoom lens can perform well at many different types of photography. The lens may not be fast in terms of its maximum aperture, but during my hands-on time with it, it proved to offer reliable autofocus and pretty good image quality. Let's take a closer look at the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens and see if it's the next great travel and all-around lens for Olympus cameras.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 63mm (126mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/320s, ISO 500. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Key Features and Specs

• Olympus Micro Four Thirds zoom lens
• 24-400mm equivalent focal length
• 16.67x zoom
• 16 lens elements in 11 groups
• Includes Olympus' ZERO coating and numerous specialized lens elements
• Moisture- and dust-resistant construction
• Movie and Still Compatible (MSC) autofocus for fast and quiet focusing
• Minimum working distance of 3.9 inches, resulting in a 0.47x maximum magnification
• Weighs 1 pound (455 grams)
• $899 USD list price (can be found for around $825 USD on sale)

Lens Design and Handling: A lightweight, weather-sealed 24-400mm equivalent zoom lens

The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens is a surprisingly compact and lightweight lens, especially considering its 24-400mm equivalent focal length. The lens is 3.9 inches long (99.7 millimeters), has a maximum diameter of 3.1 in. (77.5mm), and in total, it weighs a pound (455 grams). As you zoom, it extends another three inches or so. Zooming from 12mm to 200mm requires less than a 90-degree rotation, which is nice and allows you to zoom all the way in very quickly. Further, the overall balance of the lens remains quite good as you zoom in.

On the lens itself, there are multiple focal lengths marked on the barrel of the lens: 12mm, 25mm, 45mm, 70mm, 100mm and 200mm. The zoom ring has a grid-like "etched" grip texture, and the overall zooming mechanism feels smooth without being loose. The zoom ring is also pretty wide and takes up quite a bit of the lens barrel, which I like as it makes it easy to use. There's a dedicated focus ring at the end of the lens barrel, which has a simple ridged surface and works fine.

The 12-200mm lens comes with a petal-shaped lens hood and has a 72mm filter thread. Further, the front element doesn't rotate as you zoom in, save for right at 200mm, when it rotates very slightly.

Overall, the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens has nice, compact design, as well as good build quality even though it's not a Zuiko Pro lens. The lens balances nicely on the E-M1 Mark II I used and due to its weather-sealed construction, it is a good choice for shooting in a variety of conditions.

Image Quality: Good performance overall, especially at the wide end

Olympus has fit a lot of glass into the 12-200mm lens. In total, there are 16 elements across 11 groups. The lens includes Olympus's ZERO (Zuiko Extra-Low Reflection Optical) coating, which should help combat flare and ghosting. In terms of specialized lens elements, there are three aspherical elements, one Super HR (high refractive index) element, a pair of HR elements, a pair of Super ED (extra-low dispersion) elements and two ED elements.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/1000s, ISO 320. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/1000s, ISO 320. 100 percent crop of the above image. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sharpness

All of the below images and crops used for sharpness evaluation were processed in Adobe Camera Raw with default settings and exported as high-quality JPEG files.

12mm (25mm equivalent)

At 12mm, the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens performs pretty well. In the center of the frame, even when shooting wide open at f/3.5, sharpness is pretty good. There's quite a bit of contrast, colors look good and you can pick out fine details in a complex scene.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/1000s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/1000s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

When considering corner performance, there is a noticeable decrease in terms of sharpness and overall image quality, but corner performance is not bad, especially not for a zoom lens.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/1000s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

By stopping down the lens to f/4 or f/5.6, you can achieve a bit more detail and contrast in the center of the frame and slightly improved corner performance, although corner sharpness is still not excellent.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At the wide end of the lens, diffraction isn't much of an issue until f/11. We will see later with longer focal lengths that this is not a universal trait across the entire zoom range, where diffraction can set in at wider apertures. For landscape photographers using the widest focal length, f/8 is a fine aperture selection for many situations. However, the lens is also plenty sharp at f/3.5 and f/4, so you shouldn't feel obligated to stop down.

