in terms of value, here's another way to look at this lens (from a non-pro's perspective); for the price of just the 45mm f/1.2 PRO, you could buy three f1.8 lenses: 17mm; 25mm and 45mm.
To be fair to Olympus despite the relatively high price it's clear they intend micro four thirds as a format to be taken seriously. Professionals demand high quality optics, ultimately that's the most important part of the camera system. Taken in that context this lens makes perfect sense 😃
Agreed Albert, I love the 45mm f/1.8, but the 45 PRO is built considerably better, is optically a bit better and it does focus faster - but the difference is minuscule... Is it worth 3x as much? If I were a working pro yes, an enthusiast? Likely not....
Excellent video Darren, as always, and an intelligent comparison with the highly acclaimed 45mm f/1.8. But I have been waiting AGES for you to post this :) Pleeeeese don't make me wait so long next time :)
Darren you could say that any brand of pro lens is not really worth it to the enthusiast, this excellent lens is clearly aimed at the professional user and for that demographic it is definitely worth it. Nice video as always, thanks
Agreed - basically the summation in the video. It's a great lens, much better wide open than the 25 - at least with the sample copies I was testing :-)
HI Darren - Thanks for your great reviews! I always enjoy. I have a Standard Poodle and he's always glued to your reviews with me. We're lucky enough to watch in a man cave on a 78" LG OLED. He loves the three minute "montages" and goes bananas when he sees kitty cats. Or course, he votes for more Kitty Cats (especially video clips) and, for me, how about a D850 review when you get a chance? Thanks again.
Harry and Joe (the cats) - say "hello!" Thank you for the kind words! Haven't even held the D850 yet - it's on my radar, but this is the busiest time of year for me, so it's hard to get to reviews, I have a few that I've written, but just can't find the time to record just yet... But I will be trying the D850 at some point in the near future!
Darren, how you don't have more than 500,000 subscribers is just puzzling to me. Just recently used M4/3 and this review makes my decision to get this lens over the nocticron easier. Thanks a lot men.
been a following your videos since, I cant remember anymore, got the tokina 100mm f2.8 for my nikon because of your review, and also some other nikon lenses. keep up the good work men. Thanks for the videos.
The flaw in the conclusion that the lens should only get an 8 in value is that it assumes that m4/3 lenses should be cheap, which assumption itself implies that m4/3 is not a pro system. This feeds the prejudice. A better way to determine the lens' value is to judge it against the best of the Nikon and Canon 85mm lenses, both of which, I believe, cost more, as do the Zeiss 85mm offerings.
Steady Rolling that’s a perfectly fair critique, my only real issue is the price disparity between the f/1.8 and the f/1.2.... there’s more to a lens than just its optics - but are the resulting images of the f/1.2 3 times better than the f/1.8’s? Subjective stuff, I know, but if there’s a question of value it’s not that the f/1.2 isn’t suitable for a pro, because clearly it is..
I looked at this video in 2K and started comparing some of the excellent images to what I have from my fuji xt1 plus 56mm F1.2 . I'd say that the IQ is to close to see a difference.Handling could be a real plus on the Oly simply for the old stile marking and the smooth focus turn (like that a lot).Price is right considering one will have to look at second hand to get quality and amount of glass for under a thousand.The plastic hood is a small downer but when I consider that even Leica and Zeiss hoods are now made in China (They won't admit it) that is a issue we all better get used to .Very enjoyable report as usual .
Thank you very much! I've never so much as even held a Fuji camera - Ken Wheeler (Theoria Apophasis) has been on my case to try them for over a year now... To me, Olympus is the perfect balance....
Thank you Daren, i was already waiting for your review of this lens. As enthusiast photographer i will follow your advice and stick to my Old 45mm F1.8.
Even as a semi-pro (is there such a thing) I am still not convinced. I'll hang on to my 45 1.8... I don't think I hit the limit with this guy yet. Thanks for another solid review!
Great review. Thanks Darren. I'm not a pro, but I really do like the build of the Olympus pro line. It's so nicely made. Maybe I have to save up for a bit and add this one to my collection.
Thanks Evan - it really could be - the PRO line is awesome, but they're not cheap and the f/1.8's from Oly are really excellent - especially for the money!!
Agreed. Olympus really have their bases covered well. A high end pro-lens with a price to match with the 1.2 as well as affordable and compact excellence with the 1.8. Great for us consumers to have such nice options.
