I also have this lens and indeed, for the price, this is an excellent one. I also like the 20mm f1.7, which I permanently keep on my Pen F (always in the car, served me a lot of times to shoot sunrises when going to work).
Now is the best time to get one. OM 12-40 2.8 is on the market an you can get the older Version soooo cheap on second hand market. This is the best Lens for M43 in all conditions😊 I bought mine for 440€ and it is like brand new❤
Huh. My friend gave me a bunch of stuff including a 12-40 and it just sits in a box. I can't stand it. Too heavy, dark aperture, and the zoom feels wrong. I never got any good pics because I was always messing with settings and trying to find the right focal length. I just carry around a 12/2.0, 25/1.8, 75/1.8, and Pany 20/1.7 instead.
Agree. Even though it looks bigger in pictures, it's actually small and light and is perfectly balanced with EM1 bodies... I have too started using this more and more along with my other favourite 12-100 f4.
Love 20mm 1.7 since GF1 times, amazing image quality and not many lenses can beat it for pocketability. Swapped the Oly 45mm for Pana 42.5mm 1.7, the nearer focusing distance makes it more versatile, stabilization doesn't hurt either, used they are not that much apart pricewise.
I soooooo much love your enthousiasm ! I'm rediscovering the E-5 I recently got for 500 bucks with the 12-60SWD, 50-200 2.8-3.5, a 1.4 converter , a vertical grip and an fl36 flashgun... I juste added the 3.5 8mm fisheye in the bag for 200 bucks and I love the vibes this heavy 700 bucks kit brings to my memory... My first DSLR was a mighty E-500.
Thank you Robin. I have different opinion about 25/1.2 size, but did not want to comment until heard your conclusion about compactness of mft lens. Not to argue wit your choice, but to give an alternative opinion to the readers of the comments: last year I compared side by side Olympus 25/1.2 with 25/1.8 and for me as an amateur the size of 25/1.8 outweighted all 25/1.2 advantages. I compared sharpness, flare resistance, and bokeh. Fast apperture of 1.2 does not in fact transmit much more light compared to 25/1.8: i had almost the same shutter/ISO settings at 25/1.2 ful opened and 25/1.8. So, my use case did no jusify extra weight and cost. Your use case may put more weight to weather sealing, manual focus ring, possibly faster AF and bokeh.
Great video. My favourite lens for mft is the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7. As I shoot video it gives great image quality with stabilisation which makes a big difference. And it’s amazing value.
I agree that the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is a “game changer,” and it was what hooked me on MFT. I use it for event photography, along with the 12mm f/2. For nature photography, I love the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro, and I use that along with the 8-25mm f/4 Pro.
@@SMGJohn The lw/ph will be lower for sure but that's due to the physically smaller sensor. But that may not be visible in practical terms. The gap between APS-C and MFT is not as big as the gap between APS-C and FF, where budget FF glass generally yields worse results on APS-C.
Great video Robin, I agree with all your picks but would add 1 the Olympus 12mm/f2 another great lens and if that 25mm/f1.2 is just too big the Panasonic Leica 25mm/f1.4 is really worth a look. Thank you for your enthusiasm it is so refreshing 👍😊
Hi Robin. I use the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7. It’s compact, yet gives me the angle coverage that I need. I also like that Panasonic 9mm you showed at the beginning; it is a nice lens. Thanks for sharing and all the best!
Convincing video, Robin. I am still new to the m43 system. After years with a full frame Canon solution, my back and shoulders told me to make a change when I returned from a multiple days job assignment last fall. I traded it all in for an OM-1 with a 12-40 2.8 and a 75 1.8. This new setup is one third of both the size and weight of my previous Canon gear. And I still get the job done.
Buy the olympus 45mm or panasonic 42.5 or sigma 56mm. Any one of those 3 is a must buy. Olympus 75mm f1.8 is slightly heavier but also produces sharp photos. Avoid smaller focal length lenses. You can as well use your mobile phone !!
Love your videos. But to be fair, these choices reflect Wedding / Fashion / Street photography. Nothing wrong there - and your choices are doubtless 'on the money'. But I'm on the other end of the spectrum - Wildlife and Scenics. So here are some of my choices. Olympus Lenses: 1) The 12-40mm f.2.8 Pro (just a stellar all-round lens), 2) The 40-150mm F2.8 Pro (landscape and larger wildlife - but decent portrait and concert lens too). 3) The 300mm F4 Pro (OMG if you force me to pick one this is it. Sure it is limited in focal length, but it keeps providing the best bird photos I've ever made - sorry Canon). Finally, some honorable mentions - the Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2 (fast, sharp, wide with great IQ) and for a walkabout cheapie (on say an OM5) try the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom (it rattles!, but is darn good).
My favorite m. four-thirds lens? Easy, Olympus 12-100 F4. I love this lens for travel, and it's the lens that kept me in m.four-thirds. I think the sync I.S. is great. When I travel, I also add a fast prime, at the present time, the 20mm 1.4, although the Panasonic 9mm is a tempting carry too. Actually, the 3 of them together is not a hard carry.
The 45mm and 75mm are particular favourites of mine too. I also own a Sigma 19mm, which is incredibly sharp AND cheap(!), as well as a lumix 25mm f/1.7. I also have three zooms. The Olympus 9-18mm, the Lumix 14-45mm, and a Lumix 45-200mm.
hi robin I'm happy with what you say, three years ago I bought an m10 mk3 and the first lens I accompanied it with was the fantastic 75 mm 1.8, immediately after the 45 mm 1.8 which I found for just a few euros on offer and I'm excited about it, last week I gave myself the new 12-40 pro 2.8 and I'm in heaven, this evening I see your review and I'm feeling great. Thanks dear by Fabio
The three lenses always in my camera bag are the Lumix/Leica 8-18 f2.8-4.0, Olympus 12-45 f4 pro and Om-system 40-150 f4 pro. The last one is my favorite, light, smal and sharp. All of them are chosen to be light and weather sealed. The 8-18 is lighter than the Olympus 8-25 f4 pro and I also got a great price second hand. All in all three great lenses to carry with you all the time.
Great Selection of Lenses Robin. also for me the 12-40 and the 25mm1.2 are maybe the best lenses i have, for the 75mm1.8 or 45mm1.8 i choose to go in between and i am super happy with the Sigma 56mm 1.4
I bought the 45mm f1.8 because I saw pictures you took with it…this was years ago! I just got my hands on the 90mm macro: a little tricky to use at first, but once you figure it out; WOW! So sharp, so close, and pretty light. After owning Canon, and Sony (both have great lenses) but I like most Olympus lenses better.
Probably the best M43 lens I have ever used would be the Olympus 40-150 2.8. The build quality, close focusing, and reach is phenomenal. I know it is a huge lens as far as M43 lenses go but it really is awesome. That being said I've always wanted to try the Panasonic 35-100 2.8. It's so much smaller.
So, I bought the P 35-100 f2.8 because of the smaller size and it being less obtrusive, but often wished it was longer. Eventually I got the 40-150 f2.8, and yes it's a lot bigger and heavier, but for me it's much more useful, and the 1.4x TC is handy at times too. It's also worth bearing in mind that the O & P lenses zoom in opposite directions and some will find this annoying, especially if you have both.
There's alot of love in the comments for the 40-150mm f2.8. 👍 I need to do some saving up maybe. I do love the 75mm f/1.8 though and don't really want to stop using it.
As a mft user, I love it as well due to the size. The lumix 20mm f1.7 is my favourite compact pancake lens. Always on my camera instead of a lens cap. I also have the lumix 42.5mm f1.7. Absolutely love it. I’m looking to get the 12-35 / 12-40. Not sure which is a better option.