25mm (50mm equivalent)

At 25mm, which is equivalent to 50mm on a full-frame camera, wide-open performance is very good in the center. As is often the case with zoom lenses, the 12-200mm does perform a bit better as you get away from the extreme ends of the lens.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 25mm (50mm equiv.), f/4.7, 1/500s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 25mm (50mm equiv.), f/4.7, 1/500s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Corner performance remains an area of weakness, but to my eyes, the corners are a bit better at 25mm than they were at 12mm.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 25mm (50mm equiv.), f/4.7, 1/500s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

By stopping down, you can increase both center and corner sharpness slightly, but the difference is not dramatic. At f/8, sharpness decreases slightly. From f/11 through f/22, the entire image is noticeably soft.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 25mm (50mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/320s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 25mm (50mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/320s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

50mm (100mm equivalent)

At 50mm (100mm equivalent), the lens delivers strong center sharpness at its widest aperture of f/5.7. Of course, f/5.7 is a fairly slow aperture. At 50mm, the sharpness falls off a bit more rapidly as you head toward the corners than it does at wider focal lengths. When shooting wide open, the corners are quite soft, which is disappointing.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 50mm (100mm equiv.), f/5.7, 1/250s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 50mm (100mm equiv.), f/5.7, 1/250s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 50mm (100mm equiv.), f/5.7, 1/250s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

By stopping down to f/8, the corners noticeably improve, whereas the center portion of the frame looks nearly indistinguishable from the wide-open shot at f/5.7.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 50mm (100mm equiv.), f/8, 1/125s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

While not exactly at 50mm, this is a good chance to briefly mention that the 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens is a bit prone to flare, even with the lens hood attached. On numerous occasions, the lens produced flare in challenging situations. Obviously, this type of shooting situation is not typical, and the lens did fine in other sunlit situations.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 42mm (84mm equiv.), f/16, 1/640s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 20mm (40mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

70mm (140mm equivalent)

At the lens' 70mm focal length, center performance when shooting wide open is good. As was the case at 50mm, overall image quality does drop off quite considerably as you head toward the corners. At the wide open aperture of f/6.1, the corners are pretty soft. Unlike the situation at 50mm, the corners don't ever really get much better as you stop down the lens, which does limit this focal length's utility in long-lens landscape situations.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 70mm (140mm equiv.), f/6.1, 1/200s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 70mm (140mm equiv.), f/6.1, 1/200s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 70mm (140mm equiv.), f/6.1, 1/200s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

100mm (200mm equivalent)

At 100mm, while center performance when shooting wide open remains good, the issue with corner softness only gets worse. At this focal length, only the central quarter or so of the frame is sharp and everything else has a general softness.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 100mm (200mm equiv.), f/6.2, 1/160s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 100mm (200mm equiv.), f/6.2, 1/160s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 100mm (200mm equiv.), f/6.2, 1/160s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

By stopping down the lens to f/11 or so, you can improve corner performance slightly, with improved contrast, color and detail. However, the performance remains underwhelming.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 100mm (200mm equiv.), f/11, 1/50s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

200mm (400mm equivalent)

At 200mm, the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 performs okay in the center at its fastest aperture of f/6.3. It is noticeably blurrier than wider focal lengths, which is typical for a zoom lens like this, but it is not bad in the center. Corner performance is not very good, and unfortunately the sharpest central area is not very large in relation to the frame as a whole.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 200. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 200. 100 percent center crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 200. 100 percent bottom right corner crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

While not unique to the 200mm focal length, this is as good a time as any to consider the fringing issue which is generally prevalent across the entire focal length range of the Olympus 12-200mm zoom lens. In the sample below, you can see quite a bit of purple fringing. While this can occur at any focal length, I found the issue slightly more noticeable at longer focal lengths.