I was just thinking "man, I haven't seen Darren Miles, in awhile. Did he recover from that storm?". I went to check you channel and realized that I simply wasn't subscribed... not sure how that happened. Well, I fixed that problem. Good to see more reviews from you!
Wait a little while, and the price will come down. Buy a used one in a year or so, and you can save even more. I just got used 12-40mm and 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lenses this year for about 2/3 of the original price. I have had no issues with either. These things are solid. I have the 45mm f1.8, and it's great. It takes very nice portraits. I would have to see a spectacular deal on this one to think about upgrading. I'm an enthusiast like Darren talks about, not a pro. I dabble a little on Shutterstock, but for me that's mostly about wildlife with my longer Olympus lenses (the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO and 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II). If I'm going to throw down big money for a lens, the next one for me would be the Panasonic Leica 100-400mm f4.0-6.3 to replace my 75-300. I can't exactly take my smart phone to a wildlife refuge and capture birds in flight. That's what my OM-D E-M1 is for.
Well, you KNOW I’d be watching this one! Owning the Nocticron 42.5 1.2 already I may stick with it despite weather sealing on the Oly. However, I will be picking up the upcoming Oly 17mm 1.2. If you use Olympus for weddings like I do, these 1.2 lenses are a fantastic addition. As always, great review!
Great review Darren! Did you happen to notice how quickly the purple fringing disappears when stopping down? One click or 2 stops? I know many ultra fast lenses suffer from this wide open, and this one doesn't seem to be to severe unless pushed to the extreme. You and your sunny southwest Florida. It was 14 degrees up here in Pennsylvania this morning. Send some of that warmth up this way!
Thank you very much! That’s a great question - the CA’s become less noticeable I would say probably around f/2.8 - but given the superfast nature of the lens, chromatic aberration is actually reasonably well controlled even at F/1.2. Besides with light room, it’s a one click fix - doesn’t get much easier than that :-) Here’s wishing a warm Gulfstream wind up to the northeast :-) happy holidays!
The way to purchase the Pro lenses is to wait on the 20% outlet sales. It's not guaranteed stock, but I got the 45mm F1.2 for roughly $768 before taxes, and it is eligible for the 4 year extended warranty. I did the same thing when I bought my 40-150mm F2.8. It is definitely the way to go for cheap Oly lenses.
Hi Darren, what do you think about the PRO line from Olympus/ OM in 2021/2022? Is it still worth in your opinion? Do you still have mft equipment? I’m just curious. I’m a professional photographer and videographer in southwest Germany and I work daily (very happy) with Olympus. I work also with Nikon Z, but rarely. Merry Christmas for you and your family!
Hi Darren, Can you make a video and compare 45mm F1.2 PRO with 75mm f1.8 ? I have 45mm F1.8 and 75mm f1.8, but I am not sure if buying 45mm F1.2 PRO can be beneficial for me.
Love the videos, keep it up! Just an fyi the EM1 mkii uses phase detection vs the typical contrast detection autofocus. Which is why it doesn't need to hunt for the subject to obtain focus.
Frank Smith thanks Frank, I wonder if they - Olympus - somehow improved the phase detect on the EM 1-2 because it seems to work even better than the EM 1 mark I....
Great Video Darren, I have the Panasonic Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 that is totally awesome, expensive, but awesome :-) Its the only non-olympus len I have for my OMD EM1 mkii. As you say the Pro-series of lens from Olympus are stella !
I like the Honesty of the review ( value). Sounds like a great lens but m43 has become too expensive for me I just switched to Fuji xt20 +18 55 and I am learning to use it now. Will you do a review of the Olympus Em1.2 ?
I'm going to try, not sure if I can dedicate the time right now to focus on a whole camera review - though I'm using it right now - EM1-ii and I LOVE it!!
I just got a G9 and would like to know if the features on the lens are compatible with it, and if autofocus is as fast. I know the G9 has better IS than Olympus and I like this speed lens for keeping noise down and making DOF more shallow. What is your opinion. ALSO, I read some test that say that this lens has less fringing and is sharper than the Panasonic Lecia 1.2.
Great review, also the music choice excellent, sounds good. I'm would like to know which lenses best choice would be for gh5 between Olympus 45mm f/1.2 PRO and Panasonic Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 My uses 90% for video. Until now I was sure I'm buying Panasonic lens... and now come new model but Olympus and its looks good. Need advise
Zhi - it's actually the 15mm from DJI as part of their drone - it's an M43 lens - I've barely used it, I bought the gimbal second hand and they included the lens....
