Olympus 9-18mm worth the money?

It's not a fisheye, it is a wide angle.

The Samyang optics are good, but they are not AF, so you miss out on that.

 

The 9-18 is not a fisheye. It's a decent UWA zoom and IMHO, worth the money. There are endless battles between fans of the 9-18 and the Pany 7-14. I've had both, both are excellent for what they do. I kept the 9-18.

The Samyang is superb (but it IS a fisheye).

 

If you want fisheye, sell the BCL and buy the Samyang. You can't go wrong - optics are great and the price is nice too - esp used :smile:

 

Before you can know if it's worth it, you need to determine what picture it will enable you to make that you can't today.

 

You can use software to simulate a fisheye effect. But if you like Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) the 9-18mm is worthy lens.

 

i had the 7-14 and 9-18... went 9-18 cause of size... wish they would make a 7 prime lol

 

I had been contemplating purchasing the 9-18 for quite some time now, but I just did not wish to pay the $699.00 for it, or buying a new body that I did not need in order to get it for $499.00. I was able to pick one up in mint condition for $400.00 and I am glad that I did. The lens is rather nice, since I mainly do a lot of landscape shooting and it works quite well with my 24-40. They are supposed to be coming out with a new wide angle 2.8 lens but I am sure that it will not be in the same price range of the 9-18 or cheaper and I do not need a 2.8 lens for shooting landscapes.

 

I bought one several years ago, and it's the most expensive lens I own. I think I've only used it three or four times, and never felt it produced the right look for me. With my poor eyesight, I'm much happier with the results I get in the macro and telephoto range of lenses as wide angle just fails to provide anything interesting I can actually see.

 

About half of my shots are with the 9-18. I prefer shooting a UWA because of the perspective especially when including near objects while keeping DOF. I considered the 7-14 for a wider angle and somewhat better IQ rating. But the IQ of the 9-18 is very good and it is smaller, takes filters, and the 18mm end makes it a better walking around lens for me.

 

The 9-18 is the only zoom I use. I have the 14-45 and 45-175 but almost never use them. I love the 9-18 and use it a lot when I am hiking.

If they had some good ultra-wide angle primes I might replace it but the size and versatility can't be beat. And as the bodies improve with better high ISO noise the limited aperture is becoming less of an issue.

I would buy the 7-14 in a heartbeat IF they ever give me extremely low ISO or built in ND filters in the cameras  

 

I LOVE the 9-18mm. Look for it on Olympus Outlet. The lens is really an amazing wide angle.
A few from the last two days:

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The 9mm bodycap lens is a fun toy that gives me all the fisheye effect I need, but it is not in the same league as the 9-18mm.
From the 9mm BCL.

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You need to spend a few days learning how to shoot that wide when you get the 9-18mm. I bought it once and sold it after a week, Now it is one of my most used lenses.

-Joe

 

Light, sharp, small, wide - really the only things to critisize are the maximum aperture and (maybe) the price. Outdoors is no problem, indoors IBIS helps in some situations.

But I think I would prefer a 8, 9 or 10mm prime ...

A lot of my favourite shots have been taken with the 9-18. I actually bought it before my E-M5 was delivered!

 

One other option people might want to consider is picking up the 4/3 version which can sometimes be found on sale for $500 or second-hand for $300. The 4/3 version is reputed to have better consistency of sharpness across the whole field (while the µ4/3 version is sharper in the centre but weaker toward the edges). The 4/3 version also handles CA a bit better I believe.

 

I wouldn't bother with the 43 version personally, first off you need to buy a $100 adapter (if you don't already have one) to use it, secondly its much bigger and heavier, and if you're willing to go used, you can find the m43 9-18mm for $400-450 or so on ebay.

 

I sold my 9-18 zoom in order to get additional funds to get the 12-40 Pro zoom. I've missed it much more than I thought I would. So much more that I just purchased another. I think the 9-18 zoom will always be on my camera when outdoors and the 12-40 will be reserved for indoor/low light images. Maybe one day in the not to distant future I'll be able to get another camera body and have both mounted 90% of the time.

 

I have both the 9-18 and the 7-14. The 7-14 gets the nod for significantly wider FOV and image quality. But sometimes I use the 9-18 as well... for example, I happened to have the 9-18 during a recent trip and it gave me this 9mm image which I'm presently having printed at 42"

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There is no question about the Pannys FOV or IQ. The 9-18 is much more affordable and compact. Both have good points I'm glad that we still have a choice. I just wonder if Olympus releases their 7-14 Pro zoom will they still sell the 9-18 zoom?

 

I can't see any reason why Olympus would stop production of the 9-18 once their 7-14 comes out... totally different animals.

What I really want is a rectilinear 7mm prime lens.. and don't care if it's an f/4... nor whether it's a Pany or an Oly... just make it a great lens!

I use my Pany 7-14 as a 7mm prime and my Oly 9-18 is typically shot at 9mm.