Chromatic aberrations are generally well-controlled with this lens, although there is occasional pink/green chromatic aberration around high-contrast edges in certain situations.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/160s, ISO 200. 100 percent crop. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Vignette

Vignette is quite well-controlled by the Olympus 12-200mm lens. When shooting wide open, there is very little noticeable vignette, even at the two extreme ends of the lens.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/1250s, ISO 200. 12mm vignette test image. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings, save for equalized white balance and -100 Clarity to reduce detail. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 100mm (200mm equiv.), f/6.2, 1/400s, ISO 200. 100mm vignette test image. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings, save for equalized white balance and -100 Clarity to reduce detail. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 200. 200mm vignette test image. This image has been converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings, save for equalized white balance and -100 Clarity to reduce detail. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Overall

Image quality performance with the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens is pretty good overall, especially at the wider end of the lens. Telephoto performance is pretty good too, although that's only when considering the center of the frame. Unfortunately, image quality in the corners decreases quite dramatically as you zoom in, especially when you get to 100mm and beyond.

It's worth keeping in mind just how impressive it is to have a lens as small as this one that can also zoom from 24mm to 400mm (in full-frame focal length equivalent terms). In the two shots below, for example, we can see just what this type of zoom looks like in the real world.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/200s, ISO 200. 12mm test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/8, 1/100s, ISO 200. 200mm test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In another example, we can see how the focal length flexibility provided by the Olympus 12-200mm can completely change the type of image you can shoot.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 200. 12mm test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 200. 200mm test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shooting performance

The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 features the company's Movie and Still Compatible (MSC) autofocus system, which promises smooth, quiet and fast autofocus performance for stills and video alike. In my experience, the system is essentially silent. Further, across the entire focal length range, autofocus speeds prove impressive. Even at 200mm, autofocus is quick.

The lens has a 3.9-inch working distance, which results in a maximum magnification of 0.47x. This is pretty impressive performance overall, especially considering it is a high-powered zoom lens. At the wide end of the lens, the working distance is so short that it can actually be difficult to work at minimum distance. At 12mm, you cannot use the lens hood, for example, and the lens creates a shadow in most situations. At 200mm, the minimum focus distance is quite a bit longer, but you can still capture near-macro images.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 1/60s, ISO 3200. 12mm close focus test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/8, 1/250s, ISO 5000. 200mm close focus test image. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 is a variable aperture zoom lens. This means that as you zoom in, the maximum aperture changes, and the lens allows in less light as you zoom. The practical results of this are that when using this lens, all else being equal, the camera will need a slower shutter speed and/or higher ISO speed to compensate for the narrowing aperture as you increase the focal length. At 12mm, the lens is not particularly fast for a wide-angle focal length with a maximum aperture of f/3.5. Unfortunately, the aperture narrows down very quickly as you zoom in, dropping to f/4.1 by 15mm, f/5 by 31mm and f/5.6 at 45mm. By 112mm, the lens is at its slowest maximum aperture of f/6.3.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 178mm (357mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the Field

The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 M.Zuiko lens does not deliver amazing image quality throughout its entire range, but instead, it offers a lot of flexibility. With its lightweight construction and all-in-one zoom design, the lens makes it a really good walkaround or travel lens. You can capture landscapes, macro-like images and even photograph wildlife if you have enough light (this is an area where the f/6.3 aperture is problematic).

Below, I've selected sample images to show off the variety of photos you can capture using the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens. Like many zoom lenses, the 12-200mm is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but versatility certainly has an inherent value which may trump other considerations. For many photographers, the lens will likely offer many more pros than cons.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 124mm (248mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 3200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 124mm (248mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 3200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. In this example, we can see some of the purple fringing you need to consider when shooting with the Olympus 12-200mm lens.

