Nice comparison Rob! Thanks for confirming my thoughts on this lens. On a side note I picked up the Olympus 14-150 new for $400 and it came with a Em5m2 for free. Now I have two Em5m2 haha.
Great review, as always! Thank you for such an unbiased and objective testing which unfortunately many UA-camrs simply ignore because they got a freebie from the manufacturers to plug their products. As regards the lens, why would I want to buy a $95 paperweight?
@@RobTrek You're doing a great job and have integrity, just continue with what you are doing! I generally do not follow the majority of reviews simply because they are not impartial. They are given freebies by the manufacturers and know that it is tough to criticize too much. That is why there are so many product reviews on YT right now as manufacturers/distributors realise that this is a very cheap form of product placement.
Wow, never even knew that Yongnuo sold a native m43 lens! I have an canon to m43 adapter to make use of my old Canon 50mm f1.8 but also found the auto focus hit rate to be less than great. I recently picked up a m.Zuiko 45 f1.8, the competitive performance is streets ahead, and smaller and lighter as a package too. Great to have cheap options all the same. That is the beauty of m43... lots of options.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video Rob. I can’t see many people buying this lens. Better to spend a bit more and get a used Oly 45mm. Have a fab Christmas 🎄🍾🥂🎂
It would have been a huge shock to me if Yongnuo lens was better than the Olympus 45mm f/1.8, which is a crazy sharp lens and I love it. You are absolutely right. One must always do a comparison. I always tell the Mrs that she is my favourite wife and she always gives the same smirk. Thank you very much for your time and effort.
I don't have an Olympus camera, but I do have 3 Yongnuo lenses for my Sony A7ii. The lenses are for Canon EOS, but I'm using an adapter on the A7ii. I like the 100mm f/2 and the 35mm f/2 full-frame. The 50mm f/1.8 is okay. I only use them for photos.
You'll find the 50mm 1.4 quite pleasing as well. It comes very close to the original Canon version. I found it just a tiny bit less sharp (could be production variation there though) and the highlights in the bokeh are a little bit darker (a bit grayish) on the Yognuo version. Otherwise the bokeh is literally the sames. Only the AFs in speed are worlds apart in favor of the Canon, so be aware of that, but the AF worked in general for me on the Metabones adapter with the A7II.
The zuiko 45mm is still my most used lens since the day I got it. I got a 7 Artisans 35mm f1.2 and although the bokeh is really nice the manual focus is really a pain to use. As you demonstrated the Yongnuo lens is ok in manual focus mode, I would get the 7 Artisans with f1.2. I should send some picture for editing next time.
The yongnuo wouldn’t really figure here in the uk because V.A.T., customs duty and handling would make it as expensive as the oly. I bought the 7artisans f1.2 mark I after bumping into a friendly fox on Xmas day and am trying to decide between the oly 45 f1.8 or the 7a 55 f1.4 which is another mf lens. So how does the oly shape up when used manually? Check out #twosocksthefox fotos on Instagram mostly taken using the 7artisans 35mm f1.2 and available light!I
I'll give it a chance when it comes. They got a couple of things right but still too many faults. If they fix those in version 2, they'll have a winner.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Yongnuo performs better on a Panasonic camera - going for 42.5 mm points in this direction (Edit: oh, I see, you tested it, it doesn't). I had this phenomenon with a Panasonic lens on my Olympus Pen F (bad autofocus, noisy operation) and went nearly fully Olympus afterwards. It seems to be no general problem, as I have an old Panasonic kit zoom that works perfectly fine on the Pen F. But what this test shows to me: This old and cheap Olympus 45mm F1.8 is astonishingly good for its price point, and Olympus did a really good job back then. I like it, and I use it quite often. Still waiting for a weather sealed version … ;-)
Hey Rob - Take a look at the Yi 42.5 1.8.. I got it on sale, brand new for $35... It's SURPRISINGLY good compared to the Oly 45 1.8.. There's no manual focus on it but it does have a great macro option.
Glass makes the difference, you get what you pay for. And yes you have to compare similar lenses.The Olympus has very good glass and fine focus motors for accuracy. It is an older lens and the fine motors means it moves more slowly but as the focussing is done in the camera, it should not be satisfied until the lens is in focus. You should not get forward or back focussing when the focussing is done on the sensor. It is only with roof focus sensors where that might occur (mirrors). An ad hoc comparison I recently did on E-M5ii with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 vs adapted (all manual) Chinon 50mm f/1.9 and Chinon 50mm f/1.4 found the two slower lenses to be very similar but the faster Chinon 50mm f/1.4, which was ever a high-end lens, to be significantly sharper and clearer. True it has to be focussed manually but the focus peaking makes this easy. With a very shallow DoF wide open the focus does have to be spot-on.
