Jaclyn and I headed outdoors this past weekend to do some lens testing and to take advantage of the relatively warm weather. Instead of writing a pile of words about my first impression of the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO, I’ll let the few photos do the talking.

While the bokeh is quite pleasing, I’m most impressed by the sharpness of the fur on Jaclyn’s coat. These were all shot wide open at f/2.8, so I think it’s safe to say the lens will be incredibly sharp from open to closed.

The other major first impression of the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 is its lightning fast autofocus. The moment this lens first snapped to an autofocus spot, I knew it was worth the money. It literally puts the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 prime to shame. It has become quite clear to me that Olympus is breaking ground in terms of sharpness and autofocus speed with its Pro lenses.

I quickly went to purchase a polarizer for the 62mm front element and I’m really enjoying the experimentation. I totally dig the greyed out skies polarizers are able to produce and I can’t wait to see the results when the sun actually shines in Southern Manitoba.

I’ve got much more to come regarding the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro. For now, I’ll say I’m flat out impressed. It’s sharp, super fast, and focuses incredibly quick. The only setback is its size, especially in comparison to the Panasonic Lumix 20mm before it.

I can’t wait to give this lens a full review