I agree. This is my main travel lens. You made this video 5 years ago, but this is still a great lens in 2022. This lens is the main (only) reason I've stuck with m. four-thirds. I also use a Nikon Z7, and I own the 24-200, a very similar lens to this one, except full-frame. It doesn't compare. Yes this lens is slow, but I love it anyway. The shake reduction is amazing. One of my favorite lenses of all time. I can hardly wait to try the 8-25mm.
The Olympus 12-100mm f4 is a dream come true, a constant-aperture stabilized zoom that encompasses both standard and telephoto zoom ranges. With a Canon or Nikon full-frame camera, you'd need 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses to cover the equivalent zoom range, and both lenses would weigh more than the 12-100mm. With a constant f4 aperture, the 12-100mm is ideal for video, daylight, and flash photography, single-handedly making MFT cameras worth considering for professional use in the field.
Awesome lens for travel, I photographed some motorcycle street racing here on Boxing day and was a joy to use one lens for some wide angle & zoom shots
I took my EM5 down to a camera store and placed the 12-100mm lens on it and walked about the store shooting. No flash and I took a terrific portrait of my daughter, who thought I was nuts for considering a $1300 lens. We walked out and I started saving my pennies. I wanted a weather sealed lens for heading to the tropics on vacation, especially after my Canon 70-200mm F/4L fogged up when we left the ship and was unusable for two hours each time we headed into port. This lens scoffed at the humidity. I'm now looking at the EM1.2 or the Panasonic G9 to marry to this all purpose lens. It has a really tough build, and looks as if you could pound nails with it. Can't recommend this enough.
I bought this lens used for a trip, figuring I'd sell it afterward, since I had so many other M43 lenses and F4 was a bit "slow" and it was a little big, but I found it to be superb and didn't want to let it go. This lens pretty much does it all for travel/walk around with great IQ.
I doubt it's not a beautiful lens, but the main problem for me is the long end. I have the 14-150 and it is such a versatile lens for travel. And some of my best shots were taken st 150. I suppose I can always crop in probably with very little loss of detail. If I have extra time to take the shot I may switch to my wide angle 9-18 or one of my primes 25 or 45 if I am doing portraiture, I have found the system works pretty well. I also have the 40-150 PRO which I bought to replace my 14-150 but I find it too heavy and bulky so I leave it at home. That said the 12-100 almost replaces the lot, but where's the fun in that, also it's a very expensive lens currently
Unfortunately the information in this video is incorrect. The manual focus clutch does not engage gears in the lens - it is still fly-by-wire, just with pre-set distances. And if you're bothered by the focus distance reset on other lenses when switching the camera off, you can simply disable that function in the menu.
I will definitely continue if there is interest. It was very hard to find the specific kinds of information I was interested on the 12-100, which is why I made the video. Thank you for your feedback.
I have the new version II. Not as sharp as the Olympus 12-40 pro but I like the zoom range. Auto focus not so good in very low light but overall OK. I do not take video so can not comment there. For the price a really good lens. But when I can afford it I will get the OLY 12-100.
Great review, but you make a common error when referring to the F value doubling because of the crop factor . F4 on this lens is identical to the F 4 on any other lens , as it lets in the same amount of light at that value. Blurred background can appear to offer less defused background on MFT , but the focal length and the ability to draw the subject larger and closer should still produce blowed out backgrounds. The two times crop factor is an advantage , but it does not double the F stop . I hope that helps .
I believe my statement is correct. I was specific to the multiplication of focal length and depth of field, but said nothing about the actual f stop opening. Thank you
@@MMaven sorry Michael , I must have misunderstood you , as I thought you made the inference that the doubling of the F stop would make the F4 become F8. I will watch the video again . Finally - a big thank you for doing this, as it will be greatly appreciated by all your viewers .
Thank You for this video. The only comment I could add that the crop factor of 2 is not multiplying the aperture by 2 times in a full-frame comparison. It is multiplying only by 1.2 so the f4 of this lens is going to be just 4.8 compared to the full-frame camera. This is the science behind that. I see a lot of videos carrying this mistake.
So what is the science ? If a big sensor and a small sensor both received the same amount of light, the smaller sensor will receive less light ? What nonsense logic is that ? By the same logic, If you and an infant lie under the hot sun, will the infant receive less light than you just because it is smaller ?
Good review, thank you. I've not noriced the chromatic aberation or flare on mine but I seldon use it at f4. I replaced my Oly 12 - 40mm f2.8 and Oly 40 - 150mm f2.8 with this lens and feel it was a good decision. If I have my 200 - 500mm f5.6 on my D500 I use my Oly 12 - 100mm and Oly 300mm f4 + 1.4 TC on my EM1 mark II for close up shots of insects. The IBIS + lens IS means I can often leave my monopod at home. The 12 - 100mm f4 is also a cracking lens for parties.