@@RobTrek I own and like the Xiami Yi 42,5mm f1.8. I am not able to compare it to the Olympus 45 f1,8 myself though, but for what I read in reviews is it is equally good. I believe it is even cheaper than the Yongnuo. If you would have the chance to make that comparison, that would be very nice.
Indoor portrait shot, I disagree at 2.8, I think the Olympus is much nicer, for more reason than color. Thanks for the great video. What a piece of junk lens, at least they gave it a go!
@@RobTrek You use E-m1, I have a good lens to compare to the Olympus 45mm 1.8. Olympus MMF-1,2,3 or DMW-MA1 or generic adapter, and Olympus 50mm f2. Rendering is very different than the Olympus 45mm probably a much harder argument to find a winner in still photos. The AF doesn't really work for video, and loud....but hey, that was the case for the Yongnuo anyways. Plus the 50mm f2 is macro!
the olympus is still sharper. You get what you pay for Yongnou. If you're really on a budget and you'll just use it for social media post, yongnou is good enough.
THANKS -----------------------------------very helpful .......Hey hope your well ........I bought a 45mm olympus 1.7 and am very happy with a used one ........got it for a great deal .........just a little double of the yongnuo at 90 bucks ...so will be loving this awesome Portrait lens but I would have considered the YONGNUO
Your review is unfair. The Yongnuo is less than half the price of the Olympus lens. That can be a deciding factor for many people. The Yongnuo is really worth the price.
Fair enough. But I like to compare lenses against other similar lenses. I'm not aware of any other lenses as cheap as the Yongnuo that I could compare. So I used the cheapest lens I had.
Rob, part of the problmem is thst you're measuring chalk with cheese. To be honesr, Rob, you are not best qualifued to do these tests. Rob Trek, you are respected fir your teaxhing skills. This is not worthy of you. Rick
@@extremelydave Yes, Dave, but Rob (a very dear friend) needs to also think, carefully, on what he's saying. My connent is to ask my friend, Rob, to think more carefully. Sadly, Rob is not thinking as carefully as he should. Too many livesteeams? Come on, Rob, be more carefull or we'll loose respect, my friend
With all due respect, 99% of UA-camrs are not qualified to do any objective and totally impartial test of camera gear. It's just pure entertainment and for click baits.
![Olympus 17mm, 25mm and 45mm F1.8 - [Which One?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DfwnhP0szOo/mqdefault.jpg)
Good review. I hope you gave your model a special snack after the hard work she did!
Thanks, Peter! Yes, we shared a rotisserie chicken for lunch.
Thanks for the review Rob, I was considering buying this Yongnuo lens but your video review has prevented me from being disappointed.
Glad to help. Don't buy this lens!
Nice comparison Rob! Thanks for confirming my thoughts on this lens. On a side note I picked up the Olympus 14-150 new for $400 and it came with a Em5m2 for free. Now I have two Em5m2 haha.
That's a incredible deal. I was looking at the em5 mii body only for 549 USD
@@sdhute I'm with you that's why I couldn't resist 😁. It was B&H but they didn't advertise it.
Thanks. Wow! I'd be tempted have have 2 em5m2 myself at that price.
Great review, as always! Thank you for such an unbiased and objective testing which unfortunately many UA-camrs simply ignore because they got a freebie from the manufacturers to plug their products.
As regards the lens, why would I want to buy a $95 paperweight?
Thanks. I try to be fair but the lens had too many faults to even make the smallest recommendation. I'm returning it tomorrow.
@@RobTrek You're doing a great job and have integrity, just continue with what you are doing! I generally do not follow the majority of reviews simply because they are not impartial. They are given freebies by the manufacturers and know that it is tough to criticize too much. That is why there are so many product reviews on YT right now as manufacturers/distributors realise that this is a very cheap form of product placement.
and today it's not $95 anymore, it's $138
@@PhilippeOrlando Now, that's a very expensive paperweight!
Awesomely thorough review!
Thank you kindly!
Wow, never even knew that Yongnuo sold a native m43 lens! I have an canon to m43 adapter to make use of my old Canon 50mm f1.8 but also found the auto focus hit rate to be less than great. I recently picked up a m.Zuiko 45 f1.8, the competitive performance is streets ahead, and smaller and lighter as a package too. Great to have cheap options all the same. That is the beauty of m43... lots of options.
One of the many reasons I love m43, the selection!
Excellent video!
Thank you very much!
Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video Rob. I can’t see many people buying this lens. Better to spend a bit more and get a used Oly 45mm. Have a fab Christmas 🎄🍾🥂🎂
Thanks, Jeff. I try. Merry Christmas!
