Olympus has released what it claims is the world’s fastest 8mm fisheye lens as well as a new pro grade 7-14mm f/2.8 ultra-wide angle zoom for its OM-D and PEN cameras.
Olympus has released two new wide-angle lenses – the M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 PRO, which it says is the world’s brightest fisheye lens, and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO zoom, a professional-grade ultra-wide zoom with a fast constant aperture.
The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 PRO lens has an f/1.8 aperture which Olympus says makes it the fastest series production fisheye lens in the world. It is aimed at astronomy, underwater, landscape and professional imaging interests, creating ‘fisheye’ perspectives with a viewing angle of a 16mm (35mm equivalent).
The design has aimed to minimise comatic and chromatic aberrations at large apertures – optical issues which are especially critical in wide field astro-imaging. Its optics include 17 high-performance lens elements arranged in 15 groups, which achieve extremely high clarity across the image field up to the periphery of the recorded image. Special lens elements include Olympus’ proprietary Super HR (Super High Refractive) and Super ED (Super Extra-Low Dispersion) glass. It’s compact and light weight (315g), and is also dustproof and splashproof, and can withstand freezing conditions.
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO has a 14-28mm ultra-wide angle (35mm equivalent) focal length range. It has a fast f/2.8 constant aperture, with 14 elements in 11 groups, two EDA, one DSA, and three Super ED high-performance elements. It also has a ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflectance Optical) high-performance multi-coating, and a 7.5cm minimum focus distance.
Olympus says it is designed for reportage, landscape, nature and architecture photography, and it is also dust, freeze, and splashproof. Its optical design features the highest performance optical materials that include DSA (Dual Super Aspheric), EDA (Extra-Low Dispersion Aspheric) and three Super ED elements, to improve clarity. Olympus says distortion is minimal across the zoom range. The manufacturer says optical quality at wide apertures helps when shooting handheld, when the lens is combined with an Olympus camera that has 5-Axis Image Stabilisation, like the professional OM-D E-M1 and the E-M5 Mk II. It weighs just 534g.
Olympus describes the M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f2.8 PRO as the ultra-wide lens of its standard ‘professional trio’ of fast Zuiko f2.8 zooms with focal lengths that are most demanded by enthusiasts and professional photographers. This includes the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm PRO and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm PRO lenses already in market. Their combined focal lengths range from 14-300mm (in 35mm format).
Both lenses will be available in late June and prices are yet to be announced.
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The new Olympus 8mm fisheye lens has a fast aperture of f/1.8.
The Olympus 8mm fisheye lens is claimed by the manufacturer to be the world's brightest.
The Olympus 7-14mm constant f/2.8 aperture zoom lens is the equivalent to 14-28mm in 35mm format.