I bought an 85mm 1.2L II for my FF Canon after I bought the 42.5 Nocticron for my Panasonic cameras. I never use the 42.5mm Nocticron anymore. It was a fun little segway to shallow dof only FF can provide. I find more value in the 12mm 1.4 which at 24mm equivalent, subject isolation isn't it's specialty so there isn't much disparity between a full frame 24mm 1.4 L. And the 25mm 1.4 is so tiny, light, and rugged, I will always have a place for this lens when traveling light even though I have a better 50mm lens on full frame. The 85mm equivalents when you move to full frame will quickly lose it's usefulness in my opinion. If I had to do it all over again, knowing that I'm searching for shallowest dof as possible, I would not have went for the $1400 ~85mm f/2.8 apurture equiv. Nocticron. It's a pretty paperweight though.
OMD EM1 MII is 121 points of cross type on chip phase detection plus contrast detection focusing. All lenses with MSC drives should focus nearly instantly, all non MSC lenses should focus extremely fast, all 4/3 adapted SWD lenses should focus extremely fast and all regular drive lenses should focus very fast.
Saurat The most notable high profile photographer that made the switch to Olympus is Joe Edelman, check out his video on why he switched to the Olympus OMD EM 1 - Mark ii, it’s pretty eye-opening...
No mention of the Panasonic Leica Nocticron 42.5 f/1.2? Probably worth mentioning as an alternative for your viewers even if you haven't reviewed it. I have it, and it's built like a tank - you certainly couldn't accuse the lens hood of being flimsy. On the downside, it's $200 more expensive than the Olympus. On the upside, it's been around for a few years, so it's possible to get it used like I did
It's a great lens, I reviewed it back in 2014 - not sure why I didn't bring it up, but it's worth mentioning - I sometimes get wrapped up in the Olympus box even though I shoot more with the GH5 and GH4 - but on the whole I prefer Olympus glass - except for the 42.5 f/1.2 - THAT is an awesome lens! It's built slightly better than the 45 PRO too - optically though, they're on par with one another....
For me as an M43 shooter, these lens are very expensive and they all have much cheaper, smaller equivalence with excellent image quality. However, from reading the reviews for these lenses, they all give supreme image quality even when shot wide open, and more importantly, optically flawless....they are targeted at the professional m43 shooter...for me though, i wouldn't consider buying it until they drop to around 2/3 or 1/2 the price on the pre-owned market!
I am not a fan of the FF 85mm focal length or any of the equivalent lenses. I personally prefer the FF 105mm. I wish Olympus would make a lens to compete more closely with the Nikon 105 F1.4.
Hi Darren, I don't really understand why you don't recommand this lense knowing that you did recommand the pana-leica 42,5 that cost 1500 when you reviewed it...
Julien Merelli the final score was still a highly recommended 47.5/50 for the oly 45 and a 48/50 for the Panasonic. I just thought the pany was just a bit better. These days we’re talking about differences that are just razor thin between cameras and lenses. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.
Hm, i don't want to bash, but for this price and size i can get a canon EF 85mm 1.8 (or 50mm 1.4) with a Rebel T7i body and get a better image out of it... I just don't undestand the whole point of MFT (price wise).
Great review, how does it compare to the pan leica 42.5mm for overall image quality? Also for your wine shot in front of the christmas tree, perhaps a little backlight to make the wine glass glow! ha ha
Image quality is almost identical between them, I will say that the 42.5 is actually built to an even higher standard than the Olympus 45. In fact out of all of the micro 4/3 lenses that I’ve ever used, to me the 42.5 is one of the best built. Even the lens hood is made out of metal. I was going to back light that shot with the wineglass but I was up against a deadline and I didn’t have time to run to the studio to get one of my studio lights, but chose to go with it, because I thought the Bokeh was too good to resist!
mate, hi, nothing but nothing will part me and my nocticron 42.5mm. very expensive here in australia. i even use it for landscapes!!! the in built stabilizer give 7stops with the camera body. it is only after a while in using each lens you have do you find its good points. color rendering is different with this lens as opposed to a m.zuicko. warmer in some way. anyway, thx darren. all the best. j.
Why does he twice assume an amateur would buy Micro 4/3 to get "slightly better" quality than a cell phone camera? Surely, Micro 4/3 is better than that by a long chalk. Sound like an implied swipe at Micro 4/3, which he also says might attract professionals. A bit of an equivocation.
