Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko ED Digital SLR Lens for E1, E300 & E500 Cameras | 
| Brand: Olympus
List Price: $599.99
Buy New: $389.95
You Save: $210.04 (35%)
New (10) Used (2) from $355.00
Rating:  32 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Fragile: No
Batteries Included: No
Optical Zoom: 3.9
Maximum Focal Length: 54
Minimum Focal Length: 14
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 6.2 x 5.2 x 5.1
MPN: 261001-14-54
Model: 261001-14-54
UPC: 050332140639
EAN: 0050332140639
ASIN: B0000ET9DG
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Specially treated to shed water droplets, and engineered to withstand the rigorous demands of professional use | | • | Designed to capitalize on the design advantages of the OLYMPUS Four Thirds System | | • | Large f/2.8 - 3.5 aperture, with minimum weight and bulk | | • | 14-54mm range -- equivalent to 28 - 108mm in conventional 35mm photography | | • | For use with the OLYMPUS E-1 and other Four Thirds Series Digital SLR Cameras, as specified |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The OLYMPUS Zuiko Digital interchangeable lenses have been developed specifically for digital SLR use, with professional grade specifications to ensure optimum performance. As dedicated digital camera lenses, they ensure that light strikes the image sensor at a near-perpendicular angle, eliminating image degradation and light loss that can occur at the periphery of the image area, or when shooting with wide angle lenses. They also support high speed, high precision focus, and offer superb zoom and focus response.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
Excellent mid-range zoom lens January 16, 2007
John L. Hemingway (Macomb, IL USA)
36 out of 41 found this review helpful
Photographers from novice to entry-level pro will appreciate the quality of 14-54mm. It fills the need for a fast, sharp, and adaptable digital lens at a reasonable price. Though its focal length (28-108mm optical equivalent) isn't suited for shooting in confined spaces (look at the 11-22mm Zuiko for that) or for pulling in distant wildlife or sports action (maybe the 50-200mm Zuiko would be better), the 14-54mm is close to ideal for the image making most of us do most of the time. It's almost always on my E-500 and if I can take only one lens with me, this is the one.
The 14-54mm's color rendition is outstanding and it's generally very sharp from center to edge. Not surprisingly, it performs best in the middle apertures (say, f/5.6 to f/11) with no noticeable fall off at either end of its focal range. There is some very, very slight softness when zoomed fully out or in, in which case it's probably best not to shoot wide open or closed down (boost the ISO a touch instead) -- a general rule of thumb, anyway. Nothing here would stop me from buying the lens again in an instant.
The f/2.8-3.5 aperture range allows reasonable control over depth of field, e.g., to soften backgrounds when shooting portraits. The lens is fairly light and compact, with a good feel on the camera, at least on my E-500. (And contrary to another reviewer's comment, as long as you put the lens hood on properly, it won't block the lens at any focal length.) Note that if you stack filters (e.g., a UV and a polarizer) you're likely to get some very modest vignetting, which may also occur at full wide if you use a single filter with a thicker frame. This happens with almost all wider angle lenses (and can easily be addressed using standard image editing software).
Good lenses do make a difference. The 14-54mm is a good lens, and not just because of the price. As a modestly serious amateur photographer, I've had it for several months now, have shot a couple of thousand images -- some as tests and some for keeps -- and have no complaints about the 14-54mm at all.
Best standard zoom around February 1, 2005
Danijel Turina (Croatia)
23 out of 25 found this review helpful
I've been using it on my E1 for a while, and it proved to be an excellent lens. Sure, my Minolta MD 35-70mm f/3.5 (Leica Vario-Elmar) beats it in bokeh and image beauty, and any 50m Planar will beat it in absolute sharpness, but this one has almost the bokeh of a Minolta, and almost the sharpness of a prime; it's reasonably fast for a zoom and has the best range of focal lengths one can reasonably hope for (28-108mm equivalent). It's good for everything, although not absolutely perfect for any particular thing. That makes it the standard zoom of choice.
Flaws: cyan fringing (chromatic aberations) on the wide end, particularly on the edges and wide open. Vignetting on the long end. Target-shaped bokeh, especially visible when shooting macro. That's about it. Oh yes, very resistent to flare, the coating is excellent.
On the surface, same as factory lens, but dig deeper February 12, 2007
HMMWV (santa clara, CA USA)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
You can not evaluate the lens by just the numbers - yes, it is nearly identical to the factory lens, but it is a much faster lens and made in Japan, not China. Additionally it has a unique focus system that requires very little lens movement to go from 3 feet to infinity - this translates into RAPID focus - faster than the factory lens as well. It also features the mounting lugs and 62mm (as opposed to 58) filter threads to accept the ring flash as well as the twin flash accessories, so if you have expanded beyond the FL-50 - you DON'T want the factory lens any more. Taken together, this is the lens 70-80% of my shooting was done with. I am sold on the E300 and bought 3 backs cheap after they were obsoleted - I also bought 3 lenses, the 14-54, the 50mm macro, and the 50-200mm - each lens is on its own back eliminating the risk of contamination completely while giving me redundancy when I am away.
After knowing you are going to take a picture, you narrow down to 2 questions as to which one.
1 - you don't know much except you have a picture to take - use the 14-54
2 - you know it's going to be about 50mm and you want maximum detail or have poor lighting, or have a macro shot - then pick the 50 mm prime lens
3 - it's a long distance shot - take the 50-200, add the teleconverter if needed.
Simple!
And for flash - long distances get the FL-50 - shorter get the ring or twin flash to even the lighting out. Forgot your flash? pop up the built in one!
Great Everyday Lens February 28, 2007
Gary Carpineta (Maryland, USA)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
This is the lens that stays on my camera 90% of the time and the first lens I bought for it other than the kit lenses. Let me say this is a huge upgrade from the 14-45mm kit lens. Not only is is faster at f2.8-3.5 but the autofocus is much quiter, and the pictures are sharper.
What is also impressive is how close this lens will focus. While it isn't what I would consider macro, you can take some awsome closeup shots of flowers with this lens.
If you buy no other lens for your Oly DSLR this is probably the one you should buy.
A Must-Have lens July 3, 2007
T. Haines (NY)
13 out of 16 found this review helpful
This lens is completely different from the 14-45 kit lens. Not in the same class at all. This lens provides better color saturation, more accurate and pleasing tones, better contrast, faster focusing, and a wider aperture. In general, this will give you considerably better pictures than your kit lens. How much better?
On a scale of 1-10, (1 being point-and-shoot lens/image quality and 10 being outstanding), I'd give the kit lens about a 4 and this lens about a 9) The 10 slot is reserved for the 11-22mm lens which is crazy sharp! But that's another review for another day.
It's not all about image quality though. There's a lot to be said for the wider aperture size of this lens. You'll be grateful for a faster lens when you're taking those tricky-lighting shots, or when you want to speed up your shutter to freeze motion, and you're indoors with poor lighting. That wider aperture will save you!
Seriously, get this lens. You won't regret it when you see how beautiful your pictures are.
|
|
|
