Quite so. One of the main reasons that despite owning full frame Nikon and Canon cameras, I decided to get a used EM1 MKii. I already had an EM5 MKii. The size of some of the recent offerings for other mirrorless cameras, verges on monstrosity. The whole point of mirrorless was to be light, small, affordable plus giving high quality images not being as large and heavy and expensive as the DSLRs.
I purchased this lens to take my daughters senior portrait. Great lens, I couldn't be happier with it. The lens paid for itself . Money well spent. Thanks for the review!
This lens is absolutely stunning! Ultra sharp images, no distortion and makes you work hard for those great compositions unlike zoom lenses. A gem of a lense
Thanks Robin, beautiful video about the amazing M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8. I own this lens for years and it never fails in tacking beautiful portraits. Greetings from Germany 📷 👍🤗🙏
This 45mm F1.8 was one of the reasons y buyed the omd 10 markIII months ago for my family portraits, and even street photography. Its really small and the price ratio is glorious. Still i'm really impressed with the smooth bokeh and sharpnes of this lens. Ty Robin your videos are really great, your passion for photography is really contagious!!
@@robinwong Yes! i will do that that 45mm is truly a gem on the system, my next step will be the 25 prime or the 12-40 2.8 pro i cant decide! probably the 12-40 pro if i can purchase one on good state second hand. Thank you Robin!
I've got this lens mounted now on an original E-M5 (Mark i) body that I purchased just last week(!) for under $140! It's a low cost light weight rig but delivers great images!
I have the Olympus 17mm, 45mm and 75mm f/1.8 primes which cover most use cases. They are all seriously good lenses, for me though it is the 75mm that really stands out.
I ordered this lens a couple months ago with a $50 discount on the Olympus website. I am in Vietnam, and it was delivered to my dad's place in Vermont. It'll be my present to myself when I get home, once the world becomes sane again. Please world, get sane, so I can use this lens!
Just got mine delivered today ☺️ Just 110€ including a lens hood (used, but like new). Coming from a vintage 50mm 1.9, this tiny thing is a beast for taking pictures of our cats in low light 🤣
I scored one for $120. It's actually the second prime lens I purchased (found a 30mm macro for $160). I love how versatile it is for what I do with it (family events, snake photos).
Just grabbed this for 219$ on mpb love how in just getting into m43 at the right time where all these lens were 4-6 hundred dollars years ago and are now dirt cheap on the used market. Bought a g7 about 2 months ago and have sourced 4 lens for under 1k
Awesome I have this lens and dont use it as much as I should. Recently I bought the Panasonic Lumix. G9 II i think this lens will be a perfect partner for it. Cheers John
What an amazing experience with yo article! Congratulations. Thanks for sharing that story!! Keep up!! Love the videos. And yes, love the look of the 45mm.
Great video Robin. I really love this lens too! I was very fortunate a few years ago to pick up a used OMD EM10 and a 45mm F1.8 for $200 AUD. Lens was in mint condition and decided to sell the EM10 for $200 and keep the 45mm for my EM5. I'm always happy with the results I get and will continue to use it for many years to come :)
I’m just about to move to M4/3 Robin by purchasing EM5 markiii & am finding your videos a great help in my selection of lenses. I’m pretty much settled on the kit lens14-150, +75-300 ( for wildlife ) and either the 30 mm macro or the lens you review here the 45 mm1.8. Iloved your photo examples but would really have appreciated the settings which you normally include. Thanks for great tips & Im delighted you are now an OMD visionary. They would have been mad to let you go. Greetings from a grateful Scot🙏🏻🏴
Robin, I have an important question for you. You truly love the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and I'm curious as to how you usually focus with f1.8. Do you use a pinpoint focus, 1 area focus, or face detect? Keep up the great videos!
I did a photoshoot in studio last saturday and I am in the middle of processing the photos. Was very curious about background highlights on few of my lenses with Christmas lights and other shiny decorations. Zooms unfortunately have "onion rings", while M.Zuiko 75mm F1,8 and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 came to have the best highlights I was about to be critical a bit about the sharpness when compared to 25mm F1.4 Summilux, but after closer examination of the photos I retracted that argument. Also at F2,2 and F2,5 were both lenses exceptionally sharp. Given the fact that Summilux is considered to be among the sharpest M43 lenses this is quite surprising find. Also highlights. Summilux unfortunately has visible aperture at the edges, 45mm F1.8 had perfectly round highlights, both at F2.2 and F2.5 apertures. One last find... Olympus lenses tend to be slightly more bluish compared to Lumix lenses. Comparing 25mm Summilux and 45mm F1.8 this difference appears to be 350 Kelvin. If you want to match two such lenses, add to Olympus one, or alternatively substract from Lumix.
