I’ve owned this lens for a couple years now. It’s my favorite and most used Olympus lens. Perfect focal length for portraits. I probably use it 3x more than my 25 1.2.
I considered buying the Pana-Leica 42.5mm F/1.2 especially when I found out that my workplace offered to their employees a discount directly from Panasonic on all of their products. I could have gotten that lens for $400 off, a price lower than any other I could find! But I didn't have the disposable cash for such a luxury at the time, and then Olympus came out with their pro portrait lens. Comparing the images from each lens to each other, and viewing many UA-cam and internet comparison videos and articles, the Olympus always came out slightly ahead of the Panasonic. And it was cheaper to boot, and I was using an Olympus body already so the 45 mm PRO was a no brainer. I bought it recently on sale at their lowest offered price before the price increase. The extra stop of light over the 45mm F/1.8 keeps my ISO a little lower, the weather sealing, the sharper corners, the additional shallow DOF and the feathered bokeh made the price difference & added size & weight worth it to me. However, the 45mm F/1.8 is a wonderful lens and does give you more bang for the buck.
Yeah, 45mm F1.8 is already an excellent lens, nothing to complain about, but of course F1.2 is a different category and the pricing itself may put some people off.
@@robinwong One thing I have learned from UA-cam is that commenters are rarely kind. My statement on your photos and analysis has to stand as fact alone.
The 45/1.2 is the only Olympus prime lens I own right now (still planning for 60mm macro as my second prime lens). I bought it mainly for its sharpness and total absence of any distortion, and its main use is to scan large format photos I produce with my 5x7 and 11x14 large format cameras.
@@robinwong I'll check that when I get it. Problem might be the larger focal length which needs a significantly longer rod on the copy stand to "scan" an 11x14.
Had this lens for 6 months or so. It hardly leaves the camera now I love it so much. Where I can, I zoom (mostly out lol) with my feet. There’s a dreamyness about the photos that make it something special. Ridiculously expensive, but worth every cent if that makes sense lol
Excellent overview of the 45 f/1.2, Robin. I recently obtained a used copy of the 25mm f/1.2 and I love it! The image character is just superb. It has rapidly become, not just one of my favourite Olympus lenses, but frankly, one of my all time favourite lenses. Period! In fact, I could almost glue it to the front of my E-M1 since I have hardly removed it at all. That said, experiencing such a lovely lens, has had the unfortunate effect of making me wonder about the 45mm, and the 17mm. I don't want to buy either new as they are a little out of my budget right now, but I am keeping my eyes open for good used examples. By the way, I loved the photography in this video. The images you made of the actors were truly excellent! A great job all round.
The 45mm 1.8 is also great for the smaller bodies you talked about. I use my 1.2 on my OM-1. The 45mm 1.8 stays on my EM-10. Both are excellent. I have the trinity of 1.8 lenes, but only have the 45 1.2 for professional portraits.
OK...l own the f/1.2 Trinity...and all the PRO lenses...also...all of the GREAT small primes! I have an M1 III AND an M1X...and a couple of PEN-F's...LOVE what you had to say Robin! Spot on...if I am taking out my larger bodies...the PRO lenses are coming, too...The Kit is so amazing and sooooooo much smaller and lighter than a FF Kit!...To me...the f/1.2 glass is stunning....just really stunning...so...it’s worth the haul and the expense...If I want to travel light I am taking a PEN-F body or two and the smaller primes...they deliver very well, too!That is the BEAUTY of MFT...The options! There are so many! ALL of it keeps me excited about photography... I dearly hope that Olympus survives this shake up....for me...they are a still photographers dream....Thanks for another informative video!
This is simply stunning lens! For portraits, nothing comes closer to it, may be just 75/1.8 which is amazing too. I love this lens so much! Robin, thanks a lot for bringing attention to this optical masterpiece! And, yes - bokeh on it is sooo delicious ....
