Olympus14-42mm EZ Power Zoom Review

[@ianmcnamara2100]

The electronic zoom has a couple of advantages. 1. Smoother zooming for video 2. If the reset is off the lens can be regarded not as a zoom but as a series of primes. This could be useful as an aid to help people to decide what primes they do need/want.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks. Those are valid points.

[@johnrayner8126]

I found initially that the EZ was too "jerky"-it flew from one focal length to the next too quickly, abruptly so I made some adjustments: Menu> Utility K > EZ speed>Low (it had bee set on 'High'). It's now a nice smooth transition through the focal lengths.

[@mattisulanto]

That helps, but then it's quite slow if you want to quickly go from one end to another.

[@johnrayner8126]

@@mattisulanto Yes, I suppose - can't please all the people all the time

[@mattisulanto]

@@johnrayner8126 Exactly, well said.

[@dimitaratanasov7678]

On Olympus body there is zoom reset on/off option in menu , so you don't have to adjust zoom every time you turn on (or wake up) the camera .

[@mattisulanto]

Ok, thanks.

[@nlanca1]

I bought a used example recently and am impressed considering how little it cost. It works very well with my Olympus Pen F, turning it into an excellent 'compact' camera you can take pretty well anywhere. The GX80 or GX9 would make an equally small package, in practice not all that much larger than the LX7 I used to own as a take anywhere camera. One feature which I find useful, but may not be available on Lumix, is the ability to switch off Lens Reset, so that when you turn on the camera it is set to the focal length - say 25mm - last used rather than reverting to 14mm.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks fo sharing. The lens position resume is available on Lumix as well and it's a practical feature.

[@souIsynapse]

I wanted to share a bit of feedback that you likely have never gotten. I listen to many videos on 3x to 6x speed. There is something about the cadence of your voice and your enunciation, or possibly your audio quality, that makes you very easy to understand at very high video speeds. Thank you for sharing your review.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for your kind words.

[@odysseusreturns9133]

I was looking to put this lens on a Lumix Gf6 and I understand there is no image stabilisation. Still, on these focal lengths that does not bother me, it would become an issue at telephoto focal lengths of 50mm and above. It certainly has the edge over the Lumix equivalent pancake lens.

[@valdiskrebs566]

Great walk-around lens for a small MFT body w/IBIS. Makes your MFT into a pocketable point-and-shoot w/auto-open lens cap. I have used it on both Pani and Oly camera bodies with good results.

[@MarchalisVan]

Reminiscing on why I sold this lens. It was sharp enough and worked as expected. But.. as a standard travel lens it mostly suffered from the f stop. in moderate bad lighting even compared to 2.8 it suffers dramatically, and one of the cool things of cameras is the ability to subject isolate just that little bit, which this lens can't really do, it's pretty much always sharp foreground and back unless really close or taking a picture of your cat filling the frame. I found it worked pretty well for the occasional light macro, for beatless and bees etc when out and about on a bright sunny day, or with your own lighting/flash. For a zoom though, at the price and weight you get what you get, prices ramp up dramatically for a 2.8 variety (Which also has trouble subject isolating enough before the 30-40mm range)

[@Centauri27]

I own this lens and it's actually surprisingly sharp. Images are very crisp and detailed at 14mm. One advantage that this lens has over its much more expensive sibling (12-40 PRO): it's small enough to not cast a shadow when using the built-in flash on my GX85! With the 12-40, there is a noticeable shadow in the lower left corner. Also, I bought a 3rd party auto-close lens cap. The Olympus one is far too expensive.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@andreatilli6227]

What's the name of the auto closing cap?

[@cmalc8]

The most important thing about this lens to me personally, is that it makes just about any M4/3 camera 'coat-pocketable', especially with the auto lens cap. Also it has the perfect zoom range from architectural to portrait. Incredibly handy when you don't want to carry a bag, but want a do-it-all compact camera with you, just in case. I would prefer this on a small body to any of the current flavour of the month expensive 'street cameras'.

[@steveschnetzler5471]

I have the EZ version of that lens in my drawer also. I use it when I put my G85 on a gimbal, or I want to "pocket" my camera for street photos. It works fine for that.

[@mattisulanto]

I'm sure it works. Thanks for sharing.

[@MarkoKoskenoja]

I had the Lumix 14-42mm power zoom but found it, like the 45-175mm power zoom, annoying to zoom with so I sold it. Besides, little tiny lenses seemed suited to small M43 bodies, not a G85 or G9. Later, I bought a GX85 that I use with Lumix prime lenses 15, 20, 25 and 42.5mm - I like these combinations :)

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, manual zoom is much nicer in photography.