I’ve not owned the 20mm f/1.7 but bet it’s an amazing lens. I have owned the Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 and it was a great lens. I didn’t really reach for it all that often, but when I needed it, it produced amazing results. That 42.5 is an awesome lens! So good. I’ve owned both the Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 and the Lumix 12-35 f/2.8. The only real difference is the OIS. The Lumix is stabilized whereas the Olympus isn’t. But I’m betting you’re shooting on MFT bodies that have pretty amazing IBIS. When shooting on the Panasonic GH5, I’d use the Olympus lens, every single time for two reasons. 1st was the extra focal length. Sure, that extra 5mm isn’t a lot, but every little bit helps, right? The second reason I’d reach for the Olympus is because it has the manual focus clutch. Using the GH5 for documentary filmmaking, the AF was TERRIBLE. So having the manual focus clutch option made filming much simpler. It was on my camera probably 90% of the time. And the GH5 had AMAZING stabilization. So that combo just worked for me. When filming in the GH5S, I’d go with the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 or the 12-60mm f/2.8-4 100% of the time when not on a tripod. The stabilization just worked and did a relatively good job. Image quality was superb on both of those lenses as well. I’d say whichever you choose, you can’t go wrong. I just back from an international trip filming in the jungles of Guatemala and my B cam was a MFT OM Systems camera. I only carried 2 lenses. The Panasonic Leica 12-60 and the Lumix 35-100. And that was all I needed for my MFT setup. Subsequently after returning home, I bought two additional lenses for my best shoot in Guatemala coming up in a few weeks. I went with the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO and the Olympus 25mm f/1.2 PRO. Anytime I need to adjust for lower light conditions, I grabbed my FF Lumix S5II. Which again I only carried two lenses for that camera body. The Sigma Art 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Canon 135mm f/2L USM. I shot about half the time with each camera. But the footage I got with the MFT setup was fantastic. You really can’t make a bad decision between going with either the 12-35 or 12-40. They’re both exceptionally good lenses. Just depends what you need in a lens. If I have the option, I’m reaching for Olympus glass over the Lumix. But that’s just my preference with the exception of the Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8. That lens has literally paid my bills for many years. It’s gorgeous and can get you unbelievably incredible results.
I recently got the PL 9mm and it is quickly becoming my favorite ultrawide over the PL 8-18. For primes, I love the Oly 17 f1.8, Oly 25 1.2 and Sigma 56 f1.4. For zoom, love my 12-100 f4 for travel, and the Oly 12-40 f2.8 for strolls around the city.
My 5 most used lenses right now: 1. Olympus 9-18 - actually my newest lens. Primarily.used for landscape shots while backpacking. What an under-appreciated gem this lens has turned out to be. 2. Panasonic/Leica 15mm/f1.4 - favorite travel prime for low light. Perfect for indoor shots on family trips. 3. Olympus 12-45 f4pro - this has replaced my 12-40 as my all-purpose walkabout lens. Its sharper, lighter and a bit more reach. Equally at home on my E-P7, E-M5III, or OM1. In low light, I'm typically using one of the primes. 4. Sigma 30mm f1.4 - my indoor/environmental portrait lens of choice. A bit more pop than the 25mm/1.8, and more budget friendly than the 25mm/1.2. Beautiful shots every time. 5. Sigma 56mm f1.4 - has replaced my Olympus 75mm more often than not, as I find the focal length to be more useable and the results just as amazing. I still use the 75mm primarily for candid portraiture at large venues or outdoor parties & events where I can put the extra reach to good use.
Good selection ! And for me (I do travel photography and with the M1m2 I only take with me this lens and now the Panasonic leica 9mm), if I had to choose one lens it will be the 12-100mm f4 pro zoom lens; it is a high quality lens without comparison in the apps-c or FF lenses ( focal lenght with constant f number) this is one of the reasons why I am in Olympus.
I found a 75mm used for a good price and it comes tomorrow and I could not be more excited! I’ve wanted it for so long! You make me want it more haha ❤.
My most used lens, by far, is the 300 f4. My preferred subjects are birds with non-human mammals, dragonflies and butterflies on the side. My second is the 12-40; it covers almost everything else. The 25 mm f1.2 has tempted me but I don't think I would use it enough.
I love trinity of f1,2 primes for their optcal quality. They are all awesome. I also love 12-40 f2,8 for its variability. Last honorable mention won't be m43 lens but old 43 olympus 50-200/f2.8-3.5 swd lens which was a reason why I started shooting with olympus. I'm alway suprised how good this lens is considering his age. It works perfectly fine on my EM1 mk2.
I love my Olympus 12-40mm PRO, but it is not my favorite for travel because it is on the heavy side. Thanks to your channel I came across the pancake ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ and I have high hopes for it as my on the road lens (when flying and touring). For roadtrips... I take way too many to list here. But among my favorites are a converted 1970s Nikon 50mm, 30mm, and a 20mm Cannon alongside my trusty 12-40mm PRO
The 12-40mm f/2.8 is my studio workhorse. I love the 45mm f/1.2 for my headshot work. I have the f/1.8 25mm and 45mm when I want to pack light and I have no hesitation using either one for my professional work as well.
Hi Robin, great to hear you are enjoying your new 9mm lens! As a long time follower i just knew what the other four lenses would be :-) Thanks for the good info.
Great vid as always. In search of the ideal system, I finally put on the side my Nikon system for Olympus, OM-1, Pana 9mm 1.7, Olympus 45mm 1.2mm, Olympus 12-100mm. With this I am fully covered, daylight and low light. I take as well the 300mm when needed (with x1.4 or 2x), but even with this in the bag, I still manage to pack it all up in a fairly small bag volume. I also have the 12-40 2.8, 40-150 2.8, 75 1.8 and 60 2.8 Macro, all great lenses as well, although they do not see much use these days. But needs sometimes change, so I do keep them in case. Now I cannot help but take with me as well a Leica Q2 Mono, which is fantastic for B&W under the right light-contrast. This all together and I still manage to keep the bag below 5kg, which I consider acceptable for my aging body as well!
Have you tried the Sigma 56mm f1.4 Robin? Given you really like the 45mm f1.8 I expect you'd love this Sigma lens. It's got that little bit more reach and that 1.4 aperture gives lovely background blur and of course a bit more light. 😊
The 45mm 1.8 is my go-to lens for corporate headshot photography. I swapped my 12-40 2.8 for the 12-100 f4 but in hindsight, the former was a better lens, due to the extra stop. The 12-100 is really superb in daylight, but a bit of a slouch in low light (unlike the 12-40). Still saving for that 9mm though!
Always nice to hear options as to why these are your favourite lenses thought since you shoot a lot of macro one of those would have been included. For me in no particular order maybe other than focal length Olympus 17 mm f1.7, lumix 25 f1.4, 60 mm f2.8 olympus macro,, 12-40 f2.8 and 12-100 f4 last included if I am traveling and limited amount of space that and a small prime
The 40-150 2.8 is overall my favorite because of how versatile it is for what I do: portraits, mid range wildlife, and tele landscape. Really, it's a tie between that and the 60 mm macro because that's probably my favorite type of photography at the moment. I do want to try the Panasonic 9mm, the Oly 75, and 12-40 pro. My favorite prime is the 45 1.8. When people want a portrait on the fly, that thing is magic.
My fave lens combo is the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 and the 40-150mm f2.8 telephoto. Both are superb zooms with bright constant apertures. Thinking of re-purchasing a Panasonic 20mm f1.7mm. I sold it many years ago, but miss it. It is my fave prime compact lens for the m43 system.
I love the 9mm 1.7, also the 12-35 lumix of course (my work horse), and the Laowa 6mm. Robin, your videos are great. I will visit Malaysia one day, it's always been on my bucket list. Cheers!
