Best Travel Lenses for OM SYSTEM PEN
The OM SYSTEM PEN weighs 393 g with the battery and a memory card, and the body is 43.3 mm deep. A travel zoom has to stay close to that. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO is 254 g and 70 mm long, with F4 held from the 24 mm equivalent to the 90 mm equivalent. OM SYSTEM publishes both of those figures. Check the 12-45mm F4.0 PRO on Amazon.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed September 2026 · PEN body 393 g · IPX1 · Micro Four Thirds
254 g and 70 mm, F4 from a 24 mm equivalent to a 90 mm equivalent. The US store lists it at $849.99.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓125 g, IPX1, and the lens in the PEN’s 5.5-stop test. The US store lists $349.99 and a mid-October ship date.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓190 g and 83 mm, for an 80–300 mm equivalent. The US store lists it from $169.99.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓This page contains affiliate links. A purchase through those links may earn Cameraegg a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Lens | On the PEN | Weight and length | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO | 24–90 mm equivalent, F4, IPX1 | 254 g, 70 mm | Check price |
| M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III | 28–84 mm equivalent, the IBIS test lens | 125 g, 50.5 mm | Check price |
| M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R | 80–300 mm equivalent, no weather rating on the page | 190 g, 83 mm | Check price |
| M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II | 34 mm equivalent, F1.8 | 112 g, 37.6 mm | Check price |
How We Picked
Three published figures decide a travel lens for this body: the PEN’s weight, each lens’s weight and length, and the US store’s list price.
- The body is 393 g and 43.3 mm deep. OM SYSTEM’s PEN page: 125.8 × 74.5 × 43.3 mm, 393 g with the battery and a memory card, 344 g body only, IPX1, Micro Four Thirds, 20.4 megapixels on a 17.3 × 13.0 mm sensor. The 5.5-stop center and 4.5-stop corner rating is only with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III at 42 mm, yaw, pitch, and roll, CIPA 2024.
- The three zooms stay under 260 g. OM SYSTEM’s US lens pages: the 12-45mm F4.0 PRO is 254 g and 70 mm long; the 14-42mm III is 125 g and Ø60.0 × 50.5 mm, caps and hood excluded; the 40-150mm R is 190 g and 83 mm long.
- The list prices are not guesses. The same US pages show $849.99 for the 12-45mm, $349.99 for the 14-42mm III with a mid-October ship note, and from $169.99 for the 40-150mm R. The 40-150mm page does not list an IPX1 rating.
Detailed Reviews
M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length | 12–45 mm (24–90 mm equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Aperture | F4–F22, 7 rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 84° to 27° |
| Closest focus | 0.12 m at the wide end, 0.23 m at the tele end |
| Maximum magnification | 0.25x (0.5x in 35 mm terms) |
| Construction | 12 elements in 9 groups |
| Filter | 58 mm |
| Size and weight | 63.4 mm diameter, 70 mm long, 254 g |
| Weather | Dust, splash, and freeze proof, listed as IPX1 |
| Hood | LH-61G included |
| US store price | $849.99, shown backordered |
Why it fits the PEN. The body is 393 g with a battery and card. This lens adds 254 g and 70 mm, so the pair is 647 g before caps. It is the zoom that starts at 12 mm, a 24 mm equivalent, and it does not open up as you zoom: F4 at both ends. OM SYSTEM lists the same IPX1 class the body carries. The PEN’s focus-stacking lens list includes the 12-45mm F4 PRO. The published 5.5-stop IBIS number is not this lens. That test used the 14-42mm III at 42 mm.
Buy it when one lens has to cover streets and a short telephoto, and 254 g is acceptable on a 393 g body. Skip it when the point of the PEN is the lighter kit: the 14-42mm III is 125 g and lists at $349.99. The US page also says this lens does not operate with 5-axis Sync IS.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length | 14–42 mm (28–84 mm equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Aperture | F3.5 at 14 mm, F5.6 at 42 mm, 7 rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 75° to 29° |
| Closest focus | 0.13 m at 14 mm, 0.30 m at 42 mm |
| Maximum magnification | 0.26x at 14 mm, 0.19x at 42 mm |
| Construction | 8 elements in 7 groups, 3 aspherical |
| Filter | 46 mm |
| Size and weight | Ø60.0 × 50.5 mm, 125 g excluding caps and hood |
| Weather | Dustproof and IPX1, freezeproof to −10°C |
| In the box | Lens, LC-46 cap, LR-2 rear cap, manual. No hood listed. |
| US store price | $349.99, preorder, ships mid October |
Why it fits the PEN. Add 125 g to the 393 g body and the pair is 518 g before the caps. The published length is 50.5 mm, and the page says you extend it by turning the zoom ring, with no separate release switch. This is the lens in the body’s stabiliser footnote: center 5.5 steps and corner 4.5 steps at 42 mm, an 84 mm equivalent, CIPA 2024. The PEN’s focus-stacking list includes it. The filter is 46 mm, not the 58 mm thread on the other two zooms.
