Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ review

The best pancake zoom lens ever! Meet the must-have Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ

5 Star Rating
Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake
(Image: © James Artaius)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ is, in our opinion, the best pancake lens ever. In full frame terms it covers a 28-82mm focal range in an impossibly small form factor – not only is this a genuine feat of engineering, but its optical performance punches way above its weight. This is the kind of lens that's only possible on Micro Four Thirds, making it an absolute travel and everyday essential for Olympus / OM System and Panasonic shooters.

Pros

  • +

    Ludicrously small

  • +

    Great performance

  • +

    Smooth, quiet AF

Cons

  • -

    Not the fastest lens

  • -

    Tough to manual focus

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As you can see in the image above, the Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ is absolutely tiny. When collapsed, it's about the size of a pocket tin of Vaseline – which is astonishing, for a lens that covers a 28-4mm focal range in 35mm terms.

While size isn't the only thing that the Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ has going for it, it's a pretty big deal. Well, a pretty small one. But there are plenty of reasons why this is the best pancake lens on the market – and why it has been included as a kit lens for years with the best Olympus cameras (OM System)

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.