Micro Four Thirds Update And Impressions Of The M.Zuiko 9-18mm Lens

Today Olympus announced a wide ranging firmware update for the E-P1 / E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras. It is the first time in company history that Olympus have offered a firmware update that applies to so many models at once.

The main area addressed in this update is an increase in focusing speed - conservatively estimated by a company source as approximately a 15% increase in speed - but the new firmware will also improve AF tracking performance on all three models, and additionally it will allow users to do image review on the rear screen when using the optional EVF on the E-P2 and E-PL1. Currently, when using the EVF everything happens either in the EVF or on the rear LCD. This update will allow you to split the functions between the two screens.

There will also be a new method for updating the firmware which, for the first time, will be available through a dedicated web link as opposed to using the Olympus Master or Studio software to access the update.

The firmware update will be available as of April 22 by going to http://www.getolympus.com/penupdate

I have been using a beta E-PL1 camera with part of the final firmware version installed for the last couple days. Although it had the final version of the focusing firmware installed, the new focus tracking and LCD/EVF firmware versions were not included with this camera.

Having used it with one of the few full production M.Zuiko 9-18mm lenses available in North America, the new and old M.Zuiko 14-42mm kit lenses, and several regular Four Thirds lenses via adapter (40-150 kit, 14-54 f2.8, regular 4/3’s 9-18mm, 75-300mm), I agree that there is about a 15-20 percent increase in AF speed with the older lenses.

This doesn’t turn your E-PL1 into a D3-like sports shooting machine, but it adds some welcome zip to the auto focusing in all lighting situations.

Overall the camera feels enhanced with more certain AF responsiveness and positive focus lock. Whether using the kit lens, 17mm or regular Four Thirds lenses with the adapter, I found you could feel the difference to varying degrees depending on light levels. In bright light the improvement is especially apparent.

But it is when shooting with the M. Zuiko 9-18mm, and its new internal focusing design, that things get really interesting. Using this lens with the firmware update puts the E-PL1 right up with entry level DSLR performance. In all the light levels where you are likely to be using auto focusing the M.Zuiko 9-18mm grabs focus quickly and with total, uncanny silence.

I cannot tell you how impressed I am with the new 9-18mm. It is a small jewel of a lens. From its tiny form factor – 50% smaller and 40% lighter than other lenses in this range – to the smooth, well damped zooming action, the 9-18mm just feels completely right on this camera.

Due to its ground-breaking dual-sided super aspherical element and use of ED glass, the M.Zuiko 9-18mm produces outstanding images with very nice micro contrast and saturation that come razor sharp straight from the camera (no insane amounts of USM required)

The M.Zuiko 9-18mm’s focusing is so silent you literally have to put your ear up to the lens barrel to hear it focusing, a real plus when shooting video. By far the quietest AF lens I have ever used from any manufacturer.

Here is a video shot with the E-PL1 with latest firmware and M.Zuiko 9-18mm of Wen Wei Dance Company's dress rehearsal for their piece called CockPit as part of Harbourfornt Centre's NextSteps program.



Whether I was grabbing quick shots of people in motion, doing Hail Mary photos of my ‘auto focus immune’ jet black cocker spaniel chasing me across a field, shooting a squirrely teenage daughter and giggling friends for family photos, or scenery and macros into the sun from difficult angles … everything I threw at the E-PL1 / 9-18mm combination was handled with workman-like, no-nonsense efficiency.

No drama. Just zap it’s focused, click it’s photographed.

I even took the E-PL1 w/ M.Zuiko 9-18mm along to shoot Florence And The Machine at a concert as an accredited journalist, shooting from the media pit in front of the stage under what turned out to be the worst concert lighting I’ve seen all year.

 
As a point of direct comparison I tested my regular 4/3’s 9-18mm on an entry level E510 DSLR body against the E-PL1. On average the E-PL1 with M.Zuiko 9-18mm focuses just as quickly on multiple objects at varying distances and differing light levels, and with slightly more certainty. In dimmer light the E-PL1 actually achieved focus faster.

Rather than use focusing charts I tested the two in a room with lighting that varied from bright sunlight to deep shadows while focusing on objects, some of which were very AF friendly and some which would give any AF system problems.

Obviously this is not a definitive test under controlled circumstances, but my conclusion, and I have been using the highly regarded regular Four Thirds 9-18mm for more than a year, is that in casual shooting situations at the entry level there is now very little practical difference in focusing speed between the two Olympus systems in this particular focal range when using the M.Zuiko 9-18mm with the new firmware. My time with the micro version has me thinking it may just be the equal of its bigger brother in a lot of ways.
However, where the E-PL1 did suffer was the long blackout time after exposures, which makes it more suited to a slower paced shooting session.

The DSLR, despite the mirror flip, will shoot continuously with much less distraction, and the optical viewfinder is still best for subjects with a lot of movement.
So, if you were to combine the tiny, light weight 9-18mm and the upcoming equally diminutive 14-150mm (due to be released in June), you’ll have two silent, fast focusing, high quality lenses covering a range from 18mm to 300mm equivalent - ultra wide to a very useful telephoto - that are optimized for both video and stills.

Mate these to a body equipped with the optional EVF - offering a WYSIWYG viewfinder nearly the size of a DSLR camera – and you’d have a very compelling travel camera package, a low profile kit for photojournalists in traditional media, a good choice for online journalists with the high quality Micro Four Thirds video option, a load off the shoulders of Landscape/Nature shooters everywhere … or just something for anyone with a need for high image quality combined with excellent portability.

The M.Zuiko 9-18mm and 14-150mm would seem to offer all the performance most people will need, in a small package they’ll actually have with them when they need it.

Sample photos from the M.Zuiko 9-18mm lens (click photos to enlarge) :

Abandoned Dragon Boats – Split open and rotting by the lakeshore these abandoned dragon boats make for an interesting study in texture in the direct noon light.

Scarborough Bluffs – Shooting nearly directly into the sun the 9-18mm doesn't show a trace of flare, and this without the lens hood (which Olympus didn't have in stock yet)

Eaton Centre – Again, showcasing the enormous view possible with the M.Zuiko 9-18mm. Without a tripod to set it up perfectly, this image required mild correction on one side to make the uprights line up more or less parallel.

Capturing movement with the new firmware – Two grab shots to illustrate the improved AF performance with the 9-18mm.In the first shot I was photographing in what is known as Graffiti Alley, a long alley running behind a couple blocks of commercial buildings that have been turned into canvases for Urban Artists to showcase their work.
As I’m considering this shot I’m thinking it would be good with movement in front of the mural, and at that moment a woman turns into the alley and starts walking quickly towards me.Pressing the power button as I politely call out to her to ask if she would let me take a picture of her, unlocking the lens as she agrees without breaking stride, bring the camera up to my eye, she’s now within 6 ft., get focus lock and fire shutter as she zooms past. No chance to compose it, no retakes.

Covered Walkway – Again, a spur of the moment shot. I had already taken a few shots just of the walkway when I saw the group of people coming towards me. Got the camera out of the bag again, quickly locked focus and fired just as the man walked out of frame.

Massey Hall – A Toronto landmark, this photo of Massey Hall was taken looking up from the sidewalk in front of the hall.

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