New Olympus Zuiko ED M43 12-40mm F/2.8 PRO

[PHIL RUDIN]

I picked up my OMD E-M1 with the new 12-40 F/2.8 while I was at DEMA last week and it is every bit a PRO lens. Focus is excellent and the range is great for my needs. This lens will focus to about seven inches (18cm) across the range.

This is the standard test I do with all new lenses for close focus, zoom to 40mm, manual focus to closes focus point and then move the camera in and out for sharp focus. I use a standard 35mm film mount to get an idea of how close the lens will focus and in this case it is about 1:1.35 on 35mm or about 1: 2.7 on 43/M43 sensor. The lens extended to 40mm WITHOUT a filter on the lens will just fit into my Nauticam NA-EM5 housing using the ZEN 170mm optical glass dome and the 20mm port extension, about 2 or 3 MM from hitting the glass. I THINK THE 30MM EXTENSION WILL BE THE SAFER CHOICE for this dome port. The lens will NOT fit the flat ports for 12-50 or 60 macro and because of the LONG extension of the lens between 12 and 40mm I think a dome will be the better choice over a flat port to avoid vignetting. I think a wider flat port would be the only solution for use with a flat port where a closeup lens could be used. I plan to use the lens with the dome and I will continue to use the excellent 60mm macro for the very close work. A gear for the 12-40 zoom lens is in development by Nauticam.

First image is full frame at 40mm and focused as close as will give a sharp image, no crop and the second is the bill as it looks taped to a window.

Phil Rudin

 

[cardog]

I wonder if it will work with my E-PL5 in the Oly housing with the stock port?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

If it won't fit the Nauticam port for the 12-50 or 60 macro then it stands to reason that it won't fit the Olympus stock port.

 

[EskilJ]

Sounds like a great lens!
The standard Oly flat port is like 5mm longer than the 12-50, and it has a large inner diameter of ~65mm.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

With the lens cap on you are looking at around 9cm for the 12-50 and around 12cm for the 12-40 or about 30mm more length when the 12-40 is fully extended to 40mm. No way it fits in any ones stock 12-50 zoom port.

Phil Rudin

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

What about the 12-50 port plus a port extension, will any of the Nauti ones work?

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I would think the 12-50 flat port would vignette with the long throw of the lens. Best Option is a dome with extension. Athena makes lots of stuff for the Olympus OMD housings and they have the lens added to their system chart. Athena shows a zoom gear, with 170mm dome port and a 22mm extension.

Phil Rudin

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Macro is surprisingly good, but I think I will hang on to my 12-50 rig. Messing with another big dome for mid-range lengths is not for me and you lose the macro. If I were shooting models in a pool, like some lucky photogs I know, this would probably be the best thing since sliced bread! Thinking about that, Phil, can you ask if the Nauti dome for the 7-14 would work with this lens with some sort of port extension? then I would not need another dome.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Nauticam is looking at this issue along with the several changes they will be making to the EM-1 housing from prototype to rollout. The photos of the EM1 housing attached above are from the DEMA prototype housing.