You can use the 45mm F/1.2 PRO to shoot any subject you want to but the lens was primarily designed as a fast portrait lens. When shooting a subject at a 3/4 angle (nearest eye focus) from 2.73 feet wide open, the acceptable DOF is 0.4 inches! That's 0.2" in front; 0.2" in back. That means the far eye is out of focus, and the nose, ears and hair are even more out of focus! Many of us don't need more shallow depth of field than that!
To me, F1.2 for Micro Four Thirds is not necessarily for shallow depth of field, but for low light shooting. I can get away with ISO3200 instead of 6400, and that makes a big difference in some tight situations.
this and the 75mm 1.8 are my favorites. Sometimes I cannot differentiate between them. FYI, I looked at a great shot of mine with the 45 1.8, where I took the time and effort to take an excellent shot. Only the bokeh revealed it was not the 1.2..
A 45/1.2 is finally on its way to me! I've been shooting with the 25+45 f/1.8 combo for almost 10 years - time to make things fun by switching to 1.2 :D I am really curious about the real-world difference between this and the 1.8. Watching videos and sample photos does not really make it justice - I know, because only once I got the 25/1.2 I really saw how much better it is than the 1.8 version.
3:47 Great diagram! The ring type bokeh looks very "busy" and I found yesterday my old 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko ZMC OM system manual focus lens has that. Cool but the creamy feathered variety is much more pleasing generally I think. The Olympus M Zuiko 45/1.8 and 17/1.8 MFT lenses have that and so does the old Zuiko MC 85 f/2.
Agreed Robin the 45mm 1.8 is a good workhorse ( portraits, street portraits and events) and gentler on the bank balance if you do not want the Pro build and weather sealing. How does the Sigma 56mm 1.4 look in the bokeh rendering ?
I have not personally seen the Sigma in person. I have tried the 16mm F1.4 and 30mm F1.4, not the 56mm. The 16mm and 30mm aren't that impressive though, I'd rather use Olympus 17mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8
Wow, nice! I feel the 45pro can give context to the portrait when needed, else completely give feather background. Both are advantageous. It's a beauty. But for me, right now, the GAS list is em 10 4, f1.8 trinity, wider f2.0, and that superb 75 premium
Have to admit, though, that the "feathered bokeh" looks pretty cool. Wish they could do that to the 45mm f1.8. That lens's depth of field is as shallow as I need it to be.
Beautiful, but out of my price range... I use a pair of 7artisans lenses, $100 each.. 35mm F1.2 and the amazing 55mm F1.4. Flawed but fun manual beauties. Thanks again!
Mr Wong Would appreciate some input on a possible new lense, all are used and excellent or new condition, with not to much of a price difference . Options are: Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary -, £329. Olympus M.Zuiko ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO £619 Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75mm f/1.8 £369. Main use will be portrait.
Hi Robin can you review the Canon R5 and the 800mm f/11. Maybe a comparison between them and the em1-3 with the olympus 100-400. This comparison video would attract a lot of non m43 user to watch, and would be good publicity for m43 and olympus. Just my opinion. Have a nice day.
There is so much camera wars going on out there for no reason. Those gear wars videos are making photography so boring. I am a Canon amateur and love photography. I really appreciate Robin Wong enthusiasm for photography, with Olympus gear or not. being involved in those comparison, war reviews could be a bad idea for Robin now, with all the bad publicity some photographers now youtubers are doing, specially JIP's strategy is yet unknown. Just my opinion... Good Job Robin.
I like your videos and kind personality. I still don't understand what does f1.2 means in terms of depth of field compared to full frame. Does it mean it's more like f2 in 35mm equivalent? I have no idea. My background is biology I don't understand physics 😕
@@greggpedder Umm yes it does lol o.O It's physics man. F1.8 on M43 is approximately F3.5 on FF in depth of field terms. The light absorption however does not change.
@@nolejd50 explain the physics to me then? Why does the depth of field change? So are you telling me that a photo taken at 45mm *actual* focal length, f1.8 on m43 will have a much deeper depth of field than 45mm *actual* focal length on FF?
@RobinWong, I shoot with a trio of Pen-F bodies for my daily work - my workhorse lenses are the 17 and 45 f/1.8 lenses - yes they are compact and light weight, but I tend to shoot at the margins of light in my documentary and street photography and I'm disappointed in the IQ of both of these lenses when shot wide open, especially the 45 f/1.8 lens. I wanted to ask you how well these Pro Prime lenses would pair on the Pen-f bodies I shoot with - any thoughts on this?
I bought the Samyang 50mm 1.2 and I regret it a little bit. It is a MF lense and manual focussing is fun for me, but it is also quite heavy and I don't really notice much difference between 1.2 and 1.8 on background blurr. I would choose the Olympus 1.8 over the 1.2 too.
In terms of Olympus 45mm F1.8 vs F1.2 PRO, the PRO has a huge advantage, the images are just superior. But the pricing is also much heavier. I am sticking with F1.8 because I am happy with the images I get from it. I acknowledge the 45mm PRO is better, but in grander scale of things, I'd spend the money on focal lengths/lenses that I don't have, so I have better coverage.
Hi 👋 Robin! In Germany we get now this lens (or other 1,2 Pro‘s) as a gift when we buy a new Mark II !? Isn‘t that crazy? I just bought a EM 5 III to replace my Pen F for my travelphotography (my channel). I use Oly since the 80ies ... but - mmh - what‘s going on? Thanks again for your very helpful & sympathize Videos!
I own 25 and 45 out of f1.2 line up. 45mm f1.2 bokeh is amazing but would be heavy if I carry with 25mm together. So my pocket will be 15mm f1.7+ either 25mm or 45mm f1.2, depends on occasion.
I have the 25mm F1.2, such beautiful lens. I cannot justify having the 45mm F1.2, since I have the F1.8 version, and also the 75mm lens! Both are fantastic too
@@robinwong 75mm f1.8 generates unique compression that 45mm focal length cannot replace. But it's not easy to communicate with photo partners. I use it less since having 45mm f1.2 because of wider focal length usage +++ same blurry bokeh as 75mm. Btw how do you rate bokeh between favourite 25mm f1.2 and 45mm F1.8? Are they similar?
Hi Robin, 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.
Hi Robin, Great as usual. I have the 12-40 Pro and the 12-100 Pro lenses along with the 14-150 and 40-150 kit lenses. Is there any value in considering this lens for any type of usage?
For me, the whole point of the Olympus system is small size and portability, so the 45mm f1.8 will be just fine. It's also about one quarter of the cost of the 1.2.
Some "professionals" tend to calculate apertures on different sensor sizes same way as equivalent focal lenghts are calculated. Say 45mm f1.2 on MFT would be 90mm f2.4 or smth like that. Though in reality aperture has no such equivalent transformation, f1.2 remain 1.2 on all sensor sizes. If we talk about light "transmission", of course.
Yes and No 😊 Yes, if you are referring to the light that passing through the lens. f1.2 remain unchanged, after all it is mathematical calculation. No, if you are referring to the bokeh. in this case the bokeh is equivalent to f2.4 in term of 35mm sensor. This is perception.
@@betruly7894 M4/3 F/1.2 is equivalent to F/2.4 on cameras with a full frame sensor in terms of depth of field, not bokeh. DOF and bokeh ae two different things.
@@PinnaclePete by and large, if the DoF is the same, the amount of bokeh will be the same, however I agree that there can be subtle differences in the character of the bokeh, depending on number of blades and lens design.
@@betruly7894 for equal F-stops on different formats, yes, the light *intensity* will be the same, however the larger sensor will experience more total light *energy*, which means less noise, if the sensor tech is the same on both systems.
