Olympus Zuiko 50200mm f/2.83.5 Digital ED SWD Lens

A+++++ lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
it is a great lens a must have for portrait shots.

i do have 50 mm, 12-60.

all great lenses i love it.

its a luxry to have it.

Great Olympus lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The 50-200mm SWD is a great lens. Sharp fast focus. Picture quality is outstanding. With the photos cropped in post production the image quality is great. I have this lens and the 12-60 SWD and they are the only lenses I cary out shooting photos. I have the E-3 Body so the SWD works well with this camera. With the 50-200 and the E-3 it is a hefty load. I mount mine to a monopod most of the time.

Great lens.

Great image quality.

Great build quality.

It is a little heavy, but you will love the image quality.

My favorite Zuiko digital lens.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’re a Fourthirds shooter, this is a *must-have* lens in your photographic arsenal.

I have 3 other zuiko digital lenses, the 50mm/f2, 12-60mm/f2.8, 70-300mm/f4-5.6, and I would have to say I get the sharpest shots with this lens. The 12-60 is a great all-around lens, but when i want to take tack-sharp shots, it is easiest using this 50-200mm/F2.8 lens.

The only downside is that it is heavy, but lighter than other brands in this same class.

HIGHLY Recommended.

Great and reasonable
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is a beauty. It is so sharp that it is like having a macro lens that you can use from 40 ft. away. While it is not inexpensive. when compared to the Canon 70-200 2.8 with image stabilization it is a real bargain. It would be nice if it was a constant 2.8 but I shudder to think what it would weigh. It is the sharpest lens I have ever owned.

Superb! Unique!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens’ features are unique to the Olympus DSLR system (actually the Four Thirds system). In fact, this one and a few others are the strongest case for buying into the Olympus DSLR system in the first place.

Where to begin… it’s got a huge zoom range from portrait to super-telephoto. In 35mm terms this has a zoom range of 100-400mm… doing it at a fast f/2.8-3.5. No such lens exists in other systems. Anything remotely similar, like the Nikon 200-400mm f/4, costs 6x as much.

The lens is sharp sharp sharp — wide open. There is absolutely no need to stop it down for the purpose of achieving greater sharpness.

The lens focuses super-fast. It’s one of Olympus’ only 3 SWD lenses (they really need to upgrade their current line fully to SWD, at least the HG and SHG lenses).

This lens is okay for macro; you can fill the whole frame with a flower. If I were doing real macro I’d switch to a different lens but when something shows up and you don’t have time to switch lenses this ability can be handy.

To get the most out of this lens it’s nice to have a camera with image stabilization.

The lens is heavy at about 2lbs, but it balances very nicely on the E-3.

The lens hood is huge but top quality and has a door on the bottom for working with a circular polarizer. I’ve used the door before, it’s really slow to turn a polarizer with such a small opening, but it’s better than nothing at all.

The lens comes with claims of being dust & drip proof which gives the owner some piece of mind.

This lens would pair nicely with the 14-54mm since they both have a 67mm thread. I use it with the 12-60mm which has a 72mm thread.

One thing that would be nice is if this lens had an extra, say, 50mm of zoom, while dropping to, say, f/4. That would have been unbelievable.

But then this lens is pretty unbelievable already. My Nikon-shooter friend is quite jealous.

Olympus 50-200mm Lens Review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I originally had no desire to buy this lens at all. I had just bought the 7 -14 mm Zuiko super wide-angle lens on my Amazon Visa Card and did not want to take on any more debt. However, I had read that the waterfalls in New York City were about to be taken down in October of 2008. I just had to capture this art exhibit before it was gone. So I decided to scope out the scene one weekend to explore the possibilities. I owned an Olympus E Volt 330 with the 14 to 45mm zoom and I wanted to see if it was up to the task. I could tell right off the bat that the waterfalls were too far away to capture effectively with this lens and that I would need a high powered telephoto lens to capture the beauty of this spectacle and that furthermore I would need to do it at night to capture the drama of the lighting. I had gotten another E Mail from Amazon telling me that lenses were on sale for no interest for up to 12 months using the Amazon Store Card. Since I was very happy with my newly acquired 7 – 14 mm zoom lens, so I was more than willing to take a chance on this lens. Needless to say using the Zuiko 50-200 mm lens to capture the New York City water falls produced results that were spectacular and my breath was taken away yet again. I am 100% sold on the Olympus Digital camera and lens system and I am very glad I stayed with this brand of camera. To see the photos of the waterfalls just type Baruch College photos into Google and you can see that photo set there. Enjoy!