Hi Darren. Thank you for your answer. I'm a huge fan of m4/3 system. But it meant to be relatively light and cheap. This Oly is neither light nor cheap. I mean, ff 85 1.8 is similar weight and much cheaper. And this is very dissapointing for me. And by "better results" I mean ability to achieve shallow depth of field and therefore this dreamy look (like 85 1.2 on ff). Btw your reviews are really great in my opinion! :)
Maciej, in terms of build this *is* a 45mm f/1.2 lens (regardless of what those numbers mean in practice on a M43 sensor), and a very high quality one at that, so the price ought to be comparable to a similar lens used on FF or ASP-C. So the question becomes does someone want to have a FF camera or a M43, and that choice is one loaded with pros and cons which ought to result in different answers for different photographers.
It's luckily dropped in price just a tad now. You can pick one up for around $950 brand new. A 45 f1.2 will give you about the same depth of field as an 85 f1.8. Full frame cameras are definitely the smarter buy, but micro four thirds cameras are a joy to use. The handling, ergonomics, features, lens selection, sharpness, and so on are what make the micro four thirds system a good system to use.
Hey Darren, I am going to be buying a portrait lens soon for my g7. I am leaning towards the Pana Leica 42.5 and used I can snag it for 800. Do you think it is worth the money? I would go for the Oly 1.2 but it doesn't have ois and it is so new you can't find a good used deal. By the way love your reviews.
I absolutely think it's worth the money - does it work? Is it the f/1.7 version in disguise? That sounds like a really good deal to me - thank you for the kind words too!
... Hmmm, thats not a no brainer. You have to mount a 1200$ lens with excellent quality on cameras with under average sensors, what makes no sense at all. I switched away from Olympus this year, because of the lack of pro image quality. For my understanding of pro, Olympus and Panasonic are out of this category. There is no progress in the last years in dynamic range and lower noise at base ISO. Buy an A7RIII, put a half priced 85mm F1.8 on it and you end with the max of possible image quality, the size is nearly the same, you get more DOF and also perfect af speed. I love mFT, but we‘re at a point, where they really have to move in the image quality department. Becaue pros have the money to switch into other systems, if they feel like they have to...
The biggest issue for M43 for me is performance in low light - though it's getting better, it's tough to compete with FF sensors in that specific area.
Consider this lens is £1200 in the UK, that's $1660 at the time of me typing this. I don't see this as a worthy investment in a sensor system that will be dead for stills photography in the next 5 years.
Would love to see this compared to the Panasonic 42.5 f1.2 and I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that. Keep up the great work.
Excellent review,. There's nothing like real world results, thank you for including these. It certainly looks like a superb lens.
Thank you very much! It really is!
Love your objective reviews I can always count on you great job 👍
in terms of value, here's another way to look at this lens (from a non-pro's perspective); for the price of just the 45mm f/1.2 PRO, you could buy three f1.8 lenses: 17mm; 25mm and 45mm.
To be fair to Olympus despite the relatively high price it's clear they intend micro four thirds as a format to be taken seriously. Professionals demand high quality optics, ultimately that's the most important part of the camera system. Taken in that context this lens makes perfect sense 😃
Great point! The quality of the Olympus optics is nothing short of astounding!
Does anyone else think Olympus would be one of the best lens manufacturers in the world if they made lenses for different mounts and systems?
I have the 45mm f1.8 and it's amazing.. So you gotta think long and hard if you need that extra 2/3rd's f-stop.. Great review.
Agreed Albert, I love the 45mm f/1.8, but the 45 PRO is built considerably better, is optically a bit better and it does focus faster - but the difference is minuscule... Is it worth 3x as much? If I were a working pro yes, an enthusiast? Likely not....
Excellent video Darren, as always, and an intelligent comparison with the highly acclaimed 45mm f/1.8. But I have been waiting AGES for you to post this :) Pleeeeese don't make me wait so long next time :)
Darren you could say that any brand of pro lens is not really worth it to the enthusiast, this excellent lens is clearly aimed at the professional user and for that demographic it is definitely worth it. Nice video as always, thanks
Agreed - basically the summation in the video. It's a great lens, much better wide open than the 25 - at least with the sample copies I was testing :-)
Such a lovely lens. This is a good argument for now being able to use M4/3 professionally.
HI Darren - Thanks for your great reviews! I always enjoy. I have a Standard Poodle and he's always glued to your reviews with me. We're lucky enough to watch in a man cave on a 78" LG OLED. He loves the three minute "montages" and goes bananas when he sees kitty cats. Or course, he votes for more Kitty Cats (especially video clips) and, for me, how about a D850 review when you get a chance? Thanks again.
