We and our partners use cookies to give you the best online experience, including to personalise advertising and content. Data about your interaction with this site and the ads shown to you may be shared with companies involved in the delivery and/or personalisation of ads on this site and elsewhere online.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD

PRO rating
How it works?
How it works?
  1. User ratingsUser ratingsratings of product added by Productz users
  2. Expert ratingsExpert ratingsexperts ratings from editorial reviews
  3. Consumer ratingsConsumer ratingsratings from the biggest online stores worldwide
Legend
  1. Excellent
  2. Good
  3. Poor
  4. Average
4.2
based on all reviews
User ratings:
8
4.1 out of 5
8 user ratings
5 stars
37 %
4 stars
50 %
3 stars
0 %
2 stars
12 %
1 stars
0 %
Consumer ratings:
4.2 / 5
Editorial reviews:
7
  1. See more
7 editorial reviews
Designed for general photography, the new Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm Pro lens is a high-performance standard wide zoom lens that is optimised for use with the E-3 DSLR camera. It features a splash-proof and dust-proof design and robust construction plus the Olympus Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) lens drive mechanism that supports an ultra-fast, quiet and high-precision AF system.Read more
Australia's top photography experts give inspiring ways to improve your photos. Easy to follow advice on everything from buying the right camera gear through to shooting technique, editing, printing and organising your photos. Read more
OpticalLimits - Lens reviews and beyond!Read more
Read editorial reviews

Pros

  • The zoom and focus control rings operate smooth and precise
  • The build quality of the lens is exceptional
  • It is also very well sealed against the elements

Cons

  • Zoom ring turns 80 degrees clockwise
  • Imperceptible barrel distortion at 60mm
  • this vantage point can only be accessed at low tide

Key specs

  • Zoom
  • 14
  • Internal
  • yes
  • Four Thirds
  • 12, 60 mm
  • no
  • Telephoto, Normal, Wide angle

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD - Pros & Cons

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD

Pros

  • The zoom and focus control rings operate smooth and precise
  • The build quality of the lens is exceptional
  • It is also very well sealed against the elements
  • great range and superb optical quality
  • fast and silent autofocus
  • incredible lens very sharp and super quick to focus accurately
  • image quality and the versatile focal lenght
  • excellent results for sharpness here
  • The lens barrel is solid
  • focusing precision it provided was excellent
  • Reproduction of detail was excellent

Cons

  • Zoom ring turns 80 degrees clockwise
  • Imperceptible barrel distortion at 60mm
  • this vantage point can only be accessed at low tide
  • does not rely on a focus-by-wire mechanism
  • suffers an only very marginal wobbling of inner lens tube
  • it is expensive
  • Slight distortion at the wide end
  • not fixed aperture
  • very slight amount of barrel distortion throughout the frame
  • the thick lines are broken up into boxes
  • The lens has no buttons or switches on it at all

Olympus - Video Reviews (1)

powered byYouTube

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD - Full Specifications

Icon
General
Lens type
  • Telephoto
  • Normal
  • Wide angle
Lens mountFour Thirds
Icon
Aperture
Aperture max2.8-4
Aperture min22
Aperture ringno
Number of diaphragm blades7
Aperture featuresRounded diaphragm
Icon
Optics
ConstructionZoom
Elements14
Groups10
Special elements / coatings
  • 1 Super ED element
  • 2 ED elements
  • 1 Aspherical ED element
  • 2 Aspherical elements
Power zoomno
Zoom methodExpanding
Icon
Dimensions
Weight20.28 oz
Diameter2.83 in
Length3.9 in
Does not rotate on focusing2.83 in
Icon
Image properties
Max Format sizeFour Thirds
Focal length12 - 60
Focal Length 35mm Equivalent24 - 120
Angle of View84 - 20
Maximum magnification (35mm format)0.56
Maximum magnification0.28 x
Image stabilisationno
Icon
Focus
Focus methodInternal
Autofocusyes
Autofocus motor typeUltrasonic
Full-time Manual focusingyes
Closest focusing distance0.25
Distance scaleyes
Depth of field (DoF) scaleno
Focus featuresFloating focus
Lens mechanismInner focus with floating mechanism
Icon
Design
Colour of productBlack
72mmLC‑72B
Tripod collarno
Hood suppliedyes
Filter threadyes
Sealingyes

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD - Q&A

  • Do you have a question about the product?

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus - Editorial Reviews (7)

4.4
Based on 7 reviews
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD Lens
Photo Review logo
Photo Review
Published: 17.02.2012
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 SWD Lens
4.3

Designed for general photography, the new Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm Pro lens is a high-performance standard wide zoom lens that is optimised for use with the E-3 DSLR camera. It features a splash-proof and dust-proof design and robust construction plus the Olympus Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) lens drive mechanism that supports an ultra-fast, quiet and high-precision AF system.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Home - Photo Review
Photo Review logo
Photo Review
Home - Photo Review

Australia's top photography experts give inspiring ways to improve your photos. Easy to follow advice on everything from buying the right camera gear through to shooting technique, editing, printing and organising your photos. 

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED SWD Review / Test Report
www.photozone.de logo
www.photozone.de
Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED SWD Review / Test Report

OpticalLimits - Lens reviews and beyond!

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED SWD Zuiko Digital Review
Imaging Resource logo
Imaging Resource
Published: 16.10.2007
Olympus 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED SWD Zuiko Digital Review

Looking for a Olympus 12-60mm lens review? Read on to find out what we uncovered in our objective optical lab tests.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Lens Test: Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD AF
Popular Photography logo
Popular Photography
Published: 17.01.2019
Lens Test: Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD AF

This 24-120mm equivalent zoom challenges Leica for super sharpness with almost no distortion.

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12 60mm f/2.8 4.0 SWD 35mm Zoom user reviews : 4.3 out of 5 - 3 reviews - photographyreview.com
Camera News and Reviews logo
Camera News and Reviews
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12 60mm f/2.8 4.0 SWD 35mm Zoom user reviews : 4.3 out of 5 - 3 reviews - photographyreview.com

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12 60mm f/2.8 4.0 SWD 35mm Zoom user reviews : 4.3 out of 5 - 3 reviews - photographyreview.com

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 12-60mm f/2.8-4 SWD Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 review
DPReview logo
DPReview
Published: 07.04.2008
Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 review
4.6

The Digital Zuiko ED 12-60mm 1:2.8-4.0 SWD is Olympus's latest upmarket standard zoom, announced to accompany its E-3 flagship DSLR in October 2007. Firmly placed in what Olympus refers to as its 'Pro' lens lineup, this lens offers a near-ideal focal length range for a standard zoom (24mm to 120mm in 35mm-equivalent terms), combining a useful wideangle for landscapes and architecture with a telephoto extending nicely into the classic 'portrait' range. Hopefully this 5x zoom range isn't so ambitious as to introduce unacceptable optical compromises. The optical configuration is sufficiently exotic to offer great hopes in this regard; the lens boasts no fewer than three extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements, one of which is aspherical, coupled with two further aspherical elements, and as the icing on the cake one Super ED glass element. Clearly Olympus has adopted a "no holds barred" approach to lens design here, which can only be applauded.

Other Lenses