Olympus has announced the addition of two ultra-fast prime lenses to the brand’s M.ZUIKO F1.2 PRO lens line.
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO (34mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) and the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO (90mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) join the currently available M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO (50mm focal length in 35mm equivalent) to expand the range of Micro Four Thirds system lenses.
Thanks to their fast f/1.2 apertures, the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO deliver creative flexibility in low-light situations and shallow depth-of-field for beautiful separation of subject from background. The feathered bokeh and sharp resolution make the lenses ideal for a wide range of photographic subjects.
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO contains three optimally placed and bonded lens elements, including one ED lens, which compensate for typical wide-aperture lens anomalies like out-of-focus color bleeding (axial chromatic aberration) and peripheral color bleeding (magnification chromatic aberration). The extensive use of special lenses incorporated into 14 elements in 10 groups results in superb optical performance and feathered bokeh effects, even at the widest aperture setting.
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO features 15 elements in 11 groups, including specialized lens elements like the newly developed ED-DSA lens. The ED-DSA lens element combines the characteristics of both an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens and DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens, and reduces the overall weight and the number of lens elements. This optical design effectively compensates for various types of aberrations that tend to occur in wide-angle lenses, such as chromatic aberration, distortion and color bleeding on the image periphery (magnification chromatic aberration).
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO and M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO feature compact, lightweight construction and a dustproof, splashproof, freezeproof (to 14°F/-10°C) design for brilliant images in a variety of shooting conditions. Both lenses use the Z Coating Nano technology introduced in the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO, to achieve sharp, clear image quality that significantly reduces ghosts and flares that tend to occur in backlit images.
Fast, high-precision AF
Both lenses are equipped with the MSC (Movie- and Still-Compatible) autofocus mechanism that provides virtually silent and smooth high-speed focusing performance. There are no AF point limitations, even at the widest aperture, due to the On-Chip AF system in all Olympus OM-D® and PEN® cameras. The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 20 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.15x (35mm equivalent: 0.3x), while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO has a minimum focusing distance of 50 cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.1x (35mm equivalent: 0.2x), for outstanding close-up performance.
The focusing ring placed at the front of the lens makes manual focusing easier when paired with the large grip of the flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera. The L-Fn Button is located on a gently curving surface to make it comfortable to access. The MF Clutch mechanism allows the photographer to instantly switch between auto and manual focusing mode.
The M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO will be available late November 2017, while the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO will be available late January 2018. Both lenses will have an estimated street price of $1,499.99 CAD.
For a complete list of specifications for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO, please visit the Olympus website: http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-45mm-f1-2-pro.html, and for the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO lens, please visit http://getolympus.com/lenses/m-zuiko-ed-17mm-f1-2-pro.html.
