Olympus Introduces BCL-15 f/8 Body Cap Lens

[Amin Sabet]

From the press release:

Is It a Body Cap or a Lens? It’s Both.

Olympus also introduces an intriguing new lens for its Micro Four Thirds line. The BCL-15 f8.0 Body Cap Lens serves as a body cap when carrying the camera around without its interchangeable lens, and transforms to become a pan-focus snapshot lens to capture images. The lens is so thin – just 9mm thick – that it can easily be mistaken for a camera-mount body cap. With three glass lens elements in three groups, it can be used as a wide-angle lens equivalent with a single focal length of 30mm (35mm camera equivalent). In addition to daily use as a “pan-focus” lens featuring a wide angle, fixed f8 aperture and shallow depth of field, it is compatible with manual focusing using a lever and capable of close-up shooting as close as 30 cm. A lens-protection barrier is provided so the lens can be mounted permanently on the camera and even put in a pocket together with the camera.

 

[Amin Sabet]

Note of clarification:

The BCL-15 is not included with any of the new Pen cameras.

I didn't see the price in any of the press materials but was told that it will be "very affordable" and available in October.

Update: UK pricing has been indicated as £70.

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[timallenphoto]

Are Olympus on drugs or something?

 

[Blastop]

That's wonderful. Fast lenses are great, but as long as this is sharp and clear this will be an amazing daytime, outdoors lens. I only hope it's successful enough that they do a few, maybe a 30mm and 50mm or thereabouts.

 

[WT21]

LOL. This is the only new release I want! I like my OMD and am set on lenses. I'd just like this to play with

Maybe get an EPL5 later to go with it.

 

[sLorenzi]

It will be very nice to have a digital triplet and at f8 it will probably be very sharp.

 

[sokar]

I look forward to seeing some images taken with this lens. This lens could be either great or the complete opposite.

 

[~tc~]

It will be very nice to have a digital triplet and at f8 it will probably be very sharp.

Except for diffraction kicking in about there ...

 

[WT21]

I don't think it stops down anyway, right(?) so it's likely tuned at just before the diffraction point, I would think at least (and with no other aperture, I guess you can't test it, lol).

 

[Liamness]

I was really hoping they were going to include this in kits. Even if it's not a great performer, it's a unique option to have. Leave it on the camera and you're always ready to shoot.

 

[WT21]

I was really hoping they were going to include this in kits. Even if it's not a great performer, it's a unique option to have. Leave it on the camera and you're always ready to shoot.

I agree. If they included this with an EPM2 sans the 14-42, I bet they'd move a lot of units.

 

[RevBob]

I've been thinking about this and it would be great to stick on my E-P1 to have a nice portable camera to keep with me in a coat pocket or belt pouch. I used to carry a small Panasonic P&S all the time - this would be a solid replacement.

 

[zorki1]

Does it come with a lens hood or is it sold seperately?

 

[Grinch]

Does it come with a lens hood or is it sold seperately?

Doesn't look like the lens has any filter threads, so probably means no way to attach a hood or a filter.

 

[Jonathan F/2]

I'm buying this lens...refurb'ed!

 

[Bokeaji]

That's wonderful. Fast lenses are great, but as long as this is sharp and clear this will be an amazing daytime, outdoors lens. I only hope it's successful enough that they do a few, maybe a 30mm and 50mm or thereabouts.

a lightly focusable 100mm equiv stuck at f8 wouldnt be as useful as a wider lens stuck at f8 that you can barely adjust focus on... am i right?
wider = more in focus, tele = less in focus
so a 50/f8 lens would have some random weird spot in focus... i think that would be awkward

id go for a 12 and 18 version tho

 

[Bokeaji]

Except for diffraction kicking in about there ...

isnt f8 the very teeeeeeency bit of diffraction, and its just beyond that that youd actually notice it?

 

[Bokeaji]

Does it come with a lens hood or is it sold seperately?

$120 lens hood available at launch

 

[crsnydertx]

Is it going to be issued in an array of designer colors??

 

[mister_roboto]

This would be a nice complement to my "fun" lenses- the Wanderlust Pin Wide, Holga, and the 25mm + 35mm CCTV lenses. It would be the TSHG lens of that bunch though (toy super high grade )