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Olympus ZD 12-60mm vs 14-45mm outdoor resolution comparisons with E-3
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To compare the real-life performance
of the Olympus 12-60mm lens we shot the same scene with it and the original Olympus 14-45mm kit lens within moments of each other using an Olympus E-3; the newer 14-42mm lens was not available for this test, but we have an additional comparison below against the 25mm pancake. Each lens in this first comparison was set to 20mm f8 using the E-3 in Aperture Priority mode.
The E-3 recording mode was set to Large Fine 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-3 using the 12-60mm at 20mm
f8; the original JPEG measured 4.72MB. |
The crops are taken from the upper left, middle, lower right and lower left portions of the image. Compare the second row of crops taken from the middle of each image and both lenses deliver essentially the same result. But as you explore the edges and corners of each image, the superiority of the 12-60mm becomes clear.
This is particularly apparent in the first and third row of crops, where the 14-45mm kit zoom exhibits noticeable softening. It's actually not that bad viewed in isolation, but compare it against the 12-60mm and it's obvious the premium Olympus zoom is delivering far better performance. It's impressively sharp across the entire frame.
This example may have been taken at 20mm, but the same applies with the 12-60mm whether it's zoomed-in or completely out. The entire image is consistently sharp right into the corners, and in this respect it's one of the best lenses we've tested. To see how it compares against a rival system, take a look at our Olympus E-3 review where you'll see results next to the Nikkor DX 17-55mm f2.8 mounted on a D300 body. But do also scroll down further on this page to see how the 12-60mm compares against the fixed focal length 25mm pancake, this time when both lenses are mounted on an E-420 body. |
Olympus Zuiko Digital 12-60mm
with Olympus E-3
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Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-45mm
with Olympus E-3 |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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f8, 100 ISO |
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