Olympus Zuiko ED 150mm F2 0 Review | 54 Data compared

The LensTip review of the Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 highlights it as a uniquely specified, premium Four Thirds system telephoto lens that offers no direct equivalent from competitors in terms of focal length combined with a fast f/2 aperture. Optically, the lens delivers stellar performance, achieving outstanding, near-record sharpness at both the center and the edges of the frame even when shooting wide open. Additionally, LensTip praises its exceptional, weather-sealed metal build quality, rich bundle of included standard accessories, and strong optical control over chromatic aberration, vignetting, coma, and lens flare when shooting against bright light. Despite its highly impressive evaluation, LensTip identifies a couple of minor drawbacks, though they note these flaws are relatively small in significance. The specific cons mentioned include slightly elevated astigmatism and an autofocus system that could perform better. Ultimately, the review concludes that while the lens carries a high price tag, its top-tier parameters, robust build, and superb resolution make it an easily recommended investment for photographers who can afford it. LensTip.com

The Olympus 150mm f/2 Zuiko Digital is a high-performance, Four Thirds "Super High Quality" telephoto lens, noted for outstanding center-to-edge sharpness and exceptional bokeh, even wide open at f/2. Utilizing specialized ED and Super-ED glass elements, it delivers superb contrast while effectively eliminating chromatic aberration and distortion. However, the lens is heavy at 1.6 kg (3.5 pounds) and, as a legacy Four Thirds design, requires an adapter for modern Micro Four Thirds bodies, which can limit AF tracking speeds. It also lacks internal stabilization and was aimed at professional users with a high initial cost.

The Olympus 150mm f/2 Zuiko is a high-performance, well-built telephoto lens designed for the Four Thirds system and tested on newer Micro Four Thirds bodies like the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and PEN-F. Lab results highlight several significant pros, including excellent optical performance across the board with superb image sharpness. Additionally, the lens boasts strong resistance to chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting, making it a high-quality "Super High Grade" addition to a photographer's collection. Its fast f/2 aperture provides an extra stop of speed compared to competitors, which is highly beneficial for low-light shooting and depth-of-field control. Despite its high quality, the review notes a couple of distinct cons, primarily revolving around its steep financial investment. Priced at over two thousand dollars, it is an expensive piece of equipment that may not fit every photographer's budget. This high price tag raises questions about its value proposition when compared to third-party alternatives like the Sigma 150mm f/2.8. While the Sigma lens lacks the extra stop of speed found on the Olympus, it matches the Olympus lens in overall build and...

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 lens delivers a fabulous and record-breaking performance in image resolution, achieving the highest MTF values out of nearly 150 lenses tested by the site. Evaluated using RAW files from an Olympus E-3, its center resolution remains remarkably sharp across all apertures, reaching nearly 50 lpmm at its widest setting, which is a mere 3% lower than its maximum potential output. The edge performance is equally impressive, showing only minimal differences in sharpness compared to the center of the frame, ensuring that the lens has absolutely no weak points regarding resolution. The primary advantage (pro) of this lens is its exceptional, top-tier resolution and uniform sharpness from the center to the edges, even when shooting wide open at f/2. It even outperforms highly praised alternatives like the ZD 50 mm f/2 and the Leica 25 mm f/1.4. Conversely, the review identifies virtually no disadvantages (cons) in this specific evaluation section, though it does note a minor measurement error range that scales up to 1.5 lpmm in the maximum aperture range and drops down to...

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 lens delivers a mixed autofocus performance that balances high-speed operation against notable volume and accuracy issues. On the positive side, the autofocus mechanism "spreads its wings" and functions exceptionally fast once a focus limit is set. Additionally, users do not need to worry about calibration errors, as the testing revealed absolutely no tendency for front-focusing or back-focusing issues. However, the lens suffers from several prominent drawbacks regarding its acoustic and full-scale operation. A major con is that the autofocus operates relatively loudly and slows down significantly when racking focus across the full scale from infinity to close objects. Under these conditions, the lens can hesitate for several seconds or stop working entirely. Furthermore, despite being a premium lens paired with a top-tier camera body in ideal studio conditions, it registered an underwhelming 11% miss rate, highlighting a distinct lack of autofocus accuracy.

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 is a highly specialized telephoto lens for the Four-Thirds system that stands out for its exceptional optical presentation. According to the LensTip review, the lens delivers outstanding sharpness and image resolution at both the center and the edges of the frame, even when shooting wide open at its maximum f/2 aperture. Optically, it excels with minimal vignetting (accounting for only 15% light falloff at f/2, which drops to an unnoticeable 6% at f/2.8), highly controlled chromatic aberration, barely visible coma, and superb handling against bright backlight flare. Structurally, it features excellent, rugged build quality and includes a rich bundle of standard equipment. However, the lens is not without its limitations, primarily concerning its mechanical handling and physical design. The review highlights that the autofocus mechanism operates relatively loudly and slowly when traversing the full distance scale from infinity to close objects. Additionally, the autofocus accuracy yielded an 11% miss rate under studio conditions, which is somewhat high for a top-tier premium system. The lens also displays a noticeable level of astigmatism (measured at...

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 is a legendary telephoto prime lens praised by LensTip for its top-tier optical mastery. Its biggest pros include outstanding sharpness at the center of the frame even wide open at f/2, matched by excellent edge-to-edge image quality. Mechanically, it boasts superb build quality, a rich selection of bundled standard equipment, and excellent control over optical flaws, showcasing minimal vignetting, low chromatic aberration, and well-tamed coma. Its resistance to ghosting and flares is strong; positioning bright light sources in corners creates only negligible coloring that won't ruin images. However, LensTip's testing did uncover a few notable cons, primarily centered around the lens's mechanical behavior and performance benchmarks. The autofocus system is relatively loud and notably slow when hunting across the full scale from infinity to close focus. The reviewer also noted some autofocus inaccuracy, recording an 11% miss rate under controlled studio conditions with a high-end camera body. Optically, the lens also shows a noticeable level of astigmatism (an 11% difference between vertical and horizontal MTF50 values), though this flaw is not severe enough...

The LensTip Olympus Zuiko Digital 150 mm f/2 review concludes that this unique, high-end telephoto lens offers impressive, near-record-breaking optical performance with almost no major flaws. Optically, its biggest strength is its outstanding sharpness, which delivers exceptional resolution in the center of the frame even when shooting wide open at f/2, alongside excellent edge-to-edge image quality. The lens also excels at managing most optical aberrations: coma has minimal impact on image quality, chromatic aberration is barely visible, vignetting is very small at just 15% light falloff at f/2, and it handles bright, direct light remarkably well. Structurally, it features excellent metal build quality that is fully dust-proof and waterproof, and it comes packed with rich standard equipment, including a deep lens hood and a tripod adapter. Despite its stellar performance, the reviewer noted a few minor weaknesses, though they are considered "picking holes" rather than major flaws. The primary optical drawback is a bit too much astigmatism, with an 11% difference between vertical and horizontal MTF50 measurements, which is noticeable for a premium lens of this caliber. Additionally, the autofocus...