This was the first prime lens I bought years ago, and it remains probably my favourite. I even bought the Nocticron 42.5 at one point, but ended up returning it, as my little 1.8 was overall packing more than enough punch for such a tiny size and price tag. Don’t get me wrong, the 42.5 had a slightly more shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh, but the difference between them was far smaller than I ever expected. Plus it was so big and heavy!
Nice anecdotal stories as well. Will step out of the comfort zone of all purpose zooms and start using this lens. It was not getting any attention at all till now.
All are agreed - a superb lens.I've only had mine a week but the results have been stunning, especially the way it renders that creamy background blur. Talking of which, Mr. Johnston did not invent or 'introduce' the concept of 'bokeh' to photography. He merely found a sex non-English word to replace 'blur/'background blur', which doesn't sound so classy. The same thing happened when a guy called Jack Duganne started calling his inject prints 'giclée. This French word is intended to give an air of class to the end result, which is no more than an inkjet print. The word 'giclée' is simply the French for 'squirt/spout/spray'. A friend of mine started marketing his prints as 'giclée' tho' they were produced in exactly the same way, from the same printer, as the prints he formerly sold as 'inkjet'!
Great summary! For me it is also the very low price (high value) that makes it a no-brainer for an Olympus kit. The only drawback for me is the close focusing distance that is a bit on the long side, 50 cm. Since it is so small and light I often reach for it for quick product photography, e.g. eBay. Most other similar lenses would be at 35-40 cm range.
I think this Lens is an Ideal Standard Lens. It could be used for Portraits, Weddings, Videos and Excellent for blurring the background, yet light and compact. My question is, does it have water resistant and dust protection properties or not. Many Thanks for the useful review and best regards.
The 12mm is a really premium-feeling lens. Beautiful, dense metal body, perfectly dampened clutch mechanism. And the 17mm isn't far behind. ...which I think is unnecessary. Because the plastic lightness of the 45mm f/1.8 is perfectly great in its own right.
Wonderful presentation:) Have you ever considered doing a comparison, or made any commentary in reference to the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens to the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 lens?
I got the f1.2 for free with the recent olympus campaign... with covid19 i still havent tried it properly, but looking at the 1.8 in Robins hand, wow so small... i guess both are different
Great video Robin. I had this lens for several years and I use it alot. I also use it for portret and its a geat lens for many things. And small as you can stick it in the pocket. My friend and Canon shooter is always jealous on my small weight gear :-)
nice small lens but unfortunately my copy was soft until f/2.8, got rid of it after 6 months, some have copies sharp wide open so i guess i got unlucky
Thanks for the video. Can you please share what filter you're using @8:01 especially? I have a 37mm UV on mine and it makes it easy to spot when I'm reaching for it - the one with the small top. But your (ND filter?) looked to be larger than the lens...curious. TY! Or . . . is that the MCON-P02?
Zuiko 25/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are thew reason why m43 got so popular. They are truly good lenses. Unfortunately 17/1.8 and 12/1.8 are not as good, and have significant (5%+) optical barrel distortion which makes the photos of people somewhat weird due to the massive correctional digital stretching.
I have both. IMO the Sigma 56mm is sharper and even better in low light on my M1-2. In fact, it's as sharp, if not sharper than the Oly 75mm 1.8. However, I love the size and weight of the Oly 45. I'm not disappointed with either.
Hi Robin, A friend of mine is selling the 45. However I just bought the 25 mm pro panosonic..I am looking to upgrade my lenses for landscape, portraits etc. What 3 lenses would you recommend adding to my kit? Thanks
Robin, thanks for yet another enthusiastic video. I can totally relate to all the positives you mention. About the sharpness: I saw several people commenting that the lens they have is not that sharp. I also saw a rather nice review on the OM-D E-M10 MKIII by Matt Granger where he used the camera with three lenses, amongst which the 45mm f1.8. He mentioned that it is a rather nice lens, but not that sharp (see: th-cam.com/video/VwnCAz3WtRg/w-d-xo.html). I checked the photos I shot with the 45mm f1.8. It turned out I hardly shoot wide open, but the photos shot wide open are very sharp. I find it very unlike Olympus to have inconsistency in production, but apparently it seems the case with this lens. Are they all produced in one location or are several production plants used?
I have never encountered 45mm lens that is not sharp, I have worked with Olympus for many years, and even after I have left I continued to work closely with them on consumer events, being their Visionary, etc. I am not saying that the problem does not exist, but I have no answer for you. Every single 45mm F1.8 I have encountered has been super sharp.
Yes it's cheap used since everyone that has used MTF has owned one. But personally I've tried a couple and was never impressed. I know it's unpopular opinion.
I also think the lens is perfect. You forgot another reason. Because the lens is so small, it appears much less threatened to people and you can easily walk between people.
It is a very good lens and I love its simplicity, compactness and am reminded of the image quality of my Leica Summicron 35mm 1.4 optic I used during the 1970s.
Reason number 11. A wonderful lens for street photography. It is so small that it doesn't attract a lot of attention. Thanks Robin for a wonderful video ... also for the reminder to dig this out of my camera bag more often.
my main lens for street photography, bought it by mistaking it for a 25mm, never shipped it back, became my main. So small it's contrasting when I see other photographers sometimes with their huge full frame and lenses
I keep researching this lense and have almost purchased it several times, but have stopped each time thinking I don't shoot enough portraits to justify the purchase. However, this video has finally convinced me that I need to add it to my camera bag and will be buying it straight away! Thank you Robin...for this great video and all your other awesome videos!
Going to buy one, but got a Panasonic 25mm lens instead. The Olympus and Panasonic primes, when coupled with IBIS, are awesome lenses for night photography.
I have this lease and portraits are the furthest from my mind. It’s a great lens and I’ve just started to use it on my Panasonic G9 and the results have blown me away. I hope you purchased it!
This is the first non-kit Olympus lens I purchased. Not realizing that the lens is often discounted, I paid the full price of $400 for it. I feel it is worth every penny even at full price. That Olympus could make a 90mm equivalent lens with such great performance in such a small package is nothing short of amazing.
I own the Zuiko 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm lenses. They are all excellent lenses, but the 45mm is certainly my favorites. Absolutely beautiful results every time. It is a real bargain and a must-have for any micro four-thirds set up.
The 17 wasn’t that sharp overall and the 25 I had wasn’t sharp at the borders. The 45 is perfect though. I have to test the 75 :))) Although for the same price I got a Canon 135 f2 which of course has monster size...
@@robinwong you ARE a good sales person indeed Robin. I like all your videos and have been following you for a few years now. I especially liked one particular thing you said that was not directly photography related and to which I do not want to attract attention here in this forum as this is out of context. :-)
Photographers anecdote with this lens: Me to model: "Let's take close ups with my favourite lens" Model "Oh, what a tiny cute thing. Is it a toy?" Model after shoot: "Wow!" :-) In my opinion, it still outcompetes the 25mm/1.2 during most situations Thanks, dear Robin and enjoy your coffee. Joerg
Thanks Joerg for the coffee and kind words. I guess, we can't compare 25mm vs 45mm, they are both very different lens, they render the background (telephoto compression) very differently!
@@robinwong Thanks, dear Robin. Indeed, the telecompression is an very important effect. Therefore I'm only switching from 45mm to 25mm if needed, e.g. limited space. Have a nice day. Cheers , Joerg
This lens weather sealed and with a 46 mm filter thread - it would be a dream lens! Well, with this low price, weather sealing is not that much of an issue, because the lens is so cheap. Still, I would pay more and carry (a bit) more weight for the convenience. It might actually come … ;-)
Great lens loves the f1.8 lenses, so easy to keep in a pocket just wish the 45mm had the same focus ring like the 17mm and all f1.8 lenses used the same filter thread thought your point 11 would be you have ten for sale on eBay lol. point 12 try the 45mm with the extension tube it's a fantastic macro lens then.
The 45mm was meant to be in a lower tier than the 17mm, hence it has plastic body and no manual focusing clutch. Not sure what happened after that, Olympus just put them all in the same category.
I totally agree Robin. This lens is so small and light and the results are amazing. It is so much fun to take pictures with my Pen-F. A realy good combo. At least the price is really good for this lens. Thanks for your video. Your pictures in this video are very nice by the way!
Thanks Andreas for the kind words. I always emphasize on photos first - for me at least, no photos, no talk! There is no point rambling on about how great the lens is, if I don't have anything to show!
I really love this lens too. When I'm not underway with the "big" equipment (M1M3 and Pro lenses), I always have the PEN-F with the 17 mm 1.8 attached, the 45 mm 1.8 and the FL-LM3 in my bag. So I can do Landscape, Street and Portrait with minimal gear in a superb quality. :-)
I’ve had this lens for years and it continues to amaze me! Almost all my MFT lenses are Olympus. My only complaint is the lack of included lens hoods in all but the most expensive Oly lenses, and the fact that the hoods are expensive if you do get them. Great images Robin!
Back at the end of 2011 I got my first M43 camera (E-P1) and the first lens I bought was the 45mm F1.8. It was amazing to get that dreamy out of focus look for a very reasonable price. I still have the 45mm and I still love it. Recently there has been so many people saying the gap between FF and M43 has closed. But is it possible to find an equivalent FF lens of the same price, size and capability? I would be surprised. M43 lives!
