Olympus OM Systems M.Zuiko 8-25mm F/4 Pro Lens Review - an Outstanding and Unique Ultra-Wide
One of the most compelling things about the Olympus/ OM Digital camera system has been access to unique lenses that don’t really compare to anything else on the market. At the time it was released, the 12-100 F/4 Pro was one of the first examples, offering a fixed F/4 aperture lens with huge range and uncompromising image quality, and a professional weather-sealed build. Up until the 12-100/4 was released, buying a superzoom generally meant choosing lenses with compromises in image quality, build, or sometimes both - but that wasn’t the case for that lens.
Then came the 150-400 F/4 TC Pro, which I’ve also found to offer incredible range, versatility, and great image quality on the super telephoto end. It’s a lens that provides insane reach (up to 1000mm equivalent), but is lighter than some 70-200/2.8 full-frame lenses. Lately, it’s one of my go-to lenses for wildlife work.
The 8-25 F/4 Pro feels like the next logical step after those two lenses, promising extreme range and quality, but this time covering the wide-end. One could even say the 8-25/4, alongside the 12-100/4, 40-150/4, and 150-400/4 complete the quartet of three outstanding F/4 lenses, which together cover a 16mm to 1000mm focal equivalent without any gaps, in a relatively lightweight kit.
The lens isn’t tiny like the 12-45 F/4 Pro, but it’s not big either. It feels well-matched on the OM-1 body.
In the hand, the 8-25 F/4 pro feels handles similarly to the Olympus 12-40 F/2.8 lens, with the exception of the lens barrel that collapses and locks for storage.
To put things into context, a kit with the 8-25/4, 12-100/4, 40-150/4 150-400/4 weighs a total of about 3600 grams (8 pounds). That’s four fixed-aperture pro F/4 zooms covering a range of 16-1000mm without any gaps, which easily fit into medium size camera bag, all weighing less than a couple high-end full-frame zooms covering a much smaller range would. One could even shave another 200-300 grams off by subbing the 12-100/4 for the excellent 12-40/4 or 12-40/2.8 and still have no gaps in the range. The fact that you can have a pro-level kit covering every possible photographic scenario in one relatively lightweight bag is a big deal. A lot of people question the weight savings of micro four-thirds when comparing one lens to another, but it’s when you look at the system as a whole that the weight savings really start to add up.
Build quality
The 8-25/4 follows the same design ethos of the various other Olympus Pro lenses. That is to say it is built like a tank with all-metal construction and tight weather sealing. As someone who uses gear in the elements, I always appreciate the level of weather sealing Olympus/OM puts into their lenses. The lens has an impressive IPX1 rating with gaskets throughout the lens barrel to prevent dust and moisture ingress. There’s not much else to say about the build other than it feels super solid in the hand.
Aesthetically, it looks just like the 12-40/2.8 when collapsed with the exception of the large lens hood bayonet. The lens hood is also nice, having an affirmative click and a button on the side to easily disengage.
Handling
The handling on the lens is also great. The lens collapses down for storage and the zoom mechanism is smooth. In front of the lens lies a wonderful manual focus clutch that makes for effortless changes back and for from manual focus to auto focus. This is, in my opinion, so much better than a button you have to find and switch with your finger, especially when working in the dark. The L-FN button is a nice addition to the side, which I toggle depending on the use case.
Unlike the bulbous front element of the 7-14, this one has a 72mm filter thread which makes using standard accessories like ND filters and polarizers easy. I wish the grips were made of rubber instead of knurled metal, but this is a matter of personal taste, and reasonable arguments can be made that metal doesn’t wear out over time, but rubber definitely will.
Image Quality & Performance
While lens feel is important, if a lens doesn’t deliver in the image quality department, then it’s not all that interesting. Based on my experiences with the other excellent Olympus Pro glass, I had high expectations when picking up the 8-25/4. My primary interest in this lens was for landscapes, but also for wide-angle shots of wildlife.
Thankfully, just like the 12-100 and 150-400 lenses, my impressions are that the 8-25/4 delivers when it comes to image quality.
My impressions are that the lens is sharp from edge to edge, with acceptable levels of distortion even at the ultra wide end (8mm), and no major optical flaws that I’ve been able to pick out. Like those other lenses, this one also has great contrast and tones, and can even produce nice soft backgrounds when close to the subject. The lens does flare slightly when there is direct light on the element, as can be seen in the image below. Flare isn’t unique to this lens, but something to watch out for if you’re someone who is concerned with flare since the angle of view is so wide.
In case you have read any of my other reviews, I don’t really do some of the contemporary lens tests like chromatic abberation, distortion, and resolution, (mind you, I have nothing against those tests). That said, I prefer to see how lenses fare in the field and to assess at the results. I do this, because even lenses with inherent optical flaws can have interesting “character” and still make for great images. Not to say this lens has any significant flaws that I could notice.
Like many other Olympus/OM lenses, the fact that the lens offers outstanding close focusing abilities was very appealing for capturing plant and wildlife subjects. Although it takes a lot of patience and persistence, there’s nothing quite the look of shooting a subject up close and personal with a wide angle lens. It’s a great way to emphasize a creature in its environment, sometimes making the environment just as important or interesting as the subject.
Also like other Olympus/OM lenses, this one focuses extremely fast, and on the OM-1, autofocus is deadly accurate. OM really knocked it out of the park with the OM-1’s AF system.
The level of detail is also impressive with the OM-1’s computational pixel-shift modes. One of the nice side effects of the high-resolution modes is that they not only increase resolution, but they also improve dynamic range and lower overall image noise. This means that in high-res scenes like the one below, a lot of detail can be recovered in the shadows. This image below was taken with the 80 megapixel high-res mode on a tripod. The detail one can obtain using these modes is astonishing.
One consideration when shooting in this mode is that any movement will be picked up as blur, since the camera takes multiple exposures while shifting the sensor and combines them. For this reason, it is best delegated to scenes without movements caused, like grass blowing in the wind for example. The end results are not necessarily unpleasant, but they are apparent if tack sharp focus of everything in frame is the goal.
Below is a closeup crop of the above image:
Overall impressions
Although my focus is primarily wildlife, I could see the 8-25/4 as a great companion for the backpacker or hiker wanting to travel light but without sacrificing image quality or range. On other systems, you’ll either have to give up the extra reach or have a lens that doesn’t get nearly as wide as the 8-25/4, or simply bring more lenses along. Having a lens that does a lot of things well means less time spent changing lenses.
The lens would also be fantastic for the travel photographer, especially with the computational modes like handheld high-resolution mode which allow one to print big. Being able to focus so closely at both ends of the focal range only increases the versatility of the lens - meaning shots with blurred backgrounds are possible, despite the wide to normal angle of view and middle-ground F/4 aperture.
Of course, being an F/4 lens, there are better lenses out there for low-light and astrophotography (like the 7-14 F/2.8 for example), but you give up a lot of the reach and versatility offered by this lens. Like all the other Pro glass, this lens is also not cheap, but at time of writing there isn’t really much else out there that compares, so for now, OM has a captive audience. The lens also won’t blur the background as smoothly as the Olympus 7-14/2.8, the lovely PanaLeica 10-25 1.7 lens or perhaps Panasonic’s new 9mm F/1.7 would, but whether that’s an issue probably depends on the user scenario and level of interest in defocused backgrounds.
I have thought long and hard about negative qualities of the lens, and besides the premium cost, I’ve struggled to find any significant issues. It’s overall a remarkable and fun to use lens for a wide variety of situations, and great addition to the kit bag.
Found this review useful?
Consider donating to the site:
