Olympus M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100 mm F 4.0 IS PRO Interview

DC.Watch interviewed Toshihiko Sugimoto about the Olympus M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100 mm F 4.0 IS PRO

Olympus focused on 3 f/2.8 Pro zoom lenses first. The 7-14mm, 12-40mm, and 40-150mm due to customer demand, before addressing the creation of a f/4 Pro zoom, which customers were also asked for.
They didn’t think they could produce a value f/4 worth owning so they produced a high magnification zoom that would enhance mobility.
5-axis dual image stabilization was planned from the beginning to maximize performance with the OM-D EM1 Mark II
They could have made it a f/2.8, but then the advantages of m43 would have been lost, due to the size of the lens.
This lens is designed for high-end professionals and amateur.
Olympus doesn’t think the lens is expensive because it can replace two lenses.
Sales are strong
There is a technical explanation for how the lens elements work together in the interview that is lengthy if you’re interested under the first heading.
Olympus is manufacturing their own aspherical elements
They manufacture their own elements so the company knows how to do it and can improve their technology
Raising the effect of camera shake correction by one stop requires twice as much performance, which is why 5.5 + 5.0 stops of correction becomes 6.5 stops
The interview then goes into a lot of detail about the image stabilization system that is largely irrelivant

Olympus M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-100 mm F 4.0 IS PRO: B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama