Lens review

Olympus Zuiko Digital 11-22 mm f/2.8-3.5

8. Vignetting

Lack of vignetting was supposed to be one of the 4/3rds system advantages, ensuring wide angles of view and good fastness in the same time. The ZD 11-22 mm gives us a perfect opportunity to check how Olympus keeps its promises.

For the combination of the shortest focal length and maximum relative aperture the light fall-off, measured by us in the frame corners, amounted to 26% (-0.89 EV). This value is not perhaps very low but in the 90 degrees field of view lenses class it is still one of better results. The advantage of the 4/3rds system is clear here, especially that, on stopping down the lens to f/4.0 the aberration disappears almost completely, reaching just 12%.

The results are even better for longer focal lengths. At 16 mm and by f/3.1 the brightness loss amounted to 17% (-0.55 EV). On stopping down the lens to f/4.0 we don’t have to bother ourselves with the vignetting at all (10%).

The identical value of 17% we get at the maximum focal length and by f/3.5. On stopping down to f/4.0 the vignetting decreases to 11% and by f/5.6 it amounts to just 8%.

In this category the lens deserves our praise for sure.