Buy it when the trip is the reason for this camera and the 12-45mm’s extra 129 g and $500 of list price are not. Skip it when you need 12 mm, a 24 mm equivalent, or a constant F4. It also is not on the shelf yet: the US page says it ships mid October.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length | 40–150 mm (80–300 mm equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Aperture | F4 at 40 mm, F5.6 at 150 mm, 7 rounded blades |
| Angle of view | 30° to 8.2° |
| Closest focus | 0.9 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.16x (0.32x in 35 mm terms) |
| Construction | 13 elements in 10 groups |
| Filter | 58 mm |
| Size and weight | 63.5 mm diameter, 83 mm long, 190 g |
| US store price | From $169.99 |
Why it fits the PEN. The two standard zooms stop at 84 mm or 90 mm equivalent. This one starts where they end, at an 80 mm equivalent, and runs to 300 mm equivalent, at 190 g and 83 mm. On the 393 g body the pair is 583 g. OM SYSTEM’s page calls it the companion to a standard kit lens for travel. Closest focus is 0.9 m, so it is not the close-up lens. The spec page does not list IPX1, dust sealing, or a hood.
Buy it as the second lens when the standard zoom is already decided and the missing piece is reach. Skip it as the only lens: at 40 mm it cannot take the wide frame the 12-45mm or the 14-42mm III can. It is also absent from the PEN’s focus-stacking lens list.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
The three zooms top out at F3.5 or F4. A night street frame on this body is a short prime, not a slower zoom left on the camera all day.
M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F1.8 II View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length | 17 mm (34 mm equivalent), 65° |
|---|---|
| Aperture | F1.8–F22, 7 rounded blades |
| Closest focus | 0.25 m, 0.08x |
| Construction | 9 elements in 6 groups |
| Size and weight | 57.6 × 37.6 mm, 112 g without caps and hood |
| Filter | 46 mm |
| Weather | IPX1, splash, dust, and freeze proof |
Keep the 17mm F1.8 II when the trip is one 34 mm equivalent and you want F1.8 in 37.6 mm of length. It is not the default travel lens, because it does not zoom from a 24 mm equivalent to a 90 mm equivalent the way the 12-45mm does. The PEN’s 5.5-stop test still belongs to the 14-42mm III, not to this prime.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Frequently Asked Questions
What the 5.5-stop rating is measured with
OM SYSTEM’s PEN page ties center 5.5 steps and corner 4.5 steps to the M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III at 42 mm, an 84 mm equivalent, for yaw, pitch, and roll, under CIPA 2024. That number is not published for the 12-45mm F4.0 PRO, the 40-150mm R, or the 17mm F1.8 II.
When the 14-42mm III is listed to ship
The OM SYSTEM US product page lists it at $349.99 as a preorder and says it ships mid October. The box list on that page is the lens, an LC-46 cap, an LR-2 rear cap, and a manual.
Whether the 40-150mm R page lists weather sealing
It does not. The 12-45mm F4.0 PRO and the 14-42mm III pages both list IPX1, which is the same class as the PEN body. The 40-150mm R spec block lists diameter, length, weight, and closest focus, and no weather rating.
What 12 mm and 14 mm cover on this camera
The sensor is 17.3 × 13.0 mm. OM SYSTEM converts 12 mm to a 24 mm equivalent and 14 mm to a 28 mm equivalent. The 12-45mm therefore starts wider than the 14-42mm III, and the 40-150mm R starts at an 80 mm equivalent.
Why the 17mm F1.8 II stays off the default kit
It is 112 g and 37.6 mm long, at F1.8, for a 34 mm equivalent. That is a single angle of view. The travel kit here is a zoom that changes angle, which is the 12-45mm at F4 or the 14-42mm III at F3.5–5.6.
Final Verdict
The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm F4.0 PRO is the travel zoom that starts at a 24 mm equivalent and holds F4, at 254 g and 70 mm. The 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 III is the lighter IPX1 zoom, 125 g, and it is the lens in the PEN’s 5.5-stop test. The 40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R is the 190 g reach lens, an 80–300 mm equivalent, listed from $169.99.