The Micro Four Thirds platform continues to mature, with Olympus announcing a new 75mm f/1.8 Micro Four Thirds lens, which looks perfect for portraiture and low light shooting.
Priced at $899, the 75mm lens (equivalent to 150mm in the 35mm film format) offers a super fast F1.8 aperture, 3 ED and 2 HR lens elements and premium multi-coating using Olympus ZERO lens coating technology.
Olympus promises ‘high speed, silent focusing ‘ with the premium lens sporting an all metal barrel and a manual focus ring.
The lens is compatible with all Micro-Four Thirds standard mount cameras and would look an absolute treat on our recently acquired Olympus OM-D – if only we could afford it, natch.
The lens is expected to be available in June/July 2012.
Here’s the press release:
New M.ZUIKO DIGITAL™ ED 75mm f1.8 High-Grade Portrait Lens Enhances the Power, Performance and Versatility of Olympus OM-D and PEN® Compact System Cameras
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., May 24, 2012 – Today, Olympus adds to the Micro Four Thirds family of lenses with the release of the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8 High-Grade Portrait Lens (150mm equivalent), a high-speed, single-focal-length telephoto lens that is optimized for studio, stage, indoor sports and portrait photography, encased in a high-quality, compact, stunning metal body.
The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8’s nine-blade circular aperture unit delivers beautiful defocused backgrounds, while the high-quality optical design keeps the subject in sharp focus. This is due to an advanced optical design that incorporates 10 lens elements in nine groups that make extensive use of special glass materials, including three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements to optimally correct aberrations. Each lens element is polished to an ultra-high level of working precision, only possible with the progressive techniques developed by Olympus master craftsmen, and carefully assembled to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability. Olympus’s exclusive ZERO (ZUIKO Extra-low Reflection Optical Coating) lens coatings are applied to the elements to reduce reflectance to a level that is half that of conventional coatings.
With a total length of just 2.7 inches, the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8 is surprisingly small and maximizes the performance and portability of the Olympus PEN and OM-D compact system cameras. A textured metallic outer finish exudes quality and sophistication, while the large 50mm diameter glass front lens conveys a sense of power and performance.
Ideal for capturing brilliant still images and high-definition (HD) videos, the lens employs Olympus’s proven MSC (Movie & Still Compatible) autofocusing mechanism featuring an inner focus system to drive this single-focal-length lens for fast and quiet focusing. A precision-touch metallic focus ring provides easy manual focusing.
Olympus 75mm F1.8 with optional LH-61F hoodThe optional LH-61F Lens Hood and the LC-61 Lens Cap metallic lens accessories are designed exclusively for the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8. The LH-61F Lens Hood attaches with an outer friction knob system that allows attachment or removal even when the lens cap is attached.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f1.8 High-Grade Portrait Lens will be available in summer 2012.Estimated Street Price: $899.99.
