How to Switch Between Autofocus (AF) & Manual Focus (MF) on the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens

Is your Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO lens stuck on manual focus? It’s easy to fix, but Olympus does things a bit differently from other brands. Here’s how.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens
Text & Photos By David Coleman
Last Revised & Updated:
Filed Under: Photography Gear

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Olympus and OM System lenses have a distinctive way of toggling between manual focus and autofocus on their lenses.

Olympus is now OM System

In 2020-21, the photography business of iconic camera brand Olympus was spun off and sold. The core remaining Olympus brand is focusing on medical and scientific products. The camera and photography side was then rebranded as OM System, with the first cameras and lenses under that brand coming out at the end of 2021.

If you’ve ever found that your Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO zoom lens seems stuck on manual focus, there’s a good chance you’ve run into this issue (especially if you’ve found this page and are here reading this!)

Unlike some other brand lenses, there’s no AF/MF switch on the side of the lens. And there’s no menu item in the camera’s settings.

Instead, on this lens, what you want to look for is the ring on the lens barrel that’s farthest from the camera body. It also happens to be the focus ring when you’re using manual focus.

But rather than turning it, you want to slide it forward or back gently. You’ll feel it click–that’s the way to toggle between manual focus and autofocus.

When it’s in manual focus mode, you’ll be able to see the distance measurement scale.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens Manual Focus Autofocus Switch
This is in manual focus mode. The focus ring (middle of the frame) is back and exposes the distance measurement guide.

When it’s in autofocus mode, that distance scale will be covered.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens Manual Focus Autofocus Switch
This is in autofocus mode. The narrower ring (middle of the frame) is in the forward position and obscures the distance measurement guide.

So it’s not complicated or difficult, but it’s also not necessarily intuitive if you’re more familiar with other lenses.

Profile photo of David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel | Washington DC-based Professional Photographer

Text & Photos by David Coleman

I'm a professional photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. I've been shooting for 30+ years, and my my photos and time-lapse videos have appeared in a bunch of different publications from major newspapers to magazines and books, billboards, TV shows, professional sports stadiums, museums, and even massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings while they're being renovated. You can see some of my travel photography here and here.

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