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73 of 75 found the following review helpful:
If I could only have one lens, this would be it.Nov 27, 2007
By Ellamay B. Ward
"Paradise"
This is an impressive lens, fast, wide, fairly long, and close focus abilities. I also own the 14-54mm F2.8-3.5, which had been my walk around lens until this one arrived. The 12-60mm is even sharper than then 14-54mm, which is not slouch.
The 2mm (4mm equivalent) difference on the wide end is VERY noticeable, especially if you are photographing indoors. The 6mm (12mm equivalent) is also noticeable and useful but not as extreme.
If you are used to the 14-54mm you find the 12-60mm very easy to get used to. It is a little bit larger, and slightly heavier but not noticeable after 30 minutes. Personally I rarely had my lens hood on when using the 14-54mm, with the 12-60mm it is on most of the time. This is due to the larger wide end which makes it easier to catch reflections and light flares.
The focus rings on the 12-60mm SWD and any new SWD lenses will feel strange compared to non SWD lenses. This is due to the other lenses being focus by wire, the SWD's have a mechanical connection. This means two things.
1. The focus ring is stiffer than the electronic versions.
2. Also with SWD lenses there is full time focus override. This IMHO makes it easier. If you happen to have the camera on the wrong setting with non SWD lenses at a critical moment, you can miss the shot.
The extra width, length, maximum magnification (.56X 35mm equivalent), weather sealing and VERY fast focusing speed make this an outstanding lens. I find myself changing lenses much less often due to this lenses versatility. I am being able to leave two other lenses (11-22mm & 50mm Macro) at home while hiking, which more than makes up for the slight weight and size increase from the 14-54mm. Also for those who don't have those lenses yet, it is cheaper as well.
35 of 36 found the following review helpful:
The perfect lens to leave on your cameraJan 03, 2008
By Earl E.
I bought this lens based on reviews seen here and my overall satisfaction with the Olympus brand. Out of the box revealed a high quality made in Japan (not China)lens. The zoom ring is a little tighter than I prefer but still perfectly acceptable.
My heart sank when my E300 wouldn't start after attaching the lens. After some frantic phone calls I learned that I had to update the camera's firmware. The Olympus website is very clear on the procedure and the whole process took less than 15 minutes. The first thing I noticed that this lens is one heavy hunk of glass. At 21.2 ounces compared to 10.9 ounces for the 14-45 kit lens, the extra weight does tend to unbalance the camera. The second thing I noticed was it focused noticably faster than the 14-45. Even in dim light I was surprised how quickly the lens popped into focus. The 12-60 zoom range is the ideal range for me and I truly appreciate the 12mm setting for those cramped quarters situations. Performance is exemplary. No noticeable linear or color distortion nor dark corners at any setting. This is the perfect lens to leave on your camera. One final bit of nitpicking; the velvet "sock" supplied as a lens case provides minimal, if any, protection. A soft leather pouch would be more appropriate for a $900 lens.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Olympus 12-60mmDec 23, 2007
By John C. Pucel
I own the Olympus 11-22mm and the 18 to 180 mm and found this to be an great addition. It is quick to focus, a bit more responsive than my former carry aound lens (18-180) and not too bulky to keep on for most of the day. A bit pricey but the results in my photos have been noticeable. It is now my everyday lens. I also have the Olympus 50 to 200mm so have most of my needs covered in the two lenses. Will probably sell the 11-22mm but it is a real quality lens as well
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Best general zoom in the universe?Sep 07, 2008
By Smiley Boy
Okay, apologies, a slight exaggeration...
It is simply the best general zoom on this planet! :) Enough to make users of other brands with bigger market share give envious looks across their shoulder to see what the fuss is all about.
Olympus' expertise in optics shines through with this lens and has been commended from all corners from professionals to users to reviewers -- and rightly so. I have had this lens for over 3 months now and it is probably more popular on my E-420 than with the 25mm Pancake! If I don't need extreme portability, then this lens takes priority for good reasons.
Colour capture is stunning, detail is sharp, chromatic aberration is almost non-existent, AF speed is nippy and the 12mm to 60mm (24mm to 120mm) range is extremely useful. My favourite is using it at wide-angle but this lens is consistently great at all ranges. Macro shooting is great as well with nice bokeh at tele' end.
For negatives -- and I am nit-picking here -- there is slight complex distortion at 12mm but nothing that concerns me too much (and I shoot mostly in wide), it is a bit weighty on my E-420 to make it front heavy which might concern some people if they have a smaller body, but I quite like it like this, and, lastly, I cannot shoot with pop-up flash, but I tend to avoid using flash as much as possible as I like having natural light in my photos.
All in all, whether you are a current Olympus user or not, it is definitely recommended for all who are interested in an `all purpose lens', who are passionate about photography and value `it's the glass' philosophy that some people swear by. My photography has certainly come leaps and bounds from using `quality glass' and, in this Zuiko, it has certainly marked a standard that others still have to reach.
Happy lens hunting.
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112 of 134 found the following review helpful:
Amazing lens... and it *does* work with a E-300Nov 27, 2007
By S. Dang
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MHJCCDD3SJB Hi, I hope you enjoy my video of my new 12-60 SWD lens I just purchased from Amazon. I've taken dozens of photos with it on my E-300 and the lens has performed admirably. The photos are crisp. I love the wide angle shots. This lens range is very convenient, replacing my 14-45. I'm so glad I didn't buy the 14-54! Can't wait to use this with my E-3 Body, which is due to arrive at my doorstep *any day now!* :)
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