Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45 mm F1.8 Lens, Fast Fixed Focal Length, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Silver

Product Information

For it's size and weight and price the performance might be good, but don't expect the outstanding (notci like) performance you are told on the internet - it won't deliver If you’re looking for the softest and most incredible bokeh, I’d say the big brother to this lens, the Olympus 45mm f/1.2 Pro is the better choice.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.8 Digital Lens - Black Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.8 Digital Lens - Black

But that is about it as I find the lens sharp at every aperture, fast to AF, and the color rendition is very good as well. I mean, I just sat here and said it was part of the “Holy Trinity” of Micro 4/3 glass, so not many complaints that I have found. Not enough lenses. That’s where the NEX 7 falls short. Not to mention, the lenses just feel ridiculous on those cameras…. I agree that Panasonic and Olympus are missing the boat here. They need to integrate the EVFs now! AND they need to market them better. The average person doesn’t even know these cameras exist! Yes I did. It is larger, slower to AF (it is a macro lens) and more expensive. Still, a beautiful rendering! All important things to weigh-up, but arguably the most obvious difference between the two 45mm lenses is when you place them next to each other, as seen in the photo below. When it was released, the Panasonic Leica 45mm f2.8 was considered a fairly compact lens, but it now dwarfs the newer Olympus model. I’ve pictured them side-by-side below, and yes, I know I’ve left the transparent blue wrappings on the Olympus lens as requested by the supplier.That makes me remember the review I wrote for the Panasonic 20 1.7 a while ago where I put it up against the big monster Nikon D3s. The E-P2 and 20mm won that shootout but that was because I was shooting the D3s with the el-cheapo Nikon 50 1.8. Add that lens to a full frame camera like the D3s and you will get soft images and softer corners. These little cameras like the E-P3 and even the new TINY Panasonic GF3 will always give you pretty sharp corners and there are some fantastic strengths in this smaller sensor with that being one of them. The other strength and the most important one..is SIZE. I see it MORE AND MORE these days…people are dumping their DSLR’s for small cameras like the NEX system, or Micro 4/3 cameras. One reason why Nikon and Canon sales are DOWN this year and I predicted this over the last two years.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45 mm F1.8 Lens, Fast Fixed Focal

Both lenses are vulnerable to flare and ghosting even though they feature a lens coating (Z Coating on the PRO lens and ZERO on the 45mm 1.8). It usually takes the form of a series of polygonal shapes or veiling flare, and occurs if you shoot directly into the sun. Flare with the M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2 PRO (shot at f/2.8) Flare with the M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 (shot at f/5.6) Chromatic Aberration, Vignetting and Distortion The Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7 is yet another nice addition to the Micro Four Thirds system, even if it wasn’t a focal length that was missing in the lens line-up. The differences between it and the M.Zuiko 45mm are more related to the build quality and optical stabilisation than the optical quality. LC-37B Lens Cap, Micro Four Thirds lens rear cap (LR-2), Decoration Ring (DR-40), Warranty Card, Operating InstructionsYeaa I agree, really sexy. I will have to find out where I can buy it in Germany if not i will do everything to get it from the US. Before I did see this strap, I never even thought about a strap … now I cant wait. Is it not be specific that photographers also want not only practical things (which it really is after your description) but also nice looking things…like the Oly E-P3, PL3, the 2.0 12mm (I ownen to , and I newer want to miss it again for my indoor pictures)…. Thanks a lot! Big Help! Focusing isn't simply fast - it's almost silent, too, courtesy of the Movie & Stills Compatible (MSC) technology employed. This is good news for videographers and anyone who's into unobtrusive and discreet photography.

Olympus 45mm 1.8 photos on Flickr | Flickr Olympus 45mm 1.8 photos on Flickr | Flickr

The manual focusing ring turns smoothly and is a step-up from the manual focusing rings on the kit lenses, but it’s not quite in the same league as the silky smooth manual focusing rings of the Panasonic Leica models including the 45mm f2.8 macro. Of course, it's a small, light and cheap lens, so don't expect too much - but since this lens was hyped a lot - I expected way more out of it. The 20mm is almost nowhere to be seen in Japan, but the 14mm is available. Likewise is the 17mm Olympus pancake. Would any adjustments be needed if I pop a Panasonic lens into an Olympus body? The Olympus 45mm f/1.8 is a member of the brand’s Premium line, as opposed to their Pro line, meaning it isn’t weather-sealed and comes without a lens hood. The Olympus 45mm f/1.8 is so small and so lightweight that it will literally feel as though you’re wielding the camera with only a body cap.It's an absolutely fantastic portrait lens that's also adept at day-to-day photography if you know how to use it. So while this is mainly one for the headshot hunters, it's more versatile than it seems –and if you want to try your hand at portraiture, it's such low price and great value that you can't really go wrong. Gorgeous rendering that rivals other classic rangefinder glass like the Contax G Carl Zeiss T* Planar 45. The Olympus 45mm f1.8 is a surprisingly compact lens even for the Micro Four Thirds standard. Measuring 56mm in diameter, 46mm in length and weighing just 116g, it’s beaten only by pancake lenses on size and weight. Indeed it’s only 56mm at the rear end to support the standard Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Beyond the mount, the barrel tapers down to a narrower diameter for the rest of the lens. This thing really is tiny. Furthermore I didn't want to preempt the review, which will be based on much more extensive use and testing, so have made very few comments about IQ. In fact, I have a friend who had a Nikon D7000 with the kit lens and after seeing my pictures with the 45 1.8 and the size/weight advantages, she just switched to m4/3!

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm 1:1.8 review | Cameralabs

The specular highlights of the PRO lens at f/1.2, in addition to being larger, take on a distinctive “cat’s eye” shape, especially at the edges of the frame. When both lenses are set to f/1.8, the fastest aperture they share, the differences are less evident. Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2 PRO at f/1.2 Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2 PRO at f/1.8 Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 at f/1.8 I found some traces of chromatic aberration at the fastest apertures in images with strong contrast like the picture below. It is present in both the JPG and Raw versions. However it is easily removable in Lightroom. DMC-G7, 1/4000, f/ 1.7, ISO 200 E-M5, 1/3200, f/1.8, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 E-M5 1/640, f/8, ISO 640 – M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 E-M5, 1/800, f/2.8, ISOSince the 45mm PRO’s maximum aperture is one stop faster than the 45mm’s (1.2 vs 1.8), you can achieve a more shallow depth of field when both are set to the same focus distance. Both lenses perform admirably in terms of sharpness but there is no question that the 45mm PRO has a clear edge over the 45mm, particularly at the fastest apertures. This comes as no surprise given that the 45mm 1.2 belongs to the M.Zuiko PRO category of lenses and is four times as expensive as the 45mm 1.8 at the time of writing. We've been asking manufacturers to make a proper portrait lens for as long as we can remember. APS-C may have become the de-facto standard sensor size, making up the majority of interchangeable camera sales, but you'd never know it to look at the lens ranges current available from most camera makers. There are very few prime lenses specifically intended for APS-C and fewer still that offer the classic combination of large aperture and the circa 100mm equivalent focal length that film users used to enjoy (though some people use 85s or less perfectly, 50s to give something around 135/85mm equivalent on APS-C). MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth. The light weight and good build quality are also assets. Those looking for a fast aperture prime lens for portraits, photography in low light, or for greater control over depth of field will not be disappointed.