Have no competitors in the all waiting in the MFT-class, the booster for GH4 or EM1, especially with converter!

Yesterday we were at the castle and at Eutin Plöner See no stand on the road and I have taken up the subjects that I have f / received already with the A7R and the large Zeiss 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 f / 4 and several systems of the highest class , Today I have the images analyzed on the HD screen.
Unfortunately Amazon does not allow more retrospectively adjust photos to software conversion. This would have facilitated my work.
Now I have a lot of Bla, Bla write to the several dimensions to describe properly. So, here are my observations:

RESOLUTION
It's incredible what the Zuiko PRO (and of course the 17-40) can dissolve.
I had the courtyard of the castle tower and bell photographed and the magnifying even the wire of the lightning rod was drawn fine clean. By that I mean not indicated but really clean with a ununterrochene line of pixels. I am amazed because I had taken the last time exactly the same picture with my Sony A7R with 36 MP and the best Zeiss and the EM1 PRO also shows sharp details with their 16 MP and the Zuiko and I really did not expect!
Next we went to Bosau on Ploen Lake where we ankammen exactly as planned to the minute for the sunset.
Quite far, in 10 Km distance northbound lay Plon in half the evening haze. The telephoto shots show the lock with every window and the two supervisory turrets top pretty much. Also astounding.

COLOURS / DYNAMICS
But my main motive in Bosau was Vincelin Church seen from the boat dock and the lake with the boardwalks. the thatched boathouse and more. Overall far to 11 to get over a hundred recordings with aperture of 2.8 at a good feel for the depth of field and to explore 1/400 shutter speed to the brightness variations.
For now, I must say that the AF is incredibly fast and fail. No single shot is out of focus, even though the sun was already below the horizon, so very little light was available. Fortunately, because the trigger to my EM1 is extremely sensitive and I, have, many times initiated despite caution though I just wanted to measure. I never have to wait for the focusing: The moment I touched the resolver, the image was immediately knackscharf in the box. Even that is admirable.

In my series pictures show the first of the series, the real brightness: Pretty dark. After that I graduel the aperture open to see how far the sensor and lens are able to conjure up light and colors which are actually no more.
Images that are properly exposed, consist almost entirely of shadows. However, all objects can be easily recognized because the sensor detects very fine nuances. Produced at the pictures on the PC, it is not an issue: It's all used.
With open aperture and to almost 4.0, enteht a very different impression: It is believed that one is located about an hour before sunset. Everything is clearly visible, bright and plenty of color, and not unnatural. This means that the PRO-lenses are tremendously strong light and able to take the environment much brighter than able to see the eye. Under these conditions, a flash is necessary.
Even more than the 5-axis stabilization also works amazingly well: According to the old rule would be for a shot at 200mm 1/200 s directivity-shutter speed. The EM1 I can s go down to 1/20 and after sunset and with the Tele. Who gives more?
In such open-aperture and slow shutter speeds can still photography, where the eye and mind say: useless!

I was very favorably impressed by the momentum: The cloud structures are very detailed and nicely settled and vivid, even though there were hardly any shades. Architectural images show the finest nuances of the blocks, which I do not see such subtleties to the naked eye.
The JPEG come so beautiful from the camera that an administration in 95% of cases will absolutely bring anything and would rather do something broken. This too is überdurchnittlich well to the Olympus Zuiko system.

Noise performance
However, there are also limitations and negative: color noise in darker areas.
MFT happens to have a fraction of the area of ​​a full-format and thus more sensitive to noise. One can go to IO in 1600, after that it is disturbing.
However, hardly as long as one does not increase. I want to stay on the carpet: The Fuji X-Pro1 / T1, A6000 or Nikon D7100 with APS-C seems to me that in this regard a little better, but there is no reason on the Olympus Zuiko PRO to abandon, because what is on offer since goes far beyond the normal demands.
I still have 100% feel that I have received a lot of good for a lot of money and regret not buying at all.
I would to current knowledge, the E-M1 and the two Zuiko PRO hesitation immediately and without having to buy again (if I would of course still have the money).
Now I'm keen on the E-M5 Mark II, although I know that there are a pair of cameras, like the Nikon D810 or the Sony A99, which has a higher efficiency sensor plus provide full frame. And for that, I also like the Olympus and Lumix, matching lenses that are not bad. But this MFT and the Zuiko PRO that are so compact and cute and can make very addictive! Yup!
Anyone who has ever had this stuff in your hands that will not give off the so soon!