Hi Robin, I'm sure that now you are more famous than Steve Huff and Mike Johnston together (I never heard of them before). Please continue your great job!
Hi Robin. This was one of my first Olympus lenses. In pre-OM-D days I intended to work with the 4 f1.8 primes only. The EM-5 and the 12-40 PRO changed all that. I still have the 45, and use it periodically. Thanks for a good review.
Sometimes there are lenses that make you wanna switch camera brands. This is one of those lenses. Thank goodness Tamron made the 45 1.8 USD VC lens for Nikon. I feel just a great about my Tamron as you do about this great little lens.
Great video Robin bringing out the Top reasons of this unique lens...and the fact that it was introduced in 2011 and still remains a top choice...and all this for an unbeatable price of USD 299 !!!
Great review. For my very light kit, I carry the 45 and the Panny 20 to use on my good old EPL5. Works for most situations I find myself in when mountain biking, ski touring, or just wanting a light kit than with my OMD with Pro lenses. It's hard to beat a such great lens that fits in a shirt pocket!
Hey man, may I ask a question, is there an advantage using ibis even it's brod daylight? Or should I disable it and just use it when shutter needs to be low?
Bonus : #11: Very low price, specially if compared to performances and image quality 😉
Agreed - purchased mine brand new for £130 (~$165 USD). I love this lens more than some of the more expensive ones I have
V
This lens defines the M43 system for me. Small, light, compact, affordable and stunning image quality
Can't agree more
Quite so. One of the main reasons that despite owning full frame Nikon and Canon cameras, I decided to get a used EM1 MKii. I already had an EM5 MKii. The size of some of the recent offerings for other mirrorless cameras, verges on monstrosity. The whole point of mirrorless was to be light, small, affordable plus giving high quality images not being as large and heavy and expensive as the DSLRs.
I purchased this lens to take my daughters senior portrait. Great lens, I couldn't be happier with it. The lens paid for itself . Money well spent. Thanks for the review!
This lens is absolutely stunning! Ultra sharp images, no distortion and makes you work hard for those great compositions unlike zoom lenses. A gem of a lense
I love my little 45mm 1.8 its so compact and delivers great image quality
Likewise
Thanks Robin, beautiful video about the amazing M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8. I own this lens for years and it never fails in tacking beautiful portraits. Greetings from Germany 📷 👍🤗🙏
Great content and you always make me happy somehow. You have sold me completely on this lens. Thank you Robin.
This 45mm F1.8 was one of the reasons y buyed the omd 10 markIII months ago for my family portraits, and even street photography. Its really small and the price ratio is glorious. Still i'm really impressed with the smooth bokeh and sharpnes of this lens. Ty Robin your videos are really great, your passion for photography is really contagious!!
Thanks Jaume, appreciate the kind words, and I am glad you have the Olympus 45mm F1.8 too. Go make more shots with the lens!
@@robinwong Yes! i will do that that 45mm is truly a gem on the system, my next step will be the 25 prime or the 12-40 2.8 pro i cant decide! probably the 12-40 pro if i can purchase one on good state second hand. Thank you Robin!
Another great video, thank you Robin, I purchased this lens over a year ago and have to say it produces razor sharp images.
Indeed, it does produce really impressive results, something many would not expect such tiny lens to be capable of making.
I've got this lens mounted now on an original E-M5 (Mark i) body that I purchased just last week(!) for under $140! It's a low cost light weight rig but delivers great images!
Wow, what a bargain, and yes, that is a great combo, small, stealthy and can deliver fantastic results.
I have the Olympus 17mm, 45mm and 75mm f/1.8 primes which cover most use cases. They are all seriously good lenses, for me though it is the 75mm that really stands out.
Robin,I love your enthusiasm.
Cheers
I love my 45mm! I use it a lot on my food photography.
me too!
Great lens for food shooting
One of my favorite Olympus lenses.
Mine too
I ordered this lens a couple months ago with a $50 discount on the Olympus website. I am in Vietnam, and it was delivered to my dad's place in Vermont. It'll be my present to myself when I get home, once the world becomes sane again. Please world, get sane, so I can use this lens!
Update. Just purchased my 45mm f/1.8 and I'm already loving it! Thanks for letting us know about it!
Great lens! I have a couple of other lenses in my camera bag, but this lens is always the first one I have attached to my camera!
I can say the same!
Luv your passion man....Always good stuff...😎
Thanks for the kind words!
This was my first lens buy after the ‘kit’ lens and it’s a portrait BEAST! So tiny and light but soooooo capable!
That is exactly my situation. I ordered mine before I saw this video. Not delivered yet but from what I see in comments I think it was a good choice 😊
Just got mine delivered today ☺️
Just 110€ including a lens hood (used, but like new).
Coming from a vintage 50mm 1.9, this tiny thing is a beast for taking pictures of our cats in low light 🤣
Thanks Robin. I bought this second hand today for a cheap price in perfect condition.
I scored one for $120. It's actually the second prime lens I purchased (found a 30mm macro for $160). I love how versatile it is for what I do with it (family events, snake photos).
Just grabbed this for 219$ on mpb love how in just getting into m43 at the right time where all these lens were 4-6 hundred dollars years ago and are now dirt cheap on the used market. Bought a g7 about 2 months ago and have sourced 4 lens for under 1k
Awesome I have this lens and dont use it as much as I should. Recently I bought the Panasonic Lumix. G9 II i think this lens will be a perfect partner for it. Cheers John
I've just bought this one! My first prime lens ever.
What an amazing experience with yo article! Congratulations. Thanks for sharing that story!! Keep up!! Love the videos. And yes, love the look of the 45mm.
Olympus 45 mm f 1.8 Is fantastic!!
Thanks for the great video Robin :)
No worries, glad I can share
looking forward to get one!
nice video Robin i am thinking of adding this to my E-PL9/EM10 mkII, it will compliment my 14-42mm & 40-150mm.
Great video Robin. I really love this lens too! I was very fortunate a few years ago to pick up a used OMD EM10 and a 45mm F1.8 for $200 AUD. Lens was in mint condition and decided to sell the EM10 for $200 and keep the 45mm for my EM5. I'm always happy with the results I get and will continue to use it for many years to come :)
Fantastically explains 10 reason , amazing , thank you so much sir
I’m just about to move to M4/3 Robin by purchasing EM5 markiii & am finding your videos a great help in my selection of lenses. I’m pretty much settled on the kit lens14-150, +75-300 ( for wildlife ) and either the 30 mm macro or the lens you review here the 45 mm1.8. Iloved your photo examples but would really have appreciated the settings which you normally include. Thanks for great tips & Im delighted you are now an OMD visionary. They would have been mad to let you go. Greetings from a grateful Scot🙏🏻🏴
Own it and love it! what a gem! :)
indeed, a gem it is!
Robin, I have an important question for you. You truly love the Olympus 45mm f1.8 and I'm curious as to how you usually focus with f1.8. Do you use a pinpoint focus, 1 area focus, or face detect? Keep up the great videos!
I did a photoshoot in studio last saturday and I am in the middle of processing the photos.
Was very curious about background highlights on few of my lenses with Christmas lights and other shiny decorations. Zooms unfortunately have "onion rings", while M.Zuiko 75mm F1,8 and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 came to have the best highlights
I was about to be critical a bit about the sharpness when compared to 25mm F1.4 Summilux, but after closer examination of the photos I retracted that argument. Also at F2,2 and F2,5 were both lenses exceptionally sharp. Given the fact that Summilux is considered to be among the sharpest M43 lenses this is quite surprising find.
Also highlights. Summilux unfortunately has visible aperture at the edges, 45mm F1.8 had perfectly round highlights, both at F2.2 and F2.5 apertures.
One last find... Olympus lenses tend to be slightly more bluish compared to Lumix lenses. Comparing 25mm Summilux and 45mm F1.8 this difference appears to be 350 Kelvin. If you want to match two such lenses, add to Olympus one, or alternatively substract from Lumix.
Miss the old days :) stay healthy always
Beautiful lens. I absolutely love it!
This was super insightful! Thank you so much!
hey. i just ordered the lense and watched this video. i am as excited as you! :D great video. thanks for the information
This was the first prime lens I bought years ago, and it remains probably my favourite. I even bought the Nocticron 42.5 at one point, but ended up returning it, as my little 1.8 was overall packing more than enough punch for such a tiny size and price tag. Don’t get me wrong, the 42.5 had a slightly more shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh, but the difference between them was far smaller than I ever expected. Plus it was so big and heavy!
Good work!
The plastic fantastic, love this lens!!
I love it too
top lens for your money❤️
Agreed
Nice anecdotal stories as well. Will step out of the comfort zone of all purpose zooms and start using this lens. It was not getting any attention at all till now.
Go give it a try, it is worth more of your attention!
this lens is a must-have for nearly every MFT user
There is only one reason why this lens is awesome: it is a great lens
Your words are very interesting, thank you
All are agreed - a superb lens.I've only had mine a week but the results have been stunning, especially the way it renders that creamy background blur.
Talking of which, Mr. Johnston did not invent or 'introduce' the concept of 'bokeh' to photography. He merely found a sex non-English word to replace 'blur/'background blur', which doesn't sound so classy.
The same thing happened when a guy called Jack Duganne started calling his inject prints 'giclée. This French word is intended to give an air of class to the end result, which is no more than an inkjet print.
The word 'giclée' is simply the French for 'squirt/spout/spray'. A friend of mine started marketing his prints as 'giclée' tho' they were produced in exactly the same way, from the same printer, as the prints he formerly sold as 'inkjet'!
Great summary! For me it is also the very low price (high value) that makes it a no-brainer for an Olympus kit. The only drawback for me is the close focusing distance that is a bit on the long side, 50 cm. Since it is so small and light I often reach for it for quick product photography, e.g. eBay. Most other similar lenses would be at 35-40 cm range.
I think this Lens is an Ideal Standard Lens. It could be used for Portraits, Weddings, Videos and Excellent for blurring the background, yet light and compact. My question is, does it have water resistant and dust protection properties or not. Many Thanks for the useful review and best regards.
Hello Robin, can we expect the same sharpness and quality if this lens is paired with a Lumix G9?
Completly agree. I simply do not understant why its value on the second hand market is lower than its 12mm f2.0 or 17 mm f1.8 range mates.
It's cheaper even brand new
The 12mm is a really premium-feeling lens. Beautiful, dense metal body, perfectly dampened clutch mechanism. And the 17mm isn't far behind.
...which I think is unnecessary. Because the plastic lightness of the 45mm f/1.8 is perfectly great in its own right.
@@dayeah765caoni3 Yeah you might be right, but I did'nt pay attention to that... bought it second hand ;-) . But it really does the job.
dear robin, which is better, zuiko 45mm or sigma 56mm? I'm confused about which quality is the best.
Wonderful presentation:)
Have you ever considered doing a comparison, or made any commentary in reference to the Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens to the Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 lens?
I did consider upgrading to the f1.2 pro but cannot justify the extra cost. The 1.8 is a great little lens
Indeed, the 45mm F1.8 is a great little performer
I got the f1.2 for free with the recent olympus campaign... with covid19 i still havent tried it properly, but looking at the 1.8 in Robins hand, wow so small... i guess both are different
Great video Robin. I had this lens for several years and I use it alot. I also use it for portret and its a geat lens for many things. And small as you can stick it in the pocket. My friend and Canon shooter is always jealous on my small weight gear :-)
Yeah, it is one lens to do it all, very capable and versatile, once you have mastered using medium telephoto range for composition.
nice small lens but unfortunately my copy was soft until f/2.8, got rid of it after 6 months, some have copies sharp wide open so i guess i got unlucky
That is very unfortunate! To see how sharp my 45mm F1.8 at wide open is, if you have a 4K monitor, the video was shot at F1.8!
@@robinwong it happens, still had fun with it so no problems
Verrygood Thank You
Great Robin I watched your video with geat interest, I subscribed to your channel .
hi robin, can this lens be used in lumix gx camera?
Black or silver on a silver body? Any opinions? Tganks
Thanks for the video. Can you please share what filter you're using @8:01 especially? I have a 37mm UV on mine and it makes it easy to spot when I'm reaching for it - the one with the small top. But your (ND filter?) looked to be larger than the lens...curious. TY! Or . . . is that the MCON-P02?
Zuiko 25/1.8, 45/1.8 and 75/1.8 are thew reason why m43 got so popular. They are truly good lenses. Unfortunately 17/1.8 and 12/1.8 are not as good, and have significant (5%+) optical barrel distortion which makes the photos of people somewhat weird due to the massive correctional digital stretching.
Can you please compare this lens with Sigma 56mm f1.4? Does anyone have both?
I have both. IMO the Sigma 56mm is sharper and even better in low light on my M1-2. In fact, it's as sharp, if not sharper than the Oly 75mm 1.8. However, I love the size and weight of the Oly 45. I'm not disappointed with either.
@@ponchodawson7741 Thanks the answer I was looking for.
Hi Robin,
A friend of mine is selling the 45. However I just bought the 25 mm pro panosonic..I am looking to upgrade my lenses for landscape, portraits etc. What 3 lenses would you recommend adding to my kit? Thanks
Bailey Knoll
Baru beli lens & camera ni. 😊
Robin...don’t “shake your money maker”...you may end up with blurry photos!!!! 😛
Robin, thanks for yet another enthusiastic video. I can totally relate to all the positives you mention.
