Most camera manufacturers these days seem to think that ‘full-frame’ is the way to go for optimum quality and versatility. However, anybody who’s spent time walking about with a clunky full-fat DSLR and 24-70mm f/2.8 lens hanging around their neck will know that this kind of camera outfit can really weigh you down. MFT (Micro Four Thirds) mirrorless system cameras and their relatively small, lightweight lenses let you literally take a load off.

At the heart of the MFT system is a comparatively small image sensor that has a 2.0x crop factor, compared with full-frame cameras. When it comes to shrinking the physical size of lenses, the advantages are two-fold. Firstly, the image circle produced by the lens only needs to be a fraction of the size of a full-frame lens, so the optical elements can be made with a relatively small diameter. Secondly, the actual focal length for any given type of lens is halved. For example, a 35-150mm telephoto zoom would give you the same ‘effective’ range as using a 70-300mm lens on a full-frame outfit. Again, the physical construction of the MFT format lens will be smaller and lighter.

Most MFT lenses are impeccably crafted, combining clever design with premium build quality and superb optical quality

Although they tend to be relatively small and lightweight, most MFT lenses are impeccably crafted, combining clever design with premium build quality and superb optical quality. Typically, they have stepping motor autofocus systems which gives rapid and highly accurate performance for stills, as well as delivering virtually silent, smooth focus transitions when shooting movies.

Naturally, Olympus and Panasonic are the two main manufacturers of MFT format lenses. Both makes of lenses are equally compatible on both makes of camera body. However, whereas many of Panasonic’s lenses feature optical image stabilization, most of Olympus’s lenses rely on in-camera, sensor-shift stabilization. Let’s take a look at the best lenses in all of the main shooting categories, along with some top-value alternatives that give impressive performance on a tighter budget.

Still not sure what Micro Four Thirds camera to buy? Take a look at some of our top picks below:

Wide-angle zoom: Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 7‑14mm f/2.8 PRO

Type: Zoom | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 7-14mm | Effective focal length: 14-28mm | Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Image stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.2m | Filter size: N/A | Dimensions: 79 x 106mm | Weight: 534g

While the crop factor of MFT format cameras boosts the telephoto abilities of lenses, it makes the design of ultra-wide optics more of a challenge. This remarkable lens has a minimum focal length of just 7mm, delivering an astonishing 114-degree viewing angle, similar to using a 14mm lens on full-frame cameras. Like other lenses in the ‘M.ZUIKO PRO’ line-up, it’s immaculately turned out with fabulous build quality. Contrast and sharpness are outstanding, while colour fringing and distortions are negligible. As with many ultra-wide lenses, however, the hood is built-in so there’s no filter attachment thread.

Great value option: Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 9‑18mm f/4.0‑5.6

It’s not so wide in maximum viewing angle or aperture rating, but is smaller and lighter, and has a filter attachment thread.

Standard zoom: Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II ASPH Power OIS

Type: Zoom | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 12-35mm | Effective focal length: 24-70mm | Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Image stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.25m | Filter size: 58mm | Dimensions: 68 x 74mm | Weight: 305g

This lens gives the same kind of performance and versatility as a pro-grade 24-70mm f/2.8 lens on a full-frame camera body but, typically for an MFT lens, it comes in a much more compact, lightweight package. Indeed, at 305g, it’s only about a third of the weight of a comparable full-frame optic. Even so, the lens is no lightweight in terms of build quality, with a robust and weather-sealed construction. Centre-sharpness is excellent throughout the zoom range, even when shooting wide-open at f/2.8, and corner-sharpness also becomes impressive at f/4 and narrower apertures. It’s the perfect lens for everyday shooting, with the bonus of effective optical stabilization.

Great value option: M.ZUIKO ED 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ pancake

Incredibly tiny with a ‘pancake’ design, it also features motorized zoom, but this Olympus isn’t the sharpest tool in the box.

Telephoto zoom: Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 II Power OIS

Type: Zoom | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 35-100mm | Effective focal length: 70-200mm | Maximum aperture: f/2.8 | Image stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.85m | Filter size: 58mm | Dimensions: 67 x 100mm | Weight: 357g

The perfect supplement to Panasonic’s 12-35mm f/2.8 lens, this one is equivalent to that other stalwart full-frame zoom for pro photographers – the 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto. Again, the popular ‘effective’ zoom range of this lens is delivered from a high-grade, weather-sealed construction that’s rugged and robust, yet only about a third of the weight of equivalent full-frame optics. As with the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8, you need to stop down to f/4 before corner-sharpness really gets into its stride, but overall levels of sharpness and other image quality attributes are outstanding.

Great value option: Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 40‑150mm f/4.0‑5.6 R

This compact budget lens really punches above its weight with fast autofocus performance and excellent image quality.

Super-tele zoom: Panasonic DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f/4-6.3 ASPH Power OIS

Type: Zoom | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 100-400mm | Effective focal length: 200-800mm | Maximum aperture: f/4-6.3 | Image stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 1.3m | Filter size: 72mm | Dimensions: 83 x 172mm | Weight: 985g

A zoom range of 100-400mm gives powerful telephoto reach on a full-frame camera but, in MFT terms, you get a whopping ‘effective’ maximum focal length of 800mm. As we’ve come to expect from Panasonic’s up-market lenses, this one is sturdy, robust and meticulously engineered. Highlights include a locking mechanism for the zoom ring and an autofocus range limiter switch. The effective optical image stabilizer is very worthwhile, given the enormous effective focal lengths on tap. Even though the lens weighs nearly a kilogram, it’s still sufficiently lightweight for prolonged periods of handheld shooting. For added comfort and stability, the lens comes complete with a mounting foot for well-balanced use on a tripod or monopod. Image quality is superb, with excellent sharpness right up to the maximum 400mm zoom setting. The f/6.3 aperture rating at the long end of the zoom range is relatively ‘slow’ but quite typical for this class of super-telephoto lens.

Great value option:  Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 75‑300mm f/4.8‑6.7 II

Unsurprisingly, this lens looks and feels a bit like a conventional 70-300mm zoom for bigger cameras, but the MFT format gives it a powerful 600mm effective reach. Sharpness is very good on the whole but drops off a bit at the long end.

Wide-angle prime: Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 ASPH

Type: Prime | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 12mm | Effective focal length: 24mm | Maximum aperture: f/1.4 | Image stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.2m | Filter size: 62mm | Dimensions: 70 x 70mm | Weight: 335g

Building on the legendary performance of Leica Summilux lenses from bygone times, this 12mm optic is a real hands-on beauty. Although it functions flawlessly in fully automatic mode, its manual focus ring and aperture ring are wonderfully tactile. The lens itself feels quite heavy considering its small 70x70mm size, but it’s properly robust and has superb handling. The wide f/1.4 aperture rating caters to the most discerning photographers, and the effective 24mm super-wide focal length is something of a classic. Image quality is simply spectacular, with incredible centre-sharpness and contrast, even when shooting wide-open. Resistance to ghosting and flare is also very impressive.

Great value option: Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 12mm f/2.0

From Olympus’s ‘Premium’ line, this is a little cracker of a 12mm lens. It has a very similar design to our favourite 17mm ‘street lens’ and, while it’s certainly not cheap to buy, it’s only half the price of the Panasonic 12mm f/1.4.

Street prime: Olympus M.ZUIKO 17mm f/1.8

Type: Prime | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 17mm | Effective focal length: 34mm | Maximum aperture: f/1.8 | Image stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.25m | Filter size: 46mm | Dimensions: 58 x 36mm | Weight: 120g

For street photography, this remarkably small and lightweight lens enables you to shoot candidly. It has an ideal effective focal length of 34mm in full-frame terms, which gives a very natural perspective along with a moderately wide viewing angle. Split-second timing is often needed in street photography, so many photographers prefer to adjust the focus setting in advance. A clever push-pull auto/manual focus ring reveals a distance scale and depth of field markings for f/5.6, f/11 and f/22, making the lens is well suited to ‘zone focusing’. This method of manual focusing enables you to set the lens so that everything within a particular zone will look reasonably sharp. Image quality and overall handling are both excellent.

Great value option: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN Art M43

It’s a very capable lens that’s nicely made and is very good value at the price. However, the lack of a focus distance scale with depth of field markings is a drawback for street photography.

Standard prime: Olympus M.ZUIKO 25mm f/1.8

Type: Prime | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 25mm | Effective focal length: 50mm | Maximum aperture: f/1.8 | Image stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.25m | Filter size: 46mm | Dimensions: 58 x 42mm | Weight: 137g

Measuring a mere 58 x 42mm and tipping the scales at just 137g, this diminutive lens feels right at home on even the most compact MFT format body. Like the Olympus 17mm that we favour for street photography, this one is available in either a silver or black finish, and the hood is sold separately. Naturally, the 2x crop factor of MFT cameras gives this lens an effective 50mm focal length, delivering a classic ‘standard’ viewing angle with a fairly fast f/1.8 aperture rating. Image quality is impressive in all respects. Considering the prices of Canon and Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lenses for full-frame cameras, the Olympus doesn’t look terrific value. However, its performance fully justifies the price tag.

