Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens

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This Zuiko telephoto zoom from Olympus has an equivalent focal length of 80-300mm. It boasts a fast aperture range, meaning you can get higher shutter speeds at the long end of the zoom, while the autofocus is fast and accurate, if a little noisy.
There’s no in-lens image stabilisation, but blur-free images are possible up to two stops slower than usual using the camera’s own Image Stabilisation system. On the downside the minimum focusing distance of 150cm could be limiting in some shooting situations.
There are nicely-sized focus and zoom rings, both providing a smooth action, and it’s surprisingly chunky and heavy for this price-point. Our test shots from the wide end of the zoom were clear and sharp, but image quality at the long end was disappointing, looking quite soft – especially at the edges.
An updated version of this lens is available which is lighter but has a slower maximum aperture. Both lenses have similar price at we write, but now it’s been superseded, the price of this model may fall so Olympus users should look out for a bargain!

Specification:
Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
Aperture range (min & max zoom): f/3.5-f/4.5
Image stabiliser: No
Aperture blades: 7
Minimum focus: 150cm
Filter size: 58mm
Dimensions (DxL): 77x107mm
Weight: 425g
Mounts: FourThirds
Contact: www.olympus.co.uk