Harry and Joe (the cats) - say "hello!" Thank you for the kind words! Haven't even held the D850 yet - it's on my radar, but this is the busiest time of year for me, so it's hard to get to reviews, I have a few that I've written, but just can't find the time to record just yet... But I will be trying the D850 at some point in the near future!
Would you mind doing 17mm f1.2 review. I have been waiting for this
Darren, how you don't have more than 500,000 subscribers is just puzzling to me. Just recently used M4/3 and this review makes my decision to get this lens over the nocticron easier. Thanks a lot men.
JC Rage what a kind thing to say,, thank you very much! It’s a SWEET lens - expensive, but sweet!
been a following your videos since, I cant remember anymore, got the tokina 100mm f2.8 for my nikon because of your review, and also some other nikon lenses. keep up the good work men. Thanks for the videos.
Darren Miles how do you compare this to nocticron.
The flaw in the conclusion that the lens should only get an 8 in value is that it assumes that m4/3 lenses should be cheap, which assumption itself implies that m4/3 is not a pro system. This feeds the prejudice. A better way to determine the lens' value is to judge it against the best of the Nikon and Canon 85mm lenses, both of which, I believe, cost more, as do the Zeiss 85mm offerings.
Steady Rolling that’s a perfectly fair critique, my only real issue is the price disparity between the f/1.8 and the f/1.2.... there’s more to a lens than just its optics - but are the resulting images of the f/1.2 3 times better than the f/1.8’s? Subjective stuff, I know, but if there’s a question of value it’s not that the f/1.2 isn’t suitable for a pro, because clearly it is..
I looked at this video in 2K and started comparing some of the excellent images to what I have from my fuji xt1 plus 56mm F1.2 . I'd say that the IQ is to close to see a difference.Handling could be a real plus on the Oly simply for the old stile marking and the smooth focus turn (like that a lot).Price is right considering one will have to look at second hand to get quality and amount of glass for under a thousand.The plastic hood is a small downer but when I consider that even Leica and Zeiss hoods are now made in China (They won't admit it) that is a issue we all better get used to .Very enjoyable report as usual .
Thank you very much! I've never so much as even held a Fuji camera - Ken Wheeler (Theoria Apophasis) has been on my case to try them for over a year now... To me, Olympus is the perfect balance....
Thank you Daren, i was already waiting for your review of this lens. As enthusiast photographer i will follow your advice and stick to my Old 45mm F1.8.
You can't go wrong with either!
Even as a semi-pro (is there such a thing) I am still not convinced. I'll hang on to my 45 1.8... I don't think I hit the limit with this guy yet. Thanks for another solid review!
Thank you! The other thing I didn't mention is that you do get manual focus with the 45 PRO - with an actual distance meter...
Great review. Thanks Darren. I'm not a pro, but I really do like the build of the Olympus pro line. It's so nicely made. Maybe I have to save up for a bit and add this one to my collection.
Thanks Evan - it really could be - the PRO line is awesome, but they're not cheap and the f/1.8's from Oly are really excellent - especially for the money!!
Agreed. Olympus really have their bases covered well. A high end pro-lens with a price to match with the 1.2 as well as affordable and compact excellence with the 1.8. Great for us consumers to have such nice options.
I was just thinking "man, I haven't seen Darren Miles, in awhile. Did he recover from that storm?". I went to check you channel and realized that I simply wasn't subscribed... not sure how that happened. Well, I fixed that problem. Good to see more reviews from you!
Thanks Skyler - I actually made a pod cast in the wake of Irma - pretty surreal, but we totally lucked out - only minor damages... Whew!
Wait a little while, and the price will come down. Buy a used one in a year or so, and you can save even more. I just got used 12-40mm and 40-150mm f2.8 PRO lenses this year for about 2/3 of the original price. I have had no issues with either. These things are solid.
I have the 45mm f1.8, and it's great. It takes very nice portraits. I would have to see a spectacular deal on this one to think about upgrading.
I'm an enthusiast like Darren talks about, not a pro. I dabble a little on Shutterstock, but for me that's mostly about wildlife with my longer Olympus lenses (the 40-150mm f2.8 PRO and 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II). If I'm going to throw down big money for a lens, the next one for me would be the Panasonic Leica 100-400mm f4.0-6.3 to replace my 75-300.
I can't exactly take my smart phone to a wildlife refuge and capture birds in flight. That's what my OM-D E-M1 is for.