Totally agree Robin. Olympus glass is stellar and compact. No problem carrying them around for a wedding shoot. I shoot with the 25 1.8 also nice little piece of glass.
Thank you for including 12-40 2.8 in the list. I have been thinking to get this lens for almost 5 years, and u give me last push. I will get this used lens when I back to Japan this month😄
Thanks Robin! Between my old Olympus manual lenses, my old Oly FT lenses, and my Oly MFT lenses, I have a few from which to choose. But the two I always bring when traveling or day trips (most of my pictures) are the 12-40mm F 2.8 Pro and the 40-150mm F 2.8 Pro. They cover the focal lengths I use 90% of the time, and I don't need to hold up my traveling partners to switch lenses that often. N.b., the FT 50-200mm F 2.8 is a great lens also and isn't a lot bigger (other than the lens hood) than the 40-150 F 2.8. The 75mm F 1.8 is a staggering good lens that you can buy at a really good price considering how good it is. I have the 45mm F 1.2, which I like a lot. Just don't do much in the way of portrait shoots. If I could justify another lens I think it would be the 40-150mm F4 for travel. Just be nice to cover that focal length in a smaller package for travel photos.
Hey Robin, I guess I have a preference for ultra cheap and fast 35mm lenses. Wide open they have a built-in diffusion filter and beautiful flaring (plus other free effects), stop down to f2 or f2.8, and you get reasonable centre sharpness and extra thick bokeh in the corners. I used to have the little pixco 35mm cctv lens with adapter, these days, I use the TT Artisan 35mm f1.4. Cheers, have a great day!
Mine are Olympus 17 f1.8, Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 and Panasonic 35-100 f2.8. These 3 lens perfectly imitate my most used lens on other system I normally used, but in smaller and lighter package. - 35mm lens (equiv) for travel/walkaround. - 24-70mm lens (equiv) for most situation. - 70-200mm lens (equiv) for portrait/sport. These 3 lens (and 2 MFT cameras) weight less than a single 70-200 f2.8 lens alone!!
For my OLY OMD my favorite lenses are the OLY 17mm f1.8, the OLY 45 mm f 1.8, and the OLY 75mm, f1.8. My favorite zoom lens is the OLY pancake 14-42 mm zoom. I mostly use that with my old E-PL 1. along with a Panasonic 25mm f1.8 The EPL1 and these lenses are my backups, and sometimes used on trips because of it's smaller size and lighter weight than the OMD, yet produces great results. I also a OLY 60 mm macro. I use that any macro. These are my main cameras and lenses. The Pan 9mm sounds like an interesting addition to my lenses. For zoom I have a Nikon D7000 and Tamron 14-250mm zoom lens. The Nikon is my general purpose camera which I use where size and weight aren't the major consideration but zoom capability is. I also have a Nikon 50 mm f1.8 for low light. My airline travel camera, which I use when we fly, is a Sony P&S. Smallest yet most capable camera for its size and weight, and it recharges via USB, so no need to carry a plug in charger other than my phone charger.
One lense I want to add: the Sigma 56mm 1.4. It is a wonderfull extra sharp lense e.g. for portrait photography. Despite the shorter focal length it could be a much cheaper alternative to the Olympus 75mm 1.8.
I was about to post about this one... I agree so much with you. And the Sigma 56mm 1.4 is weather sealed! It also works wonders with panoramas: when I stitch 3 pictures from my treks in the mountains, the amount of details I get is insane...
I don’t have the 9 mm or 25 mm but I have the others and love them. The 75 mm is a little slow with focusing and I think compresses faces a little more than I like so I often gravitate to the 45 mm. I probably alternate from carrying the 17 f1.8 with the 45 f1.8 or just the 12-40 f2.8. Occasionally the Oly 60 mm f2.8 makes it into the rotation and is surprisingly good for portraits. The 40-150 f2.8 is outstanding as well if I need the reach.
Very similar favorites. My top one the 25 f1.2, second the 45 f1.8, third the 8-25 f4.0, fourth 75 f1.8, fifth 12-40 f2.8. I don’t use telephotos also. Seeing your macro work I thought that the 60 f2.8 was going to be one of your favorites.
Olympus 25 mm f1.2 or sigma 30 mm f1.4 ? For thé Price the sigma but in practice for indoor shooting 25 mm IS the limit . They are thé two best Lenses for micro four third
My favs 12-40 f2.8 pro, 45mm f1.8, and 100-400 f5-6.3 is. Also I have cheap 25mm f1.7 but i have issue with sharpnes sometimes in this lens but 25mm its good view.
I've been thinking of getting the 12-40 f2.8 for my general travel lens for my em5. I've got the lumx 12-32 that came with my previous gx9. It's tiny, but it's not weather sealed, and the oly 12-40 also works with the Oly focus stacking.
I'm just a hobby photographer and I can't afford the very best gear. My favorites of those lenses that I do have are: M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8, M.Zuiko 30mm f3.5 macro, Sigma 60mm f2.8 DN Art, Samyang 300mm F6.3 ED UMC CS (reflex lens which I really like, I'm weird!) and a vintage lens Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 180mm 1:5.5 Telemegor (M42) which I used today, a very nice old East German lens.
Hi Robin, thanks for your lens comments. A very objective POV. I'd love to see a comparison shoot out between the PL 9mm and the Laowa 10mm if you are ever so blessed to be able to get your hands on one. The shots from the PL super-wide looked fantastic here on YT.
my favorite is laowa 7.5mm, 20mm 1.7, 75 1.8, and finally 100 400mm all of my gear, lumix gm5 olympus omd10 miv (i need lumix g9 ii but no have money xd)is very compact and result gear for me
Isn't it ironic that we as photographers have all these injuries, but our cameras and lenses are still kicking! Even our memory cards have pretty good health rate :)
Well, Robin, I've got all of them save for the Panasonic 9mm. I have the Oly 8mm but, it's a fisheye. As much as I like that lens, the flatter field of the Panasonic is really appealing. Guess I'm going to have to add that to my bag before I head to NYC next month. Thank you for your always enlightening videos. Cheers!
In fully concure but would like you to consider the Lumix 35-100 mm F2.8 for extending your list up to a #6. This MFT lens is a miracle in many ways, I believe.
The Olympus 45mm f1.8 is a great value lens. I have the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 and it's my favourite lens as it's such a useful focal range and super sharp for a zoom. The extra 5mm of the Olympus 12-40mm would be nice, but I can't justify swapping my Panasonic for the Olympus.
My list is based on most used/most likely to be in my camera bag and is... 1. Lumix 14-140mm (original version) 2. Olympus 9-18mm 3. Lumix 12-60mm 4. Olympus 12-40mm Pro 5. Olympus 75-300mm I have a few other lenses, but these are definitely my top 5. Camera bodies are an E-M1 ii and E-M10 iii
These lenses are used for filming brass band concerts. I love these lenses too. Olympus 45mm F1.8・・For shooting off stage Olympus 75mm F1.8・・Rehearsal shooting on stage Olympus 12-40mm PRO・・Shooting in the audience or dressing room I also love the following lenses. Olympus 9-18mm F4.0・・Dedicated to video recording while on the move Olympus 40-150mm F2.8・・For capturing the full view of the stage during a performance In my case, video shooting is 90% and photography is 10%.
I own the 8-25, 12-100, 100-400 and the 12, 17, 25, 45 F1.8 lenses + the 60 macro from Olympus. I use the zoomlenses because of the versatile (quality is also very good), but I prefer to schoot with a prime lens. As you mentioned these are compact and light, and the quality is very good/excellent. In my opinion, the 60 F2.8 macro and 45 F1.8 are the best followed by the 25, the 17 and 12 are close together. I use the 45 for portraits and events. I am very fond of this lens. I have often heard and read that the 75mm F.1.8 is a special lens. Maybe I'll still buy this one. It is a pity that the F1.8 lenses are not resistant to dust and water.
Olympus hit it out of the park with the 12-40. It's not tiny, but it's sharp into the corners at all focal lengths. I understand the 12-100 is equally good but it's too large for m43 in my opinion. I have a bunch of primes but since m43 is so small, I carry a 3 zoom outfit. Panasonic 8-18, Olympus 12-40, and Olympus 40-150/4. The Panasonic 35-100/2.8 is also terrific if you want more speed. I considered the Panasonic 9mm, but after the mixed reviews I got a Laowa 6mm instead. I don't use it often but when I do, it can do things the 8-18 cannot. Finally, the little Pansonic 20/1.7 is the only really inexpensive m43 lens I've found that's really good. The 20mm is a bit slow and noisy, but the image quality is excellent and it weighs almost nothing.
The ultimate travel lens ia the 12-100mm F4. I have a few lenses including the 75mm F1.8 but the one that is bonded on my camera when I go on vacation is the 12-100mm. It is equivalent to 24-200mm in FF terms. It has an unbelievable IS system that mates beautifully with the IBIS on my EM1 MkIII. Unless shooting action, the F4 aperture is not an issue as you can take handheld shots with very long shutter speeds in low light and still get sharp photos.
I have quite some Olympus lenses and I love them all. If there is one lens though that I cannot do without it is actually the 14-42mm EZ kit lens. Because it is so tiny I can carry my camera everywhere I go and therefore 80% of my photos are shot with that lens. I have shot quite some incredible photos with that lens!
I also shoot full frame and APS-C cameras but I always return to the M43 system specifically for the 75mm F/1.8 - the size/weight for the optical performance is truly unparalleled. I love the compression you can get with it and it has a unique use-case in being discreet enough for some candid street photography too: an equivalent lens on full frame gets a lot more attention
I am amused by people who complain about how big the f/1.2 primes are (as Robin mentioned), but don't bat an eye about the size of the 12-40 f/2.8. As it turns out, all four lenses are almost exactly the same size. IMHO, the quality of the f/1.2 primes justifies their size (also as Robin mentioned). My only complaint about the 75 f/1.8 is that it has not been upgraded to Pro trim, with at least weather sealing and a lens function button (I rarely use manual focus, so the MF clutch is the least important Pro feature). Optically, the 75 f/1.8 is outstanding. From time to time, my daughter and I shoot my grandson's percussion group (it covers 1st grade through high school; he's in 6th grade) and my granddaughter's school orchestra. My kit for these concerts is E-M1.3, 45 f/1.2, 75 f/1.8, and 40-150 f/2.8. I have my camera set up so that the lens function button allows scrolling through a group of detected faces. But, since the 75 f/1.8 does not have a lens function button, I had to set up another body button for the same purpose, but it's more awkward than using the lens function button.
For my food work, I always have my Olympus 25mm f/1.8 and 12-40mm f/2.8mm. I also use my Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye for my widest shots. For longer distances I have grown more accustomed to the 14-150mm f/4-6.3 by Olympus.
I will also add, I have gotten myself a Full Frame Nikon Z5 with the 28mm f/2.8 and 40mm f/2, both these lenses are pretty good for the price, though I am keeping in mind of the weight of Full Frame lenses.
The 45mm 1.8 is an amazing lens, I love it. Hoping to pair it in my bag with a Lumix 20mm 1.7 as ppl seem to love that too, but the prices used have been a bit higher than I want recently .. still watching :)
Although not for action photography due to slower AF & lack of AFC support, the 20mm 1.7 is truly outstanding lens optically. I am always surprised of how beautiful the rendering is with this lens. You won't be disappointed. I would get it asap.
I've got to use an OM System 20mm f/1.4 a few times and man do I want one full time for my E-M1.III. Hopefully there will be a point where I can pick one up basically new for 350 like I did with a 12-40 f/2.8. I'd probably go up to 500 for one since 40mm equivalent is my sweet spot for a prime. I have a Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 II basically glued to whichever smaller body I'm using (usually E-P5, but it's a pretty fun combo on the E-PL8 I admittedly originally bought cheap mostly for looks on the shelf but have since really started enjoying using it) and it gets the job done for what I do, but being that much faster aperture and af wise, weather sealed, and overall build it was perfect for my e-m1.iii. Otherwise, this is mostly the same as my list. I don't like super wide, so I start at the PanaLeica 15mm, then Pana 20mm II, Oly 25mm f/1.2, Oly 45, Oly 45, Oly 12-40 f/2.8, and Oly 40-150 f/4. I'd probably put the Sigma 30mm and 56mm f/1.4 in there too. Despite being APS-C, those two of the three aren't terribly big on an E-M1 or G9 and they provide good quality for an affordable price. The dream is a PanaLeica 20mm f/1.4 with aperture ring to come out for my GX8 or GX85, but I don't see that happening. If it did come out and was weather sealed, it'd prob just stay on my GX8. Maybe release it as a kit for a proper GX8 update with the size of a GX9...I'd probably pay too much for that combo.
I have the 45mm f1.8. This lens is not too expensive, small, stunning, responsive and the bokeh is amazing. I love your videos! Hello from France.
I also have this lens and indeed, for the price, this is an excellent one.
I also like the 20mm f1.7, which I permanently keep on my Pen F (always in the car, served me a lot of times to shoot sunrises when going to work).
My favorite is the 60mm f/2.8 macro. With excellent resolution, color & contrast, it opens up the world of small & reveals its secrets.
Robin, you are always so enthusiastic about sharing your knowledge. Thanks for all the information that you share with us!
The Olympus 75mm 1.8 is easily my favourite M43 lens. Followed by the 17mm 1.2 PRO and 45mm 1.8. Love your enthusiasm, and reviews Robin.
I like this guys energi and honest approch.
The 12-40 2.8 is what sold me on the M4/3 system.
When I decided to get my 12-40mm f/2.8, it changed my whole image of what the system offered and how I could use it.
Now is the best time to get one. OM 12-40 2.8 is on the market an you can get the older Version soooo cheap on second hand market. This is the best Lens for M43 in all conditions😊 I bought mine for 440€ and it is like brand new❤
@@MO.NO84what’s the difference with the new version?
Huh. My friend gave me a bunch of stuff including a 12-40 and it just sits in a box. I can't stand it. Too heavy, dark aperture, and the zoom feels wrong. I never got any good pics because I was always messing with settings and trying to find the right focal length. I just carry around a 12/2.0, 25/1.8, 75/1.8, and Pany 20/1.7 instead.
@@JimiCanRead Improved coatings, and they put it through formal testing for the weather sealing (it has an IP53 rating, the v1 lens does not)
For my tiny Panasonic GM1 I looove my Panasonic 14 mm f 2.5. It is supercompact and delivers beautiful pictures.
My favourite lens ever for M43 is the Sigma 30mm f1.4, by far my most used for portraits, events, wedding. Cheap and effective.
Agree. Even though it looks bigger in pictures, it's actually small and light and is perfectly balanced with EM1 bodies... I have too started using this more and more along with my other favourite 12-100 f4.
Love 20mm 1.7 since GF1 times, amazing image quality and not many lenses can beat it for pocketability.
Swapped the Oly 45mm for Pana 42.5mm 1.7, the nearer focusing distance makes it more versatile, stabilization doesn't hurt either, used they are not that much apart pricewise.
Thanks for your energy and enthousiasm !
My favorite is the 15 1.8 from Panasonic.
I soooooo much love your enthousiasm ! I'm rediscovering the E-5 I recently got for 500 bucks with the 12-60SWD, 50-200 2.8-3.5, a 1.4 converter , a vertical grip and an fl36 flashgun... I juste added the 3.5 8mm fisheye in the bag for 200 bucks and I love the vibes this heavy 700 bucks kit brings to my memory... My first DSLR was a mighty E-500.
