The Olympus ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 – Review in a Nutshell – and Solving an Old Problem … Again.

They sometimes say, “even a donkey doesn’t bump against the same stone twice”,
Well, I must admit with shame, apparently I do.

Well, it all started in November 2022, when I bought the E-M5 Mark III 12-200mm Kit from the OM System shop and got a great deal, €1199 instead of €1799 for the camera and lens. I actually just wanted the E-M5 MK III body, but what I paid was actually the normal price for just the body at that time, so I basically got the lens for free.

The Olympus ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 is a superzoom lens, and we all know that superzooms don’t perform as well as regular zooms. That being said, to match this range with regular zooms, you would need two to three lenses to cover the same range. And that’s why people sometimes choose this type of lens, for travel, backpacking, etc. – to carry less stuff, less weight.

Personally, I rarely use it myself, but there are times when I choose to have a large range but carry little. A few months ago was one of those moments, but when I got home, I wasn’t impressed with the photos, especially those taken at a longer focal length, but I didn’t really think much of it. A few days ago, I had it with me again, and upon returning home and viewing them on the computer, I realized that, although the 12-200mm isn’t the best Olympus lens, the results were really below par in my opinion – and then I thought, it can’t be … could it ?

So I did the Hoya test again, just like with the Olympus 300mm f4 Pro, and guess what … yes, indeed, the filter that many reviews say is good, a Hoya Pro 1 Digital 72mm MC UV, made my photos less sharp than what the lens is actually capable of. The filter used is not the one I found to be bad in the previous test – nor is it the replacement I bought for the test back then – no, this is a new filter I bought from a reputable store to protect the lens glass – no fake cheap stuff !

The two photos above are respectively, left with Hoya filter, right without filter. Note a small contrast/color difference with and without a filter.

Test performed almost exactly like the one with the Olympus 300mm f4 Pro, meaning: camera was placed on a table, timer used for the shot – fixed ISO, aperture, and shutter settings, so, quick and dirty but controlled 🙂

Cropped above, left with and right without filter – below detail comparison side by side, same as above, left with and right without filter.

It may not seem like much difference, but if, for example you photograph a bird and afterwards zoom in on details or want to crop,
it quickly becomes clear that there is a lot of blur.
Although using a filter to protect your glassware seems like a good idea, I think it is better to leave it off, and instead always mount your lens hood, it will at least protect your lens against unwanted collisions.

A few days later, I did another outdoor test. Unfortunately, no cormorant this time, but I did spot a small kestrel, although it was much farther away. It might be a bit of a tricky comparison, but the test photos of the glasses should really speak for themselves.

Scroll down to find the link to the original article on “La Gallerie”.

Makes you think about the usefulness of filters, doesn’t it ?
Because you might now be thinking “I’ve never had any problems with filters”
but have you ever made the comparison with and without ?
Maybe you should give that a try, right ?

Well, I think I’ve learned my lesson now, or at least I hope so 🙂

Review in a Nutshell :
But, is the Olympus ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 a good lens ?
well, personally I think – for the use for which it is intended – and that is for travel photography and occasional photography,
it does what you can expect,
namely providing usable results over most of its range.

So, it is certainly not a lens for bird and nature photographers, nor for macro,
however, for general photography :
landscapes, streets, architecture, sun and sea, even in the zoo,
not too close and not too far,
that’s where this lens shines !

Even though the mount is metal, the general construction quality is mainly plastic, and does not give you the impression that it can take a beating.
However, it is dust, splash and freeze proof and has a seal on the lens mount, so it still offers you reasonable protection when used on a weather sealed camera like the E-M5, E-M1 or OM-1.
If you can protect the camera and lens with a soft or neoprene pouch, you can still take it to rough and wet terrain.

Pros: Great range: 12-200mm = 24-400mm Field of View (FOV) in 35mm film camera.

Cons: Not inexpensive (though this lens replaces two to three other zoom lenses) – feels quite plastic-like, not very sturdy – image quality not outstanding.

Recommendation: Suitable for travel, family events, backpacking, city trips…

La Gallerie

The photo gallery of Open Source Photography, Olympus micro 4/3 system, Vintage Lens Photograpy, Film Simulation, PictureFX, HDR – Photographer : Marc R.