Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm F2 0 Review | 54 Data compared

The Imaging Resource review praises the Olympus 12mm f/2 ED M.Zuiko Digital as an exceptionally sharp, premium all-metal wide-angle lens with excellent color, contrast, and fast, near-silent MSC autofocus. While it offers great performance, the review highlights drawbacks including a high price point, significant barrel distortion, lack of macro capability, and a required lens hood that is not included.

The LensTip review concludes that the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12 mm f/2.0 ED is a highly solid, compact wide-angle prime lens that fits the portable philosophy of the Micro Four Thirds system perfectly. It delivers excellent image sharpness in the frame centre, reaching impressive optical resolution metrics wide open at f/2.0 and peaking around f/4.0. LensTip praises its robust, all-metal barrel construction, highly efficient and near-silent MSC autofocus mechanism, effective lateral chromatic aberration control, and strong performance against bright light with minimal ghosting or flare. However, the lens has several optical compromises due to its compact nature, particularly when shooting in uncorrected RAW formats. LensTip notes that the lens exhibits very high distortion in RAW files (nearly -6% barrel distortion), meaning it heavily relies on in-camera software corrections for clean JPEGs. Additional drawbacks include significant vignetting at the maximum f/2.0 aperture (reaching up to a 40% brightness loss in the corners), a slightly high level of coma wide open, and a modest standard accessory kit that lacks a lens hood.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 12mm f/2.0 is a premium wide-angle prime lens designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras that beautifully balances high-end design with stellar optical performance. Built with a sturdy, all-metal construction, the lens features 11 elements in 8 groups and a special "ZERO" (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) coating specifically engineered to minimize ghosting and flare. A standout design element is its unique "snapshot focus" mechanism; pulling the focus ring backward reveals a distance scale in meters and feet while shifting the ring's movement to mimic the mechanical, weighted feel of a true manual focus lens. Performance-wise, the lens delivers precise, quiet autofocus and exceptional image sharpness across the entire frame, showing minimal distortion despite its wide focal length and very little light drop-off even when shot wide open at its maximum f/2.0 aperture. The review highlights distinct advantages and minor drawbacks for prospective buyers. On the positive side, its major pros include gorgeous build quality, an incredibly sharp optical profile, smooth bokeh ideal for situational portraits, and the inclusion of a functional depth of field scale via the...

The Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm f/2.0 is an impressively compact, ultra-wide prime lens for Micro Four Thirds, offering a 24mm equivalent field of view that is ideal for landscapes and fast-action, tight-space shooting. It delivers exceptional sharpness across the frame, reaching 2,118 lines at f/2 and peaking at 2,490 lines at f/5.6, while featuring a quiet, fast autofocus motor and a physical snap-back manual focus clutch. However, the lens suffers from notable chromatic aberration, producing purple and green fringing in high-contrast scenes that require post-processing correction. Additionally, the premium $799.99 MSRP is high considering the lack of an included lens hood, leading PCMag to suggest the more affordable 17mm f/1.8 as a better value alternative.

The review highlights the Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm 1:2.0 ED (Black Limited) as a premium, high-quality "story-telling" prime lens that serves as a massive upgrade over standard Micro 4/3 kit lenses. Photographed and tested extensively on the Olympus OM-D E-M5, the reviewer praises its rapid and accurate autofocusing system, which easily matches the speed of high-end, full-frame professional lenses. Optically, the lens delivers razor-sharp images with superb color saturation, excellent contrast, and top-tier resistance against flares and ghosting due to its specialized ZERO coating. Furthermore, its f/2.0 aperture gathers plenty of light for low-light environments, and the classic, fluid manual focus ring—revealing a built-in distance scale when pulled back—makes it an absolute joy to handle. Despite its stellar performance, the reviewer pinpoints several notable drawbacks. The most prominent structural disadvantage is that the lens is not weather-sealed, meaning users must carefully avoid using it in the rain. Optically, it exhibits minor light fall-off and slight barrel distortion, which is expected for a fast wide-angle build. Additionally, because it is tailored for the Micro 4/3 sensor, its full-frame 24mm equivalent focal length...