I once had the 50-200/2.8-3.5 SWD and I loved it, but I sold it, as it works very slowly on my Lumix G9
The Olympus 45mm 1.8 I bought with my OG EM-5.
Essential kit.
Thank you Robin. I have different opinion about 25/1.2 size, but did not want to comment until heard your conclusion about compactness of mft lens. Not to argue wit your choice, but to give an alternative opinion to the readers of the comments: last year I compared side by side Olympus 25/1.2 with 25/1.8 and for me as an amateur the size of 25/1.8 outweighted all 25/1.2 advantages. I compared sharpness, flare resistance, and bokeh. Fast apperture of 1.2 does not in fact transmit much more light compared to 25/1.8: i had almost the same shutter/ISO settings at 25/1.2 ful opened and 25/1.8. So, my use case did no jusify extra weight and cost. Your use case may put more weight to weather sealing, manual focus ring, possibly faster AF and bokeh.
I agree except I think the 25 1.8 is too big! That's why I shoot with 20mm 1.7 mostly. If size stops mattering, then I use the 17 and 25 1.2s
@@funkmon If size matters, I also prefer 20mm 1.7. I just used 25mm 1.8 as a comparison, since 20mm is closer to 17mm than to 25.
Mine is 45 mm 1.2 pro. Love it to the moon and back!! 😂❤
Great video. My favourite lens for mft is the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7. As I shoot video it gives great image quality with stabilisation which makes a big difference. And it’s amazing value.
I agree that the Olympus 75mm f/1.8 is a “game changer,” and it was what hooked me on MFT. I use it for event photography, along with the 12mm f/2. For nature photography, I love the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro, and I use that along with the 8-25mm f/4 Pro.
This is the only lens I've had and sold that I want to buy back.
I got the sigma 56mm but should have just kept the Olympus...
@@slothlovechunk
Sigma are all APS-C even with the MFT mount, so you effectively get worse image quality
@@SMGJohn that's not a given or necessarily true.
@@SMGJohn The lw/ph will be lower for sure but that's due to the physically smaller sensor. But that may not be visible in practical terms. The gap between APS-C and MFT is not as big as the gap between APS-C and FF, where budget FF glass generally yields worse results on APS-C.
10:19 One cool thing about the 12-40mm f/2.8 is the close focusing. Plus gives lovely bokeh quality on those close ups.
I have that 45mm and it is just fantastic. Love it.
Great video Robin, I agree with all your picks but would add 1 the Olympus 12mm/f2 another great lens and if that 25mm/f1.2 is just too big the Panasonic Leica 25mm/f1.4 is really worth a look. Thank you for your enthusiasm it is so refreshing 👍😊
Hi Robin. I use the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7. It’s compact, yet gives me the angle coverage that I need. I also like that Panasonic 9mm you showed at the beginning; it is a nice lens. Thanks for sharing and all the best!
Convincing video, Robin. I am still new to the m43 system. After years with a full frame Canon solution, my back and shoulders told me to make a change when I returned from a multiple days job assignment last fall. I traded it all in for an OM-1 with a 12-40 2.8 and a 75 1.8. This new setup is one third of both the size and weight of my previous Canon gear. And I still get the job done.
Buy the olympus 45mm or panasonic 42.5 or sigma 56mm. Any one of those 3 is a must buy. Olympus 75mm f1.8 is slightly heavier but also produces sharp photos. Avoid smaller focal length lenses. You can as well use your mobile phone !!
Love your videos. But to be fair, these choices reflect Wedding / Fashion / Street photography. Nothing wrong there - and your choices are doubtless 'on the money'. But I'm on the other end of the spectrum - Wildlife and Scenics. So here are some of my choices. Olympus Lenses: 1) The 12-40mm f.2.8 Pro (just a stellar all-round lens), 2) The 40-150mm F2.8 Pro (landscape and larger wildlife - but decent portrait and concert lens too). 3) The 300mm F4 Pro (OMG if you force me to pick one this is it. Sure it is limited in focal length, but it keeps providing the best bird photos I've ever made - sorry Canon). Finally, some honorable mentions - the Venus Laowa 7.5mm f/2 (fast, sharp, wide with great IQ) and for a walkabout cheapie (on say an OM5) try the Panasonic 12-32 pancake zoom (it rattles!, but is darn good).
My favorite m. four-thirds lens? Easy, Olympus 12-100 F4. I love this lens for travel, and it's the lens that kept me in m.four-thirds. I think the sync I.S. is great. When I travel, I also add a fast prime, at the present time, the 20mm 1.4, although the Panasonic 9mm is a tempting carry too. Actually, the 3 of them together is not a hard carry.
The 45mm and 75mm are particular favourites of mine too. I also own a Sigma 19mm, which is incredibly sharp AND cheap(!), as well as a lumix 25mm f/1.7. I also have three zooms. The Olympus 9-18mm, the Lumix 14-45mm, and a Lumix 45-200mm.
hi robin I'm happy with what you say, three years ago I bought an m10 mk3 and the first lens I accompanied it with was the fantastic 75 mm 1.8, immediately after the 45 mm 1.8 which I found for just a few euros on offer and I'm excited about it, last week I gave myself the new 12-40 pro 2.8 and I'm in heaven, this evening I see your review and I'm feeling great. Thanks dear by Fabio
Robin, another gr8 video, thanks. That 9f1.7 looks fine, will look into it!
The three lenses always in my camera bag are the Lumix/Leica 8-18 f2.8-4.0, Olympus 12-45 f4 pro and Om-system 40-150 f4 pro. The last one is my favorite, light, smal and sharp. All of them are chosen to be light and weather sealed. The 8-18 is lighter than the Olympus 8-25 f4 pro and I also got a great price second hand. All in all three great lenses to carry with you all the time.
Great Selection of Lenses Robin. also for me the 12-40 and the 25mm1.2 are maybe the best lenses i have, for the 75mm1.8 or 45mm1.8 i choose to go in between and i am super happy with the Sigma 56mm 1.4
I bought the 45mm f1.8 because I saw pictures you took with it…this was years ago! I just got my hands on the 90mm macro: a little tricky to use at first, but once you figure it out; WOW! So sharp, so close, and pretty light. After owning Canon, and Sony (both have great lenses) but I like most Olympus lenses better.
You picked the good ones! Nice selection. That Olympus 45 is so good. I keep it on an old Panasonic GF2 for my walking around camera.
Probably the best M43 lens I have ever used would be the Olympus 40-150 2.8. The build quality, close focusing, and reach is phenomenal. I know it is a huge lens as far as M43 lenses go but it really is awesome. That being said I've always wanted to try the Panasonic 35-100 2.8. It's so much smaller.
So, I bought the P 35-100 f2.8 because of the smaller size and it being less obtrusive, but often wished it was longer. Eventually I got the 40-150 f2.8, and yes it's a lot bigger and heavier, but for me it's much more useful, and the 1.4x TC is handy at times too. It's also worth bearing in mind that the O & P lenses zoom in opposite directions and some will find this annoying, especially if you have both.
Thanks! I didn't know anything about Panasonic 9 mm. My favorite is Olympus 17mm/1.8
There's alot of love in the comments for the 40-150mm f2.8. 👍
I need to do some saving up maybe. I do love the 75mm f/1.8 though and don't really want to stop using it.
As a mft user, I love it as well due to the size. The lumix 20mm f1.7 is my favourite compact pancake lens. Always on my camera instead of a lens cap. I also have the lumix 42.5mm f1.7. Absolutely love it. I’m looking to get the 12-35 / 12-40. Not sure which is a better option.
