Image quality really looks good from this little lens.

I have some questions around the mechanical construction of the lens. How tight is the zoom ring? Is there any zoom creep? If I put it at let's say 11mm will it stay there even if I throw the camera over the shoulder or put the it in a bag for a while before resuming shooting? What happens if I collapse the lens, does the zoom setting change next time I extend it to shooting position?

-Thomas

Just took delivery of this lens and I am infatuated! It's so sharp and there's something that just seems to make the color sing. I've only had a brief chance to take a couple of quick shots. Posted one in the Flowers thread and one in the 9-18mm Image thread. It's a keeper.

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**An evolving camera owner.

~ BB
Flickr photostream

Yeah BB!! Enjoy!

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some of my photos here:
http://500px.com/lisaosta
http://www.flickr.com/photos/losta
http://gallery.me.com/losta

I got mine from adorama yesterday and look forward to using it tomorrow.

I really like this lens. I owned the Panny 7-14 first, and it is wider. But the 9-18 is a more usable range and distortion is less noticeable at the wide end. I'll likely keep both, but if I had to choose, the 9-18 would be the keeper.

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Phil
E-PL1 (9-18, PL 14-45, PL 20 f/1.7)
GH1 (7-14, 14-140, 45 Macro, 45-200)

Hi Thomas, the lens feels higher quality than the mZD 14-42... tolerances are tighter, less play in the extending barrel. It's not so stiff that you can't knock it out of zoom position, but it won't creep with simple use.

To collapse the lens, you move it through the 9mm zoom setting while holding the 'unlock' latch open.

Here are some shots comparing the mZD 9-18 + E-P2 vs ZD 9-18 + E-30... now this feels like progress!



...with mZD 9-18 in the collapsed position :


...at the 9mm zoom setting :


...at the 18mm zoom setting :


Hope that helps!

Cheers

Brian

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Founder, Olympus Photo Safari Group
http://www.ukphotosafari.org

Many thanks Brian, very instructive, Perfect !

Kind regards

Thanks Brian. I'm considering getting this lens to use with an optical finder so if it works well selecting a single focal length that matches a 21mm finder then that would be great. Then I could use the LCD for any other focal lengths if I had too. I just can't get used to the EVF -- too much like watching TV :)

-Thomas

I used for the first time at a friend's BBQ and Blues picnic that was raising money for a MS Charity Walk Team. Used predominantly this lens or a Contax G90/2.8 with adapter with my EP-1L. I also used a Fujifilm FS100 (Images with numbers starting 1500).
My flickr set is 2010-0619 MS IS BS 2nd Annual Backyard Blues BBQ - a set on Flickr

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Is there a hood for this lens? I guess I mean to ask available. I see it on the Oly site, but not with any resellers that I can find (in the States)

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EPM1 (gone but not forgotten: EP1)
Lenses: P14/PL25/PL45, 40-150; FD50, OM100, Fujian 35/1.7