Great value option: Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN Art

Super-small and lightweight, it’s an ideal standard lens to stash away in your gadget bag, although the aperture rating is relatively ‘slow’ at f/2.8.

Portrait prime: Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH Power OIS

Type: Prime | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 42.5mm | Effective focal length: 85mm | Maximum aperture: f/1.2 | Image stabilizer: Yes | Minimum focus distance: 0.5m | Filter size: 67mm | Dimensions: 74 x 77mm | Weight: 425g

The Leica Nocticron legend is reborn for the MFT format in this metal-bodied beauty of a lens. It has a well-damped, smooth-action focus ring and useful aperture ring, both of which boost the overall handling characteristics. The 2x crop factor gives the lens an effective focal length of 85mm which is perfect for portrait photography. The flip side is that, because depth of field is linked more closely to ‘actual’ rather than ‘effective’ focal length, the MFT system struggles to give a really tight depth of field, compared with full-frame and even APS-C systems. This lens fights back with a super-fast f/1.2 aperture rating, which helps to reduce the depth of field and give soft, creamy background blur in portraiture, as well as enabling fast shutter speeds even under dull lighting. And for when you want to use narrower apertures, there’s also optical stabilization, which is almost unheard of in f/1.2 lenses. Image quality is absolutely sumptuous. For portraiture on MFT cameras, this is the best lens that money can buy. It’s seriously expensive but, then again, Canon’s 85mm f/1.2 full-frame ‘portrait’ lens is getting on for twice the price.

Great value option: Olympus M.ZUIKO 45mm f/1.8

The Olympus 45mm is a very smart buy for portraiture and, while it can’t shrink the depth of field as much as Panasonic’s f/1.2 lens, it’s much more affordable at just one-sixth of the price.

Macro prime: Olympus M.ZUIKO ED 60mm f/2.8 MACRO

Type: Prime | Sensor size: MFT | Focal length: 60mm | Effective focal length: 120mm | Maximum aperture: f/1.8 | Image stabilizer: No | Minimum focus distance: 0.19m | Filter size: 46mm | Dimensions: 56 x 82mm | Weight: 185g

A focal length of around 100mm is often preferred for extreme close-up ‘macro’ photography. Due to this lens’s shorter focal length, the minimum focus distance drops from about 30cm to 20cm. However, those distances are measured from the focal plane, which corresponds to the position of the image sensor at the rear of the camera. With the more compact build of MFT cameras and lenses, the actual working distance between the front of the lens and the subject remains entirely usable, at about 10cm. Another bonus is that the 2x crop factor of the MFT format effectively boosts the maximum magnification factor from 1:1 to 2:1, or double life-size. The excellent quality of the weather-sealed construction is a credit to Olympus’s line-up of ‘Premium’ lenses, and the smart focus distance/magnification indicator is a bonus. Image quality is great overall, and the electronically coupled ‘fly-by-wire’ focus ring operates with smooth precision. It’s great for macro focusing, where you’ll often want to focus manually. All things considered, this is unquestionably the best macro lens on the market for the MFT system.

Great value option: Panasonic Lumix G Macro 30mm f2.8 ASPH Mega OIS

The minimum focus distance of 10.5cm is a bit close for comfort in most macro shooting. With its addition of optical stabilization, this lens is better suited to general shooting with occasional close-up work on the side.

http://www.techradar.com/news/best-micro-four-thirds-lenses

On March 20 2018, Rare’s sandbox multiplayer pirate adventure Sea of Thieves was unleashed on the world. After a lot of hard work the developer now has, well, more hard work. Being an open-ended online service game, Sea of Thieves will be subject to plenty of updated and improvements throughout its lifetime. 

To help you keep on top of what’s new and what’s coming up, we’ve put together this handy page which will be updated with all the latest announcements.

Don’t forget to take a look at our full Sea of Thieves review as well as our guide to survival on the high seas. 

[Update: E3 2018 is approaching and we’re expecting that Microsoft will take the chance to show off some of what’s coming next this year for Sea of Thieves. There are some major content updates planned for 2018 and we’d love to hear more about them. TechRadar will be reporting live from the show floor so be sure to keep checking this page for the latest Sea of Thieves announcements as and when they happen.]

What’s new in Sea of Thieves?

Rare has released the latest patch (1.0.6) for Sea of Thieves and it’s a relatively big’un captain. 

