When I purchased the Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod, I knew I had to find a way to mount my iPhone to shoot better handheld video. Studio Neat’s nifty Glif fit the bill perfectly. Naturally, I had to review it for Tools & Toys.

This was the first review I was able to shoot outside in over eight months. Jac and I picked a beautiful afternoon to walk around the lake. Although brown and dead right now, recent rain should have the lake bright green and growing in the very near future.

But most importantly, this was the first review shot with the new Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro lens. The lens is big — way big — and definitely defeats the original purpose of the small and light Micro 4/3 system. Without a doubt though, the 40-150mm Pro is the highest quality lens I’ve ever set my hands on.

Its image quality is stunning. The only Micro 4/3 lens that may outdo the 40-150mm Pro is the Olympus 75mm f/1.8. Bokeh is a bit easier to come by at the telephoto end, so I’m happy to have the added flexibility of an 80-300mm full-frame equivalent instead of the even creamier background blur of the large f/1.8 aperture. To each their own.

I’m looking forward to writing at length about Olympus’ current lineup of Pro zooms. They are the highest quality lenses I have used to date, and although they are rippin’ expensive, I couldn’t be happier knowing I have every focal length covered from 24mm to 300mm in a weather sealed package.

Be sure to check out the review on Tools & Toys.