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Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm lens (photo samples)

If you're kitting out an MFT camera and don't need the wide aperture you can as yet only get with prime lenses, the Olympus 9-18mm will be a useful supplementary lens to have around.

Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Lori Grunin
9-18mm-sharp.jpg
1 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Sharpness

The lens is capable of delivering nicely sharp images and can focus pretty close up--about 9.8 inches away. Also note the welcome lack of fringing on the higlights.

(E-PL1, 18mm, 1/30 sec, f5.6, ISO 200, AWB, ESP metering, Natural picture mode)
9-18mm-sharp-2.jpg
2 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Sharpness

Another example of the lens' detail rendering; I credit the slight crunchiness to the camera's image processing rather than the lens.

(E-PL1, 18mm, 1/60 sec, f5.6, ISO 100, center-weighted metering, Natural picture mode, AWB)
9-18mm-distortion.jpg
3 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Distortion

There's little visible barrel disortion for such a wide-angle lens, but it also looks as if the distortion has been corrected in-camera--as if the lines have been straightened, but still aren't quite parallel.

(E-PL1, 1/500 sec, f13, ISO 200, ESP metering, AWB)
9-18mm-9mm-bokeh.jpg
4 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Bokeh

The lens has a nice organic rendering for out-of-focus elements. It has a pretty narrow maximum aperture of f4 (given its short focal length), though it was too bright out when I was testing to get that wide.

(E-PL1, 17mm, 1/100, f5.6, ISO 100, center-weighted metering, AWB, Natural picture mode)
9-18mm-fringe.jpg
5 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Fringing

The lens exhibits very little chromatic aberration; at the very edges of the frame you can just make out a bit of cyan, magenta, and purple fringing, but it's otherwise quite clean.

(E-PL1, 18mm, 1/80, f11, ISO 200, center-weighted metering, AWB, Natural picture mode)
9-18mm-flare.jpg
6 of 6 Lori Grunin/CNET

Flare

This is just an illustration to note that Olympus doesn't bundle a hood with the lens; it's a $29.99 option.

(E-PL1, 9mm, 1/20 sec, f14, ISO 100, center-weighted metering, AWB, Natural picture mode)

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