Recently, Yongnuo launched the Mark ii version of this lens. I just wonder if the one tested is the Mark ii version.
I'm pretty sure it was the Mark I.
Merry Christmas Rob 🎄
Merry Christmas!
It would have been a huge shock to me if Yongnuo lens was better than the Olympus 45mm f/1.8, which is a crazy sharp lens and I love it.
You are absolutely right. One must always do a comparison. I always tell the Mrs that she is my favourite wife and she always gives the same smirk.
Thank you very much for your time and effort.
Haha! I was a little surprised how bad it was. Their flashes are not bad.
@@RobTrek Totally agree. I have 2 of their flashes.
Did ya say omd em1 Mkii has only contrast detect not hybrid? I thought all the ems had hybrid? Superb video as always friend! 👍👍👍👍
Thanks. Yes, the em1 ii & iii are hybrids. I may have misspoke in the video.
Rob was referring to the EM5-ii which has contrast-only focusing (4:52)
Ty Rob for the review! Pretty obvious where Yongnuo saved the money here. They would've been better off releasing a manual focus lens xD
Great idea!
I don't have an Olympus camera, but I do have 3 Yongnuo lenses for my Sony A7ii. The lenses are for Canon EOS, but I'm using an adapter on the A7ii. I like the 100mm f/2 and the 35mm f/2 full-frame. The 50mm f/1.8 is okay. I only use them for photos.
Yongnuo still has some work to do with Olympus cameras. I really had no idea they made lenses until I bought this lens.
You'll find the 50mm 1.4 quite pleasing as well. It comes very close to the original Canon version. I found it just a tiny bit less sharp (could be production variation there though) and the highlights in the bokeh are a little bit darker (a bit grayish) on the Yognuo version. Otherwise the bokeh is literally the sames.
Only the AFs in speed are worlds apart in favor of the Canon, so be aware of that, but the AF worked in general for me on the Metabones adapter with the A7II.
Very helpful Rob thanks
Glad to help! Thanks.
The zuiko 45mm is still my most used lens since the day I got it. I got a 7 Artisans 35mm f1.2 and although the bokeh is really nice the manual focus is really a pain to use. As you demonstrated the Yongnuo lens is ok in manual focus mode, I would get the 7 Artisans with f1.2. I should send some picture for editing next time.
Yes, would love to see some!
The yongnuo wouldn’t really figure here in the uk because V.A.T., customs duty and handling would make it as expensive as the oly.
I bought the 7artisans f1.2 mark I after bumping into a friendly fox on Xmas day and am trying to decide between the oly 45 f1.8 or the 7a 55 f1.4 which is another mf lens. So how does the oly shape up when used manually? Check out #twosocksthefox fotos on Instagram mostly taken using the 7artisans 35mm f1.2 and available light!I
Nice jacket Rob !!!
Thanks. Got it on Amazon for $20.
I got this lens, came with Y1M1 camera body. Lens works great.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing!
The Oly 45mm is a very popular lens, therefore there's also a lot of them on sale used. It's a great lens and the price used is extreme good value.
Agreed!
I was looking for some cheap lenses and found a 2nd hand 45mm f1.8 zuiko for $120+
well.. I'm not regretting that I bought. its a great lens for me.
Great deal!
I think there might be a version 2 lens coming out. Thought I read that someplace.
I'll give it a chance when it comes. They got a couple of things right but still too many faults. If they fix those in version 2, they'll have a winner.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Yongnuo performs better on a Panasonic camera - going for 42.5 mm points in this direction (Edit: oh, I see, you tested it, it doesn't). I had this phenomenon with a Panasonic lens on my Olympus Pen F (bad autofocus, noisy operation) and went nearly fully Olympus afterwards. It seems to be no general problem, as I have an old Panasonic kit zoom that works perfectly fine on the Pen F. But what this test shows to me: This old and cheap Olympus 45mm F1.8 is astonishingly good for its price point, and Olympus did a really good job back then. I like it, and I use it quite often. Still waiting for a weather sealed version … ;-)
Thanks. I didn't do a ton of testing on the Panasonic, but after a few shots and video I could tell it was no better.
Hey Rob - Take a look at the Yi 42.5 1.8.. I got it on sale, brand new for $35... It's SURPRISINGLY good compared to the Oly 45 1.8.. There's no manual focus on it but it does have a great macro option.
Will keep an eye out for one at that price. I saw a few at $70. Good to hear from you, Sonny. It's been a while.
35$ Thats insane its now for 50€ on ali
Can it work on a rebel t6 camera
The lens in my video is for mirrorless. The closes lens is a 50mm f/1.8 EF mount for a Canon T6.