I’ve not owned the 20mm f/1.7 but bet it’s an amazing lens. I have owned the Panasonic Leica 15mm f/1.7 and it was a great lens. I didn’t really reach for it all that often, but when I needed it, it produced amazing results. That 42.5 is an awesome lens! So good. I’ve owned both the Olympus 12-40 f/2.8 and the Lumix 12-35 f/2.8. The only real difference is the OIS. The Lumix is stabilized whereas the Olympus isn’t. But I’m betting you’re shooting on MFT bodies that have pretty amazing IBIS. When shooting on the Panasonic GH5, I’d use the Olympus lens, every single time for two reasons. 1st was the extra focal length. Sure, that extra 5mm isn’t a lot, but every little bit helps, right? The second reason I’d reach for the Olympus is because it has the manual focus clutch. Using the GH5 for documentary filmmaking, the AF was TERRIBLE. So having the manual focus clutch option made filming much simpler. It was on my camera probably 90% of the time. And the GH5 had AMAZING stabilization. So that combo just worked for me. When filming in the GH5S, I’d go with the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 or the 12-60mm f/2.8-4 100% of the time when not on a tripod. The stabilization just worked and did a relatively good job. Image quality was superb on both of those lenses as well. I’d say whichever you choose, you can’t go wrong. I just back from an international trip filming in the jungles of Guatemala and my B cam was a MFT OM Systems camera. I only carried 2 lenses. The Panasonic Leica 12-60 and the Lumix 35-100. And that was all I needed for my MFT setup. Subsequently after returning home, I bought two additional lenses for my best shoot in Guatemala coming up in a few weeks. I went with the Olympus 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO and the Olympus 25mm f/1.2 PRO. Anytime I need to adjust for lower light conditions, I grabbed my FF Lumix S5II. Which again I only carried two lenses for that camera body. The Sigma Art 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Canon 135mm f/2L USM. I shot about half the time with each camera. But the footage I got with the MFT setup was fantastic. You really can’t make a bad decision between going with either the 12-35 or 12-40. They’re both exceptionally good lenses. Just depends what you need in a lens. If I have the option, I’m reaching for Olympus glass over the Lumix. But that’s just my preference with the exception of the Lumix 35-100mm f/2.8. That lens has literally paid my bills for many years. It’s gorgeous and can get you unbelievably incredible results.
I recently got the PL 9mm and it is quickly becoming my favorite ultrawide over the PL 8-18. For primes, I love the Oly 17 f1.8, Oly 25 1.2 and Sigma 56 f1.4. For zoom, love my 12-100 f4 for travel, and the Oly 12-40 f2.8 for strolls around the city.
Hi the leica 9mm autofocus is work good or not in shooting vedio for olympus body.thnx
Super dooper enthusiastic as always 👍👍👍 12-45 f4 pro 😊 40-150mm f2.8 pro 😊😊 150-400mm f4.5 pro 😉
My 5 most used lenses right now:
1. Olympus 9-18 - actually my newest lens. Primarily.used for landscape shots while backpacking. What an under-appreciated gem this lens has turned out to be.
2. Panasonic/Leica 15mm/f1.4 - favorite travel prime for low light. Perfect for indoor shots on family trips.
3. Olympus 12-45 f4pro - this has replaced my 12-40 as my all-purpose walkabout lens. Its sharper, lighter and a bit more reach. Equally at home on my E-P7, E-M5III, or OM1. In low light, I'm typically using one of the primes.
4. Sigma 30mm f1.4 - my indoor/environmental portrait lens of choice. A bit more pop than the 25mm/1.8, and more budget friendly than the 25mm/1.2. Beautiful shots every time.
5. Sigma 56mm f1.4 - has replaced my Olympus 75mm more often than not, as I find the focal length to be more useable and the results just as amazing. I still use the 75mm primarily for candid portraiture at large venues or outdoor parties & events where I can put the extra reach to good use.
Good selection ! And for me (I do travel photography and with the M1m2 I only take with me this lens and now the Panasonic leica 9mm), if I had to choose one lens it will be the 12-100mm f4 pro zoom lens; it is a high quality lens without comparison in the apps-c or FF lenses ( focal lenght with constant f number) this is one of the reasons why I am in Olympus.
Using and loving the Panny Leica 15mm 1.7, Olympus 45 1.8 and Olympus 75mm. Also just changed my Olympus 9-18 for Panny 7-14. Love 4/3
Robin I also love the 45 mm 1.8. I also have the 75 mm 1.8 and excellent lens but just recently replace my 17mm f1.8 for the Panasonic Leica 15 mm.
I found a 75mm used for a good price and it comes tomorrow and I could not be more excited! I’ve wanted it for so long! You make me want it more haha ❤.
I just bought it! 😄👍
My most used lens, by far, is the 300 f4. My preferred subjects are birds with non-human mammals, dragonflies and butterflies on the side. My second is the 12-40; it covers almost everything else. The 25 mm f1.2 has tempted me but I don't think I would use it enough.
I love trinity of f1,2 primes for their optcal quality. They are all awesome. I also love 12-40 f2,8 for its variability. Last honorable mention won't be m43 lens but old 43 olympus 50-200/f2.8-3.5 swd lens which was a reason why I started shooting with olympus. I'm alway suprised how good this lens is considering his age. It works perfectly fine on my EM1 mk2.
I also use the 50-200 f2.8-3.5 swd with my EM1 km2. Really a beautiful lens.
I love my Olympus 12-40mm PRO, but it is not my favorite for travel because it is on the heavy side. Thanks to your channel I came across the pancake ED 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ and I have high hopes for it as my on the road lens (when flying and touring). For roadtrips... I take way too many to list here. But among my favorites are a converted 1970s Nikon 50mm, 30mm, and a 20mm Cannon alongside my trusty 12-40mm PRO
I have 3 of the 5 lenses you’ve presented here Robin, the 45, 75, and the 12-40mm, and I agree that they give excellent quality photos.
The 12-40mm f/2.8 is my studio workhorse. I love the 45mm f/1.2 for my headshot work. I have the f/1.8 25mm and 45mm when I want to pack light and I have no hesitation using either one for my professional work as well.
Hi Robin, great to hear you are enjoying your new 9mm lens! As a long time follower i just knew what the other four lenses would be :-) Thanks for the good info.
Great vid as always. In search of the ideal system, I finally put on the side my Nikon system for Olympus, OM-1, Pana 9mm 1.7, Olympus 45mm 1.2mm, Olympus 12-100mm. With this I am fully covered, daylight and low light. I take as well the 300mm when needed (with x1.4 or 2x), but even with this in the bag, I still manage to pack it all up in a fairly small bag volume. I also have the 12-40 2.8, 40-150 2.8, 75 1.8 and 60 2.8 Macro, all great lenses as well, although they do not see much use these days. But needs sometimes change, so I do keep them in case. Now I cannot help but take with me as well a Leica Q2 Mono, which is fantastic for B&W under the right light-contrast. This all together and I still manage to keep the bag below 5kg, which I consider acceptable for my aging body as well!
Have you tried the Sigma 56mm f1.4 Robin? Given you really like the 45mm f1.8 I expect you'd love this Sigma lens. It's got that little bit more reach and that 1.4 aperture gives lovely background blur and of course a bit more light. 😊
The 45mm 1.8 is my go-to lens for corporate headshot photography. I swapped my 12-40 2.8 for the 12-100 f4 but in hindsight, the former was a better lens, due to the extra stop. The 12-100 is really superb in daylight, but a bit of a slouch in low light (unlike the 12-40). Still saving for that 9mm though!