This patch brings cosmetic items into the game’s shop. Specifically, players will now find more sets in the game store. There are seven new clothing ranges such as Executive Admiral, Ruffian Sea Dog, Imperial Sovereign, and Rotten Bilge Rat. Different outfits will be available at different regional outposts, though Rotten Bilge Rat will be available everywhere. If you’re more interested in your ship than your outfit, there are also four new ship cosmetic options too. 

Those looking for new weapons will find more ranges available at weapon shops now, and there’s also a limited edition Eye of Reach sniper rifle available for the next couple of weeks to celebrate the game’s one month anniversary. 

Outside of these new customization options, this patch also fixes some crash issues, a range of bugs, and finally ups the speed with which you’ll respawn from the Ferry of the Damned. You can read the notes in full on the official Sea of Thieves page. 

Mid-May has seen the introduction of a long-promised feature : friend-only crews. Rare has now updated the game to include the ability to choose between open and closed crews. Now if one of your friends drops out of your four-person crew, you can say that you don’t want the game to automatically fill the space with a player you don’t know.

With closed crews you can choose whether you want to start on a galleon or a sloop, no matter how many of you are starting the game, so that this leaves room for other players to join when they’re ready and make the numbers up to four.

Rare has said that it hopes to add the ability to change your crews permissions mid-game, as well as add the option to make a session completely private by preventing more friends from joining.

What’s coming up in Sea of Thieves

As we go into the month of May, Rare says players can expect to see the beginnings of some new content being introduced. 

The first of six planned content updates for the year will be called The Hungering Deep which has been confirmed as launching on May 29. The teaser trailer for the update can be watched below. It’s a little short on details but it’s entertaining nonetheless.

Rare has offered more details on The Hungering Deep in a recent video to satiate excited fans. 

We now know that The Hungering Deep will offer a new story campaign and introduce the game’s first real quest-giving character – Merick who appears in the above trailer.

Players will also have the chance to access limited-time brand new and exclusive cosmetic items such as tattoos and scars; a drum to add to their instrument collection; a speaking trumpet for communicating between ships (great for parlays); flags to raise above your ship and signal different intents; and a brand new AI threat that’s yet to be detailed. 

May will also bring about a live events schedule which will introduce “fun new ways to play with weekly events and rewards.” And it’s expected the ability to hand crewmates items like plans of wood, cannon balls and bananas to make the team play more fluid will come not long after this. 

May won’t, of course, be the end of the updates and Rare gave a glimpse of what is planned for the summer months. One update called Foresaken Shores will introduce an entirely new “perilous” area to the world with another new AI enemy. Cursed Sails is another update which will bring about a new AI threat (could we finally see The Flying Dutchman?) with a brand new ship type for players. 

There’s no sign of what this ship type could be but we wonder if it could be something capable of carrying more than four players (a Man o’ War perhaps?) for crews that are of a mind to expand. 

Though Rare hasn’t revealed everything that will be added in its future updates, we do know that it’s planning to introduce the game’s cosmetic microtransactions at this time, which will include pets to purchase.

As far as long-term plans are concerned, Rare apparently intends to add new guilds for a wider-variety of missions at some point and also extend the end-game for those who eventually achieve Legendary Pirate status.

How can I play it?

Sea of Thieves is now available on PC and Xbox One. It’s possible to purchase the game outright, but you can also pick up an Xbox Game Pass subscription where the entire game is included. 

If you’re not sure whether Sea of Thieves is for you, picking up a Game Pass trial for free and playing the game for a short time through it is a good way to find out.

The game is not a port for PC or Xbox, it works equally on both and supports cross-play. While the console version has locked frame rates of 30fps, the PC version’s are unlocked. Mouse, keyboard and controllers are all supported across console and PC. 

• E3 is the world’s largest exhibition for the games industry, stuffed full of the latest and greatest games and gaming hardware. TechRadar will be reporting live from Los Angeles all week to bring you the very latest from the show floor. Head to our dedicated E3 2018 hub to see all the latest news from the show. 

http://www.techradar.com/news/sea-of-thieves-release-date-news-and-features

As the world’s most popular browser (and by a large margin, too), Chrome offers plenty in terms of versatility. Its user-friendly setup, stability and security are some of the reasons why many of us opt to use Google’s browser for navigating the worldwide web.

Add in the endless number of customisation options to be had by using various extensions and you can really turn Chrome into a personal browser tuned to your exact preferences. Of course, among this bewildering array of potential add-ons for Chrome are extensions from VPN providers, but how do you pick out the best one?