Well, you KNOW I’d be watching this one! Owning the Nocticron 42.5 1.2 already I may stick with it despite weather sealing on the Oly. However, I will be picking up the upcoming Oly 17mm 1.2. If you use Olympus for weddings like I do, these 1.2 lenses are a fantastic addition. As always, great review!
Thanks Steve - it's a pretty sweet lens!!
Great review Darren! Did you happen to notice how quickly the purple fringing disappears when stopping down? One click or 2 stops? I know many ultra fast lenses suffer from this wide open, and this one doesn't seem to be to severe unless pushed to the extreme. You and your sunny southwest Florida. It was 14 degrees up here in Pennsylvania this morning. Send some of that warmth up this way!
Thank you very much! That’s a great question - the CA’s become less noticeable I would say probably around f/2.8 - but given the superfast nature of the lens, chromatic aberration is actually reasonably well controlled even at F/1.2. Besides with light room, it’s a one click fix - doesn’t get much easier than that :-)
Here’s wishing a warm Gulfstream wind up to the northeast :-) happy holidays!
The way to purchase the Pro lenses is to wait on the 20% outlet sales. It's not guaranteed stock, but I got the 45mm F1.2 for roughly $768 before taxes, and it is eligible for the 4 year extended warranty. I did the same thing when I bought my 40-150mm F2.8. It is definitely the way to go for cheap Oly lenses.
Hi Darren, what do you think about the PRO line from Olympus/ OM in 2021/2022? Is it still worth in your opinion? Do you still have mft equipment? I’m just curious. I’m a professional photographer and videographer in southwest Germany and I work daily (very happy) with Olympus. I work also with Nikon Z, but rarely. Merry Christmas for you and your family!
Great and honest review as always.
Waldemir Queiroz thank you!
What if we are looking to become pro? Should we make do with the 1.8 or just have to have the 1.2 Pro?
Hi Darren,
Can you make a video and compare 45mm F1.2 PRO with 75mm f1.8 ?
I have 45mm F1.8 and 75mm f1.8, but I am not sure if buying 45mm F1.2 PRO can be beneficial for me.
Love the videos, keep it up! Just an fyi the EM1 mkii uses phase detection vs the typical contrast detection autofocus. Which is why it doesn't need to hunt for the subject to obtain focus.
Frank Smith thanks Frank, I wonder if they - Olympus - somehow improved the phase detect on the EM 1-2 because it seems to work even better than the EM 1 mark I....
Great Video Darren, I have the Panasonic Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 that is totally awesome, expensive, but awesome :-) Its the only non-olympus len I have for my OMD EM1 mkii. As you say the Pro-series of lens from Olympus are stella !
I love the Pany 42.5 f/1.2, and it's actually built a bit better than the 45 PRO...
Your reviews are the best!
Thank you very, very much!
I like the Honesty of the review ( value). Sounds like a great lens but m43 has become too expensive for me I just switched to Fuji xt20 +18 55 and I am learning to use it now.
Will you do a review of the Olympus Em1.2 ?
I'm going to try, not sure if I can dedicate the time right now to focus on a whole camera review - though I'm using it right now - EM1-ii and I LOVE it!!
I was ready to buy but you convinced me to stay with the 45mm 1.8.
Smart choice! If you don't need it, you don't need it...
I picked up the 45mm 1.8 for 200 bucks over the Black Friday sales. 200! A steal.
That IS a steal!!!
Great review Darren.
Thank you very much!!
Much better lens than anything full frame muscle flexers offer.
I just got a G9 and would like to know if the features on the lens are compatible with it, and if autofocus is as fast. I know the G9 has better
IS than Olympus and I like this speed lens for keeping noise down and
making DOF more shallow. What is your opinion. ALSO, I read some test
that say that this lens has less fringing and is sharper than the Panasonic
Lecia 1.2.
How about comparison to the Nocticron? And if i was using a Panasonic body.....would the Olympus give me that fast AF as well?
What happened to that borrowed E-M1mkII's shutter button? Seems to have a dimple, but they don't have a dimple normally...
Great review, also the music choice excellent, sounds good. I'm would like to know which lenses best choice would be for gh5 between Olympus 45mm f/1.2 PRO and Panasonic Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 My uses 90% for video. Until now I was sure I'm buying Panasonic lens... and now come new model but Olympus and its looks good. Need advise
Really either. The Olympus is bit less expensive, and I prefer the AF/MF clutch mechanism on the Olympus, really great for video!
