Four-Thirds lenses

Due to the nature of the Four-Thirds consortium, several manufacturers are producing lenses for the system. Whereas in other situations a company like Sigma produces lenses for camera systems without the official belssing of the manufacturer, as they are signed up under the Four-Thirds banner as a partner they have access to all the design specifications and technologies as laid out by Olympus in the Four-Thirds white paper.

Note: Due to the nature of the Four-Thirds system sensors, all the focal lengths of the below lenses should be doubled to give their effective focal length equivalents in 35mm format.

Olympus Zuiko Digital Lenses

All Olympus Zuiko Digital lenses are designed from the ground up to match the 4/3rds image sensor format. Similar to Canon's EOS system they feature fully electronic mounts, with no mechanical connections to the camera bodies at all - meaning even manual focus is achieved via an electronic 'focus-by-wire' system.

Olympus divides its Zuiko Digital range into 3 tiers demarcated by the features, build quality and price of each lens.

Terminology

• ED - 'Extra-Low Distortion' elements to minimise refraction, reducing appreance of chromatic aberrations
• SWD - Featured in Olympus' second generation of lenses, the 'Supersonic Wave Drive' motors promise almost silent, very fast autofocus. Olympus claim that coupled with the E-1's successor they will provide the world's fastest autofocus system in their class.

Super High grade Lenses

All the lenses in this series are dust and moisture sealed, and are priced to suit photography professionals.

• Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm F4
• Zuiko Digital ED 14-35mm F2 SWD - Planned for release some time in 2008
• Zuiko Digital ED 35/100mm F2
• Zuiko Digital ED 90-250mm F2.8
• Zuiko Digital ED 150mm F2 - Features Sigma's 'Hyper-Sonic Motor' autofocus technology.''
• Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F2.8

High Grade Lenses

All the lenses in this series are dust and moisture sealed.

• Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F3.5 Fisheye - Produces a rectangular image, not vignetted like many 35mm fisheye lenses. Features Sigma's 'Hyper-Sonic Motor' autofocus technology.
• Zuiko Digital 11-22mm F2.8–3.5
• Zuiko Digital 12-60mm F2.8-4 SWD - Planned for release some time in 2007
• Zuiko Digital 14-54 F2.8-3.5
• Zuiko Digital ED 50mm F2 Macro - Maximum magnification of 1.04x life size
• Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 - To be replaced by the below 'SWD' verison
• Zuiko Digital ED 50-200mm F2.8-3.5 SWD - Planned for release some time in 2007
• Zuiko Digital 'Telephoto Macro' - This lens is planned for release in 2008, no specifics on focal length as yet.

Standard Lenses

The lenses in this range are 'consumer grade'; they are not weathr-sealed and feature lower build quality and optics.

• Zuiko Digital 'Ultra-Wide zoom lens - This lens is planned for release in 2008, no specifics on focal length as yet.
• Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm F3.5–5.6 – New, lightweight standard kit lens for E-410 etc
• Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm F3.5-6.3
• Zuiko Digital 35mm F3.5 Macro - Maximum magnification of 2x life size
• Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4-5.6 – New, lightweight telephoto kit lens for E-410 etc
• Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm F4-5.6 - Planned for release some time in 2007

Sigma Four-Thirds Lenses

The majority of Sigma lenses relased for the 4/3rds system are simply adaptations of lenses they have previously released for APS-C or 35mm formats.

Terminology

• DC - Lenses marked with this code are designed for digital sensors, and therefore do not have an image circle large enough to suit the full-frame bodies of the system they are mounted for (a somewhat irrelevant notation for 4/3rds lenses).
• DG - Lenses with imaging circles large enough to fit 35mm sensors/film (again, a somewhat irrelevant notation for 4/3rds lenses).
• EX - Denotes lenses with a higher quality external finish, reportedly to reflect the superior build and optical quality.
• HSM - 'Hyper-Sonic Motor'; this is effectively Sigma's 2nd generation of quieter, faster autofocus motors (and is also featured in some Olympus 4/3rds lenses)
• ASP - The lenses with this denomination feature one or more aspherical elements, to minimise distortion and allow for smaller, lighter designs.
• APO - Lenses featuring low-dispersion glass to minimise chromatic aberration.

Standard Zoom

• 18-50mm F2.8 EX DC Macro
• 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC
• 18-125mm F3.5-5.6 DC

Telephoto Zoom

• 50-500mm F4-6.3 APO EX DG HSM
• 55-200mm F4-5.6 DC
• 135-400mm F4.5-5.6 APO DG
• 300-800mm F5.6 APO EX DG HSM

Macro

• 105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro
• 150mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM Macro

Single Focal Length

• 24mm F1.8 EX DG ASP Macro
• 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM

Panasonic Four-Thirds Lenses

Relative newcomers to the DSLR market, Panasonic have released one cmaera body - the DMC-L1 - and two lenses for the 4/3rds system. Their lenses are co-branded with Leica, something they began with thier Lumix digital cameras - it is understood that these lenses are Leica-designed and Panasonic-built.

• 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 Leica D Vario Elmarit ASP Mega OIS - Kit lens for the DMC-L1 featuring optical image stabilisation (previously Panasonic have used this system in their Lumix series of compact digital cameras).
• 25mm F1.4 Leica D Summilux ASP