Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO Review
Usually a zoom lens with a big coverage range goes hand in hand with a bunch of caveats and compromises. Olympus aims to change that notion with the M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO, a premium $1,300 lens that starts at a very wide angle and zooms to snap telephoto images. It's not optically perfect—there are some drawbacks when you shoot at 12mm—but it makes a lot fewer compromises than other lenses that cover a similar range. Micro Four Thirds owners shopping for a long zoom for travel and to minimize lens changes should take a really close look at the 12-100mm PRO, an Editors' Choice.
Design
The 12-100mm ($1,299.00 at Amazon) measures 4.6 by 3.1 inches (HD), weighs 1.2 pounds, and supports 72mm front filters. It's a big lens—it about doubles in height when zoomed to 100mm—so it's not a great fit if you own a small camera. I used the lens with one of the larger Micro Four Thirds bodies, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and found that it balanced quite well. I imagine it would also ...
The Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO delivers top-notch optical performance at all but its widest angle, making it one of the best long zoom lenses we've tested.
8.3x zoom with constant aperture; Crisp optics; 1:3 macro capability; Protected from dust and splashes; Distortion controlled through most of zoom range; Manual focus clutch; Strong image stabilization
Distortion, edge softness, and dim corners at 12mm; Bulky; Pricey