Thank you for answer
I noticed the Panasonic 15mm f1.7 in the sample image. Do you plan to do a review on that lens? :)
Zhi - it's actually the 15mm from DJI as part of their drone - it's an M43 lens - I've barely used it, I bought the gimbal second hand and they included the lens....
I bought an 85mm 1.2L II for my FF Canon after I bought the 42.5 Nocticron for my Panasonic cameras. I never use the 42.5mm Nocticron anymore. It was a fun little segway to shallow dof only FF can provide. I find more value in the 12mm 1.4 which at 24mm equivalent, subject isolation isn't it's specialty so there isn't much disparity between a full frame 24mm 1.4 L. And the 25mm 1.4 is so tiny, light, and rugged, I will always have a place for this lens when traveling light even though I have a better 50mm lens on full frame. The 85mm equivalents when you move to full frame will quickly lose it's usefulness in my opinion. If I had to do it all over again, knowing that I'm searching for shallowest dof as possible, I would not have went for the $1400 ~85mm f/2.8 apurture equiv. Nocticron. It's a pretty paperweight though.
FF will always win when it comes to a narrow D.O.F.
OMD EM1 MII is 121 points of cross type on chip phase detection plus contrast detection focusing. All lenses with MSC drives should focus nearly instantly, all non MSC lenses should focus extremely fast, all 4/3 adapted SWD lenses should focus extremely fast and all regular drive lenses should focus very fast.
Darren - I'm wondering, have you reviewed the Panasonic GX8 camera and their affiliated lens line-up?
Olympus make stunning gear, but who are the professionals that use it? Where are they? What do they do and where can one see their work?
Saurat The most notable high profile photographer that made the switch to Olympus is Joe Edelman, check out his video on why he switched to the Olympus OMD EM 1 - Mark ii, it’s pretty eye-opening...
No mention of the Panasonic Leica Nocticron 42.5 f/1.2? Probably worth mentioning as an alternative for your viewers even if you haven't reviewed it. I have it, and it's built like a tank - you certainly couldn't accuse the lens hood of being flimsy. On the downside, it's $200 more expensive than the Olympus. On the upside, it's been around for a few years, so it's possible to get it used like I did
It's a great lens, I reviewed it back in 2014 - not sure why I didn't bring it up, but it's worth mentioning - I sometimes get wrapped up in the Olympus box even though I shoot more with the GH5 and GH4 - but on the whole I prefer Olympus glass - except for the 42.5 f/1.2 - THAT is an awesome lens! It's built slightly better than the 45 PRO too - optically though, they're on par with one another....
Darren Miles true. And maybe the Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4 Summilux might be less disappointing than the new Oly since it’s much cheaper!
For me as an M43 shooter, these lens are very expensive and they all have much cheaper, smaller equivalence with excellent image quality. However, from reading the reviews for these lenses, they all give supreme image quality even when shot wide open, and more importantly, optically flawless....they are targeted at the professional m43 shooter...for me though, i wouldn't consider buying it until they drop to around 2/3 or 1/2 the price on the pre-owned market!
there was no comparison between this and the 45 F1.8 as promised
I am not a fan of the FF 85mm focal length or any of the equivalent lenses. I personally prefer the FF 105mm. I wish Olympus would make a lens to compete more closely with the Nikon 105 F1.4.
Hi Darren, I don't really understand why you don't recommand this lense knowing that you did recommand the pana-leica 42,5 that cost 1500 when you reviewed it...
Julien Merelli the final score was still a highly recommended 47.5/50 for the oly 45 and a 48/50 for the Panasonic. I just thought the pany was just a bit better. These days we’re talking about differences that are just razor thin between cameras and lenses. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.
Thank you very much Darren
Great review. Am I wrong or do you have a peak design camera strap? Because those are fantastic!
Not sure, the OMD EM-1 Mark ii used in this review is borrowed, I'll ask the owner.
Yes it is....
Dan Thompson great taste in camera straps! I love mine.
Darren do you use flash or hdr for your real estate photography?
how does it compare to the pana leica 42,5mm f1.2? Should i get the olympus 45mm f1.2 or the pan leica?
Flip a coin - seriously - they're both great - the Pany is built a wee bit better - much better lens hood.... Both are great though....
Hm, i don't want to bash, but for this price and size i can get a canon EF 85mm 1.8 (or 50mm 1.4) with a Rebel T7i body and get a better image out of it... I just don't undestand the whole point of MFT (price wise).
