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Olympus Zuiko Digital 9-18 mm f/4-5.6 ED

Olympus Zuiko Digital 9-18 mm f/4-5.6 ED
14 May 2009
Arkadiusz Olech

1. Introduction

Originally posted 2008-12-04 on Optyczne.pl

The Four Thirds system, like practically no other digital system on the market, is being built from scratch before our own eyes. That situation has disadvantages and advantages. An undeniable advantage is the fact, that all the new lenses are made using the most advanced technologies and optimized to cooperate smoothly with digital reflex cameras. On the other hand, though, it is difficult to built the whole system in a very short period of time so the Four Thirds is still painfully incomplete.

There are severe shortages in the wide angle range, which is rather demanding with small matrixes and it needs a special approach as you have to use uncommonly short focal lengths. In this light, Olympus deserves our special recognition for putting so quickly a new and successful ZD 7-14 mm model on the market. The price is a drawback, though – it drives away a lot of amateur photographers. Realizing the difficulties, Olympus put another lens on the marked, already tested here ZD 11-22 mm, which was supposed to complement standard lenses like ZD 14-42 or ZD 14-54 mm.


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When the brilliant ZD 12-60 mm SWD entered the arena, buying a ZD 11-22 mm became pointless for many people. A set of 11-22 and 14-54 mm lenses gave a very similar focus range as 12-60 mm, it cost roughly the same being a tad worse optically, and didn’t have a SWD motor.

That’s why the release of ZD 9-18 mm f/4.0-5.6 lens in recent months was one of the most interesting moves of Olympus . The lens offers the capability of 100 degrees at the widest angle, all of this at a more affordable than the price of ZD 7-14 mm. The Four Thirds system users got a very interesting, ultra-wide angle zoom moderately priced. We were very curious about its test results and we could borrow it and check it in practice courtesy of Fotozakupy.pl shop.

We invite you to acquaint with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test the lenses?"

Olympus Zuiko Digital 9-18 mm f/4-5.6 ED - Introduction



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