To compare the real-life performance
of the Olympus ZD 7-14mm lens we we shot the same scene with it and the latest ZD 14-42mm ED kit lens within moments of each other using an Olympus E-410. Each lens was set to 14mm f8 using the E-410 in Aperture Priority mode.
The E-410 recording mode was set to SHQ with its default settings for tone and noise reduction. The crops are taken from the originals and presented here at 100%.
The image left was taken with the Olympus E-410 using the 7-14mm at 14mm
f8; the original JPEG measured 7.04MB.
At first glance the results from both lenses set to 14mm f8 look quite similar, although there are subtle differences under closer inspection. The 7-14mm has a slight edge on detail and contrast in the middle row of crops, and the small amount of coloured fringing around the skylights on the final 14-42mm crop is less apparent on the 7-14mm sample. Under these settings and conditions though, it's certainly a close run.
Where the 7-14mm really impresses though is zoomed-out with its aperture wide open. Where many lenses would reveal noticeable issues, the 7-14mm continues to deliver pin-sharp images, packed with detail. You can see several examples in our updated Olympus 7-14mm Gallery.
