Review of the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

www.olympus.co.uk With its Four-Thirds system Olympus can make smaller lenses. This is because the smaller 4/3 sensor produces a 2x magnification effect, so this 14-54mm lens is the equivalent of a 28-108mm lens. So while it’s one of the longest-range lens in this category, physically it’s one of the smallest and lightest. It maintains a fast f/2.8 maximum aperture, though this is non-continuous, so at the telephoto reaches it becomes an f/3.5 aperture. There are three aspheric optical elements and Olympus proclaims all its lenses as telecentric. This means as light enters the lens it is straightened by the optics so the light waves hit the sensor straight-on, or perpendicularly, as opposed to the oblique angles produced by traditional lenses, especially wideangles. Further, the digitally dedicated E-system lenses communicate with the camera body to let it know which lens is attached, so the firmware can recognise and correct distortion. Build and Handling Besides the small dimensions of the lens, the weight is reduced by utilising plastic rather than metal in the construction. However, the pro spec of the lens is emphasised as Olympus has made the construction splash-proof. This is a quiet performer, matching Nikon and Canon’s lack of sound. Like those two, the focus scale is visible through a window on the barrel. The manual focus is free flowing and very smooth, while the comfortable zoom ring has a tactile dampened action. Image Quality We first looked at this lens in 2005 when there were few optimised lenses. Olympus now has more competition, but manages to maintain excellent results. There is very little drop in resolution between centre and edge areas. Although the overall resolution is less than some other lenses, this control from centre to corner is highly commendable. Similarly CA is well controlled. Verdict Some other lenses outperform it, however for the Olympus user, the extra stop and weatherproofing may make a difference. Still, it doesn’t offer much more than the already capable f/3.5-5.6 version that comes as standard with Olympus cameras. What Digital Camera Score 84%