I would love to own this but like al pro lenses it is too expensive. I will buy the sigma 56mm 1.4 instead. Even more bokee , supersharp and more than 3 times cheaper. Of course the olympus has better quality and the focus clutch but three times the price better? Not for me.
For that price, f/0.95 would have been better. It would have been the depth of field equivalent of 85mm f/1.8 full frame. This f/1.2 is the depth of field equivalent of 85mm f/2.4 full frame. Still good, but... could be better. How about the Voigtlander 42.5mm f/0.95 for M4/3? If you want shallow depth of field, then that one should be at least considered.
Olympus considered making their PRO trinity lenses F/1.0 during the planning stages but concluded that the size and weight would be greater than most m4/3 users would want. Not to mention that the cost would be more than most would be willing to shell out. The Voigtländer is a very good lens but it's not quite as sharp as the Olympus and doesn't autofocus.
@@PinnaclePete Thank you for the info, I had no idea that they considered it. And yes, they were probably right in their assessment. Also thanks for your insights about the Voigtlander.
F0.95 will mean that the lens needs to be twice as big, to maintain the same quality. Making it smaller will have a lot of compromises, as seen in Voightlander lenses with no AF, and much inferior optical quality.
@@kamilrakowski23 I did. It's a dud lens, I'm afraid. Too close to the 56mm in specs, but more expensive, nearly three times the weight and larger depth of field. I don't understand what's the point of that lens except for WR and perhaps faster AF, but at a terrible cost.
@@robinwong What exactly could "have been wrong"? Please tell me the correct configuration. To expand on my original comment, if I put the camera into auto mode and slowly allow it to hunt and seek back and forth to obtain focus on a static subject then it eventually and perfectly succeeds, rendering a superb image. My main use case is to shoot street photos blind and quickly. Here, the majority of shots are out of focus. I don't just mean that the putative subject is out of focus, but that nothing in the frame is in focus at all. It's not just missing focus, it's clueless.
Weird. Oly 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 are incredibly fast and accurate when it comes to autofocus. This is the main reason why I choose oly 45 1.2 over sigma 56 1.4. I have m1 mii and m1miii myself. Perhaps you should send it to olympus service.With Panasonic and Sigma, there were times when the camera completely missed the target. With oly 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 this has never happened.
I’ve owned this lens for a couple years now. It’s my favorite and most used Olympus lens. Perfect focal length for portraits. I probably use it 3x more than my 25 1.2.
Those are some incredible street photography pictures and the image and colors have a real pop to them. They make a great case for the 1.2.
Thanks! I believe photographs are more important than the lens!
14 elements in a prime, wow!! Beautiful lens. Thanks for the review 👍
Impressive construction indeed. My pleasure to do the review
I just bought a Zuiko 45f1.2 pro. The lense produces very sharp images with very nice color. I love it.
Amazing pictures and colors! The sharpness of the subjects look fantastic.
Thanks, the lens is very sharp indeed
Your enthusiasm for this lens really comes across in this video Robin! Those portraits look great!!
I considered buying the Pana-Leica 42.5mm F/1.2 especially when I found out that my workplace offered to their employees a discount directly from Panasonic on all of their products. I could have gotten that lens for $400 off, a price lower than any other I could find! But I didn't have the disposable cash for such a luxury at the time, and then Olympus came out with their pro portrait lens.
Comparing the images from each lens to each other, and viewing many UA-cam and internet comparison videos and articles, the Olympus always came out slightly ahead of the Panasonic. And it was cheaper to boot, and I was using an Olympus body already so the 45 mm PRO was a no brainer. I bought it recently on sale at their lowest offered price before the price increase. The extra stop of light over the 45mm F/1.8 keeps my ISO a little lower, the weather sealing, the sharper corners, the additional shallow DOF and the feathered bokeh made the price difference & added size & weight worth it to me. However, the 45mm F/1.8 is a wonderful lens and does give you more bang for the buck.