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Supplement v. 02.22.2015

Today there was weekend and sunshine, so good light around the lens to test properly and even at shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 1/4000 and small aperture at ISO 200 to 800 of my EM10.
The Oly EM 10 harmonises not optimal with the 40-150 because it is not weatherproof and stability (3 axes) is slightly worse than with my EM1 (5 axes), but she was busy with the Zuiko 12-40mm PRO, the lot More used and not ready.

It will be interesting to mount the lens to the EM5 Mark II when it becomes available. The EM5 II is not only weatherproof and perfectly stabilized (even better than the EM1), it should resolve by micro displacement of the sensor at 8 HDR images to 40 MP. However, the often limited with tripod and silent scenes, so landscapes and architecture. With later cameras this system is accelerated and also in the studio applicable, maybe even in the open air for normal scenes, but the 8 necessary for this recording should be done within 1 / 100s and I do not know how it should be technically feasible approx 800x16MP images (= 12,800 MP) shooting per second and process. It could be that the camera is blocked for several minutes.
Olympus keeps a low profile in any case. ME is expected to take it up a couple of years to such services currently provide the only scientific cameras are available in a mass-produced product.
Therefore, it is nevertheless the EM5 II worthwhile to purchase, especially for the price of about 1,100 euros, and they operate with the PRO 12-40 and 40-150mm.
Maybe bring a Lumix GH5 that creates 200 shots or more per second. In any case, has enormous significance for the two Zuiko PRO and vice versa, the Zuiko PRO for the MFT system because lenses are used at least twice as long as cameras.

After this interesting perspective, back to the review:
Einstellugen and color reproduction
The pictures I have stored in JPEG and an image editor slightly revised to mostly to raise the contrast, brightness dampen somewhat, to optimize highlights, shadows, and midtones as needed.
At the saturation no optimization was necessary the appearance of the 40-150 f / 2.8 has a superior color rendering with the settings on the camera were neutral.
The converter MC-14 way, I have always used (a very Klaase thing), the files have economical 2.5-3.5 MB, so not comparable to the RD. 10 MB of A7R with Sony Zeiss FE 4 / 70-200 G OSS (previously my liblings-Zoom).

AF
The AF is blazing fast and instantly. I never had the feeling of a waiting period, no matter what I had envisaged. Undoubtedly, the 40-150mm is suited for action and sports scenes.
In the village post box in 75m distance I have 14 recordings - mostly in manual mode - made with different settings. For other motives between 15 and 80 meters a few dozen shots to even 1/4000 s.

Drawing
To avoid camera shake, I have supported laterally me something and shot 1/200 to 1/500. The results were equally good. Manual focusing with focus peaking brought no improvement over single-AF. This means that the optimal AF and absolutely works exactly.
The resolution was not better, but no worse than with the A7R and the above Zeiss. The magazine with the emptying times was clearly visible but absolutely unreadable. All strokes were at least recognizable and also 2cm wide Posthorn, albeit very verschommen. When 1 recording with max. Focal length, f / 8.0 and 1/200 he is almost well recognizable. A fly is 4x2 pixels in the distance.

In the fir test at noon towards the sun I used shutter speeds to 1/4000. Single pine needles against the bright sky are in rd. 60 m resolved fairly clean and very well individually erkannbar. Between the beginning and the end of individual pine needles there is no disruption and no color pixel Franzen (phenomenon that always appears in very good compact or bridge cameras with powerful zoom without expensive Super ED glass). In the end, the images do not just look very sharp, but evenly and very contrasty. All very good templates for further editing on PC.
In the satellite antenna in 75m distance individual screws and cable ties are signed off fairly clean.
Conclusion: A very nice lens for landscapes and architecture, all-round well-matched and precisely manufactured. That ED glass's inside is obvious! The color beams land 100% synchronously at exactly the focal point.