Sharp and Fast
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been wanting this lens ever since I was doing my research on which DSLR to buy. After I purchased my Olympus E-620, this became my second in line on my lens-to-buy list (first being 14-54mm II because I need a general purpose zoom). I bought this lens when it was on special, but right after the order was placed, a foul feeling overwhelmed me. I cannot afford this lens!!! I bought 14-54mm II instead of 12-60mm because of budget. I also bought a 50mm macro so I was super tight on budget. I was determined to return this lens and get the 70-300mm instead to fill the telephoto need, but the quality of this lens made me change my mind. So I sold 50mm macro to fund this lens.

Here is the alluring fact why it made me forget about budget… (and I’m usually financially prudent).

1. Very sharp. While at F2, 50mm macro is definitely brighter and well known for being one of the sharpest lens around (of any brand), this lens, I suspect it being sharper than 50mm at that focal length. While looking at the MTF chart, 50mm definitely wins, but in real world situation, you’d have to look really hard.

2. Very fast. SWD is quiet and fast. I don’t think I’m an action shooter (I usually shoot landscape), but I could shoot many bird pictures with it with excellent accuracy. I mean, they were flying in the middle of the sky and I still got them.

3. Bright enough. Usually you’d see a telephoto lens of this price range starts with F4, not F2.8. F2.8 is a very flexible aperture, which allows many photo shoots to be done hand-held without the aid of a cumbersome tripod.

4. Beautiful colors. While my 14-54mm II can also do 50mm, for some unknown reason, this lens does it better. The color tends to be a little richer. Maybe it’s the oversize lens hood that changes the lighting, I don’t know the actual reason, but the difference is noticeable. 14-54mm II and 50mm tend to shoot pictures which look “digital.” On the other hand, 50-200mm tends to shoot pictures that are more cinematic…. Just look at user photos (done by others), and that’s pretty similar to what I get from it also. There is a film look to it, yet it’s not grainy!

Things should be aware of:

1. It’s heavy. Hold the lens rather than the camera body when carry it. Hooking it to a a smaller camera body like E-620 will definitely get front heavy. I suspect the tripod stand itself is about as heavy as the E-620 body only. You can take it off when you don’t need it. You’ll get plenty of exercise carrying this lens around. However, it feels assuring in hand.

2. It’s huge. It’s one of the smaller lenses of the class, but it’s still really girthy. When fully zoom out, it’s well…, quite long. The hood is HUGE. The whole lens looks well-proportioned, but you’re definitely going to get a lot of attention with it.

3. Tactile feel. SWD lenses have mechanical manual focus. That means it’s harder to turn. I personally don’t find it that different, but it’s noticeable. At both ends of focal distance, it becomes harder to twist, though it doesn’t stop. Zoom ring, however, will get very difficult to turn near 200mm end. Mechanical MF gives you the benefit of turning it any time you want, even when you’re in AF mode. Very beneficial if you are the MF kind of guy/gal.

4. Weather proof and focal distance meter. Yes, like all pro line lenses produced by Olympus (except 70-300mm), it has those mission critical features.

5. Others. Lens hood has a window so you can turn your polarizing filter (67mm). There is NO auto focus limiter, but I don’t find it big of a deal, since most of the time AF focuses accurately under good lighting condition. The lens comes with a semi-hard, cushioned lens case (with shoulder strap), instead of the standard-issue soft pouch (a plus).

Bottom line: if you can afford it, definitely get this lens. Many people who have it call it their favorite lens (though I also wanted this lens badly, but I thought they were on a free-for-all hyperbole trip). With a 35mm equivalent focal range of 100-400mm, it’s good for portrait (at 100mm) and wildlife shooting (because AF is so quick!). Though I think the minimum focus distance of ~1.2m is a little far for general portraiture. If you don’t use this focal range extensively (100-400mm, 35mm equivalent), 70-300mm seems to be a good purchase with a much lower price tag.

My favorite oly lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have the non-swd version. This is my favorite olympus lens. Very sharp wide-open, great contrast, reasonably fast AF, it’s just a great lens, albeit a bit expensive.

A great lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Olympus Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital ED SWD is very fast and renders beautiful image quality, sharp throughout the entire image and with minimum distortion and vignetting. Together with E3 this telezoom is very versatile, the fast f-stop and the image stabilizer reduces dramatically the need for carrying a tripod. The focus mechanism is nice, lightning fast and quiet. Build quality seems excellent (although I have not yet tested its splash proofing) Highly recommended!

Great lens…should be…it’s not cheap!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been using this lens for a month now with an Olympus E510 and have had a mixed bag of results. Most of the issues are with learning how to use it properly. I love the zoom range and the results at each end. Having the extra light gathering has produced good pics where none may have been possible. When I get it right the picture quality is outstanding. I have even used this lens to get close ups that I couldn’t do with my macro because of restricted access.

Overall quality is excellent and I agree with most reviewers that this is a big heavy lens but well worth it.

