new body cap for m4/3

<p>Olympus announced a body cap for their cams that serve as a lens. Price in germany will be around 79 Euro.</p>

<p>http://www.photographyblog.com/news/olympus_15mm_f_8_body_cap_lens_for_micro_four_thirds/</p>

<p>Does it come with a lens cap?</p>

<p>Well....they call it a body cap lens,but it is no body cap! It is a three element lens that's basically flat and kinda funky lookin, and I'd be shocked if it did not come with a lens cap. Note the weird macro-range manual focus ring on the front of the lens. You can barely see it in the image posted on the OP's link. That's one unique design.</p>

<p>Someone on the Micro Four-thirds forum at DPReview pre-ordered one and has already received a shipping notice, so we're liable to see sample images soon from a few users.</p>

<p>http://www.popphoto.com/gear/2012/09/olympus-15mm-f8-micro-four-thirds-bodycap-lens-hands-and-first-impressions</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I am not quite sure what the point of the cap is but happy if someone can explain. Very expensive as a body cap, but very cheap as a lens. By why would anyone want a fixed aperture, f8 lens, with only two manual focus settings. Sure its small, but the M4/3 pancakes are not a lot bigger.</p>

<p>Geoff, I guess it is for the LensBaby crowd. Sort of a creative, pinhole, lens. I might get one since they are so cheap and would make the camera slide into a pocket very easily. I think I read that there is a "cover" that slides over the pinhole when not in use.</p>

<p>Geoff, a few things. ;)<br /><br />"I'd be shocked if it did not come with a lens cap. Note the weird macro-range manual focus ring on the front of the lens. You can barely see it in the image posted on the OP's link. That's one unique design."<br /><br />- It does come with a "lens cap", actually an internal cover and flips into place when you flip the focus switch all the way over, similar to older film PNS cameras.<br />- Speaking of older film PNS cameras, the bottom-mounted scale-focus lever is nearly identical to the one you'll find on an Olympus XA, which in at least on variant had a 28mm lens, similar to this 30mm equivalent.<br /><br />"I am not quite sure what the point of the cap is but happy if someone can explain." <br /><br />- It will fit into your pocket and doesn't have anything fancy to get broken while in there. Just like the old XA.<br /><br />"By why would anyone want a fixed aperture, f8 lens, with only two manual focus settings. Sure its small, but the M4/3 pancakes are not a lot bigger."<br /><br />- The old saying in street photography was "f8 and forget it". In fact most disposable film cameras are a 28mm lens with a fixed f11 aperture... never seemed to bother people... in fact, they LOVED them. <br />- Maybe you are forgetting how manual focus lenses work, but the two "settings" are the close focus and infinity, but I'm sure it has the complete range of analog "settings" in between. ;) <br />- The M43 pancakes are at least twice the height and 5 times the cost. When stuffing something into your jeans, both of these factors become quite important.<br /><br />Personally, I can't wait to shoot video with one of these on a GX1 rigged to a cable dolly!</p>

<p>Has anyone seen this lens on sale anywhere? All of the documentation I've seen said it should be available in October, which is now almost over. Or is Olympus always late with product delivery?</p>