  

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/3.5, 20s, ISO 6400. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. With its maximum aperture of f/3.5, you can use the Olympus 12-200mm lens for night sky photography, but you must shoot at or very near 12mm and your camera's ISO will have to be very high.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 56mm (112mm equiv.), f/8, 4s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 87mm (174mm equiv.), f/8, 1/200s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. You can see some flare here on the left side of the frame.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 162mm (324mm equiv.), f/8, 1/80s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/500s, ISO 400. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 5s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/200s, ISO 1600. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 34mm (68mm equiv.), f/8, 13s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 200mm (400mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/400s, ISO 250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 178mm (357mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 250. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 15mm (30mm equiv.), f/8, 1/800s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

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

Very good at being versatile, although not particularly impressive in any one area

What I like:

• Compact form factor
• Weather-resistant construction
• Very big zoom range
• Versatile and affordable
• Quick autofocus

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 149mm (298mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 800. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I didn't like:

• Corner performance is lacking, especially as you zoom in
• Not great for any particular type of photography

The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 lens continues a long tradition of impressive and versatile lenses in Olympus' Micro Four Thirds lineup. It's not the best-performing lens I've ever used, but it can produce good images across its entire focal length range, as long as you understand its limitations at longer focal lengths. Further, it offers a zoom range you simply don't often find in a single lens. With one optic, you cover everything from landscapes to wildlife and everything in between. Plus, the lens can focus quite closely, allowing it to act as a pseudo-macro lens. For the price, you get an incredible amount of versatility and generally impressive performance.

Shot on Olympus E-M1 Mark II at 12mm (24mm equiv.), f/8, 1/6s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

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Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Review

Review by Andrew Alexander | 05/10/2019

Ah, the allure of the superzoom. The prospect of carrying around a bag of lenses to capture just the right angle can be off-putting, especially with the idea that one lens can do the job of many. The Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 M.Zuiko Digital ED Micro Four Thirds lens offers a monstrous 35mm equivalent field of view of 24-400mm, yet with a total weight of just 455 grams (almost exactly one pound). As with many superzooms, it achieves this feat by employing sixteen lens elements in eleven groups, in this case including three aspherical elements and seven other specialized elements.

We've noted in the past that designing a superzoom lens is a game of compromises: because of what the lens needs to do (offer a huge range of focal lengths) it won't be as light, sharp or fast as a prime lens, or even shorter zoom lenses (e.g., the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro or Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Pro). However, keeping just one lens on the body means you won't waste time changing lenses, and potentially missing the perfect shot.

As the name suggests, this lens isn't a "constant" lens, in that as you increase the focal length, the maximum aperture size decreases, from f/3.5 to f/6.3, though the minimum aperture remains at f/22. The following table reflects the changes as you zoom:

Focal Length (mm)	12	25	42	70	100	200
Max. Aperture	f/3.5	f/4.7	f/5.4	f/6.1	f/6.2	f/6.3
Min. Aperture	f/22 at all focal lengths

The lens ships with the LH-76 petal-shaped lens hood, and is available now for around US$900.

Sharpness

The Olympus 12-200mm offers good results when used below 75mm and stopped down slightly. Outside of these parameters, we note obvious issues with softness.

In the wide angle application (12-25mm) the lens does fairly well, especially when used at 12mm, where it is almost tack-sharp at f/3.5. This is also the widest its aperture will go, so it's somewhat useful when used indoors: once you start stopping down to improve sharpness, you have to increase your ISO or slow your shutter speed, introducing noise or blur, respectively, that offsets any gains in sharpness you might get from the lens aperture.

Zooming out, at 25mm the lens has some soft corners at its widest aperture of f/4.7, which are tamed as the lens is stopped down to f/8. It's a similar story at 42mm, except with slightly worse performance at f/5.4. That's another item to note: the maximum apertures are slightly dimmer than we've come to see from manufacturers at these focal lengths. It's probably not going to make a huge difference to the average shooter, but having a maximum aperture of f/6.1 at 75mm is fairly restrictive; it means you'll always be using a higher ISO, or camera flash, or a slower shutter speed that would (ideally) necessitate the use of a tripod.

At 75mm, the lens begins to show its flaws, at least when used wide open. At f/6.1, the image produced is good but not great; again, stopping down to f/8 helps significantly but doesn't produce tack-sharp results. It only degrades further as the lens is zoomed towards 200mm, where ironically enough, the lens performs slightly better wide open at 200mm than it does wide open at 94mm, offering images of uneven sharpness, and slightly improved at f/8 or f/11.

