OLYMPUS LAUNCHES SPEEDY PRO LENS PAIR

OLYMPUS HAS ADDED two f1.2-speed primes to its M.Zuiko Digital PRO line-up of premium performance Micro Four Thirds mount lenses. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f1.2 PRO (equivalent to 34mm in the 35mm format) and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.2 PRO (equivalent to 90mm) both feature magnesium alloy barrel designs sealed against dust and moisture, and they can also operate in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius. Olympus says that the large maximum aperture of f1.2 enables both lenses to deliver a “beautiful feathered bokeh” which essentially means a smoother transition from the in-focus to the out-of-focus so there’s cleaner differentiation between the subject and the background. Both models feature the ‘MF clutch’ mechanism which allows for quick switching between autofocusing and manual focusing by pulling or pushing the focusing collar. Both lenses also use Olympus’s high-speed ‘MSC’ (Movie And Still Compatible) focusing mechanism.

The optical construction comprises 15 elements in 11 groups and includes a newlydeveloped ‘ED-DSA’ type which has the combined correctional characteristics of an extra-low dispersion element – for chromatic aberrations - and a ‘Dual Super Aspheric’ (DSA) type – for distortion. Olympus says it is the first manufacturer that’s able to successfully mass produce these complex elements which make it possible to significantly reduce the number of required special elements. Nevertheless, the 17mm f1.2’s optical construction still also incorporates three ED elements, one ‘Super ED’ type, one conventional aspherical type, one ‘Super HR’ type (high refractive index) and one ‘EDA’ type (‘Extra Low Dispersion Aspherical’). All these special elements are designed to optimise correction, particularly for distortion, comatic aberration and chromatic aberrations. The minimum focusing distance is 20 centimetres which gives a maximum image magnification of 0.15x (equivalent to 0.3x).

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.2 PRO’s optical construction comprises 14 elements in ten groups and which includes one aspherical type, four with high refractive index characteristics and one extra-low dispersion type. The minimum focusing distance is 50 centimetres which gives a maximum image magnification of 0.1x (equivalent to 0.2x).

Both new M.Zuiko PRO lenses use Olympus’s ‘Z Coating Nano’ multi-coating to minimise ghosting and flare. Both also share a nine-blade diaphragm, minimum aperture of f16 and a screwthread filter fitting of 62 millimetres (which also shared with the existing 25mm f1.2 PRO model).

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f1.2 PRO is priced at $1799 and will be available locally from mid-January 2018. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.2 PRO is available now and is also priced at $1799. Visit www.olympus.com.au