[@garybrown9719]

Thanks im considering getting this lens with the penf

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@ivokovac4652]

Hi there, can you tell me man. Does powerzoom works with Panasonic tether? Thanks

[@mattisulanto]

Unfortunately I have no idea, but I'd guess it does not work.

[@ReneGrothmann]

I bought a used copy hoping that it was an improvement over the 12-32 kit lens. It is not, I think. It is just a big bulkier.

[@jeffdrew625]

A kit lens, for Pen m43 body, and excellent travel combo! Sunny Finland pix are a bonus! Thx! 😊

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@harryniedecken5321]

Thank you for the video and explanation. My son has been encouraging me to find a powered zoom wide lens capability for our G9. The power zoom capability would be especially useful for doing one person work of photos and simple videos taken on a tripod and slight distance remote controlled. To be honest though we are always struggling with having enough natural light, so I would rather buy a fast prime like the PL 12mm and buy a software electronic zoom. >95% of my photos are taken at f4 or faster, many close to F2 just to get the light. If that could make 4:3 format photos and 1080p videos with a nice smooth electronic zoom, using the dials and remote, all in camera that would be really nice. I am not sure why powered zoom lenses are not more popular as I see people adding motor drives to lenses on KZbin all of the time. Again, thank you for another great educational and entertaining video.

[@mattisulanto]

Thank you for watching.

[@mateuszwnuk9136]

In total I'm happy to have it due to its amazing size (I often take it to my pocket just in case) but while optically enough in good light, in total I hate the experience of electronic zoom (especially the time it takes and sound it makes when turning on and off) so for vacations I tend to use 9-18mm switched to the 25mm prime much more. I noticed I simply stopped using it because I don't turn on the camera that often with this lens on and I miss the shots. That 14 is also a bit too narrow for my shooting sometimes so something like 12-40mm (rather than 12-32) in a compact size would be perfect for me. I'm really counting on that new 12-45 f4 lens from Olympus - if it is visibly smaller than their 2.8 lens, I'd have a perfect one. On the other hand, the motorized factor is a lovely gimmick if you have a gorillapod and use your smartphone to take a picture (you can zoom in and out - how convenient) :) Lens cap is great - I bought a chinese one from Aliexpress and it works perfectly - there are versions with or without included lens hoods :)

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Yoko.Kurama]

If you could only pick one lens would you pick the 14-42ez, Panasonic 14mm 2.5, or Panasonic 15mm 1.7? I'm trying to decide. I'm thinking the extra zoom may be more useful than the better low light performance

[@mattisulanto]

I'd pick the 15mm without doubt.

[@mistermastermind528]

Hi, Matti. Do you think this is a good alternative to the Panasonic 12-32mm kit lens that came with the GX80/85 cameras? Considering that those kit lens don't have focus rings while this Olympus one does. In case it is important, I'm more into video.

[@mattisulanto]

I guess electronic zoom could be better for video and if you focus manually, then a focus ring certainly helps.

[@mistermastermind528]

@@mattisulanto Thanks for taking the time, Matti.

[@henkmahendra1189]

my conference camera Olympus EM5 + Olympus 12-42 EZ pancake

[@bdssoaz]

I used to have this lens, but I sold it when I bought the 12-40 pro. Not that I didn't like it, just found no need to keep 2 similar focal length zoom lenses. I admit this one has the advantage of being very pocketable, which is awesome to use on a small body. I'm not sure but, doesn't the zoom speed varies in case you turn the zoom ring faster or slower?

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure the zoom speed is constant, at least on a Lumix camera.

[@ariunboldgaram-ayush8914]

You zoom faster or slower

[@walterblaj9473]

Great work. As a G9 owner, I really appreciate it, so thank you! I'm still struggling to find my perfect system... If you had to choose between this lens and the lumix 12-32mm, leaving aside OIS, which one would it be?

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I'd take the 12-32mm, because I like the manual zoom more and I also prefer the slightly wider wide end.

[@lorenschwiderski]

@@mattisulanto I do believe reviews indicate the Panny 12-32 is better than the Oly 14-42 pancake EZ. I do have the older 14-42mmR II Oly which is rated higher than this new lens. It is a little longer of course. It is OK, just like the Panny 12-32 pretty darn good. Decent, but slower lenses. And I am sure the new Oly 14-42mm EZ gets the job done -- just not better than the Lumix.

[@sav2236]

thank you Matti.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@sav2236]

@@mattisulanto greetings from tiny village in Poland.