Always nice to hear options as to why these are your favourite lenses thought since you shoot a lot of macro one of those would have been included. For me in no particular order maybe other than focal length Olympus 17 mm f1.7, lumix 25 f1.4, 60 mm f2.8 olympus macro,, 12-40 f2.8 and 12-100 f4 last included if I am traveling and limited amount of space that and a small prime
The 40-150 2.8 is overall my favorite because of how versatile it is for what I do: portraits, mid range wildlife, and tele landscape. Really, it's a tie between that and the 60 mm macro because that's probably my favorite type of photography at the moment. I do want to try the Panasonic 9mm, the Oly 75, and 12-40 pro. My favorite prime is the 45 1.8. When people want a portrait on the fly, that thing is magic.
I do my macro photography with 40-15- 2.8. Combine it with Raynox DCR-5320PRO become a superb macro lens.
My fave lens combo is the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 and the 40-150mm f2.8 telephoto. Both are superb zooms with bright constant apertures. Thinking of re-purchasing a Panasonic 20mm f1.7mm. I sold it many years ago, but miss it. It is my fave prime compact lens for the m43 system.
I love your happiness, it is infectious! I love the 75mm, 15mm and 12-40 lenses too. I want to get the 9mm and to upgrade my 42.5 f1.7 (if possible)
I love the 9mm 1.7, also the 12-35 lumix of course (my work horse), and the Laowa 6mm. Robin, your videos are great. I will visit Malaysia one day, it's always been on my bucket list. Cheers!
Totally agree Robin. Olympus glass is stellar and compact. No problem carrying them around for a wedding shoot. I shoot with the 25 1.8 also nice little piece of glass.
Thank you for including 12-40 2.8 in the list. I have been thinking to get this lens for almost 5 years, and u give me last push. I will get this used lens when I back to Japan this month😄
I hope I get to meet you someday. Love your work and the energy you give! Thank you for your work!
Thank you Robin .
Thanks Robin! Between my old Olympus manual lenses, my old Oly FT lenses, and my Oly MFT lenses, I have a few from which to choose. But the two I always bring when traveling or day trips (most of my pictures) are the 12-40mm F 2.8 Pro and the 40-150mm F 2.8 Pro. They cover the focal lengths I use 90% of the time, and I don't need to hold up my traveling partners to switch lenses that often. N.b., the FT 50-200mm F 2.8 is a great lens also and isn't a lot bigger (other than the lens hood) than the 40-150 F 2.8. The 75mm F 1.8 is a staggering good lens that you can buy at a really good price considering how good it is. I have the 45mm F 1.2, which I like a lot. Just don't do much in the way of portrait shoots. If I could justify another lens I think it would be the 40-150mm F4 for travel. Just be nice to cover that focal length in a smaller package for travel photos.
Hey Robin, I guess I have a preference for ultra cheap and fast 35mm lenses. Wide open they have a built-in diffusion filter and beautiful flaring (plus other free effects), stop down to f2 or f2.8, and you get reasonable centre sharpness and extra thick bokeh in the corners. I used to have the little pixco 35mm cctv lens with adapter, these days, I use the TT Artisan 35mm f1.4. Cheers, have a great day!
I like xiaoyi 42.2 1.8, it's exeleent and cheap, all plastic, very light and built in marco mode is great. Also olympus 40-150 is great
Mine are Olympus 17 f1.8, Panasonic 12-35 f2.8 and Panasonic 35-100 f2.8. These 3 lens perfectly imitate my most used lens on other system I normally used, but in smaller and lighter package.
- 35mm lens (equiv) for travel/walkaround.
- 24-70mm lens (equiv) for most situation.
- 70-200mm lens (equiv) for portrait/sport.
These 3 lens (and 2 MFT cameras) weight less than a single 70-200 f2.8 lens alone!!
THANKS Robin, this is exactly what I was looking for!
For my OLY OMD my favorite lenses are the OLY 17mm f1.8, the OLY 45 mm f 1.8, and the OLY 75mm, f1.8. My favorite zoom lens is the OLY pancake 14-42 mm zoom. I mostly use that with my old E-PL 1. along with a Panasonic 25mm f1.8 The EPL1 and these lenses are my backups, and sometimes used on trips because of it's smaller size and lighter weight than the OMD, yet produces great results. I also a OLY 60 mm macro. I use that any macro. These are my main cameras and lenses. The Pan 9mm sounds like an interesting addition to my lenses. For zoom I have a Nikon D7000 and Tamron 14-250mm zoom lens. The Nikon is my general purpose camera which I use where size and weight aren't the major consideration but zoom capability is. I also have a Nikon 50 mm f1.8 for low light. My airline travel camera, which I use when we fly, is a Sony P&S. Smallest yet most capable camera for its size and weight, and it recharges via USB, so no need to carry a plug in charger other than my phone charger.
Panasonic has no 25 1.8 in their lineup. 25 1.7 & 1.4 only.
One lense I want to add: the Sigma 56mm 1.4. It is a wonderfull extra sharp lense e.g. for portrait photography. Despite the shorter focal length it could be a much cheaper alternative to the Olympus 75mm 1.8.
I was about to post about this one...
I agree so much with you.
And the Sigma 56mm 1.4 is weather sealed!
It also works wonders with panoramas: when I stitch 3 pictures from my treks in the mountains, the amount of details I get is insane...
I don’t have the 9 mm or 25 mm but I have the others and love them. The 75 mm is a little slow with focusing and I think compresses faces a little more than I like so I often gravitate to the 45 mm. I probably alternate from carrying the 17 f1.8 with the 45 f1.8 or just the 12-40 f2.8. Occasionally the Oly 60 mm f2.8 makes it into the rotation and is surprisingly good for portraits. The 40-150 f2.8 is outstanding as well if I need the reach.
Very similar favorites. My top one the 25 f1.2, second the 45 f1.8, third the 8-25 f4.0, fourth 75 f1.8, fifth 12-40 f2.8. I don’t use telephotos also. Seeing your macro work I thought that the 60 f2.8 was going to be one of your favorites.
Olympus 25 mm f1.2 or sigma 30 mm f1.4 ? For thé Price the sigma but in practice for indoor shooting 25 mm IS the limit . They are thé two best Lenses for micro four third
My favs 12-40 f2.8 pro, 45mm f1.8, and 100-400 f5-6.3 is. Also I have cheap 25mm f1.7 but i have issue with sharpnes sometimes in this lens but 25mm its good view.
Haha yes! The Olympus 45mm F1.8 is my first lens and my favorite lens!
Agree mate. Thanks for the input
I've been thinking of getting the 12-40 f2.8 for my general travel lens for my em5. I've got the lumx 12-32 that came with my previous gx9. It's tiny, but it's not weather sealed, and the oly 12-40 also works with the Oly focus stacking.
I'm just a hobby photographer and I can't afford the very best gear. My favorites of those lenses that I do have are: M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8, M.Zuiko 30mm f3.5 macro, Sigma 60mm f2.8 DN Art, Samyang 300mm F6.3 ED UMC CS (reflex lens which I really like, I'm weird!) and a vintage lens Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 180mm 1:5.5 Telemegor (M42) which I used today, a very nice old East German lens.
Hi Robin, thanks for your lens comments. A very objective POV. I'd love to see a comparison shoot out between the PL 9mm and the Laowa 10mm if you are ever so blessed to be able to get your hands on one. The shots from the PL super-wide looked fantastic here on YT.
my favorite is laowa 7.5mm, 20mm 1.7, 75 1.8, and finally 100 400mm all of my gear, lumix gm5 olympus omd10 miv (i need lumix g9 ii but no have money xd)is very compact and result gear for me
45mm F1.8 , 12-40F2.8 , I also love those 😄😄
Great video! Have always loved your enthusiasm.