The Olympus 12mm f/2.0 Special Edition (Limited Black) is a compact, solidly built 130-gram wide-angle lens released in 2012 with a limited run of 3,000 copies. Optically identical to the 2011 silver edition, this luxury version commands a €200 premium for its matte black finish and exclusive metal accessories, including an LH-48 sun cap and a slide-on LC-48 lens cap. The lens delivers a field of view equivalent to a 24mm lens on a full-frame sensor and features a physical distance scale with depth-of-field indicators for zone focusing. Its internal electronic focusing mechanism operates via Olympus's Movie & Still Compatible (MSC) system, providing silent, precise focus that is well-suited for video recording. Optically, the lens excels by offering high, exceptionally even sharpness from center to corner starting right at its maximum f/2 aperture. Prominent pros include this outstanding image quality, a highly compact and lightweight form factor, minimal vignetting (under half a stop at full aperture), and an overall premium aesthetic. Software corrections effectively handle distortion, though uncorrected RAW files exhibit up to 5.5% barrel distortion. On the downside, cons...

The Olympus 12mm f/2.0 Micro Four Thirds lens delivers exceptional image quality, rendering stunning contrast, sharpness (even wide open at dusk), and a creamy, shallow depth of field when shooting close to subjects. It features snappy autofocus and superb overall build quality, including a useful snap-focus distance ring. The lens is highly portable and integrates perfectly with bodies like the Panasonic GF2, automatically mapping lens data and correcting barrel distortion in RAW files. It is highly recommended as a top-tier market choice for travel, family, and landscape photography. Despite these technical strengths, the reviewer notes major downsides that make it unsuited for street photography in European cities like London. The 24mm equivalent field of view feels too wide, forcing photographers to step uncomfortably close to subjects to achieve background blur, or leaving shots without a central focal point. Additionally, its flashy "matt lustre silver" casing fails to offer discretion, drawing unwanted attention and raised hands from locals like a large SLR would, which ultimately spoils the decisive, candid street moment.

The ePHOTOzine review describes the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 as a premium, all-metal lens with a unique "Snapshot" focus mechanism for rapid manual focusing, ideal for street photography. It offers excellent center sharpness at f/5.6 or faster and strong resistance to flare, although it exhibits softness at the edges when used at f/2.0. Visible chromatic aberration, a high price tag, and the lack of an included lens hood are noted as drawbacks. Despite this, the compact 130-gram lens is praised for its robust build quality and compatibility with Micro Four Thirds systems.

The Olympus M.Zuiko 12mm f/2 is a premium, compact wide-angle prime lens equivalent to 24mm on full-frame cameras, designed perfectly for the Micro Four Thirds system. Built with a solid metal exterior, it features an ingenious manual focus clutch system where shifting back the focus ring automatically switches the lens from auto to manual focus, instantly revealing distance scales. Image quality stands out with impressive sharpness even at its fast f/2 maximum aperture, reaching peak performance between f/5.6 and f/8. It delivers a very pleasant bokeh for a wide-angle lens when focusing closely—down to its minimum distance of 0.2 meters—and boasts a silent, fast autofocus motor that works flawlessly for both photography and casual video recording. Despite its stellar performance, the lens exhibits a couple of notable downsides. Its most prominent optical flaw is the tendency to produce unpleasant purple fringing, particularly when direct, harsh light hits the glass. While a lens hood would help mitigate this flare and provide extra physical protection, Olympus does not include one in the package, forcing users to buy it as an optional accessory....

The Olympus 12mm f/2 lens review on the Olympus OM blog praises this micro four-thirds prime lens as a compact, lightweight, and well-built gem featuring a solid metal construction. The reviewer notes that the lens delivers exceptional center sharpness and strong performance toward the extreme edges, making it ideal for landscape and general wide-angle photography. Additionally, it serves as a great astrophotography lens due to its fast f/2 maximum aperture, well-controlled stellar coma, and low astigmatism. Users will also benefit from its unique snap focus ring that allows a quick mechanical pull-back to engage manual focus with physical distance guides and hard stops at near and infinity markers. Peak resolution is achieved between f/2.8 and f/5.6, while flare is generally kept to a minimum unless shooting indoors directly against a bright peripheral light source. Despite its high quality, the reviewer identifies a few key drawbacks, most notably its steep $800 retail price tag, suggesting it is better valued closer to $600 or purchased used. Mechanically, the manual focus ring does not adjust infinitely or smoothly; it operates in 20 to...