Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14 mm F2.8 PRO Lens, Wide Angle Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G Series), Black

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When shooting subjects at further distances, the corner softness is far less pronounced, due to both total focus distance and overall resolution of distant objects/subjects, but the diffraction still remains. I’ve been having a lot of fun with some of the new Sigma lenses on the Canons and adapting them to the Sony, but dayum, they’re big honking beasts.

Based in Surrey, UK, Michael Rammell is a professional wedding photographer shooting exclusively with Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras. But boy, did I feel smug as I shot next to countless other tourists desperately trying to operate their cameras with plastic wrapped around them to protect against the elements. I’m on Fuji now but in micro four thirds I owned both the 9-18mm Olympus and the 7-14mm Panasonic and they were both excellent in their own right. I didn’t come across any problems except for when I reached the limit of the minimum focus distance. When vertical and horizontal lines aren’t parallel to the sensor the distortion will be more pronounced.So, as a result it mounts neatly around the lens hood, which is an integral part of the 7-14mm body. While it doesn’t perform the way I’d hoped in corner sharpness for work like tight interiors with images needing to be print ready at even the most extreme angles of capture, it is a good lens that will be able to ignore this shortcoming in most cases. This is mostly useful when shooting a movie clip with C-AF enabled, but the feature can also be used when photographing action.

I am looking forward to my next lens adventure now; having had a look around I’ll probably get myself a 24mm F1. For an old guy like me, the “full retro” (“never go full retro” — Tropic Thunder joke, sorry) control implementation just seems natural. magnification; so the Olympus lets you focus a little closer and reproduce subjects a little larger. I’d hold off on suggesting this lens as an interior performer for my use, and while the linear distortion is well corrected for, I’d just make sure whomever I discussed this lens with understood to compose with cropping in mind.

That said, sometimes it’s fun to get surreal, and in cases, there are no other options to tell a story without these ultra wide angles of view, so, different tools for different applications as it were. At the edges, the performance remains excellent – you really need to analyse the extreme edges and corners to find something worth mentioning. Of course we aren’t anywhere near a 1:1 ratio but the lens can focus close enough to capture interesting details or to create original compositions. A weather-resistant design benefits handling in trying conditions while an L-Fn button offers lens-based control over various settings. You get the same type of rendition as the other Pro lenses: good sharpness, good contrast and vibrant colours.

Contrast and detail holds up very well when shooting directly into the sun, which is great if you like shooting dramatic contre-jour images. This means that curvilinear distortion is absent both from the camera’s JPEG output, and raw files processed though mainstream software. Whatever the scene, you have excellent edge-to-edge depictive power thanks to the special lens architecture and ZERO coating for reduced ghosting and flaring. Leading lines, ratios and intersecting points of dynamic symmetry and third lines are more visually necessary I’d say, largely because there is so much more going on in a wider frame.Looking for a lens that delivers unsurpassed image quality regardless of the photographic situation? Can't say it's a real drawback, and it may be the rough handling that my gear goes through on my travels, but it's something to be aware of. It certainly appeals to a purist style of photography, but can easily automate for more contemporary applications. I’ve also looked-out for flare across the focal range of the Olympus and not found any yet, apart from when pointing directly at the Sun. For PFRE stuff, I’d imagine it should do well as most all images will be viewed on screen, or in smaller print via flyers or the like.