Yeah, 45mm F1.8 is already an excellent lens, nothing to complain about, but of course F1.2 is a different category and the pricing itself may put some people off.
Some of your best street photos yet, Robin. And you are spot on with your analysis of the 45mm f1.8
Thanks, you are being too kind
@@robinwong One thing I have learned from UA-cam is that commenters are rarely kind. My statement on your photos and analysis has to stand as fact alone.
The 45/1.2 is the only Olympus prime lens I own right now (still planning for 60mm macro as my second prime lens). I bought it mainly for its sharpness and total absence of any distortion, and its main use is to scan large format photos I produce with my 5x7 and 11x14 large format cameras.
I think the macro lens will do a better job for scanning the large format!
@@robinwong I'll check that when I get it. Problem might be the larger focal length which needs a significantly longer rod on the copy stand to "scan" an 11x14.
This lens and the zuiko 75mm are on my list, great lenses.
Both are great lenses
You are the best. Your work is very important to me. I´ve the 45mm 1.8. It´s veryt good. Greetings from Spain.
Thanks, glad you liked the video
9:02-9:04 shot look awesome .Simple composition and result are great.God work Robin.
Of all the photos... whyy???
@@robinwong Simple light,natural emotion.All your photos look great ,but this one is special from you.Dont look anything behind :)
Great! Thank you very much!!!😁
No worries, glad I can share
Had this lens for 6 months or so. It hardly leaves the camera now I love it so much. Where I can, I zoom (mostly out lol) with my feet.
There’s a dreamyness about the photos that make it something special.
Ridiculously expensive, but worth every cent if that makes sense lol
The MTF chart shown at 4:33 is impressive. 60 lines/mm over 50% is more than most lenses.
Don't have to look at the charts, the images came out superb!
Excellent overview of the 45 f/1.2, Robin. I recently obtained a used copy of the 25mm f/1.2 and I love it! The image character is just superb. It has rapidly become, not just one of my favourite Olympus lenses, but frankly, one of my all time favourite lenses. Period! In fact, I could almost glue it to the front of my E-M1 since I have hardly removed it at all. That said, experiencing such a lovely lens, has had the unfortunate effect of making me wonder about the 45mm, and the 17mm. I don't want to buy either new as they are a little out of my budget right now, but I am keeping my eyes open for good used examples.
By the way, I loved the photography in this video. The images you made of the actors were truly excellent! A great job all round.
The 45mm 1.8 is also great for the smaller bodies you talked about. I use my 1.2 on my OM-1. The 45mm 1.8 stays on my EM-10. Both are excellent. I have the trinity of 1.8 lenes, but only have the 45 1.2 for professional portraits.
OK...l own the f/1.2 Trinity...and all the PRO lenses...also...all of the GREAT small primes! I have an M1 III AND an M1X...and a couple of PEN-F's...LOVE what you had to say Robin! Spot on...if I am taking out my larger bodies...the PRO lenses are coming, too...The Kit is so amazing and sooooooo much smaller and lighter than a FF Kit!...To me...the f/1.2 glass is stunning....just really stunning...so...it’s worth the haul and the expense...If I want to travel light I am taking a PEN-F body or two and the smaller primes...they deliver very well, too!That is the BEAUTY of MFT...The options! There are so many! ALL of it keeps me excited about photography... I dearly hope that Olympus survives this shake up....for me...they are a still photographers dream....Thanks for another informative video!
This is simply stunning lens! For portraits, nothing comes closer to it, may be just 75/1.8 which is amazing too. I love this lens so much! Robin, thanks a lot for bringing attention to this optical masterpiece! And, yes - bokeh on it is sooo delicious ....
Indeed, the deliciousness of the bokeh must be shared
You can use the 45mm F/1.2 PRO to shoot any subject you want to but the lens was primarily designed as a fast portrait lens.