Diffraction limiting sets in at f/11, and overall, image sharpness degrades at f/16 and f/22.

Chromatic Aberration

At the widest focal length, chromatic aberration is decently controlled. As the lens is zoomed out, chromatic aberration is slightly more prominent, especially in the corners. It's at its worst in the corners around the 75mm and 94mm range; again, curiously, it's slightly improved at 200mm. I'm fairly certain there is some post-processing going on to help offset CA induced by the lens.

Shading ("Vignetting")

The only situation where there is any corner shading to speak of is when the lens is used at its widest focal length; in this case, the extreme corners of an image captured will be a quarter-stop darker than the rest of the image. Outside of this parameter, lens shading isn't really a factor, falling off almost completely once you reach 75mm.

Distortion

Before cameras and raw converters were smart enough to apply lens corrections, superzoom lenses were notorious for providing some pretty intense barrel distortion when used in the wide angle, and some significant pincushion distortion when used in the telephoto range. That wild range of distortion is a thing of the past now, as the results we see can attest. There is a slight amount of barrel distortion when the lens is used at 12mm, but nothing that would draw the eye; as the lens is zoomed out, distortion becomes almost non-existent.

Autofocus Operation

The Olympus 12-200mm uses the MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) autofocusing motor, and the lens focuses quickly and silently. Autofocus results can be overridden at any time by turning the focusing ring. The front element does not rotate when focusing, making life that much easier for polarizer users.

Macro

While not a dedicated macro lens, the Olympus 12-200mm provides a respectable 0.23x magnification when the focal length is set to 200mm, and the working distance is 70cm when used this way.

Build Quality and Handling

The whole premise of the Micro Four Thirds lens mount is to provide a platform for smaller lenses that accomplish similar images as their larger APS-C or 35mm-sized siblings, and in this case, the 12-200mm excels. A similar lens in APS-C format, the Tamron 16-300mm lens, weighs 19 ounces compared to the 16 ounces of the Olympus 12-200mm; in 35mm format, the Nikon 28-300mm, for example, weighs 28 ounces, and doesn't come close to the same focal length range.

The lens has a high build quality, with a metal lens mount and a tough polycarbonate shell, and despite the fact that the lens, when zoomed out, doubles its length to almost seven inches, there's no obvious rattling or flexing. The focus ring is mounted near the front of the lens, and the large zoom ring is found closer to the lens mount. Both rings use a nice rubber ridged pattern that is well dampened and easy to grip. What's more, despite not being "Zuiko Pro" lens, the Olympus 12-200mm offers a dustproof and splashproof construction, which very handy for this "do-it-all"-style lens.

The lens is fairly uncomplicated to use. There are no switches on the lens; everything is controlled by your camera menu. There is a scale for focal lengths marked on the lens, but that's it: there is no distance scale, no depth-of-field scale, and no infrared index, but that's unsurprising given the consumer nature of the lens.

The zoom function of the lens is controlled by the larger of the two rings on the lens, rotating approximately 90 degrees to extend the lens through its entire range of focal lengths. The ring is made of a sturdy plastic texture, with recessed ridges, and is a comfortable 1 1/8 inches wide. The zoom ring is easy to turn up until about 100mm, and then there is something of a "shelf" of resistance which pushes you through to the next phase of focal lengths. Finding your frame between 12mm and 100mm is fairly simple; it's a bit harder to find fidelity between 100mm and 200mm. Zoom creep isn't a factor for this lens, though it's impossible to know how years of use might loosen things up.

The focus ring is located at the end of the lens, a lightly-textured plastic ring that's just 3/8" wide. The ring is a fly-by-wire design, like most mirrorless system lenses, controlling focus electronically, so there are no hard stops at either the infinity or close-focus ends. It's not the most friendly of manual focus designs, but the 100% magnification on the camera's LCD really helps nail an accurate focus. Given that focus is electronically controlled, you can assign the direction of focus to be either left or right. The front element does not rotate during focus operations, making life a little easier for filter users. The lens uses 72mm filters.