[@nikoforu]

I own both the 12-32 and this EZ lens. I think the 12-32 has a more useful zoom range and the IQ is a bit better too. But I much prefer the construction, operation and the extra MF ring of the EZ lens. With the auto-lens cap, the lens becomes even more useful (and the auto-lens cap works on the 12-32). So in the end, I use the EZ more.

[@michaeld5888]

Olympus Imaging just never had the money to move to 24mm equivalent which has been the expected standard for some time. There seemed to be a 28mm barrier in Olympus and you had to dig up the money for 'Pro' to get this field of view. OM could really do with an affordable kit lens starting at this width of view. In aps-c Fuji have the extra wide 15-45, Nikon and Sony the 16-50, and Canon their 15-45mm for their 1.6x crop.

[@artistjoh]

I wonder how this Olympus power zoom compares to the Panasonic X 14-42mm PZ?

[@mattisulanto]

Both have a similar performance, no significant differences in my opinion.

[@artistjoh]

@@mattisulanto Thank you.

[@JohnRobertsTV]

So since this is a zoom lens, do you have to manually set the focal length inside the Lumix camera to use IBIS? That means you would have to select (fix) a focal length, then set that focal length manually in the camera. Or does the Lumix camera detect the correct focal length the lens is at and adjusts itself without requiring any additional setting by the photographer?

[@mattisulanto]

No need to set anything manually. This is just like any other native MFT lens. You have to use manual settings with those manual lenses that have no electronic contacts or no electronic functions.

[@datapro007]

Fun review Matti.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@ecarote]

hi, Olympus 14-42 ez or Lumix 14-42 g x vario?

[@mattisulanto]

The one you can get cheaper.

[@ecarote]

no differences on focus, sharpness ecc?@@mattisulanto

[@mattisulanto]

@@ecarote Nothing significant.

[@ecarote]

ty@@mattisulanto

[@glenbarrington2634]

I don't know about the Lumix kit lenses, I've never used one, but I've found the Oly kits to be quite good.

[@mattisulanto]

Both are good.

[@BrianBrxtn]

Was this lens ever part of a kit with a camera ?

[@mattisulanto]

Yes, it came with several cameras if I remember correctly. I'm sure Google will tell you more😀

[@BrianBrxtn]

@@mattisulanto thank you 🙏🏼 I just recently bought a gh4 but I’m struggling to choose between the 12-32mm pancake lens or the 14-42mm g x vario lens for video. What lens out of the 2 would you recommend

[@mattisulanto]

@@BrianBrxtn I like the 12-32mm but that only a personal preference and I can't promise that you'd like the same😀

[@geofff6671]

Tried two versions of this lens and was never particularly happy with it. The electronic zoom is imprecise and pretty much every other M 4/3 lens performs better. The Panasonic 12-32 f3.5-5.6 is noticeably better IMO.

[@holycrapghosttv]

Is it compatible with G7 Lumix

[@mattisulanto]

It's a Micro Four Thirds lens and compatible with Micro Four Thirds cameras. However, there are some minor cross compatibility issues with Olympus and Panasonic. Please use google for more on that.

[@c.augustin]

Interesting review. I had this lens for a week or so, and used it on three occasions - I was not impressed, but maybe I was just too critical back then (or the lens was not properly adjusted). Looking back at the images I found that the overall impression is actually quite good, so I might just be spoiled by better lenses. When it comes to optimal performance, I found around f/6.3 (or a bit more, but below f/8), but yes, f/8 gives a better overall quality. This lens shines on a small body, and I found the IQ be superior to the Lumix 12-32mm - which lacks the focus ring, too! I thought about buying it again, but I'm now after the Leica D-Lux 7, also known as Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100II - it starts at 12 mm f1.7 (!) and has overall better image quality (and it is very compact).

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! The problem with these kind of lenses is the variation from copy to another. Mine seems to be a very good copy, but I've seen bad ones too.

[@c.augustin]

@@mattisulanto Could well be! A bit unusual for Olympus, as I had no issues so far with lots of other lenses, but I have an inkling that the motorized mechanics might be a problem in this case.

[@mattisulanto]

@@c.augustin Could be.

[@lucien-3764]

I would say that at 14-42mm focal, stabilisation is not so-so critical (vs ex.: 200mm) & perfectly usable without. Just stay under maybe 1/30sec...

[@mattisulanto]

The lens has a stabilizer, so it's not completely without.

[@lucien-3764]

@@mattisulanto (??) you said (@ 6:30) that there's no stabilizer in the lens (??)

