Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R

One of the best bang-for-buck lenses out there, the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is well worth investigating

Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R
(Image: © James Artaius)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is an 80-300mm equivalent that's smaller than a can of soda. Tiny, lightweight and ridiculously cheap, this lens delivers sharpness way above its pay grade and is simply one of the best bargain optics on the market. To be honest, it doesn't even matter if you need a lens in this focal range; you often see it on sale for 100 bucks, but even at twice the price it's so good that it's worth adding to your kit bag.

Pros

  • +

    Very affordable

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    Very small and light

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    Great focal range

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    Generally sharp results

Cons

  • -

    No weather sealing

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    Slow aperture

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    No image stabilization

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The Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is often unfairly dismissed as just a kit lens, which does it a huge disservice. 

Admittedly, the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R was often sold in dual lens kits (along with the Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm EZ Pancake) with entry level OM-D and PEN series cameras. However, it shouldn't be dismissed as "just" a kit lens.

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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.