I like the lens, but the flares when shooting against the sun is the absolutely worst I have ever experienced. And I have been a Nikon-user for 25 years, before I recently switched to Olympus.
Hello thanks very much for this great video. Kindly advice which lens of the two (oly 12-100 f4 & Leica 12-60 f2.8-f4) would be ideal for shooting mainly music videos and short films with GH5S if price and weight is not as issue? If Leica, then it will be kept constant at f4 most of the time. I like and prefer oly over Leica but some suggested that Leica is optically better/sharper than oly pro lenses. Would that be true? I want to get one good zoom lens for now and will try to add cine primes later on. Kindly advice. Cheers.
@Michael The Maven, How fast is the AF speed when the 12-100f4 is used on the GH5? I have read that Panasonic's Depth-to-Defocus works only on Panasonic lenses and locks in about 50ms. So I am curious how much slower the AF lock is when using the Olympus lens on the GH5. Thanks.
Michael, At the beginning of your report, when you're looking at aberrations, were you evaluating RAW images or allowing the Olympus camera to perform Olympus's in-camera lens corrections in JPEG? Thanks, Rick
Im thinking about buying the GH4 with this lens, do you guys think thats a good combination or should i go with something else? Best regards from Sweden
You are welcome! And sorry to bother you but now that I have your attention, I've read somewhere (forgot where...) that when recording with the X T2 with a booster grip IF a battery runs out an it needs to "switch" to one of the others the video recording will pause and not resume. I was wondering if you were able to test this as if this is true, it would be quite a pain during, say, an interview. Thanks again and love your channel, been subbed for 2 years+.
nemezote thank you for your support! On the xt2- I've heard the same but cannot test it as I've returned the grip. I didn't feel I needed it for the extra weight. Still have my xt2 though!
My lens has about a millimeter or two of "play/rotation" on my GH5, GH5s and GH4 bodies once attached. It doesn't fit snug and tight like my Panasonic lenses do. Is this normal?
@@MMaven I went ahead and sent it back to Adorama for a replacement. They are VERY good about that! I had to do the same thing recently with my new Mavic 2 Pro drone. The original one they sold me had a soft/blurry left side edge! The replacement is perfect.
just want to clarify the 2x crop equivalent, is this will affect also the light gatherings and the speed of the lens for example an f4 will behave as f8? or it will only affects the depth of field? thanks michael i like your contents.
Wrong, there is no such thing as "equivalent exposure". So long as the image circle is wide enough, f4 is f4, the amount of light transmitted by a lens is not affected by the size of the camera's sensor.
I like the concept, but the whole idea of macro 4/3 is compactness at the expense of a smaller sensor compared to full frame or APC. This lens brings you to the size and weight of a DSLR. I would suggest the Sony rx10 at that price point or jump to full frame
I agree. This is my main travel lens. You made this video 5 years ago, but this is still a great lens in 2022. This lens is the main (only) reason I've stuck with m. four-thirds. I also use a Nikon Z7, and I own the 24-200, a very similar lens to this one, except full-frame. It doesn't compare. Yes this lens is slow, but I love it anyway. The shake reduction is amazing. One of my favorite lenses of all time. I can hardly wait to try the 8-25mm.
The Olympus 12-100mm f4 is a dream come true, a constant-aperture stabilized zoom that encompasses both standard and telephoto zoom ranges. With a Canon or Nikon full-frame camera, you'd need 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses to cover the equivalent zoom range, and both lenses would weigh more than the 12-100mm. With a constant f4 aperture, the 12-100mm is ideal for video, daylight, and flash photography, single-handedly making MFT cameras worth considering for professional use in the field.
This is by far the best walk-around lens (across all camera systems).
What a great honest review. I grow tired of reviews that only point out the good so it's nice to see a well rounded review. Thanks, Michael!
probably the best review I've seen on this lens, Thanks!
I love it, only comes off my OMD1.2 when I’m birding with the 300f4. Thanks for great review.
Awesome lens for travel, I photographed some motorcycle street racing here on Boxing day and was a joy to use one lens for some wide angle & zoom shots
I took my EM5 down to a camera store and placed the 12-100mm lens on it and walked about the store shooting. No flash and I took a terrific portrait of my daughter, who thought I was nuts for considering a $1300 lens. We walked out and I started saving my pennies. I wanted a weather sealed lens for heading to the tropics on vacation, especially after my Canon 70-200mm F/4L fogged up when we left the ship and was unusable for two hours each time we headed into port. This lens scoffed at the humidity. I'm now looking at the EM1.2 or the Panasonic G9 to marry to this all purpose lens. It has a really tough build, and looks as if you could pound nails with it. Can't recommend this enough.
