Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Just received this lens, and couldn't be happier. It balances perfectly on the LS300, it's sharp, zoom and focus work smoothly, and it has a nice solid feel to it. I can use my 12-35 Panasonic on the GH4 now for two camera shoots. It's pricey, but well worth it IMHO.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Great lens.. I've had one since it came out and love it.. especially that you can slide the focus ring to switch between auto and manual.

In fact, this last week I've been shooting welding, fabrication and diesel mechanics classes at a college and that is the only lens I used, With the VSM set at 86% you end up with the equivalent of a 10mm to 90mm+ lens... perfect for documentary work.

Some complain it doesn't have OIS, but use it and you'll want it.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Olympus makes very solid lenses, I have their 12mmf2.0 and another stellar lens, the 75mm f1.8.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

How can a 12-40mm lens become a 10-90+mm?

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

I said "equivalent"...

With the VSM set at 86% (instead of 80%) and the lens at 12mm the image is slightly wider than my 10.4mm Cooke, With the VSM zoomed in to 43% (I think) and the lens at 40mm, the image is nearly identical to my Canon FD 100 (which I've always thought was closer to 90mm).

And of course I'm shooting 1080. not 4k (which I've only had one reason to use in nearly a year - and even that client now prefers 1080 after we did a projected side-by-side comparison in a 500 seat theater).

Nothing scientific, just personal experience. See below...

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

These are with the VSM at 92%, which is slightly too wide for my tastes,,, shot at f2.8

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Didn't think of it in that way, I guess if you really need it it's there but it looks too impracticable to me to use as it does require making the changes in the cameramenu and then restarting the camera. Changing lenses also takes time but a 40-150mm f2.8 also gives you a shallower dof should you need it at 90mm.
Eventhough those Olympus zooms are of the best quality you can find for m4/3 the lack of stabilization would make me choose the panasonic versions, like the 12-35 and the 35-100 as for handheld work unestablished lenses just won't cut it, unless you use a wideangle lens.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Steve, thanks for your input about the lens. I believe that I started looking into the lens initially after reading one of your posts.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

I make documentaries exclusively and handhold 90% of the time - have been for over 40 years since the Eclair NPR - when OIS was science fiction. I prefer the fluid handheld look to the overly slick trend of gimbles and sliders. Just my personal preference and not meant as a criticism.

I had the 12-35 Lumix (still have the 35-100) but much prefer the more filmic look of the Olympus, plus the slightly longer top end. And for manual focusing (which I also prefer), it is far superior.

If I want a really shallow DOF (which I believe is often distracting and overdone) I have Rokinon primes, and do use them to isolate a subject in the frame. With the LS300 (as I've said several times in other threads) I can use the 35 T1.5 with the VSM at 100% and shoot everything from medium wide to medium long using the Prime Zoom. It's another good working setup, and gives me manual iris.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Noa. You don't need to go into a menu or restart.
VSM can be controlled via the zoom rockers or a LANC controller.
That's how I use it anyway.

I agree that the stabilisation is a big plus on the 12-35mm.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

I just see that a restart is not required but can you change the percentage of the VSM with the zoomrocker? How do you do that?

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

You set it in the menu.

It's one of my favourite features, use the main zoom rocker and you can get ultra low creeping zooms.
Or bang it in to reframe during takes.

After the original 'VSM on the Zoom' rocker update I suggested on here that it needed to work via a LANC zoom and JVC delivered a couple of versions ago.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

:) That was what I was talking about, you need to go into the menu to change it, I know how the vsm is operated, have used it with my last wedding all the time with the zoomrocker using my 12-35mm and 15mm lens, works great, only If I need like a 75mm and beyond I prefer to use a 75mm lens and not change the percentage of the vsm on a wider angle lens to get there, the dof is much shallower when using a 75mm as is or when using a 12-40mm and using the vsm to get the same focal length, I would always prefer a 75mm is such a case

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Then you say I'm confused now.

I said you set VSM on the Zoom Rocker in a menu.
You only go into the menu once, and then leave it set permanently.

While filming you can adjust the VSM in tiny increments using the zoom rocker.

And with the newer firmware it also works via a LANC zoom rocker.
My LANC controller lets me adjust VSM, focus and iris on my 12-35, plus start/stop and camera power.

Is that any clearer?

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

Steve said that he could make his 12-40mm a equivalent of a 10-90+mm by changing the vsm percentages, I said that I found this too impracticable because you have to go into the menu for that. Then you said you don't need to go into the menu hence my question how and then you said you can change it in the menu so you got me confused :)

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

OK. But to clarify the situation for other reading this...

JVC's Variable Scan Mapping feature can be adjusted during filming using either of the on-camera Zoom rockers, or via a traditional LANC zoom demand.

You set VSM to work via rocker in a menu, and then leave it set this way.

While filming you can get very slow creeping zooms, using the VSM feature.

If you set the VSM to a specific amount using the 'usual' menu driven method, for example 92%, then your zoom rocker will only let you zoom out to 92%.

You could leave VSM set to 100%, then when you change lenses (or the zoom setting on the lens) adjust the VSM using the rockers. The don't need to go into a menu to achieve this. You need to keep an eye out for vignetting though.

Using the 12-35 at 12mm I need to set the VSM to 80% or so, but once the lens is zoomed in a little I can set the VSM to 100%.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

That is one of the coolest features of this camera. I am "this close" to pulling the trigger.

Re: Olympus M. Zuiko 12-40mm
 

The two images I posted on the previous page were shot within seconds of each other. The problem with ALL zooms, whether legacy S16 (of which I have four) or contemporary MFTs, is that they are not - nor do do they "act" - parfocal on the LS300 - sorry for repeating myself, I know I've beat this poor horse to death...

HOWEVER, with the VSM set (in the menu) at the widest you're comfortable with (in the example I used 92%, on the 12-40, and there is only slight vignetting) you can then use the LANC zoom controller to make - a albeit short - smooth in-camera zoom to 43%.

So, if the lens itself is at 12mm, you can use the rocker to zoom from 12mm (which is much wider than that at 92%) to about the equivalent of double+ that, or about 30%. With the lens set at 40mm, you gat a 40mm to 80mm+ (approximately) zoom.

And, as Duncan mentioned, if your lens is at 12mm and that's the frame you want, you can zoom in quickly to check focus... In my case, with old eyes even after two cataract surgeries, that ability, combined with the 1:1 on my EVF, has saved my ass a dozen times at least.. because it's much more reliable than auto focus (although the Olympus is better than most),

It is definitely the coolest feature of this camera.

BTW - these fields-of-view - expressed in focal lengths - when zoomed are only guesses, based on comparisons with other zoom and prime lenses that I own. Lenses like Zeiss are pretty accurate, but most mass produced lenses are pretty optimistic on the wide or telephoto end.