Great review, how does it compare to the pan leica 42.5mm for overall image quality? Also for your wine shot in front of the christmas tree, perhaps a little backlight to make the wine glass glow! ha ha
Image quality is almost identical between them, I will say that the 42.5 is actually built to an even higher standard than the Olympus 45. In fact out of all of the micro 4/3 lenses that I’ve ever used, to me the 42.5 is one of the best built. Even the lens hood is made out of metal.
I was going to back light that shot with the wineglass but I was up against a deadline and I didn’t have time to run to the studio to get one of my studio lights, but chose to go with it, because I thought the Bokeh was too good to resist!
mate, hi, nothing but nothing will part me and my nocticron 42.5mm. very expensive here in australia. i even use it for landscapes!!! the in built stabilizer give 7stops with the camera body. it is only after a while in using each lens you have do you find its good points. color rendering is different with this lens as opposed to a m.zuicko. warmer in some way. anyway, thx darren. all the best. j.
Yes the tree bokeh was beautiful... Thank you, so really then the biggest difference is the manual focus is much better on the Olympus?
Thank you! Good to hear how much better the stabilization is. Do you ever use manual focus, if so how responsive is it?
yes, from what i can see here in darrens review. j.
Why does he twice assume an amateur would buy Micro 4/3 to get "slightly better" quality than a cell phone camera? Surely, Micro 4/3 is better than that by a long chalk. Sound like an implied swipe at Micro 4/3, which he also says might attract professionals. A bit of an equivocation.
so 90mm f/2.4 eq for $1199? really? it's cheaper to buy an older ff camera + 85 1.8 lens and have better results... come on!
Yes and no. f/2.4 in DOF equivalent. Lighter weight on the M43, and as for "better results" - very subjective...
Hi Darren. Thank you for your answer. I'm a huge fan of m4/3 system. But it meant to be relatively light and cheap. This Oly is neither light nor cheap. I mean, ff 85 1.8 is similar weight and much cheaper. And this is very dissapointing for me. And by "better results" I mean ability to achieve shallow depth of field and therefore this dreamy look (like 85 1.2 on ff). Btw your reviews are really great in my opinion! :)
Maciej, in terms of build this *is* a 45mm f/1.2 lens (regardless of what those numbers mean in practice on a M43 sensor), and a very high quality one at that, so the price ought to be comparable to a similar lens used on FF or ASP-C. So the question becomes does someone want to have a FF camera or a M43, and that choice is one loaded with pros and cons which ought to result in different answers for different photographers.
It's luckily dropped in price just a tad now. You can pick one up for around $950 brand new. A 45 f1.2 will give you about the same depth of field as an 85 f1.8. Full frame cameras are definitely the smarter buy, but micro four thirds cameras are a joy to use. The handling, ergonomics, features, lens selection, sharpness, and so on are what make the micro four thirds system a good system to use.
Hey Darren,
I am going to be buying a portrait lens soon for my g7. I am leaning towards the Pana Leica 42.5 and used I can snag it for 800. Do you think it is worth the money? I would go for the Oly 1.2 but it doesn't have ois and it is so new you can't find a good used deal. By the way love your reviews.
I absolutely think it's worth the money - does it work? Is it the f/1.7 version in disguise? That sounds like a really good deal to me - thank you for the kind words too!
Nice 👍🏻
What do u use to record this video?
shakalaka Panasonic gh5- Olympus 40-150 PRO lens
Where do I get the shakalaka attachment for my Oly 40-150?! ;)
... Hmmm, thats not a no brainer. You have to mount a 1200$ lens with excellent quality on cameras with under average sensors, what makes no sense at all. I switched away from Olympus this year, because of the lack of pro image quality. For my understanding of pro, Olympus and Panasonic are out of this category. There is no progress in the last years in dynamic range and lower noise at base ISO. Buy an A7RIII, put a half priced 85mm F1.8 on it and you end with the max of possible image quality, the size is nearly the same, you get more DOF and also perfect af speed.
I love mFT, but we‘re at a point, where they really have to move in the image quality department. Becaue pros have the money to switch into other systems, if they feel like they have to...
The biggest issue for M43 for me is performance in low light - though it's getting better, it's tough to compete with FF sensors in that specific area.
Consider this lens is £1200 in the UK, that's $1660 at the time of me typing this. I don't see this as a worthy investment in a sensor system that will be dead for stills photography in the next 5 years.
This dude just confused himself with his review, he looks like a Tony clone. His A7 might be a half notch better than OMD in a best scenario.