Excellent Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve used my 70-300 mm for more than 1 year, it is a surprisingly good lens for that cost (
However, it’s kind of soft at 300mm, looks a little bit blurred, and the Stop is too small …. f/5.6 max. If you used this lens to take shots under shadows you usually get blurred images… well, no blame for that price.

However, once I’ve got this 50-200 mm, it just like a near-sighted person gets his glasses — much more clear…. I would like to say, crystal clear. Of course, it may not compare to 300mm f/2.8 or 150mm f/2.0 (too expensive, I can’t comment on them since I don’t have them) But the weight is still in handheld acceptable range, < 1 Kg , ~ 2 pounds

Even under the same situation, the iamges are much sharper than 70-300mm.

Except the high speed flying bird or dim light, you should always be able to take good shots without blurring — thanks to large f/2.8-3.5

If I could go back again, I would have just bought 12-60mm, 50-200mm, and body-only camera …. I seldom use kit lens now though they’ve performed so well ( much better than other brands kit lens…. thanks Olympus )

Oly 50-200
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An outstanding lens. Quality is high wide open at all focal lengths. It works better than any other zoom I know with a doubler (Olympus EC20). The lens plus doubler forms a universal telephoto kit good for a wide range of uses. It is not miniature but for what it does it is easy to carry (ever tried carrying around an 800 mm lens?). It has a good tripod mount, but works very well, even with the TC, used handheld with IS on.

Superb…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely fantastic glass and fast fast fast focus. I also have a Nikon D200 setup and the Olympus E3 with this lens is just as good if not better for image quality and far exceeds the Nikon for performance. Be aware that this lens on the E3 makes a little heavier combo that the Nikon but it doesn’t bother me.

Excellent lens but maybe not perfect
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to replace my 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko lens. I was never completely happy with the 70-300mm lens because of 1) poor low light focus performance, 2) slow focus, 3) image quality not real great and 4) small aperture. Based on reviews of this 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko lens I expected all of these problems to be solved and they almost are with the exception of low light focus performance. I have to admit I am a bit disappointed in that aspect. On a couple of occasions I have had trouble even in well lit indoor settings trying to get this lens to lock focus. At times I almost think my 70-300mm lens would focus better indoors. Outdoor performance is excellent though, focus is super fast and IQ is very impressive. But for the price of this lens I expected a bit better indoor focus performance which temped me to give it a 4 star rating.

I haven’t had this lens very long yet but I had the chance to capture some photos at my son’s football game this weekend. I got some great action shots and I am very happy with the results. Photos are super sharp all the way to 200mm. I didn’t use a tripod and the image stabilization on the e620 camera eliminated any camera shake but I do have a steady hand. I would recommend a tripod or monopod if you have trouble holding the camera still.

The lens is longer and bigger around than the 70-300mm lens. It is heavy too, especially with the tripod mount attached. The tripod mount is easily removed if you don’t need it. Some have suggested that this lens feels awkward on small cameras like the e620 but I did not get that impression. This is definitely a lot of lens but it is easy to handle and balance on my small camera body.

The lens comes with a nice carry case but I probably won’t use it since the lens fits well in my camera bag.

So far I love the IQ, fast focus, and large aperture which were all problems I needed to solve with the 70-300mm lens. But, I wish this lens would work better at focusing indoors. However, I am not 100% sure this is the lens’s fault. This may be more of a camera limitation than the lens??? I would love to hear some comments from others using this lens on different camera bodies.

Zuiko 50-200mm Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You will not find a long lens with this combination of quality,compact size, and price. The Olympus four thirds system allows you to tote around a far less bulky lens than its large 35mm camera equivalent. The speed of the lens at full extension is fast enough to operate in conditions that many lenses would balk at. Well worth the price.

An absolute star
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I started off with the 70-300 mm on my E-520, and although I got a lot of good images with it, the 50-200 SWD was my object of desire. I finally acquired it, and am totally blown away. Here’s why:

* focus is FAST and quiet. No more “hunting” for focus

* image quality is superb — sharp and clear, with no distortion or artifacts

* it works A LOT better than the 70-300 in not-so-good light conditions (of course, since it’s a f2.8-3.5)

* the learning curve was a piece of cake, since the 70-300 mm is more difficult to use effectively

* it’s not as heavy as I expected, and I can carry it around for a long time with no aches or pains

Most of my photos are of birds, always handheld. I haven’t had any problems with that, and I’m sure the image stabilization built into the E-520 helps a great deal — I’ve also got very steady hands. Coupled with an EC-14 teleconverter (which I own. The EC-20 is my next object of desire!) it gives me a range close to the 70-300 mm. I lose just one f-stop with this combo. The image quality, however, is infinitely better. This is a responsive, well-built fantastic lens, well worth its price.