I bought this lens used for a trip, figuring I'd sell it afterward, since I had so many other M43 lenses and F4 was a bit "slow" and it was a little big, but I found it to be superb and didn't want to let it go. This lens pretty much does it all for travel/walk around with great IQ.
I doubt it's not a beautiful lens, but the main problem for me is the long end. I have the 14-150 and it is such a versatile lens for travel. And some of my best shots were taken st 150. I suppose I can always crop in probably with very little loss of detail. If I have extra time to take the shot I may switch to my wide angle 9-18 or one of my primes 25 or 45 if I am doing portraiture, I have found the system works pretty well. I also have the 40-150 PRO which I bought to replace my 14-150 but I find it too heavy and bulky so I leave it at home. That said the 12-100 almost replaces the lot, but where's the fun in that, also it's a very expensive lens currently
That manual focus clutch information is exactly why I came. Thx!!!
Unfortunately the information in this video is incorrect. The manual focus clutch does not engage gears in the lens - it is still fly-by-wire, just with pre-set distances. And if you're bothered by the focus distance reset on other lenses when switching the camera off, you can simply disable that function in the menu.
Switching on Digital IS in movie mode will get rid of the warping when walking.
thanks for the review, it's somehow hard to find reviews of MFT lens on youtube.
I will definitely continue if there is interest. It was very hard to find the specific kinds of information I was interested on the 12-100, which is why I made the video. Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you for sharing this information
Thanks for the good review. I currently have the Panasonic 14-140. When I can afford this lens it may be my upgrade.
And you have the power ois version or mega? How are you liking it so far? Almost no flaws in video especially? The AF is good enough?
I have the new version II. Not as sharp as the Olympus 12-40 pro but I like the zoom range. Auto focus not so good in very low light but overall OK. I do not take video so can not comment there. For the price a really good lens. But when I can afford it I will get the OLY 12-100.
SO you also own the Olympus 12-40? I'm torn between it and the 12-35 from Panasonic...
Great review, but you make a common error when referring to the F value doubling because of the crop factor . F4 on this lens is identical to the F 4 on any other lens , as it lets in the same amount of light at that value. Blurred background can appear to offer less defused background on MFT , but the focal length and the ability to draw the subject larger and closer should still produce blowed out backgrounds. The two times crop factor is an advantage , but it does not double the F stop . I hope that helps .
I believe my statement is correct. I was specific to the multiplication of focal length and depth of field, but said nothing about the actual f stop opening. Thank you
@@MMaven sorry Michael , I must have misunderstood you , as I thought you made the inference that the doubling of the F stop would make the F4 become F8. I will watch the video again .
Finally - a big thank you for doing this, as it will be greatly appreciated by all your viewers .
I wish more Olympus lenses had image stabilization. I want this as an all-around / travel lens.
Fantastique, . . would love to see more MFT / M43 reviews,
thanks MTM
Thank You for this video. The only comment I could add that the crop factor of 2 is not multiplying the aperture by 2 times in a full-frame comparison. It is multiplying only by 1.2 so the f4 of this lens is going to be just 4.8 compared to the full-frame camera. This is the science behind that. I see a lot of videos carrying this mistake.
That's not true though it is a 2x crop factor.
So what is the science ? If a big sensor and a small sensor both received the same amount of light, the smaller sensor will receive less light ? What nonsense logic is that ?
By the same logic, If you and an infant lie under the hot sun, will the infant receive less light than you just because it is smaller ?
Good review, thank you. I've not noriced the chromatic aberation or flare on mine but I seldon use it at f4. I replaced my Oly 12 - 40mm f2.8 and Oly 40 - 150mm f2.8 with this lens and feel it was a good decision. If I have my 200 - 500mm f5.6 on my D500 I use my Oly 12 - 100mm and Oly 300mm f4 + 1.4 TC on my EM1 mark II for close up shots of insects. The IBIS + lens IS means I can often leave my monopod at home. The 12 - 100mm f4 is also a cracking lens for parties.
Thanks for review! And what camera and lens did you use when shoot this video review?
How is the IQ comparing to Panasonic Leica 12-60/2.8-4 ? macro contrast and sharpness ? Also the OIS performance.
Thank you for the video!
Hi! What camera body do you reccomend? Thank you!
It's a nice review.
Wow, what a review! Great, man.
Amazing Lens
Great review thank you sir
you are the best thank you for the video, go on with more micro four thirds videos
I like the lens, but the flares when shooting against the sun is the absolutely worst I have ever experienced. And I have been a Nikon-user for 25 years, before I recently switched to Olympus.
You're awesome.
Hello thanks very much for this great video.