Focus
From Aperture 5.6 are also many details of joints and bricks in 85m easily recognizable and individual pebbles on the road in approx. 40m (= depth of just 50m).
From aperture 8 to 11 under the wire in 6m therefore a depth of field over a distance of about 10-90 m is additionally mapped shadowy.
When you open the panel, however, creates a bokeh the professional class with absolutely blurred background (eg lamppost in 6 m distance is everything from 8-10m as good as gone).
So that funktionniert not only in close-ups but also for 10m. There, too, it is possible to achieve a relatively shallow depth of field, but of course depending on distance very noticeable.
So you can scan with or without depth, without any problems, and in this respect a top-optics. For videos thereby let a dream lens wander with the possibilities of focus point as in Hollywood!

Distortion, vignetting, color fringing, flare
In order to detect thin black lines on white paper in 75 m in the village letterbox already need is a high resolution and high contrast, but the sharpness in the center does not go at the expense of 40-150 shadowing at the edge.
At least I have not noticed in my copy and also no distortion, in which I am interested in the little lower range of focal lengths, the area of ​​responsibility is the 12-40mm.
In the satellite antenna of a house on the street that normally elicits with uncovered heaven itself to several thousand euros more expensive binoculars purple and mustard-Franzen, the 40-150mm was absolutely insensitive. Not a single pixel false color was noticeable at the sharp edge of the satellite antenna. This lens is definitely the first choice for birdwatchers and astronomers. One more proof of expensive ED glass and allowances, correct the phase coincidence of different wavelengths exactly the focal point. That speaks well for a first-class design, manufacturing and quality control. There is really everything!
The internal reflections are reduced to a minimum and photographing toward blazing sun with only approx. 15 ° deviation provoked no Fantomlichter, halos or other disturbances.
I do not see any weaknesses on the optics, that is, it is really worth the money!

CONCLUSION:
Although MFT half the size as full format has (crop factor 1: 2) and less than half the number of pixels, it is possible to achieve with the Zuiko 40-150 image quality on DSLR-level, but the case not only as far as possible distant subjects in a blind test hardly or not at all from a recent top combination in the price range of 4,000-5,000 euros (list price) is different. That does not seem logical, but is so!
I am convinced of the objective in every respect, even love it! My copy is flawless through and through, which you can rarely say about Tamron or Sigma.
The Bokeh is absolutely first class for a MFT lens, I can imagine that professional photographers will find it very attractive for portraits and weddings.
For this target and press a light intensity that is unsurpassed in the focal length and AF, who works in daylight without delay, so genuine.
ME 1 small step for photography but overall 1 giant leap for MFT-case class as Olympus OMD and Lumix GH4.

The price of so much good is absolutely appropriate.

Less impressed I am by the material of Geli made in China. They seem to attract dust by electrostatic charge, who finds his way to the entrance lens sometime. A bellows + brush should with so.

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URSPRUNGLICHE REVIEW

The lens is hard to come by, especially when combined with the converter MC-14th
My dealer has only mid-February 2015 and the first copy of this combination and the same sent to me.

SOME COMMENTS ON THE CONVERTER
The purchase along with the MC-14 seems to me sensible of the charge amounts to 200 euros, the single purchase, the MC-14 proposes to double the amount to Beech. The filter factor is 1.4x, the combination draws a little softer, but so minimal that there is no question value. You lose a visor.
The front lens of the MC-14 protrudes slightly, so that can be MC-14 used with this lens.
The MC-14 produces a focal length of max. 210mm = 420mm converted to Volllformat. It does not affect negatively the shortest distance of about 70 cm.
Conclusion: The MC-14 is a major expansion of the 40-150 for little money.

WHAT HOUSING
The Zuiko 40-150mm f / 2.8 harmonizes well with Lumix GH3, GH4, Olympus OMD-EM1 and EM10, of course it also fits Lumix GX7 or GM5 and all MFT. I bought it mainly for the GH and EM, as a complement to Zuiko 12-40mm f / 2.8.