The best Chrome VPN in 2018

1. ExpressVPN

Number of servers: 2000 | Server locations: 148 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 3

ExpressVPN routinely delivers on the software front, and its Chrome extension is no exception. It’s easy-to-use and has some neat features which are worth noting like DNS leak prevention and a kill switch.

However, one thing to bear in mind here is that you cannot use the ExpressVPN browser extension without having the appropriate ExpressVPN desktop app installed.

The service did well in our performance tests, with speeds only slightly slower than our normal (non-VPN) rates. This provider maintains a favorable privacy policy with no logging of traffic data and online activity.

ExpressVPN doesn’t offer a free trial, sadly. There are three available subscriptions which come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s a bit more expensive than the average provider, with the yearly plan giving you the best value for money. The packages available are:

2. Hotspot Shield

Number of servers: 2500 | Server locations: 25 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 5

After downloading the Hotspot Shield extension from the Chrome store, it only takes a couple of clicks before you’re up and running. You’re automatically assigned to the optimal server with the fastest connection speed. There’s not much here in terms of configuration options, but the extension is free – albeit with a limited choice of four locations (although on the plus side, you aren’t bombarded by ads).

Performance-wise, with this provider, our upload and download speeds proved to be a tad higher than what we’d normally see, with only a slight increase in latency. Hotspot Shield uses 256-bit encryption and frequently updates its browser add-on.

As mentioned, there is a location-limited free version, and a 7-day trial which you can use to thoroughly test the service for full access to all virtual locations and additional options. 

Do note, though, that Hotspot Shield is not cheap with five pricing plans available. Unless you want to make a lifetime commitment, the 2-year plan provides the most bang for your buck. The packages available are:

3. SaferVPN

Number of servers: 700+ | Server locations: 35+ | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 2-5

SaferVPN’s Chrome extension boasts single-click connection which grants access to over 30 server locations. The extension is free, but if you’re not a paying subscriber, there’s a 500MB per month data limit (you’re also required to sign up for free usage).

The provider manages its global server network in-house, which doubtless helps on the performance front, and indeed we enjoyed good speeds and a stable connection in our testing.

There’s no P2P support (unless you use Netherlands location), though, and the service records a great deal of session data – things like connect and disconnect times, bandwidth used and so on. While there’s no logging of actual traffic data, on an overall level, SaferVPN collects more data than we’d ideally like to see.

You have three price plans at your disposal with the 2-year plan offering the best value for money. There’s also a free 24-hour trial with unlimited access to the full service. The packages available are:

4. NordVPN

Number of servers: 4414 | Server locations: 62 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 6

NordVPN doesn’t offer a free Chrome extension, so you’ll need to set up an account with the provider. Some of the major benefits here include the firm’s CyberSec feature which is designed to block adverts and prevent you accessing malware-laden sites, making your browsing a more streamlined and safer experience. The extension is also lightweight and user-friendly with just a simple couple of clicks needed to get things going.

Performance-wise, speeds were solid enough and certainly acceptable. Users have a large server network at their disposal, with over 4,400 servers and counting across the globe. NordVPN has a ‘no logs’ privacy policy, too.

The service offers a three-day free trial but it’s hidden on the website (find it here). There are four available plans which come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. With the exception of the monthly subscription, the plans are reasonably affordable with the three-year plan being particularly good value. The packages available are:

5. Blockless

Number of servers: N/A | Server locations: 10 | IP addresses: N/A | Maximum devices supported: 1-5

Blockless will please any novice VPN user out there, as it’s very easy-to-use indeed. It offers a simple point-and-click experience, automatically detecting the fastest server available to you based on your region. The service has a free plan, as well, but you’ll have to sign up and create an account to use the Chrome extension.

The free plan does have its limitations: you can only connect one device and it’s not possible to change your region. On top of that, there are only 10 server locations and the extension has no advanced features. On the plus side, there are no adverts thrown at you here, so your browsing won’t be interrupted.

In our testing, Blockless gave a good account of itself on the performance front, with some fairly fast download speeds – although it was rather inconsistent at times.

The VPN’s Premium plan is reasonably priced and comes with full access to all regions, five simultaneous connections and an advanced ad blocker, among other goodies. The packages available are:

How to choose the best VPN service for Chrome

For a Chrome VPN extension, you’ll doubtless be looking to protect your privacy while surfing, and to bypass censorship or unblock geo-restricted content. And as always, you’ll want strong encryption and protocol support for tight security.

Performance levels are also important, especially if you’re keen on using Chrome to access streaming services. And for obvious reasons, the browser extension should be easy to setup and use.

http://www.techradar.com/news/best-vpn-for-chrome-users-our-5-top-choices