When shooting a subject at a 3/4 angle (nearest eye focus) from 2.73 feet wide open, the acceptable DOF is 0.4 inches! That's 0.2" in front; 0.2" in back. That means the far eye is out of focus, and the nose, ears and hair are even more out of focus! Many of us don't need more shallow depth of field than that!
To me, F1.2 for Micro Four Thirds is not necessarily for shallow depth of field, but for low light shooting. I can get away with ISO3200 instead of 6400, and that makes a big difference in some tight situations.
this and the 75mm 1.8 are my favorites. Sometimes I cannot differentiate between them. FYI, I looked at a great shot of mine with the 45 1.8, where I took the time and effort to take an excellent shot. Only the bokeh revealed it was not the 1.2..
Both are great lenses
A 45/1.2 is finally on its way to me! I've been shooting with the 25+45 f/1.8 combo for almost 10 years - time to make things fun by switching to 1.2 :D
I am really curious about the real-world difference between this and the 1.8. Watching videos and sample photos does not really make it justice - I know, because only once I got the 25/1.2 I really saw how much better it is than the 1.8 version.
As always great review. I'm owner 45 mm f1. 8 and is a great a review. My favorite lens is 17 mm f. 1.8.
Congrats and grettings from Mexico.
3:47 Great diagram! The ring type bokeh looks very "busy" and I found yesterday my old 50mm f/1.4 Zuiko ZMC OM system manual focus lens has that. Cool but the creamy feathered variety is much more pleasing generally I think. The Olympus M Zuiko 45/1.8 and 17/1.8 MFT lenses have that and so does the old Zuiko MC 85 f/2.
When you say “feathered bokeh” you should put an echo effect on your voice ... 🤣🤣🤣
Love my 45mm f/1.8... use it a lot.
Hah, I will keep that in mind
Agreed Robin the 45mm 1.8 is a good workhorse ( portraits, street portraits and events) and gentler on the bank balance if you do not want the Pro build and weather sealing. How does the Sigma 56mm 1.4 look in the bokeh rendering ?
I have not personally seen the Sigma in person. I have tried the 16mm F1.4 and 30mm F1.4, not the 56mm. The 16mm and 30mm aren't that impressive though, I'd rather use Olympus 17mm F1.8 and 25mm F1.8
Wow, nice! I feel the 45pro can give context to the portrait when needed, else completely give feather background. Both are advantageous. It's a beauty. But for me, right now, the GAS list is em 10 4, f1.8 trinity, wider f2.0, and that superb 75 premium
The F1.8 trinity will be good enough to do almost everything!
I still use the 4/3 f2 lens and that was considered there sharpest lens before m4/3, so that lens must be amazing.
The Micro Four Thirds PRO lenses were made to the same standards of the super high grade lenses from Four Thirds era.
I own the lens and I love it!
Me too
Thos lens is always a super , super lens like the other PRO-lenses like 17/1.2 and 25/1.2 and 45/1.2 too !
Have to admit, though, that the "feathered bokeh" looks pretty cool. Wish they could do that to the 45mm f1.8.
That lens's depth of field is as shallow as I need it to be.
Beautiful, but out of my price range... I use a pair of 7artisans lenses, $100 each.. 35mm F1.2 and the amazing 55mm F1.4. Flawed but fun manual beauties. Thanks again!
Yeah I admit the price is a bit scary. No worries, any lens is a good lens, photography is more about lens perfection.
Hi! Robin, I just want to ask if the m.zuiko 17mm f1.2 have same portrait quality of the 45mm f1.2. Thanks...
Mr Wong
Would appreciate some input on a possible new lense, all are used and excellent or new condition, with not to much of a price difference .
Options are: Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary -, £329.
Olympus M.Zuiko ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO £619
Olympus M.Zuiko ED 75mm f/1.8 £369.
Main use will be portrait.
