The M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II zoom lens is a wonderfully flexible piece of kit that is sometimes undervalued by folks. This article provides some first hand insights on this lens. These are based on some time using this lens, observing my wife using it in the field, and working in post with files produced with it. We’ve owned this lens for over 4 years and have found it to be reliable, and a joy to use.
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Size, weight and cost.
The M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II is a small, lightweight and cost affordable zoom lens. In Canada the lens lists for $849 and weighs 285 grams (~10 ounces). It measures 63.5 mm (~2.5 inches) in diameter and is 83 mm (~3.27 inches) long.
This compares to a list price of $1799 for the M.Zuiko PRO 12-100 mm f/4 IS. The PRO 12-100 measures 77.5 mm (~ 3.05 inches ) in diameter and 116.5 mm (~ 4.6 inches) in length. It weighs almost twice as much as the 14-150 II at 561 grams.
When its diameter is compared to the M.Zuiko PRO 12-100 mm f/4, the 14-150 II is considerably smaller.
When collapsed, the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 is noticeably shorter than the PRO 12-100 f/4 IS.
The two lenses are almost the same length when fully extended due to the increased focal length range of the 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II.
Obviously a lens like the M.Zuiko PRO 12-100 mm f/4 IS that costs almost twice as much as the 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II, provides a superior set of features including 12 special glass elements (5 ED, 3 Aspherical, 1 DSA, 1 HR and 2 Super HR) compared to 5 special glass elements in the 14-150 II (2 ED, 3 Aspherical of which 1 is ED).
The PRO 12-100 f/4 IS has a focus clutch, L-FN button, and better weather sealing which is rated at IP53. It is also able to work at 50 frames-per-second with C-AF (Continuous Auto-Focus) with cameras like the OM-1, OM-1 Mark II and the OM-3.
Comparing the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II to the PRO 12-100 f/4 IS is somewhat of an apples to oranges situation. So, this review focuses on the practical image capturing capabilities of the 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II, and why it can still be a very good choice for many photographers.
Weather sealing.
My wife has used the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 in a range of inclement weather situations without any issues. For example, the image above was captured while out in the open during a pretty heavy downpour when visiting Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand late last year. While other photographers headed for cover, we just kept on shooting with our Olympus (now OM) gear.
Auto-focus performance
My wife doesn’t have much experience trying to photograph action scenes… but was able to capture some interesting images of rafts going over Okere Falls, thanks in part to the quick and accurate auto-focus performance of the 14-150 mm II.
Even when shooting individual frames she was able to photograph consecutive images quickly enough to show the same raft being partially submerged as it entered the pool at the bottom of the waterfall.
She also had success capturing individual frames of some surfers on the South Island. A longer focal length range would have been handy in this situation, but using an equivalent field-of-view of 300 mm was certainly helpful.
Minimum focusing distance.
The M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5 metres (~ 19.7 inches) which can come in handy when photographing flowers and other close-up subjects.
Flexible focal length range ideal for travel.
Having a small, lightweight lens that provides an equivalent field-of-view of 28 mm to 300 mm makes the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II ideal for holiday travel.
During trips to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Zealand this lens has been a stalwart performer. Here are a few sample images from our recent trip to New Zealand.
Good partner for computational photography technologies.
As you can see from the image of Purakaunui Falls above, the 14-150 II is a good partner to use with computational photography technologies. The Live ND image above was captured handheld using a shutter speed of 1/5th of a second.
Image quality.
While the 14-150 II is not a PRO lens and does not have all of the special glass elements found in the PRO 12-100 IS, it is capable of producing some very pleasing images. I found that I did not have to spend very much time in post working on RAW files created with this lens.
I didn’t bother applying any sharpening, microcontrast or clarity to any of the images featured in this article as I didn’t feel that the images needed those adjustments. Obviously a lens like the PRO 12-100 f/4 IS would produce superior image quality, and thus be better suited for use when photographs are planned to be printed in very large sizes.
Many photographers will find that the image quality from the 14-150 II is more than sufficient for their needs… especially if the bulk of their planned use is on social media, or for smaller to mid-sized prints.
Conditions can make the 14-150 II a preferred lens.
Due to its broad focal length range and its small, lightweight size, I sometimes prefer to use the 14-150 II instead of my PRO 12-100 f/4 IS under certain conditions. In a previous article about photographing a horse jumping event, I explained why using the 14-150 II was a much better choice than the PRO 12-100 IS because of its broader focal length range.
We also decided to use the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II when we spent the better part of the day exploring the downtown area of Christchurch with all of its murals painted on the sides of buildings.
Solid, affordable performer.
When all is said and done, the M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II is a solid, affordable lens that performs very well. My wife used a Nikon 1 V3 with the 1 Nikkor 10-100 mm f/4-5.6 for many years and really enjoyed that gear.
When we were originally making the switch to Olympus almost six years ago she was a little hesitant about the slightly larger size and increased weight. All of her hesitation quickly melted away once she started experiencing the increased photographic potential that her new Olympus gear provided. Of special note is the increased grip comfort and ergonomics using the OM-D E-M1 Mark III. The M.Zuiko 14-150 mm f/4-5.6 II is ideally suited to her specific needs, and she loves using this lens.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld using camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,445 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
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Hi Tom, Have you used tele converters with this lens?
Hi Jon,
The M.Zuiko 14-150 f/4-5/6 II does not accept teleconverters. The compatible lenses are 100-400, 100-400 II, 150-400, 300, 150-600, 40-150 and 90 macro.
Tom
Nice article. Ditto your comments. I compared the 14-150 II to a 12-100 Pro before an overseas trip where I had to lighten my gear. The 12-100 Pro was better, of course, but I decided that the 14-150 II was good enough for my needs and it fulfilled them nicely.
Hi Walter,
Thanks for adding your experience to the discussion.
Tom