FEATURES
He turns out to be very fast and fail, Some photographers report that it responds better than DSLR combinations.
In video mode, there are occasional AF-outs that are probably due to the tuning / software GH4.

At f / 2.8 are bokeh or Focus on DSLR-level (the cost).
The BQ is amazingly well, without distortion or vignetting, with great sharpness and richness of detail, vivid color and natural light and fast, especially at long focal lengths. ME there is nothing vergleibares in MFT. It is roughly the equivalent of the combined A7 + FE 4 / 70-200 G OSS at full size, half the weight. The resolution is only half the A7R, but it is rarely used and MP 16 are usually sufficient.

PARTICULARITIES
The lens focuses internally and is no longer at long focal lengths. So it's no bicycle pump is protected against splash water and dust, and an ideal addition to the OMD-EM1. This is in my eyes very, very important for a lens in this price range and this reason alone deserves a buy rating.

STABI
The 40-150mm is not stabilized. Therefore, it makes sense it with stabilized housing as the EOM-EM1 (possibly also the EM10 with 3 axes) or the GH4 if you do not want to use a tripod.
As stabilized lens for housing without internal stability is recommend the Panasonic 35-100mm f / 2.8, while offering less focal length, but very good contrast and dynamics and RD. Is 395 euros cheaper.
But the bottom line provides the Zuiko 40-150mm PRO but more for the money, also with regard to operation and features. I guess the price of the 35-100mm will have to fall soon.

APPLICATIONS
80-420mm = Portraits, Outdoor, Wildlife, events when on stage is not, architectural details, flowers, insects, advertising,
Birds in nature, safari, excursions, sporting events, bad weather and Strurmreportagen, marine and sailing, etc .... A very versatile and at the same bright lens.
Through the lens receive quality Lumix and Olympus housing almost a new dimension and make the leap to the Semi- or per class.
With 4K videos that GH4 can order with the AX900 Camcorder keep (the is equipped with Zeiss f / 2.8), even in the lead because the AX900-class only has the 1-inch sensor. So it is fitting that I sold my camcorder. However, the AF has in Video mode on the GH4 sometimes misfires and begins to pump without reason. You should therefore switch to Manuel everywhere where it is possible (eg studio, panoramic ...).

Price-performance ratio
Connoisseurs will at the price keiswegs hulls nose.
This is a MFT Lens, ie to achieve smaller, lighter and much cheaper than for full-frame or APS-C. It takes only 16 to expose MP and not 36 or 24 MP. The price of approx. 1,500 euros is to many hundreds of euros low than a comparable lens for 24x36 is therefore appropriate, especially when you consider what a constructive effort be the lens is operated ..
No wonder that the part is in great demand and are delivered to a few items. With price cuts can be expected in absehbahre time hardly. Only good regular customers can expect in stores with small discounts.

COMPETITION
For landscapes and architecture Seeking very high richness of detail and contrast.
If the lighting conditions are favorable, I intend in the next few days my default sharpness tests on TV antennas (for color Franzen etc.) carry out and although I'm a Sony A7R with stabilized Zeiss FE 4 / 70-200 G OSS (a 4,000 Euro let -combination with full frame and 36 MP) antretten with 16 MP) against a Lumix GH4 with Zuiko 40-150 PRO (MFT. I am also very excited for example, if the Zuiko can better resolve the labeling of Abhohlzeiten the village postbox in 75 m distance! When I have time, I might even my Zuiko 40-150 f / 4.0-5.6 Zuiko 75-300mm and compare it.
What is also interesting to me as the APS-C systems will fare in comparison: My both Fuji X-Pro1 and X-T1 with 55-200mm Fujinon XF (16 MP) and my Nikon D7100 with 70-210mm, 55-200 and 55-300 (24 MP) with and without a tripod. To date, no system could read the small print in aufzeichen 75 m, cobwebs in the sunlight against already occasionally.
However, there is for the target objects at best 1.5 hours optimum light per day, and the weather has to play several days.