Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.8 (Silver) Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Micro 4/3 Cameras

I like this lens a lot, but one thing I have started to notice is some weird reflections bouncing back into the lens. It took me a while to replicate the problem on purpose but it basically boiled down to having a UV filter on when shooting at an angle where the light skims off the side of the lens. Normally this might produce a flare, but in this instance it was a reflection. Still trying to sort through if it was just a cheap UV filter issue, in which case I am buying a better one to test that theory out. If that turns out to be a problem as well I will definitely be very careful about using UV filters on this lens in the future. The clarity volume of light that this lets in is great and I love the shallow depth of field I can get.

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People always scream that micro four thirds doesnt do shallow depth of field. BULLCRAP! Just look at my images! The images are fine and my clients love my work! This lens was the missing link in my cache. This will allow me to grab pro level images with shallow depth of field or in low light when it counts! The auto focus is ULTRA fast and accurate on my Panasonic G7 and even faster on my Panasonic GH5 ( Im talking stills). This would be the perfect lens if it only had weather sealing but thats the trade off for only $349. (Amazon payments is sweet!)

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Phenomenal little lens. Sits in the palm of your hands. Very well built, solid materials. Focus speed is incredibly fast. Tac sharp and the colors are brilliant. Silver color matches my silver OMD-EM1 flawlessly. Two small downfalls about this lens that warranted the 4 stars. No lens hood. Fairly standard piece of plastic that anyone who would use a dslr would use. Come on now. The suggested aftermarket one that comes up for purchase, I did get, left a 2 star review, and returned. Dont fall for that trap! Second ding is minimum focus distance. This isnt an idea lens for close up. Typical distance would be just shy of 2 feet. Granted, the lens does clearly state 1.64ft which is about right. If they got that focus distance in to .75ft this lens would be a 5 star perfect. With that being said, this will be a daily street photography style lens. Its perfect for daily carry and will not disappoint in the least. Oly for life!

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Using this on my DJI Osmo Pro makes that camera go from "wow, this is cool" to "wow, why do I own other cameras - this is the BEST!". Ok, maybe overstated but I do love the thing. This lens allows us to run-n-gun events (especially once in a lifetime documentary content) and get brilliant cinematic quality. Pros have all been there - the choice between some fixed lens, "all in focus" option to make sure you get the shot or something "nicer" for image sake that risks you not getting the shot at all. The Osmo Pro rig mitigates that a lot but this lens finishes the kit. Its great to have for other MFT cameras in our kit. Weve built a nice Gh4/Gh5/Osmo Pro kit for small/medium advertising work and use as a road kit for documentaries. This lens is ALWAYS with us.

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Fantastic lens quality! Wish Id had this sooner! The kit lens that came with my Olympus OMD-E-M5 is a 12-50mm / f3.5-6.3 and Im very satisfied with it. Except at the long end (50mm) the largest aperture is the f/6.3 - which in low-lighting just doesnt cut it. Also, there is the problem that a zoom lens - at least one I can afford - is never going to be as sharp and contrasty as a good fixed length lens. And baby, does this 45mm from Olympus show it in spades! As an added benefit, this is a tiny lens! At least compared to the kit lens. For anyone with a micro-four thirds mount and a smallish body, this lens is a great addition. The only caveat is that being made by Olympus and intended for their bodies, it doesnt include image stabilization. So if youre a Pany user, be forewarned. Otherwise this lens is a real keeper - and its relatively inexpensive (as lens go).