About the sharpness: I saw several people commenting that the lens they have is not that sharp. I also saw a rather nice review on the OM-D E-M10 MKIII by Matt Granger where he used the camera with three lenses, amongst which the 45mm f1.8. He mentioned that it is a rather nice lens, but not that sharp (see: th-cam.com/video/VwnCAz3WtRg/w-d-xo.html). I checked the photos I shot with the 45mm f1.8. It turned out I hardly shoot wide open, but the photos shot wide open are very sharp. I find it very unlike Olympus to have inconsistency in production, but apparently it seems the case with this lens. Are they all produced in one location or are several production plants used?
I have never encountered 45mm lens that is not sharp, I have worked with Olympus for many years, and even after I have left I continued to work closely with them on consumer events, being their Visionary, etc. I am not saying that the problem does not exist, but I have no answer for you. Every single 45mm F1.8 I have encountered has been super sharp.
i have one)))
Cool
Yes it's cheap used since everyone that has used MTF has owned one. But personally I've tried a couple and was never impressed. I know it's unpopular opinion.
Love his videos... Robin Wong has to be one of the most endearing and enthusiastic photographers around!
I also think the lens is perfect. You forgot another reason. Because the lens is so small, it appears much less threatened to people and you can easily walk between people.
This 45mm 1.8, and pany 25mm 1.7 are wonderful lenses...budget lenses
Yeah, for the price you are paying, you get a lot out of the 45mm F1.8 lens!
Oh great, I have those two! Glad someone else thinks they are good.
It is a very good lens and I love its simplicity, compactness and am reminded of the image quality of my Leica Summicron 35mm 1.4 optic I used during the 1970s.
indeed, for such a small lens, the results you get from it is truly remarkable
Reason number 11. A wonderful lens for street photography. It is so small that it doesn't attract a lot of attention. Thanks Robin for a wonderful video ... also for the reminder to dig this out of my camera bag more often.
NO worries, glad I can share. Yes, the lens deserves a bit more attention!
my main lens for street photography, bought it by mistaking it for a 25mm, never shipped it back, became my main. So small it's contrasting when I see other photographers sometimes with their huge full frame and lenses
I keep researching this lense and have almost purchased it several times, but have stopped each time thinking I don't shoot enough portraits to justify the purchase. However, this video has finally convinced me that I need to add it to my camera bag and will be buying it straight away! Thank you Robin...for this great video and all your other awesome videos!
@Alex Konstantinow agree totally. So far, at least 90% of my shots with this lens haven't been portraits
Going to buy one, but got a Panasonic 25mm lens instead. The Olympus and Panasonic primes, when coupled with IBIS, are awesome lenses for night photography.
@@ianmcnamara2100 I have the Panasonic 25mm f1.7 as well.
I have this lease and portraits are the furthest from my mind. It’s a great lens and I’ve just started to use it on my Panasonic G9 and the results have blown me away. I hope you purchased it!
@@loushared6602 I did and loving it. Got a used one from BH Photo Video for good price.
Bro, your smile makes me smile. Imma buy this lens, thanks 🔥
This is the first non-kit Olympus lens I purchased. Not realizing that the lens is often discounted, I paid the full price of $400 for it. I feel it is worth every penny even at full price. That Olympus could make a 90mm equivalent lens with such great performance in such a small package is nothing short of amazing.
Indeed, it showcases the lens expertise and know how of Olympus, they really do know what they are doing
I got it for $199 and couldn't be more pleased.
I own the Zuiko 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm lenses. They are all excellent lenses, but the 45mm is certainly my favorites. Absolutely beautiful results every time. It is a real bargain and a must-have for any micro four-thirds set up.
Definitely a must have, agree with you!
The 17 wasn’t that sharp overall and the 25 I had wasn’t sharp at the borders. The 45 is perfect though. I have to test the 75 :))) Although for the same price I got a Canon 135 f2 which of course has monster size...
About to get one today.
ha, first comment! You always make me want buy more Robin! Bad influence :-) Thanks as always for sharing your knowledge and expertise.
Me too
Well, this is not an expensive lens, so don't feel too guilty buying it!
@@robinwong you ARE a good sales person indeed Robin. I like all your videos and have been following you for a few years now. I especially liked one particular thing you said that was not directly photography related and to which I do not want to attract attention here in this forum as this is out of context. :-)
Photographers anecdote with this lens:
Me to model: "Let's take close ups with my favourite lens"
Model "Oh, what a tiny cute thing. Is it a toy?"
Model after shoot: "Wow!"
:-)
In my opinion, it still outcompetes the 25mm/1.2 during most situations
Thanks, dear Robin and enjoy your coffee.
Joerg
Thanks Joerg for the coffee and kind words. I guess, we can't compare 25mm vs 45mm, they are both very different lens, they render the background (telephoto compression) very differently!