The included LH-76 petal-shaped lens hood reverses onto the lens for storage. The hood, when mounted, adds almost an inches to the overall length of the lens.

Alternatives

Given the fairly exclusive nature of this Micro Four Thirds lens, there aren't a lot of options available in the same category. The only lens that comes close might be the Panasonic Lumix 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS, which doesn't really match the versatile range of the Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3. The Panasonic lens is compatible with Olympus camera bodies, and is slightly better optically, but then, that's what you get when the lens doesn't have to do as much heavy lifting when it comes to the focal lengths it needs to provide.

If you want to stick with the Olympus brand, the only other somewhat-similar lens would be the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro. Offering a 24-200mm-eq. zoom range, the 12-100mm is definitely versatile, but clearly doesn't have the reach of the 12-200mm. Being a Zuiko Pro lens, the 12-100mm features a lot of upgrades and fancier amenities not seen on the 12-200mm, such as overall better image quality, optical image stabilization and Sync IS compatibility with Olympus cameras, more robust construction and a constant f/4 aperture -- making for a brighter lens at longer focal lengths. Of course, this all comes at a higher price, too, as the Olympus 12-100mm comes in at around $1200.

Conclusion

If you've made it this far, you've probably already made up your own mind about this lens: either it's not as amazing as you want it to be for an all-in-one lens, or it's fine for the purpose you have in mind for it. In the field of all-in-one zooms, it actually does quite well. We've seen our fair share of superzoom lenses with some glaring issues, and while no superzoom lens is going to rival a bag of prime lenses, the Olympus 12-200mm performs very well. Although sharpness is decent at brighter apertures, performance is best around f/8 until f/11, so if you're shooting outside in plenty of sun, your shooting experience is going to be fine. Indoor use is going to suffer with this lens if you need to zoom in at all, as you'll need to make up the shortfall in light given the restricted aperture with a corresponding increase in ISO sensitivity or a slower shutter speed.

The Olympus 12-200mm is probably in the right ballpark for price: if it exceeded the thousand-dollar price point you might see eyebrows raised a bit higher, but at just around $900, it's probably just right for what it offers.

Product Photos

Click the images above for larger versions.

Lab Photos

The VFA target should give you a good idea of sharpness in the center and corners, as well as some idea of the extent of barrel or pincushion distortion and chromatic aberration, while the Still Life subject may help in judging contrast and color. We shoot both images using the default JPEG settings and manual white balance of our test bodies, so the images should be quite consistent from lens to lens.

Still Life shot

VFA target

As appropriate, we shoot these with both full-frame and sub-frame bodies, at a range of focal lengths, and at both maximum aperture and f/8. For the ''VFA'' target (the viewfinder accuracy target from our camera reviews), we also provide sample crops from the center and upper-left corner of each shot, so you can quickly get a sense of relative sharpness, without having to download and inspect the full-res images. Click the thumbnails above to access the 100% crops and full-res images.

 

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Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3: First Impressions in the field

The new all-in-one vacation zoom for MFT stretches its legs

by Dave Pardue | Posted: 03/25/2019

My favorite lens in the Micro Four Thirds line-up (and in fact in most any line-up) is the uber-versatile Olympus 12-100mm f/4 Pro. I've found it to be the perfect beach-combing rig for its combination of size, price and performance, and my sentiments are certainly matched by many of my IR colleagues, as well as by some you readers out there given the popularity of the page on our site.

So we were naturally intrigued when Olympus informed us of this new 12-200mm offering, which, while not part of the Zuiko Pro series of lenses, is still weather-sealed and of course has a much farther zoom range. It's not as bright (at least when you zoom in) as the 12-100mm f/4, but it's both lighter in weight and lower in price, and so it's an enticing proposition for a travel zoom. As such, I was eager to get it into the real world and see what it could reel in!

1/1000s / f/8 / ISO 200 / 400mm eq.

