This past fall, Olympus announced a rather interesting lens…the smallest lens yet for the Micro 4/3 system, and one of the smallest interchangeable lenses ever made. This optic? The 15mm f/8 body cap lens. This tiny lens/body cap is classified by Olympus as an “accessory” rather than a true lens, and the lens doesn’t carry the Zuiko branding that all of their lenses generally carry. So how is this little $50 trinket?
If you’re not familiar with my reviews, I review from a real world shooting perspective. You won’t find lens charts or resolution numbers here. There are plenty of other sites that cover those. I review products on how they act for me as a photographic tool.
Around the Lens
The Olympus 15mm f/8 is certainly a small lens. It truly is roughly the size of a Micro 4/3 body cap. The lens protrudes about 5mm from the body when mounted, and features a simple lever up front as its only control. The lens is entirely plastic, with no electronic contacts, so the camera body will operate as it does with any adapted lenses. The plastic build is relatively solid, but overall it feels as cheap as it is, especially the focusing lever, which is quite flimsy. If you are using the lens on an Olympus body, don’t forget to set the 15mm focal length in the IS setup menu to make sure that the in-body IS is operating correctly.
Back to that lever. The front lever is both the lens cap and the focus control. When fully shut, a small plastic cover slides in front of the front element to protect it from damage. In this position, it truly does just act as a body cap. Pull the lever slightly, and the protective flap will open and the lens will be focused at infinity. There is a dot just past the infinity marking that represents the hyperfocal distance. Set the lens to this and shoot away as a snapshot lens. The rest of the lever’s sliding is for closer focusing, which can be done as close as 0.3m away.
Due to the very deep depth of field from the lens’ fixed f/8 aperture, focusing the 15mm f/8 essentially has to be done with magnified view, as there is just too little difference between in and out of focus areas when viewing the whole scene. While the hyperfocal setting is supposed to take the focusing requirements out of play, I found that image quality suffered when deliberate focus wasn’t used for anything closer than about 15 feet.
Other than that, there’s not much to talk about in terms of the lens operation, so let’s see how it performs.
I got this as a free extra with purchase of an OM D recently and immediately liked it. I’m an old Nikon shooter who liked wide angle photography and quickly realized that I wanted the 14mm f2.8 Panasonic pancake – which is small enough. Either way the pancakes make the OM D handle a lot like the early Leica rangefinder film cameras and are the best cameras I have ever used.
I’m still waiting for you Pana 14mm f2.5 review (promised to come soon).
Are you still working on that review?
I would be really interested in your opinion!
I do plan on doing a 14mm f/2.5 review. Right now, I have a backlog of reviews to complete, and I’ve been insanely busy at home (I recently finished my entire basement myself and I have a new baby…) Lenses that are primed for review are the Panasonic 14/2.5, 8mm fisheye, Olympus 9-18mm, Fuji 14mm, 35 and 60mm.
Congratulations!
I’m also expecting a baby girl (first child).
Do you have recommendations regarding photographing/filming the birth?
Thank you!
Hi
Thanks for the review!..I got the lens and is handy and indeed not an overall champ but I will use it in street and or carphotography,I find it not good for shooting landscapes..so not too far distance..anyway it need some efforts to enjoy it;)
With previous wide angles its almost impossible without not having some lost of sharpness towards the edges.
I have recently acquired this lens. Despite its flaws though, I loved this lens. I admit F8 is really slow. At that price, I wouldn’t complain about the IQ. I admit there are better pancake lenses but I find them too expensive. (I’m looking at you droolworthy 20mm 1.7) Focusing is difficult but I doubt that it’s gonna need any frequent re-focusing given that it’s at f8.
For what it’s meant for, I think this one’s just fine. Also, you’ve made great images with it.
“You’d be much better served saving up some money and getting the rather excellent Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 instead. It’s not much bigger, and it’s light years better (full review on that lens coming soon).”
Can´t find that review…..
/Kjell
Yeah, it fell by the wayside with all the new things coming out.
Jordan, there’s nothing wrong with your Bady cap lens photos! I like them. I photographed 45 years on film and got hardly better photos than your body cap pics. Was that all in vain?
I think today we are a bit spoilt by what is possible, not being content with what is simply good enough for most jobs. I admit, I have in addition to the lens in cap some better lenses. However, a bit flare at the edges, who cares? It is simply fun to experience that we can live with simple things.
Things are simple at the top!
It is much better than my Kodak Instamatic in 1965.