Olympus Zuiko ED 35 100mm F2 0 Review | 54 Data compared

The LensTip review summary of the Olympus Zuiko Digital 35-100 mm f/2.0 highlights this professional 4/3 system lens as an exceptional piece of journalistic equipment that serves as a 70-200 mm equivalent on full frame. On the positive side, LensTip strongly praises its outstanding optical performance, noting excellent image resolution in the center of the frame across all focal lengths and apertures, as well as very good quality at the edges. It outperforms multiple full-frame 70-200 mm f/2.8 competitors in terms of pure resolution. Additionally, the lens features a robust and weather-sealed metal build quality, effectively corrected chromatic aberration, low distortion, well-controlled coma, minimal vignetting, and reliable, effective autofocusing. Conversely, the review identifies a few notable drawbacks. The most significant optical shortcoming is its weak performance when shooting against bright light, which results in unexpected flares and a loss of contrast despite the small sensor size. From a mechanical standpoint, the lens is penalized for its lack of a modern Sonic Wave Drive (SWD) motor, which limits its focusing mechanism from being truly top-tier. Furthermore, due to its specialized f/2.0...

The Popular Photography review evaluates the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 35-100mm f/2 lens, labeling it a pro-caliber, serious piece of glass designed for Four Thirds System shooters. Providing a 70-200mm equivalent focal range, it stands out as the world’s fastest zoom lens in its category due to its constant f/2 aperture. Lab results underscore its phenomenal optical performance, yielding "Excellent" to "Double Excellent" Subjective Quality Factor (SQF) sharpness and contrast scores, alongside imperceptible pincushion distortion across all focal lengths. Furthermore, the lens features a robust, weather-sealed all-metal construction with rubber seals, four AF-lock buttons, internal focusing and zooming, a three-way focus-limiting switch, and an entirely removable tripod collar. Despite its stellar lab scores and exceptional low-light capabilities, the review highlights several distinct compromises. Its primary drawbacks are its massive physical footprint and high financial barrier, characterized by a heavy weight of 4.04 lbs and an expensive $2,200 street price. In terms of handling, the review notes that the knurled zoom ring feels somewhat stiff and overdamped. There is also minor light falloff at 35mm and 100mm when wide open, though...

The Olympus Zuiko 35-100mm f/2.0 ED is a highly praised telephoto zoom lens designed for Four Thirds sensor cameras, offering an effective 35mm focal range equivalent to 70-200mm. Its standout feature is its ultra-fast maximum aperture of f/2.0, which is a full stop faster than typical f/2.8 professional zooms and serves to maximize light intake while overcoming the sensor's limitations in achieving a shallow depth of field. Optically, the lens delivers exceptional sharpness, handling chromatic aberration very well and exhibiting virtually no noticeable distortion or vignetting across its focal range. Additionally, it offers a circular 9-blade aperture diaphragm for pleasing bokeh, robust physical build quality on par with top-tier competitor glass, a smooth manual focus ring, and a highly practical sliding panel on the lens hood to adjust variable filters. Despite its premium optical performance, the lens carries notable drawbacks primarily tied to its physical design and autofocus system. Because of its large f/2.0 aperture elements, it is physically heavy at 1,650 grams—making it weightier than many competing 70-200mm f/2.8 full-frame options. Performance-wise, its older autofocus motor design makes it...

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 35-100mm f/2.0 lens stands out as a unique technology demonstrator that achieves an unprecedented f/2.0 aperture for its focal range, a feat previously reserved for prime lenses. Built strictly for professionals, it features an exceptionally solid, element-sealed construction with a 9-blade aperture for smooth bokeh, along with completely internal zooming and focusing mechanisms. Additionally, its physical bayonet connection fits tightly without any play, and its zoom and focus rings operate smoothly. However, the lens ultimately compromises the signature 4/3 system promise of small and lightweight gear. It is massively bulky, measuring 213.5mm in length and weighing up to 1800g with the tripod ring, making it significantly nose-heavy and exhausting to hold without inducing arm tremors. Performance-wise, the reviewer found the lens highly disappointing in real-world practice, noting very mediocre image sharpness when shot wide open at f/2.0 and f/2.8, autofocus speeds too slow for sports or journalism, and a tendency to cause overexposure in daylight even at 1/4000s shutter speeds.

The Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 35–100mm f/2 lens and E-3 DSLR body deliver exceptional professional-grade performance, but come with massive compromises in physical size and overall cost. The standout pro of this heavy-duty system is the lens's groundbreaking optics, featuring a constant f/2 aperture that is a full stop brighter than competing telephoto zooms. It is incredibly sharp across all focal lengths, even when shot completely wide open, and it produces a creamy, beautifully smooth bokeh that handles complex backgrounds with ease. Combined with the E-3 camera, the setup provides reliable exposure metering, quick autofocus for fast-paced events, a fully weather-sealed build, and a large, bright viewfinder. However, the primary cons are its extreme weight, massive footprint, and high barrier to entry. The lens alone weighs over four pounds, making it highly conspicuous, exhausting to carry around for general photography, and physically overwhelming once you attach the massive lens hood. The reviewer also noted minor design flaws, such as a slippery focus limiter dial and a cumbersome process for changing autofocus points on the camera body. Ultimately, while the combination...

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 35-100 mm f/2.0 is a brilliant lens that delivers exceptional performance, particularly in its most critical categories. It is highly praised for its exceptional build quality and solid casing, alongside low distortion, low vignetting, well-corrected chromatic aberration, and well-corrected coma. Most notably, the lens provides outstanding image quality across the entire frame—both at the center and the edges—regardless of the focal length or aperture setting used, outperforming other tested 70-200 mm f/2.8 alternatives. Despite its stellar optical output, the lens has two distinct shortcomings that surprised reviewers. First, it exhibits weak performance against bright light, resulting in noticeable light artifacts and flares that are relatively easy to trigger. Second, it completely lacks an SWD autofocus motor, which is an unexpected omission for a premium, journalistic-grade piece of equipment in this class. However, the autofocus remains generally effective, and its extensive list of optical advantages far outweighs these few limitations.

The CameraDecision review of the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 35-100mm f2.0 highlights the legacy lens as an optically excellent telephoto zoom with a 70-200mm equivalent focal range and a bright, constant f/2.0 aperture. Key pros include its exceptional low-light capability, creamy bokeh, "Super High Grade" weather-sealed construction, and a built-in tripod collar. Conversely, the lens is very heavy at 1,650 grams and features an extending zoom mechanism that affects balance. Significant cons include the lack of built-in optical stabilization, slow autofocus on Micro Four Thirds cameras due to the older mount, and poor maximum magnification.