(Images have been resized to fit this page, cropped and/or altered in post-production, primarily to balance shadows and highlights as needed. Clicking any image will take you to a carrier page with access to the original, full-resolution image as delivered by the E-M1 Mark II. For additional images and EXIF data please see our Olympus 12-200mm Gallery page.)

I decided to pair this lens initially with the tried-and-true E-M1 Mark II, awarded our Best Overall Camera just a few years ago. Had an E-M5 Mark III been released, I would have certainly chosen it, as that price point and size would make the most logical pairing for this lens. So while waiting patiently for its arrival, the E-M1 II will certainly "make do in a pinch!" Some of you may opt for the capable E-M10 III, and that is indeed a very worthy camera, but the newer 20MP sensor in the E-M1 II will help us zoom into the images just a bit more for gauging the sharpness of the lens at varying focal lengths.

1/500s / f/7.1 / ISO 200 / 400mm eq.

In terms of initial handling, the lens feels terrific in the hands. It's very light for such a long-zooming lens, weighing in at just 16oz (455g). The 12-100mm Pro tips the scales at almost 20oz (561g) and that's with less zoom range, but of course that lens has on-board IS and a beefier build, not to mention the constant f/4 aperture, so we're talking about different animals here. And yet, for the 12-200mm to come in at 16.6x zoom and weigh only 1lb is, well, a neat feat for the Olympus engineers!

The zoom and focus rings are amply textured and certainly straightforward to operate. They don't rotate with the buttery smoothness of the Zuiko Pro lenses, but again that's not their intended market first and foremost, nor price point. It does feel quite well-built though, even if not a Pro lens. The zoom functionality, while not internal like some high-end zooms (meaning the lens doesn't change size as you zoom) is still smooth enough to be reassuring.

Autofocus operation with the E-M1 II proved quick and capable. No surprises to report here on this first impressions pass, and this combination locked focus quickly on my intended subjects. The only time this didn't happen was shooting the setting moon, as the combo struggled in twilight and I ended up using manual focus. But I've had that issue on many a camera and lens combo, including with some high-end full frame cameras, and virtually always manually focus the moon regardless of camera body, so this isn't a big deal at all.

1/320s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 400mm eq.

Not seeing in the dark: The combination of the 12-200mm lens and the E-M1 Mark II had trouble acquiring focus on this relatively dim moon, but in my years of camera testing I've found this to be more the norm than the exception. Manual focus came to the rescue just fine though, and this proved a good opportunity to test it out.

With lenses that don't fall into the "Pro" category, it's a good bet that our enthusiast readers will still want to know how much sharpness they are getting for their money with this new lens. For this reason I've tried to bring you a solid variety of focal lengths across the entire zoom range for this initial sampling of real-world images. I'll include a few 1:1 crops below as well for your quick inspection, but of course feel free to click any image, which will take you to a carrier page that will provide access to the full resolution file, as well as EXIF data. You can also access the RAW files for any of these images on our 12-200mm Gallery Page, so there are plenty of pixel-peeing opportunities to be found!

1/500s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 400mm eq.

[1:1 crop from above image]

Fine detail: Zooming all the way into this image shows the detail to be quite good for a zoom lens of this price. Naturally, we're not expecting "prime" performance, and given just how far this lens can travel we know that there will be natural trade-offs somewhere in the design process. For what it is, this is certainly a nice amount of detail upon close inspection for the price! Especially given that this is zoomed all the way to the maximum 400mm eq. focal length. There's also ample subject isolation, which generally isn't associated with an aperture as dim as f/6.3, but the generous zoom range certainly changes that equation.

 

1/400s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 324mm eq.

[1:1 crop from above image]

Once again we see plenty of fine detail given the price and overall versatility of this lens. This crop is getting a bit farther from the center of the image itself, and we generally see zoom lenses (and even some primes) decrease slightly in sharpness as we travel farther from center. In addition, the focal length is different from the cat image above. Our forthcoming lab analysis will give you a better picture of what to expect at varying apertures and focal lengths for overall sharpness potential.

 

1/1600s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 224mm eq.