Kindly advice which lens of the two (oly 12-100 f4 & Leica 12-60 f2.8-f4) would be ideal for shooting mainly music videos and short films with GH5S if price and weight is not as issue?
If Leica, then it will be kept constant at f4 most of the time. I like and prefer oly over Leica but some suggested that Leica is optically better/sharper than oly pro lenses.
Would that be true?
I want to get one good zoom lens for now and will try to add cine primes later on.
Kindly advice.
Cheers.
Great review!
@Michael The Maven,
How fast is the AF speed when the 12-100f4 is used on the GH5? I have read that Panasonic's Depth-to-Defocus works only on Panasonic lenses and locks in about 50ms. So I am curious how much slower the AF lock is when using the Olympus lens on the GH5. Thanks.
Michael,
At the beginning of your report, when you're looking at aberrations, were you evaluating RAW images or allowing the Olympus camera to perform Olympus's in-camera lens corrections in JPEG?
Thanks,
Rick
Jpegs
@@MMaven Thank you, Michael, that was one super-fast reply 😁. -- Great review, Rick
Nice lens to travel!
I want a camera that is good for macro photography so:
12-100 F4 or 60 F2.8 or 30 F3.5?
Im thinking about buying the GH4 with this lens, do you guys think thats a good combination or should i go with something else?
Best regards from Sweden
mannefalth GH4 Workshop Great with this Lens.
Thanks Mike, useful vid.
+nemezote thank you!
You are welcome! And sorry to bother you but now that I have your attention, I've read somewhere (forgot where...) that when recording with the X T2 with a booster grip IF a battery runs out an it needs to "switch" to one of the others the video recording will pause and not resume. I was wondering if you were able to test this as if this is true, it would be quite a pain during, say, an interview.
Thanks again and love your channel, been subbed for 2 years+.
nemezote thank you for your support! On the xt2- I've heard the same but cannot test it as I've returned the grip. I didn't feel I needed it for the extra weight. Still have my xt2 though!
Hmm, bummer. Well I guess if there's ever a chance of you testing this at least we know there is interest.
My lens has about a millimeter or two of "play/rotation" on my GH5, GH5s and GH4 bodies once attached. It doesn't fit snug and tight like my Panasonic lenses do. Is this normal?
Doesn’t sound like it
@@MMaven I went ahead and sent it back to Adorama for a replacement. They are VERY good about that! I had to do the same thing recently with my new Mavic 2 Pro drone. The original one they sold me had a soft/blurry left side edge! The replacement is perfect.
IS Lock on the GH5 does NOT work on this lens
epic lens
just want to clarify the 2x crop equivalent, is this will affect also the light gatherings and the speed of the lens for example an f4 will behave as f8? or it will only affects the depth of field? thanks michael i like your contents.
DOF and Focal Length only, not exposure. Thank you!
To make it more complex no not classical exposure but equivalent exposure.
25mm F4 ISO 400 behaves the same as 50mm F8 ISO 1600 on FF.
Wrong, there is no such thing as "equivalent exposure". So long as the image circle is wide enough, f4 is f4, the amount of light transmitted by a lens is not affected by the size of the camera's sensor.
Michael The Maven hi
Great video. Question . Is this lens on gh5 just as weather sealed than on omd em1 ii?
Fallen Star Features thank you, I was hoping someone would address this common misconception.
Error in your close focus statement. Min close focus is not 1.5 cm, it's .15 meters which is 5.9 inches or about 15 cm
you mean about 5.9 inches and exactly 15cm 😉
@@ViktorGartner Actually is 14.987 cm 😀
Please review E-M1 II C-AF.
thinkinginpictures THKPIC I've tested it. Epic shootout between it and the gh5 is coming soon
Sir, popcorn is in hand. I eagerly await....:)
So will the lens IS work with the IBIS in Panasonic GX85?
Works on my G9, very happy with the Lense.
They do not work together on Panasonic cameras - they will conflict. You need to choose either lens IS or IBIS.
The 12 100 does in fact work with the Panasonic, it does not conflict
I like the concept, but the whole idea of macro 4/3 is compactness at the expense of a smaller sensor compared to full frame or APC. This lens brings you to the size and weight of a DSLR. I would suggest the Sony rx10 at that price point or jump to full frame
Joe Cap Um, no. It doesn’t bring you anywhere the size and weight of a DSLR. Not even close.
now, you tell me
Discounted now to $990 on British Amazon. My fingers are itching and my credit card is hiding in the corner... :)
Costs the same as the m1 mk2 house 😅
Does it fit with a Canon 5D Mark IV camera body?
+Thomas Weinreich Films no ~ this is a micro 4/3 mount lens
first
You are a wonder! ;)