Olympus' PRO Series Lenses
Posted: 26 Mar 2020 17:16
The concept of MICRO-4/3rds is supposedly based upon small size, light weight, affordability, and excellent ergonomics. All things that Olympus have excelled at, ever since they introduced the OM-1 and OM-2 35mm film cameras in the late 1970s.
As such, many people have questioned Olympus' decision to introduce a relatively expensive, relatively large, and relatively heavyweight, 'PRO' series of M4/3 lenses. For myself, as a professional photographer who specializes in photographing in extreme environments, the answer is "Lens Quality".
Olympus wanted to attract professional photographers, like myself, into the M4/3 system. But, although their 'consumer grade' and 'premium grade' lenses offered many positive features -- in many cases making Olympus the only choice of equipment to be practical to get to a location -- there were always two weaknesses: ultimate image quality and weather sealing.
For me, the PRO series lenses are not true M4/3 lenses. I'd much rather use the smaller and lighter consumer and premium lenses, if only more of them were weather sealed. But, if only some of my kit is usable in a rainstorm, then I don't really have a usable kit. (That's especially true for someone whose speciality is extreme photography.) So, I have built my professional photographic kit around Olympus' PRO series lenses. Yes, ultimate image quality is a bonus, but it's having a set of fully weather sealed lenses as well as PRO grade glass that's smaller than anyone else's that does it for me.
For the cameras themselves, I use a pair of the OM-D E-M5 MkIIs. That might have been a pair of E-M10 MkIIIs, if only they were weather sealed. But, definitely not any of the E-M1 series, as I find them too big. As for Panasonic's offerings? I do like Panasonic kit unfortunately, not all of the camera-lens features are fully compatible, despite supposedly being compliant with the M4/3 standard. So I don't waste money on lens or camera features that aren't fully supported.
Finally, there's Olympus' recent decision to release what I'd personally call a 'Semi-PRO' series of M4/3 lenses. They've recieved a lot of criticism for this, along with many people being confused by where Olympus are going. For me, Olympus are doing exactly what they should have done in the first place. They're going to offer us a truer M4/3 PRO series of weatherproof very high image quality lenses, where size and weight are minimized, while Olympus' Heritage of smaller than the competition's size and ergonomics and performance is not for compromise.
If the Semi-PRO series of M4/3 lenses had been available when I put together my own professional photography kit, than that's the route I'd have taken. But, as I've already got the older, bigger and heavier, PRO series lenses I'll probably not be reequipping anytime soon. However, I would advise anyone who is just starting out and is serious about his/her photography, then go the Semi-PRO lens route. It will offer you fantastic opportunities that no other brand of equipment can compete with. Just like my decision to ignore the Nikon and Pentax brigade, and go for the Olympus OM-1 back in the 1970s. I've never regretted that decision. For many photographers, "brand loyalty" is an absurd religion, but for Olympus alone, it's about loyalty to superbly well designed physical (if not electronic) ergonomics.
Go PRO
Rick Bear
As such, many people have questioned Olympus' decision to introduce a relatively expensive, relatively large, and relatively heavyweight, 'PRO' series of M4/3 lenses. For myself, as a professional photographer who specializes in photographing in extreme environments, the answer is "Lens Quality".
Olympus wanted to attract professional photographers, like myself, into the M4/3 system. But, although their 'consumer grade' and 'premium grade' lenses offered many positive features -- in many cases making Olympus the only choice of equipment to be practical to get to a location -- there were always two weaknesses: ultimate image quality and weather sealing.
For me, the PRO series lenses are not true M4/3 lenses. I'd much rather use the smaller and lighter consumer and premium lenses, if only more of them were weather sealed. But, if only some of my kit is usable in a rainstorm, then I don't really have a usable kit. (That's especially true for someone whose speciality is extreme photography.) So, I have built my professional photographic kit around Olympus' PRO series lenses. Yes, ultimate image quality is a bonus, but it's having a set of fully weather sealed lenses as well as PRO grade glass that's smaller than anyone else's that does it for me.
For the cameras themselves, I use a pair of the OM-D E-M5 MkIIs. That might have been a pair of E-M10 MkIIIs, if only they were weather sealed. But, definitely not any of the E-M1 series, as I find them too big. As for Panasonic's offerings? I do like Panasonic kit unfortunately, not all of the camera-lens features are fully compatible, despite supposedly being compliant with the M4/3 standard. So I don't waste money on lens or camera features that aren't fully supported.
Finally, there's Olympus' recent decision to release what I'd personally call a 'Semi-PRO' series of M4/3 lenses. They've recieved a lot of criticism for this, along with many people being confused by where Olympus are going. For me, Olympus are doing exactly what they should have done in the first place. They're going to offer us a truer M4/3 PRO series of weatherproof very high image quality lenses, where size and weight are minimized, while Olympus' Heritage of smaller than the competition's size and ergonomics and performance is not for compromise.
If the Semi-PRO series of M4/3 lenses had been available when I put together my own professional photography kit, than that's the route I'd have taken. But, as I've already got the older, bigger and heavier, PRO series lenses I'll probably not be reequipping anytime soon. However, I would advise anyone who is just starting out and is serious about his/her photography, then go the Semi-PRO lens route. It will offer you fantastic opportunities that no other brand of equipment can compete with. Just like my decision to ignore the Nikon and Pentax brigade, and go for the Olympus OM-1 back in the 1970s. I've never regretted that decision. For many photographers, "brand loyalty" is an absurd religion, but for Olympus alone, it's about loyalty to superbly well designed physical (if not electronic) ergonomics.
Go PRO
Rick Bear
