Replacement zoom lens

For many years now, I've owned an Olympus EPL-7 micro four-thirds camera. When I bought it, it came with two zoom lens: a 14-42mm pancake lens and a 40-150mm telephoto. Today, I still believe that it was a very good deal.

The pancake lens was quite a novelty because it made the camera, which already looks very trim, look so slim despite a 3X zoom range. Zooming was achieved electronically by turning the lens barrel right or left. But then after a while, the lens started giving problems. All sorts of problems. And each time, I sent the lens back to Olympus for servicing. I think in all, I must have spent close to RM250 or RM300 on repairing this lens about four times.

Back in November last year in the midst of my travel to Malacca together with the Nandaka Vihara members, the lens seized up yet again and refused to work. Enough was enough, I thought to myself. I wouldn't want to send this sub-standard lens to Olympus again. In fact, I think Olympus is pretty irresponsible by shoving this standard kit zoom lens at every person that buys their micro four-thirds camera. I'm sure they would have realised by now that this lens had faulty electronics. And yet they are doing nothing to address their customers' problems. Not many people can afford their professional range of lenses or cameras and have to depend on the kit lens that come their way. I'm one of them.

For about two months, I was left with using the camera on my mobile phone - and you know the quality of mobile phone cameras - and the other zoom lens. But then this second zoom is a telephoto zoom. While it is useful for me to take pictures of faraway objects with it, I can't use this lens for ordinary use. It is just too long. I would need to buy a replacement standard zoom lens. But no more Olympus pancake lens for me, please! I'd rather get a lens that's performs just as well even though it is bulkier.

Enter the Panasonic 14-42mm standard zoom lens. It is also a micro four-thirds lens, meaning I can use it on my Olympus camera without any problem. The lens barrel is twice as long as the pancake lens but it still does not protrude excessively from the camera body. So I placed an order for this lens at the beginning of last week and it arrived within three days from Kuala Lumpur. I've been using it on my Olympus camera body since then and I must say that I am quite happy with the performance. Yes, indeed!