Despite its Mark II designation, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 II ($699.99) is merely a cosmetic refresh of a lens Olympus introduced way back in 2010. Nonetheless, its optics are sound and its focus speed is quick enough to keep up with the latest camera bodies. Our main concern is that the lens lacks weather protection, a big deal for outdoor photographers who choose OM for its IP-rated equipment. Budget shoppers should still consider the 9-18mm since it's the most affordable wide zoom for the system with autofocus, but the lens is not a threat to our Editors' Choice winner, the Olympus 8-25mm F4.0 Pro. For $400 more, it adds weather protection and covers a broader focal range.

Retractable Optics Make for a Small Size

The M.Zuiko 9-18mm II is a retractable zoom lens. At its shortest position, the lens can't take pictures because its optics are inside the barrel. To get it ready to snap images, simply twist to extend the lens until you reach the 9mm setting and hear a click. The barrel conveniently incorporates a lock switch to prevent you from accidentally retracting the optics when you zoom out. This type of design has fallen out of fashion but was in vogue when the original came out and still works well in practice.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

A collapsible design saves a decent amount of space. The lens measures just 1.9 by 2.2 inches (HD) retracted but extends to 3.0 inches at the 9mm focal length. Using the included petal-style hood adds another inch, though, like most others, it's reversible for storage. Otherwise, the lens is quite light at 5.4 ounces and takes 52mm threaded front filters.

Metal bayonet aside, the lens has a purely plastic (but quality) construction. The outer barrel has a knurled finish that gives the lens a more upmarket look, while the inner telescoping barrel feels reassuringly sturdy. As mentioned, the lens skips weather protection, a notable drawback for the price. Consider upgrading to the sealed 8-25mm Pro if you often take photos in rough weather.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The 9-18mm II is the least expensive wide zoom for Micro Four Thirds with autofocus. On the OM and Olympus side of the catalog, the 8-25mm Pro is the next option in the line, with the M.Zuiko 7-14mm F2.8 ($1,399.99) filling out the series. Panasonic has three zooms too, a vintage Lumix G Vario 7-14mm F4 ($899.99), the more recent Leica DG 8-18mm F2.8-4 ($1,099.99), and the extra-bright Leica Summilux 10-25mm F1.7 ($1,799.99). I haven't tested any of the Panasonic options, but all three enjoy favorable user reviews.

Prices run high across the board for Micro Four Thirds lenses compared with those for other systems. The Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM goes for $329.99, for example, and the Nikon Z DX 12-28mm F3.5-5.6 PZ VR costs $359.95. If you find yourself on a stricter budget and already have a compatible camera, you could look for a used 9-18mm. OM is upfront about the Mark II edition being a simple rebadge, so wear-and-tear concerns and warranty coverage aside, you can get the original for less. KEH has several in the $300 ballpark at press time, for example.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Streamlined Handling and Controls

There's not much to the lens as far as controls. The barrel includes the aforementioned lock switch, as well as discrete control rings to set the zoom and manual focus, but nothing else. I don't expect starter zooms to be rife with buttons and toggles, but the step-up 8-25mm Pro includes a configurable L-Fn button and a manual focus clutch.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Autofocus response is snappy and practically silent, good news for both photos and video. I'm not fond of the manual focus experience though; the focus throw is very short and it takes real care to set with precision. If you prefer manual focus, it's worth upgrading to the 8-25mm for its clutch system or spending less on a full-time manual focus prime. The Laowa 7.5mm Zero-D is one of dozens available from Venus Optics, Samyang, and other third parties.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The silent autofocus response makes the lens a good choice for video creators. Its optics show a little bit of focus breathing when you shift from one distance to another, but I don't expect that to be a concern for self-recorded vlogs. The blooming view is nominal with the small shifts in focus a lens makes for handheld clips at arm's length or present-to-camera recordings from a tripod. OM leaves off stabilization for the lens but puts the feature into its camera bodies, including the OM-1 Mark II.

The lens focuses to about 9.8 inches (measured from the sensor) throughout its zoom range, so its largest macro magnification is at the 18mm focal length. Even there, however, it's just a meager 1:10, well shy of macro territory. The M.Zuiko 8-25mm is a little more versatile here since it focuses slightly closer (from 9.1 inches) and zooms in tighter for 1:4.8 reproductions.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

OM 9-18mm II: In the Lab

I used the OM-1 and Imatest software to check the 9-18mm's performance. Despite being developed when 12MP sensors were state-of-the-art, the lens does quite well on the 20MP OM-1. It scores in the outstanding range at 9mm from f/4-8 (2,700-2,800 lines), falling a little behind that mark at 13mm f/4.8-8 (2,500-2,700 lines) and 18mm f/5.6-11 (2,500-2,600 lines). The 8-25mm scores in the same range, so there's no resolution advantage between them.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The lens does worse at its narrowest apertures (f/16-22), but that is true of any Micro Four Thirds lens since the sensor format is quicker to show the effects of diffraction at narrow f-stops versus full-frame. Landscape specialists who want the sunstar effect in photos might opt to stop down, but even then, the effect is underwhelming with tines that lack clear definition. On the plus side, the lens handles flare quite well, contrast is strong even when you point the lens toward a bright light source, and the included hood controls flare from off-angle lighting.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Raw photos show some barrel distortion at the 9mm setting, but lines become straighter as you zoom in. If you use your camera in JPG mode, you won't notice the problem at all. Raw images embed distortion corrections too, so you don't have to wait for your Raw software of choice to get a profile. Lightroom Classic lets you disable the profile if you prefer, though I have not tested the lens with other Raw converters to see if that carries over. The lens doesn't show a noticeable vignette, a positive for landscape photography.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

False color is an issue for certain scenes and I observe lateral chromatic aberration (CA) in the form of purple fringing around high-contrast areas of some frames. One example is around the power lines in the following photo. I've seen far more egregious CA in other lenses, and it's pretty easy to remove using software tools like Lightroom Classic's defringe feature.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Defocused areas of an image show some longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA), though it's subtle enough that you might not notice it without a close look. I'm still happy with the way background blur looks when you can induce the effect. With a slow, wide zoom like this, the best way to get bokeh is to focus on something close and ensure there's some distance between the subject and background.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Proof That Optics Outlast Cameras

Cosmetics and branding aside, the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 II doesn’t do anything different than its predecessor. And that’s perfectly fine because focus performance remains fast and image quality holds up in terms of sharpness and flare control. The lens is missing some of the finer touches of more recent releases, however, including weather protection and on-barrel controls. Overall, the 9-18mm is an affordable, capable wide-angle lens for Micro Four Thirds photographers (even if it's pricey compared with basic wide zooms for other systems), though we continue to recommend the M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4 Pro as our Editors' Choice winner thanks to its more durable build and broader range of coverage.