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I am impressed with the quality, size and weight of this lens. It focuses fast enough for most purposes. I have a few Panasonic lenses - 7-14mm, the Panasonic 45-200, and the Olympus 14-150 non-pro lens, none of which are particularly noted for their sharpness. Still, this blows them away by a long margin as far as sharpness goes. It is also the first "fast lens" I have owned since my Minolta set 101 days on which I had the standard 50mm f1.7 and it has made me realize that I forgot the joy of having the extra speed and depth of field control. I like my other lenses and they are for sure much more versatile, but for the right subject, this lens is fantastic, especially when coupled with my EM5 ii hi-res mode. I expect that with a set of macro tubes it will make a great close up lens. Of course, being a prime, it isnt as convenient or useful as a zoom. I only wish I could afford the Pro line zooms, which I am told are close to being as sharp. I would love to hear the thoughts of those who have. Is it worth the money? Yes, as long as you are willing to use the old fashioned zoom, your feet.

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I recently switched into the mirrorless world when I was finally converted with the Olympus OM-D E-E10 Mark II. Ive been very familiar in using nifty 50mm f/1.8s on my DSLR so this was of course the next logical lens for my new micro lifestyle as I love taking portraits and low light images. So far my experience has been amazing. The quality of the blur or bokeh is amazingly smooth and really compliments how sharp and detailed it is in the focused area. I also need to mention how fast this lens is because I definitely get my value with its quick autofocus abilities and smooth transitions that are also great for video. My only minor complaint is that the lens feels plastic-y and cheap compared to other lenses, but I find this somewhat beneficial because it makes it super light and great for travel.

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Equivalent to 90mm lens on 35mm SLR (or full-frame DSLR camera). A good addition to the 17mm and 25mm fixed lenses from Olympus. PROS Lens is razor-sharp (I think this sharper than the 25mm and a lot sharper than the 17mm) and the autofocus is quiet and very rapid even in fairly dim conditions (on Oly ELP5 and ELP7 bodies). Great for portraits as others have noted. Bokeh is soft and round (see picture) while detail is razor sharp even wide open. A tiny bit of edge softness BUT only at F1.8 stopped to F2.8 this lens is extremely sharp across the entire field. Good contrast, color rendition, and flare is well-controlled (two included photos were shot into the sun). It is a small lens, good for portability with a few other primes if you are not into zoom. Minimum focus distance is about 19.5". Focus ring is smooth and easy to control in manual focus mode. Lens mount is metal unlike cheaper kit lenses. CONS Bit expensive for a plastic body lens. That being said - I have used it a lot for 2 years and everything works fine, so maybe the plastic is adequate.

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If youre not in the mood to read my full review, just go with the five star rating and buy the thing. This lens should not be your first choice if youre looking for your first four thirds lens. For this you should get an "all-around use" wide angle lens (see the ultra high rated Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7). Keep in mind that this 45mm lens in four thirds has a 35mm focal length equivalent of 90mm. Thus you will not use this lens to take pictures of objects you are standing close to. Why buy this lens? I bought this lens to accompany my Olympus OM-D EM-5 (highly recommended) for the purpose of taking portraits as well as telephoto uses (such as taking a National Geographic quality shot of a possibly rabid raccoon up high in a tree). The wide aperture of this lens easily allows you to take well-exposed photos with a blurred background effect. Also the combination of the huge lens and wide aperture allows you to take pictures without a flash in extreme low light conditions (almost like night vision... totally Splinter Cell style). The auto focus is fast and precise but its kind of fun to manual focus with the easy to grip large ring. Most importantly the photo quality is incredible. Im big into shooting outdoor scenes and often have people ask where I "got my pictures from" as if they came from the internet. But, if youre into taking pictures of people instead of nature, you could buy this lens, spend one afternoon training yourself on its use and subsequently be qualified to make money shooting wedding photos.

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Cant say enough good things about this lens. Equivalent to a 90mm field of view with gorgeous shallow depth of field. Small and compact. I use this lens for event work and interviews as well as detail shots/b-roll. Very versatile for a prime. Creamy natural bokeh offers excellent separation of subject from background. An absolute must have for any professional kit. Performance and quality far exceeds the modest price. One of the best value m43 lenses available. I use this lens on every shoot multiple times. My favorite prime, hands down.

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