The little lens that died

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I’m not a fan of power zoom lenses. It’s one of the reasons why I prefer SLR or mirrorless cameras to compact cameras. But they do have their place. In their powered-off state they can be absolutely tiny, allowing a compact camera to be as small as a pack of cards while still having a huge zoom range.

And so when I finally abandoned compact cameras, I dug out my old, almost forgotten, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42/3.5-5.6 EZ. Mounted on an even older Olympus Pen E-P3, the combination was truly impressive. Not quite as small as a compact, but it still slipped easily into a jacket pocket, and the combination gave me many of the advantages of a serious enthusiasts’ camera without weighing me down like my EM1 Mark II.

Which was all well and good until the 14-42 EZ died. The lens is sadly notorious for this. I’m sure there are many people out there who have used a 14-42 EZ for many years with no problem at all, but within six months of me starting to use it again, my copy succumbed to the dreaded and familiar ribbon failure. First, it refused to autofocus. Then it refused to manual focus. Then it started zooming erratically in and out for no reason. And finally it … died. The aperture stuck firmly closed, and the lens was useless.

This was very sad for me. Much as I dislike power zooms, the 14-42 EZ had a big role to play in my camera bag. My other standard zoom – the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45 f4.0 Pro – balances awkwardly on a small camera body and requires a satchel or camera bag instead of a jacket pocket. So the 14-42 was the lightweight choice – ideal when I didn’t want to be weighed down.

So where next? I’m disenchanted by the 14-42 EZ, and too cautious to buy another in case it suffers the same fate. I could use a prime lens like the Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8 that’s already in my camera bag, but that would mean a complete change in my shooting style.

Hmm. Maybe the Panasonic Lumix 12-32 might be a suitable replacement? I don’t have a budget for it, but surely I could part-exchange the Olympus 17mm f1.8? After all, I’ve only used it once this year. Decisions, eh?

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2 responses to “The little lens that died”

Bushcrafter

Dec 7, 2025

Hey Alex, the Panasonic Lumix 12–32 is slightly taller than the EZ 14–42, but equally impressive in image quality — and, more importantly, mechanically. You don’t get the typical issues that plague many power-zoom lenses, whether on compact cameras or mirrorless kits. In short, it’s a small, lightweight gem that will make your E-P3 pocketable again.The 17mm is a fantastic lens, of course, and you’ll lose its low-light advantage, but the chances you truly need that speed are small. A tiny zoom, on the other hand, is useful almost everywhere. And since you’re shooting Olympus, you’ve got stellar in-body stabilisation anyway, so that f/1.8 isn’t as critical as it sounds.Curious to see what you decide. Enjoy the weekend — Marc.

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1. Alex Morrice
  
  Dec 7, 2025
  
  Thanks Marc. I’m weighing up a few options. The 12mm at the wide end would definitely be useful for photography in Edinburgh’s narrow streets, but I would lose manual focus – which I use a lot of the time for close-up work. I don’t think that’s a deal-breaker but it’s the thing that’s making me hesitate. Thank you for your insight, I agree f1.8 is rarely needed, even in low light, with Olympus’s stellar IBIS. Have a great weekend. Alex
  
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