Olympus Zuiko 14-35mm f/2.0 Digital ED SWD Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras

I'm not a professional photographer but an amateur with a passion for capturing a special family moment, a sunrise on a morning hike or a sports highlight on the local town fields. I've had this camera for only a short period of time but have found the results to be superb. As noted, I'm note a professional and cannot speak specifications but I can vouch for the results. I was looking to upgrade my mid-range lens and this has done the trick. Two examples were in shooting basketball action shots in a poorly lit gym (without a flash) and the other was in getting amazing clarity and a nuanced background blur at some family gatherings. The lens will definitely provide with the up-tick in results you might be looking for.

I am the amateur but my wife is an established studio photographer and budding wedding photographer. We get great photos with the 50 mm F2 Macro and the 14 -54 mm F 2.8 - 3.5 but I recently bought a 14 -35 mm F2 to add to my excellent 35 -100 mm F2. Like the 35-100 the optics and picture quality of the former ARE SUPERB but we are having considerable problems with the autofocussing across the whole aperture range..

We have found it will not always focus properly for group shots. It very rapidly reaches a focus lock but then hunts back and forth then locks, frequently far too close. This makes the lens pretty useless for wedding groups, which is why we bought it.

We exchanged the original lens at the retailers but the problem remains despite returning the second, replacement, lens to Olympus under warranty who found it was in full working order.

Am I expecting too much but my experience of Olympus optics (particularly the 300mm F2.8 & 35 - 100mm F2 and 50 mm F2 MACRO) is far, far better than this. Were these two rogue lenses or is this something Olympus is now aware of and can be sorted with a firmware upgrade?

I do hope so!

The Olympus flagship lens is everything you would expect it to be, but with one major flaw -- autofocus. This lens is scary sharp from corner to corner at all focal lengths, and even wide open. It has beautiful out of focus characteristics, and it has beautiful color transmission. You sometimes may hear people talk about the "magic" qualities of lenses from Leica, or Zeiss, or even some Canon L series prime lenses -- and they must now include this lens because it too, if used properly, will endow images with the same "Magic." And did I mention its flawless construction, and its maximum f2.0 throughout the zoom range, and its nearly silent operation? WOW!

Why four stars for such a stellar lens? Because, while it autofocuses lightning fast in good light, it performs abysmally in low light, and not at all in poor light. I make this judgement based on use with the E-3, and in comparison to the autofocus performance of the 12-60 lens, which is faster by far in all lighting conditions. Even the 14-54 lens outperforms the 14-35. And a second copy of the lens, and many calls to Olympus have not eliminated the problem. I should say that if you like to manual focus then the focus ring is buttery smooth with a precise feel and movement.

So if you rely on autofocus this is not the lens for you, but for everyone else this is a nearly perfect lens. This lens and the Olympus 7-14 f4 lens are both excellent reasons to sign up with Olympus Digital -- the E-3 is a sublime photographic tool with these lenses, and all of the Super High Grade lenses for that matter.

Olympus, if you will come up with a fix for the autofocus issue on the Zuiko Digital 14-35mm f2.0 SWD lens, then you will be the first to achieve perfection in a zoom lens.

This lens is an extraodinary prime zoom on my Olympus E-3. I have used the 4/3rds system since the E-1 was first available along with its best lenses. I started using the E-3 with the new Olympus 12-60mm zoom when they both became available and that is a great system.

As I thought back to my experience with some great 35mm film systems, I recalled my collection of single focal lenses that were generally the best available. As zooms became better, I started using zooms.

Now with the new Olympus 14-35mm f/2.0 SWD, I have what can best be described as an extraodinary prime zoom. In existing light situations at f/2.0 the quality of the images is just extraodinary and even better with the E-3 Image Stabilization and its sensor at ASA 400 to 800 when needed.

For those that might ask about the LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Four Thirds Lens, while it is a stop faster and very high quality, there is something very special about the quality of the Olympus 14-35mm f/2.0 on an Olympus E-3 that sets it apart with Image Stabilization. And, as advertized, focus is really fast on an E-3 with a SWD lens!