[1:1 crop from above image]

Even at base ISO we do see some evidence of noise-reduction processing going on in the above image. But this is not lens-related, per se, and the lens does a good job at this focal length with sharpness of the primary subject, which are fittingly sharp thorns!

Going Wide

Let's move now to a few wide-angle images from this lens at 24mm eq. view, and open up to several somewhat brighter apertures, as the versatility is the real trick up this lens' sleeve!

1/500s / f/5 / ISO 200 / 24mm eq.

 

1/3200s / f/3.5 / ISO 200 / 24mm eq.

 

1/4000s / f/3.5 / ISO 200 / 24mm eq.

Traveling: This lens is first and foremost a "vacation zoom" for times you want or need to travel light, and the focal length versatility is a strong enticement to taking only one lens along on your travels. At f/3.5, this is the brightest this lens is capable of going, so for your low light shooting you'll want to go as wide angle as you can!

 

A closer look at the 12-200mm's bokeh...

Background blur (also referred to by the Japanese term "bokeh") is an often-debated subject, especially where the "quality" of the bokeh is concerned. You may hear someone refer to it in a positive light as "smooth" or perhaps even "buttery" or "creamy" in nature. But just exactly what constitutes "good bokeh" is as hotly debated as what constitutes a "fine wine" and you'll therefore often get many differing opinions.

For my eye, this lens doesn't deliver the most pleasing of bokeh. It's not bad for the price, but it's a bit more frantic and jarring (at least in some of the images) than you'll find with many higher-priced lenses. Again, this is to be expected for the most part, and super-smooth bokeh is one of the things you pay for with higher-grade lenses. It begs a comparison article to be written on the subject, so that you can see apples to apples examples when doing comparisons. But those of you generally familiar with bokeh through years of experimentation and study will likely agree that the examples below are not the highest quality available in the overall lens world. (Taken from a few of the images from above and cropped in to get a better feel for the bokeh itself.)

[Cropped in from the first image above to examine the bokeh qualities]

Bokeh quality can be affected by more than just the lens, as things like noise processing can also affect the appearance. But for the most part the lens is the primary shaper of the nature of the background blur. In this one, it's a bit more mottled and splotchy than you'll find with higher-end lenses, but still isn't too bad when viewed at more normal viewing distances.

 

[Cropped in from an image above to examine the bokeh qualities]

The bokeh in this image is not quite as good, and could be more aptly described as "ragged" in appearance. Again, it's not something the viewers of your images may notice depending on the viewing size, but if you're doing large prints it is something to bear in mind.

But as you'll see in some of the images down below, the bokeh quality from this lens can also be fairly good depending on the distances and background, so your mileage will vary accordingly.

** [Read much more about Bokeh Quality in this terrific article!] **

 

A few more zoomed in...

1/1000s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 248mm eq.

Getting personal: For capturing wildlife imagery up close and personal, a capable zoom lens is a must-have!

 

1/1250s / f/6.2 / ISO 200 / 188mm eq.

Your smartphone won't be able to reel in distant images like this in your worldly travels, so it's a good bet to bring a lightweight zoom along for the trip!

 

1/2500s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 100mm eq.

Action: I found the C-AF performance with the 12-200mm paired with the E-M1 II to work just fine for a boy's soccer game. While zooming quickly back and forth, I forgot to open up the aperture here in order to further isolate the subject. That's not the fault of camera nor lens, but is something you need to keep in mind when you don't have a constant f/2.8 aperture at your disposal.

 

1/1250 / f/5.7 / ISO 200 / 100mm eq.

 

1/1600s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 400mm eq.

 

1/1000s / f/6.3 / ISO 200 / 324mm eq.

 

1/800s / f/8 / ISO 200 / 356mm eq.

Better bokeh: While some of the images from this piece had distracting bokeh, I found the background blur here to be rather pleasing to the eye, so your mileage will most likely vary depending on the subject matter, distances, and background involved.

 

1/250s / f/6.3 / ISO 500 / 248mm eq.

 

• Olympus 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Gallery •