Nice video Robin! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Isn't it ironic that we as photographers have all these injuries, but our cameras and lenses are still kicking! Even our memory cards have pretty good health rate :)
Well, Robin, I've got all of them save for the Panasonic 9mm. I have the Oly 8mm but, it's a fisheye. As much as I like that lens, the flatter field of the Panasonic is really appealing. Guess I'm going to have to add that to my bag before I head to NYC next month. Thank you for your always enlightening videos. Cheers!
You can defish the 8mm in camera for flat perspective even in live view
In fully concure but would like you to consider the Lumix 35-100 mm F2.8 for extending your list up to a #6. This MFT lens is a miracle in many ways, I believe.
Third iteration coming up with this lens, but with Leica having a hand in it....that being said, might be the goat for long mft zoom
The Olympus 45mm f1.8 is a great value lens. I have the Panasonic 12-35mm f2.8 and it's my favourite lens as it's such a useful focal range and super sharp for a zoom. The extra 5mm of the Olympus 12-40mm would be nice, but I can't justify swapping my Panasonic for the Olympus.
I love my Panaleica 25mm f1.4. Although that lens is old enough, it still perform well.
My list is based on most used/most likely to be in my camera bag and is...
1. Lumix 14-140mm (original version)
2. Olympus 9-18mm
3. Lumix 12-60mm
4. Olympus 12-40mm Pro
5. Olympus 75-300mm
I have a few other lenses, but these are definitely my top 5.
Camera bodies are an E-M1 ii and E-M10 iii
Hi Robin,my favourite is 12-40 pro 50-200 zuiko.
These lenses are used for filming brass band concerts.
I love these lenses too.
Olympus 45mm F1.8・・For shooting off stage
Olympus 75mm F1.8・・Rehearsal shooting on stage
Olympus 12-40mm PRO・・Shooting in the audience or dressing room
I also love the following lenses.
Olympus 9-18mm F4.0・・Dedicated to video recording while on the move
Olympus 40-150mm F2.8・・For capturing the full view of the stage during a performance
In my case, video shooting is 90% and photography is 10%.
I own the 8-25, 12-100, 100-400 and the 12, 17, 25, 45 F1.8 lenses + the 60 macro from Olympus. I use the zoomlenses because of the versatile (quality is also very good), but I prefer to schoot with a prime lens. As you mentioned these are compact and light, and the quality is very good/excellent. In my opinion, the 60 F2.8 macro and 45 F1.8 are the best followed by the 25, the 17 and 12 are close together. I use the 45 for portraits and events. I am very fond of this lens. I have often heard and read that the 75mm F.1.8 is a special lens. Maybe I'll still buy this one.
It is a pity that the F1.8 lenses are not resistant to dust and water.
Olympus hit it out of the park with the 12-40. It's not tiny, but it's sharp into the corners at all focal lengths. I understand the 12-100 is equally good but it's too large for m43 in my opinion. I have a bunch of primes but since m43 is so small, I carry a 3 zoom outfit. Panasonic 8-18, Olympus 12-40, and Olympus 40-150/4. The Panasonic 35-100/2.8 is also terrific if you want more speed. I considered the Panasonic 9mm, but after the mixed reviews I got a Laowa 6mm instead. I don't use it often but when I do, it can do things the 8-18 cannot. Finally, the little Pansonic 20/1.7 is the only really inexpensive m43 lens I've found that's really good. The 20mm is a bit slow and noisy, but the image quality is excellent and it weighs almost nothing.
The ultimate travel lens ia the 12-100mm F4. I have a few lenses including the 75mm F1.8 but the one that is bonded on my camera when I go on vacation is the 12-100mm. It is equivalent to 24-200mm in FF terms. It has an unbelievable IS system that mates beautifully with the IBIS on my EM1 MkIII. Unless shooting action, the F4 aperture is not an issue as you can take handheld shots with very long shutter speeds in low light and still get sharp photos.
I have quite some Olympus lenses and I love them all.
If there is one lens though that I cannot do without it is actually the 14-42mm EZ kit lens. Because it is so tiny I can carry my camera everywhere I go and therefore 80% of my photos are shot with that lens. I have shot quite some incredible photos with that lens!
Love your videos Robin❤️
45 mm is best lens ever.thnx lot for u vedio
I also shoot full frame and APS-C cameras but I always return to the M43 system specifically for the 75mm F/1.8 - the size/weight for the optical performance is truly unparalleled. I love the compression you can get with it and it has a unique use-case in being discreet enough for some candid street photography too: an equivalent lens on full frame gets a lot more attention
Amazing lenses!
The only one I can afford is the 45mm F1.8
I am amused by people who complain about how big the f/1.2 primes are (as Robin mentioned), but don't bat an eye about the size of the 12-40 f/2.8. As it turns out, all four lenses are almost exactly the same size. IMHO, the quality of the f/1.2 primes justifies their size (also as Robin mentioned).
My only complaint about the 75 f/1.8 is that it has not been upgraded to Pro trim, with at least weather sealing and a lens function button (I rarely use manual focus, so the MF clutch is the least important Pro feature). Optically, the 75 f/1.8 is outstanding. From time to time, my daughter and I shoot my grandson's percussion group (it covers 1st grade through high school; he's in 6th grade) and my granddaughter's school orchestra. My kit for these concerts is E-M1.3, 45 f/1.2, 75 f/1.8, and 40-150 f/2.8. I have my camera set up so that the lens function button allows scrolling through a group of detected faces. But, since the 75 f/1.8 does not have a lens function button, I had to set up another body button for the same purpose, but it's more awkward than using the lens function button.
For my food work, I always have my Olympus 25mm f/1.8 and 12-40mm f/2.8mm. I also use my Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye for my widest shots. For longer distances I have grown more accustomed to the 14-150mm f/4-6.3 by Olympus.
I will also add, I have gotten myself a Full Frame Nikon Z5 with the 28mm f/2.8 and 40mm f/2, both these lenses are pretty good for the price, though I am keeping in mind of the weight of Full Frame lenses.
I actually really love the 9mm fisheye body cap. Ok maybe not a true lens but it's fun, extra small and affordable!
The 45mm 1.8 is an amazing lens, I love it. Hoping to pair it in my bag with a Lumix 20mm 1.7 as ppl seem to love that too, but the prices used have been a bit higher than I want recently .. still watching :)
Although not for action photography due to slower AF & lack of AFC support, the 20mm 1.7 is truly outstanding lens optically. I am always surprised of how beautiful the rendering is with this lens. You won't be disappointed. I would get it asap.
15mm 1.7 is my favourite, wish it was weather sealed
I've got to use an OM System 20mm f/1.4 a few times and man do I want one full time for my E-M1.III. Hopefully there will be a point where I can pick one up basically new for 350 like I did with a 12-40 f/2.8. I'd probably go up to 500 for one since 40mm equivalent is my sweet spot for a prime. I have a Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 II basically glued to whichever smaller body I'm using (usually E-P5, but it's a pretty fun combo on the E-PL8 I admittedly originally bought cheap mostly for looks on the shelf but have since really started enjoying using it) and it gets the job done for what I do, but being that much faster aperture and af wise, weather sealed, and overall build it was perfect for my e-m1.iii.
Otherwise, this is mostly the same as my list. I don't like super wide, so I start at the PanaLeica 15mm, then Pana 20mm II, Oly 25mm f/1.2, Oly 45, Oly 45, Oly 12-40 f/2.8, and Oly 40-150 f/4. I'd probably put the Sigma 30mm and 56mm f/1.4 in there too. Despite being APS-C, those two of the three aren't terribly big on an E-M1 or G9 and they provide good quality for an affordable price. The dream is a PanaLeica 20mm f/1.4 with aperture ring to come out for my GX8 or GX85, but I don't see that happening. If it did come out and was weather sealed, it'd prob just stay on my GX8. Maybe release it as a kit for a proper GX8 update with the size of a GX9...I'd probably pay too much for that combo.