Glass makes the difference, you get what you pay for. And yes you have to compare similar lenses.The Olympus has very good glass and fine focus motors for accuracy. It is an older lens and the fine motors means it moves more slowly but as the focussing is done in the camera, it should not be satisfied until the lens is in focus. You should not get forward or back focussing when the focussing is done on the sensor. It is only with roof focus sensors where that might occur (mirrors).
An ad hoc comparison I recently did on E-M5ii with the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 vs adapted (all manual) Chinon 50mm f/1.9 and Chinon 50mm f/1.4 found the two slower lenses to be very similar but the faster Chinon 50mm f/1.4, which was ever a high-end lens, to be significantly sharper and clearer. True it has to be focussed manually but the focus peaking makes this easy. With a very shallow DoF wide open the focus does have to be spot-on.
Thanks for sharing your experience. -Rob
I have very old Lumix G5. This lens is very sharp for portraits even at f/1.7
Thanks for sharing!
It reminds me of the Xiaomi micro four thirds lens
Haven't seen the Xiaomi.
@@RobTrek I own and like the Xiami Yi 42,5mm f1.8. I am not able to compare it to the Olympus 45 f1,8 myself though, but for what I read in reviews is it is equally good. I believe it is even cheaper than the Yongnuo. If you would have the chance to make that comparison, that would be very nice.
Indoor portrait shot, I disagree at 2.8, I think the Olympus is much nicer, for more reason than color.
Thanks for the great video. What a piece of junk lens, at least they gave it a go!
Thanks!
@@RobTrek You use E-m1, I have a good lens to compare to the Olympus 45mm 1.8.
Olympus MMF-1,2,3 or DMW-MA1 or generic adapter, and Olympus 50mm f2.
Rendering is very different than the Olympus 45mm probably a much harder argument to find a winner in still photos.
The AF doesn't really work for video, and loud....but hey, that was the case for the Yongnuo anyways.
Plus the 50mm f2 is macro!
Hello, i think I saw your fingerprint on the lens
Haha! Yes, you did.
It's the Mark of Zorro (Rob)
the olympus is still sharper. You get what you pay for Yongnou. If you're really on a budget and you'll just use it for social media post, yongnou is good enough.
When it works, it works and has decent IQ.
If the Oly 45 f1.8 could talk he'd say "it's good to be the King" 😉
Agreed!
Bottom line: you get what you pay for. Both lenses work pretty well, but the more expensive one works better.
Pretty much sums it up! Thanks.
THANKS -----------------------------------very helpful .......Hey hope your well ........I bought a 45mm olympus 1.7 and am very happy with a used one ........got it for a great deal .........just a little double of the yongnuo at 90 bucks ...so will be loving this awesome Portrait lens but I would have considered the YONGNUO
by the way LOVE THE HAT
Glad it helped! I ordered the hat off Amazon. Thanks.
Your review is unfair. The Yongnuo is less than half the price of the Olympus lens. That can be a deciding factor for many people. The Yongnuo is really worth the price.
Fair enough. But I like to compare lenses against other similar lenses. I'm not aware of any other lenses as cheap as the Yongnuo that I could compare. So I used the cheapest lens I had.
@@RobTrek There is another cheap lens by Xiaomi called "Xi". Same price. Perhaps better optically.
OK, good to know that there's such an affordable manual lens for µ 4/3 ;-)
Robin Wong did a video on a cheaper lens like this here: ua-cam.com/video/yPD5Yztwl7A/v-deo.html
Thank you very much, I will stay away from that lens.
There is a version II that Robin Wong reviewed. Might want to check his video to see if it's any better.
@@RobTrek Yesterday I have ordered the Zuiko 45 mm. Thanks. I'm going to watch the video anyway.
Good to be armed with data before opening the wallet....
Thanks, Dave. Yeah, save your money.
Rob, part of the problmem is thst you're measuring chalk with cheese.
To be honesr, Rob, you are not best qualifued to do these tests.
Rob Trek, you are respected fir your teaxhing skills. This is not worthy of you.
Rick
Geez Rick, maybe you should back off on the meds a little bit.... a tad harsh here...
@@extremelydave Yes, Dave, but Rob (a very dear friend) needs to also think, carefully, on what he's saying. My connent is to ask my friend, Rob, to think more carefully. Sadly, Rob is not thinking as carefully as he should. Too many livesteeams? Come on, Rob, be more carefull or we'll loose respect, my friend
@@extremelydave Have I missed so much time lately that something happened to the lovefest that I don't know about? Is Rick all good? I'm concerned.
With all due respect, 99% of UA-camrs are not qualified to do any objective and totally impartial test of camera gear. It's just pure entertainment and for click baits.
@@TL-xw6fh With all due respect, I don't recall Rob saying he was a technical expert. In fact, I believe he indicated the reverse.