A surprise for me yesterday. I called into one of my favourite “family” camera dealers, Chiswick Camera Centre, for a chat with the boss, Andy Sands. He said he was just about to call me because Olympus had sent along a box of goodies for the man from Macfilos.
I was a bit hesitant, because it was unexpected and because I have a lot of reviewing to do. But I couldn’t miss this chance, especially since I have criticised Olympus in the past for not wanting to come out and play with this humble blogger. Panasonic, on the other hand, is all sweetness and light and this is one of the primary reasons I chose Lumix when setting up my micro four-thirds system.
Delving into the box, I discovered a new OM-D E-M1 Mk.II body and a couple of lenses. One, the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro, is a known quantity and an old favourite. The second, though, is something new for me, the 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro which offers a very useful 80-300mm full-frame-equivalent focal range. It’s my opportunity to try some wildlife stuff.
See if I can out Bailey David Bailey. Probably not, but I’ll have a go. I carried all these goodies back to the office and made a mental note to add the 25mm f/1.2 Pro, which I already had on my shelf, to the test outfit.
Despite being snowed under with lenses at the moment — the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon review coming soon and the Voigtländer f/1.2 Nokton on the stocks — I will give the Olympus a fair run over the next couple of weeks. The weather looks set to turn summery, so I’m looking forward to an entertaining time.
By the way, Chiswick Camera Centre is a wonderful traditional camera shop with a good supply of second-hand stuff and a ready source of advice. They specialise in new Nikon, Fuji and Olympus and keep their prices very much in line with the going rate — plus you get that invaluable bit of personal service that you cannot find on eBay or Amazon. They don’t build ’em like this anymore.
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Lovely images, Mike. Thank you for the mention and I look forward to reading more of your experiences with the 40-150. I have never handled an Olympus camera or lens so will rely on your judgment as ever!
Thanks, David. The 40-150mm Olympus is reputedly an excellent lens. It is relatively short for what it is. Unfortunately, the business end is very bulky and the hood even more so. The 50-200mm Leica DG Panasonic lens, on the other hand, is slimmer and more wieldy in my opinion — so if I am going to splash out it will probably be in that direction.
The hood I purchased was a JJC hood that is identical to the Olympus hood for much cheaper. It is high quality and I cannot see the Olympus being any better built. The design issue is the there is a thumb screw to attach and remove it. The gorgeous Panasonic Leica 200 2.8 has the same stupid hood design – not elegant and very unLeica!
And the 42.5mm Nokticron has the same screw-in band which I hate. There’s a big danger of scratching the lens and it is awkward to mount and remove. When it comes to goods, he Leica slide-in design is my favourite. It’s always there ready for when needed but adds absolutely nothing to the bulk of the lens.
You are blessed to have a local family dealer. I purchase all my camera equipment from a distant family dealer and they test the glass before they ship it to me. I wish I could walk into their store and fondle equipment but c’est la vie. I 💕 the Oly 40-150 and the hood is brilliant – Leica please take note as the Panasonic Leica 200mm is gorgeous optically and mechanically except for the hood being designed like the Oly 75 1.8 (Leica must have hired the mechanical designer Oly fired). I look forward to your adventures.
Sadly there are very few owner-run camera stores left in Britain. Branches of larger companies (LCE, Park, Camera Word) do very well and I find them knowledgeable and efficient. But there is no substitute for a business run and managed by the owner. The buck stops with him/her and that makes a big difference.
I have the 75mm Olympus but not the hood (when I checked the price I decided to soldier on and haven’t really needed it). But I had forgotten what a monster it is. The hood on the Olympus 40-150 is no shrinking violet, though. But it does have that rather nifty click and twist method of sliding it back along the barrel.
Wonderful photo of my wife (Marion), at the Regent Street Motor Show…! Kind regards, David
David,
Thank you. It’s a pleasure. The Regent Street car show is a constant source of inspiration when I am looking for portrait shots. My best wishes to Marion, a star model!
Mike