@@robinwong Thanks, dear Robin.
Indeed, the telecompression is an very important effect. Therefore I'm only switching from 45mm to 25mm if needed, e.g. limited space.
Have a nice day. Cheers , Joerg
This lens weather sealed and with a 46 mm filter thread - it would be a dream lens! Well, with this low price, weather sealing is not that much of an issue, because the lens is so cheap. Still, I would pay more and carry (a bit) more weight for the convenience. It might actually come … ;-)
Great lens loves the f1.8 lenses, so easy to keep in a pocket just wish the 45mm had the same focus ring like the 17mm and all f1.8 lenses used the same filter thread thought your point 11 would be you have ten for sale on eBay lol. point 12 try the 45mm with the extension tube it's a fantastic macro lens then.
The 45mm was meant to be in a lower tier than the 17mm, hence it has plastic body and no manual focusing clutch. Not sure what happened after that, Olympus just put them all in the same category.
@@robinwong .seems just as sharp,would be fantastic if the new company revised the F1.8 lenses and updated them.
I mainly shoot video and have an M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8, but I haven't mastered it yet.
I would like to consciously use it more.
It is a wonderful lens for video, creating cinematic look!
I totally agree Robin. This lens is so small and light and the results are amazing. It is so much fun to take pictures with my Pen-F. A realy good combo. At least the price is really good for this lens.
Thanks for your video. Your pictures in this video are very nice by the way!
Thanks Andreas for the kind words. I always emphasize on photos first - for me at least, no photos, no talk! There is no point rambling on about how great the lens is, if I don't have anything to show!
I really love this lens too. When I'm not underway with the "big" equipment (M1M3 and Pro lenses), I always have the PEN-F with the 17 mm 1.8 attached, the 45 mm 1.8 and the FL-LM3 in my bag. So I can do Landscape, Street and Portrait with minimal gear in a superb quality. :-)
For portrait and street photography, the 45mm is a must have lens!
I’ve had this lens for years and it continues to amaze me! Almost all my MFT lenses are Olympus. My only complaint is the lack of included lens hoods in all but the most expensive Oly lenses, and the fact that the hoods are expensive if you do get them. Great images Robin!
I love the 45 and now you made me not want to buy a pro version lol
if you don't need the weather-sealing, or F1.2 bright aperture, the 45mm F1.8 is more than sufficient!
@@robinwong which one is better at night?
I love this lens; however, I'm thinking about selling it and buying the Sigma 56mm F1.4 in its place.
i love your positive energy bro....keep the great work
Back at the end of 2011 I got my first M43 camera (E-P1) and the first lens I bought was the 45mm F1.8. It was amazing to get that dreamy out of focus look for a very reasonable price. I still have the 45mm and I still love it.
Recently there has been so many people saying the gap between FF and M43 has closed. But is it possible to find an equivalent FF lens of the same price, size and capability? I would be surprised.
M43 lives!
This is my favorite lens ever. Literally every picture i take with it makes every other lens feel underwhelming
Hi Robin, I'm sure that now you are more famous than Steve Huff and Mike Johnston together (I never heard of them before). Please continue your great job!
It is not a competition! We are all different and we bring different things to the table. Variety is good for content especially these days!
@@robinwong That's what I say too! And thank you, Robin, for your kind words.
Hi Robin. This was one of my first Olympus lenses. In pre-OM-D days I intended to work with the 4 f1.8 primes only. The EM-5 and the 12-40 PRO changed all that. I still have the 45, and use it periodically. Thanks for a good review.
Sure, the 12-40mm is a fantastic lens! And if you need a PRO, that is one must have lens.
Sometimes there are lenses that make you wanna switch camera brands. This is one of those lenses. Thank goodness Tamron made the 45 1.8 USD VC lens for Nikon. I feel just a great about my Tamron as you do about this great little lens.
Just bought one for $80... mft rules
At the same time, other brands are making monstrously heavy and expensive optics for their mirrorless cameras ... funny!
Precisely, this lens shows what a true Micro Four Thirds system is capable of. Small, light yet powerful!
Great video Robin bringing out the Top reasons of this unique lens...and the fact that it was introduced in 2011 and still remains a top choice...and all this for an unbeatable price of USD 299 !!!
indeed, for that price, it brings a lot to the table!
Great review. For my very light kit, I carry the 45 and the Panny 20 to use on my good old EPL5. Works for most situations I find myself in when mountain biking, ski touring, or just wanting a light kit than with my OMD with Pro lenses. It's hard to beat a such great lens that fits in a shirt pocket!
Hey man, may I ask a question, is there an advantage using ibis even it's brod daylight? Or should I disable it and just use it when shutter needs to be low?