[@mattisulanto]

@@lucien-3764 True, I'm sorry. The lens has no stabilizer, but like I said in the video the IBIS on most Lumix cameras work well.

[@lucien-3764]

@@mattisulanto And I would say IBIS is plenty to handle (& make well usable) such small Focal Length lens. Just have to be more careful with speed. One detail worth mentioning is the lens is not particularly fast. And for Christmas time in Finland (or Canada :) ) you will agree this can be a serious inconvenient...

[@lucien-3764]

Especially as you said, you have to go to F8 for sharpest results...

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

Yeah -- the small size is amazing having the electronics for autofocus and motorized zoom. Nice focal-length range, a little tight on the aperture range. But the motorized zoom might be useful for video (I use my G85 for photography and videography) -- I dislike trying to smoothly manual zoom with my Lumix and vintage lenses while handholding my G85 capturing video. So you were able to assign the zoom function to one of the customizable function buttons on both the G9 and G90 -- I have never seen "Zoom" as an option for the customizable buttons on the G85 -- do you know if that exists? And if you have it assigned to a button -- how do you control zooming in vs. zooming out? Here in the US we call those metal drawers "file cabinets" -- the government and businesses used them for most of the 20th century for files and documents. Now most of that is all on a hard drive somewhere, or "in the cloud." Thank you Matti!!!

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! You are right, in video the power zoom is actually great. I'm not sure about the G80/85 buttons, because I don't have either one. You actually need two buttons to zoom in and out. Yeah, I know they are called file cabinets, but I didn't remember that when I was talking to the camera. The Finnish word also means exactly the same😀

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

@@mattisulanto -- well, I saw in other responses that there are actually a few Lumix power-zoom lenses as well -- I did not know that. I'll keep an eye out for them on the used market and maybe get one. If I cannot assign buttons on the G85, I can at least use the zoom collar on the lens to control the zooming during video -- a lot easier than trying to turn-turn-turn a manual-zoom ring by hand and keep the camera steady and the zooming smooth! You or Peter had one video recently where I think at the end you two were speaking to each other in Finnish -- sounded awesome!

[@mattisulanto]

@@aengusmacnaughton1375 I think we spoke some Finnish in Peter's DOF video, at the end😀

[@aengusmacnaughton1375]

@@mattisulanto -- I'm going to go back and watch it and turn the KZbin closed-captions on and see what it shows! :-)

[@AlexRamosDrTaz]

Got this as part of an Olympus E-M10III kit with the camera bag and 16GB card. It's quite good. Of course I ordered a 17mm f1.8 because primes are even better. Anyway, can't wait to work more with m43 after years of shooting APS-C and FF (mostly film but sometimes digital, too... and largely with Pentax cameras).

[@TITAOSTEIN]

Thanks for the Video. I prefer the Lumix 12-32mm.

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks! I prefer the 12-32mm too.

[@juanalvarado7794]

Why the 12-32? Let me know why is it better

[@qassemaleid9774]

Matti Sulanto ❤️

[@adrianwhareham8921]

Interesting lens Matti , I think I will stick with my 12-60 mm

[@nore8141]

Great video and commentary

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks!

[@cliffford5843]

Wow, however did I manage to get sharp images in my 30 years of film on an OM4Ti without stabilization.

[@mattisulanto]

Maybe you used a tripod?😀

[@indonesia3421]

Good job

[@mattisulanto]

Thanks.

[@angelmusical70]

I shoot Canon L glass, I have an Olympus E-500 with two kit lenses, I tried the 75-150 and it seems soft. I would like to jump to Olympus. Am I doing something wrong? Are these kit lenses good at all? Compared with L glasses.

[@mattisulanto]

Kit lenses are good and your lens could be faulty or you might be doing something wrong. However, you should realize that L series is Canon's pro lens line up. You should compare L to Panasonic Leica or Olympus Pro. Kit lenses are the economy option regardless of the brand.

[@Noah-cv4zo]

I thought the lens looked incredibly soft in your images until I thought to check video quality which was at 480p haha whoops.

[@mattisulanto]

It has happened to me too.

[@rendermanpro]

Give to us the address of your recycle bin :)

[@mattisulanto]

😀

[@MuwexTech]

I am selling exact lens here in Finland, also my GH5 and 15mm Summilux Panasonic Leica and one telezoom. Only in Finland, whole package 1500€

[@LarsKiel]

👍

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

Dark lens with no OIS

[@mjvielle]

I wish my finnish was as good as your English😂🎉

[@mattisulanto]

You can learn it😀