The center is decently sharp at all focal lengths and apertures (until diffraction kicks in, that is), but the corners only really sharpen up when zooming all the way in and stopping down to at least f/8. If you are reading this comparison, the aspect that most likely concerns you is the difference in optical quality between the two lenses. The zoom ring on the Panasonic 7-14 has a bit more resistance than the 9-18, but both are very satisfying to use. In terms of optical performance, this lens is approximately equal to the much more expensive Panasonic 7-14 mm, as shown by our test. They could not be more different; the Pro version is big, heavy and spectacularly good, while this one is tiny, light and… well, let's not pretend, more adequate than spectacular.

Olympus 9-18, Good or bad? - Digital Photography Review Olympus 9-18, Good or bad? - Digital Photography Review

We have chosen to use the Panasonic L10 as our standard test body for Four Thirds lenses purely because it gives the highest numbers in our resolution tests (which we believe is most likely due to it having a relatively weak anti-aliasing filter); this is intended simply to provide the fairest comparison to other manufacturers' systems. While the retracting lens function may take some getting used to for some, it's hard to believe that this is a camera system that you can carry around in your pants pockets. I have a 9-18mm and hesitate to replace it with the 7-14mm but after reading your review and reviewing the zoom factors I use with my lens, I think I’ll keep it. This being a super wide-angle lens though, the vastness of the scene appearing on the screen when the lens is set to 9mm might be frightening at first.All the other MILC APS-C UWA zooms are somewhat bigger (I think the next smallest is the Sony 10-18? Practical things like flare resistance or even weather sealing can be just as valuable as some extra sharpness. The ring will turn forever, as there are no hard or soft stops in the focus ring, and there's no way to know how many ''degrees'' of turning action are available. This design choice creates distracting purple flare when shooting with the sun or any other bright light source anywhere in or near the frame, despite the built-in petal lens hood.

Just posted! Olympus 9-18mm lens review Just posted! Olympus 9-18mm lens review

this being its full, official designation) was first presented at photokina 2010, and hit markets shortly thereafter. collapsed) and a weight of just 155g, it's less than half the size and 60% of the weight of the Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm f/4-5. To Olympus' credit, we did not find a measurable difference between the corrected and uncorrected images at the 18mm end, meaning the lens is effectively free of geometric distortions at that setting.For this reason, barrel and pincushion distortion won’t pose an issue with either the Leica or the Olympus in real-world shooting conditions. Whereas the Leica lens suffers from little to no chromatic aberration, the Olympus is quite susceptible, especially in the extreme corners. In this position, it cannot be used to take pictures, but all you need to do is grab the zoom ring and rotate it to the 9mm mark. It's not perfect of course, with a narrow-ish maximum aperture and a few sharpness issues (all but unavoidable with a lens of this type), but it's a hugely impressive achievement of optical engineering and one that any Micro Four Thirds user will get a great deal of value out of. You can't go wrong with either of these lenses; just be sure to assess your needs before plunking down the cash.