Hi Robin can you review the Canon R5 and the 800mm f/11. Maybe a comparison between them and the em1-3 with the olympus 100-400. This comparison video would attract a lot of non m43 user to watch, and would be good publicity for m43 and olympus. Just my opinion.
Have a nice day.
There is so much camera wars going on out there for no reason. Those gear wars videos are making photography so boring. I am a Canon amateur and love photography. I really appreciate Robin Wong enthusiasm for photography, with Olympus gear or not. being involved in those comparison, war reviews could be a bad idea for Robin now, with all the bad publicity some photographers now youtubers are doing, specially JIP's strategy is yet unknown. Just my opinion... Good Job Robin.
I can't make such comparisons now even if I want to. I am still an ambassador to Olympus, and it will be a conflict of interest.
Hello. Tell me, can I clean the inside of the lens myself?
the real bokeh monster is my hot love .. the 75mm 1.8 :)
I have the 75mm F1.8 and I use it fairly often. I still think the feathered bokeh on 45mm F1.2 wins
I like your videos and kind personality. I still don't understand what does f1.2 means in terms of depth of field compared to full frame. Does it mean it's more like f2 in 35mm equivalent? I have no idea. My background is biology I don't understand physics 😕
No. It means f1.2 on a 45mm Full Frame lens but when used with m43 has a tighter crop. It's only the angle of view that changes.
@@greggpedder That's... just plain wrong 🤣🤣 Depth of field also changes - f1.2 on an FF camera is shallower than f1.2 on an m43 camera.
@@nolejd50 no, it doesn't.
@@greggpedder Umm yes it does lol o.O It's physics man. F1.8 on M43 is approximately F3.5 on FF in depth of field terms. The light absorption however does not change.
@@nolejd50 explain the physics to me then? Why does the depth of field change?
So are you telling me that a photo taken at 45mm *actual* focal length, f1.8 on m43 will have a much deeper depth of field than 45mm *actual* focal length on FF?
@RobinWong, I shoot with a trio of Pen-F bodies for my daily work - my workhorse lenses are the 17 and 45 f/1.8 lenses - yes they are compact and light weight, but I tend to shoot at the margins of light in my documentary and street photography and I'm disappointed in the IQ of both of these lenses when shot wide open, especially the 45 f/1.8 lens. I wanted to ask you how well these Pro Prime lenses would pair on the Pen-f bodies I shoot with - any thoughts on this?
Is this lens good with lumix gx80?
Hi Robin, excellent review. Please review E M1x
Google Robin Wong E-M1X
I bought the Samyang 50mm 1.2 and I regret it a little bit. It is a MF lense and manual focussing is fun for me, but it is also quite heavy and I don't really notice much difference between 1.2 and 1.8 on background blurr. I would choose the Olympus 1.8 over the 1.2 too.
In terms of Olympus 45mm F1.8 vs F1.2 PRO, the PRO has a huge advantage, the images are just superior. But the pricing is also much heavier. I am sticking with F1.8 because I am happy with the images I get from it. I acknowledge the 45mm PRO is better, but in grander scale of things, I'd spend the money on focal lengths/lenses that I don't have, so I have better coverage.
Hi 👋 Robin! In Germany we get now this lens (or other 1,2 Pro‘s) as a gift when we buy a new Mark II !? Isn‘t that crazy? I just bought a EM 5 III to replace my Pen F for my travelphotography (my channel). I use Oly since the 80ies ... but - mmh - what‘s going on? Thanks again for your very helpful & sympathize Videos!
Awesome shots Robin. Between 75mm 1.8 and this one, Wich one has the best bokeh?
I own 25 and 45 out of f1.2 line up. 45mm f1.2 bokeh is amazing but would be heavy if I carry with 25mm together. So my pocket will be 15mm f1.7+ either 25mm or 45mm f1.2, depends on occasion.
I have the 25mm F1.2, such beautiful lens. I cannot justify having the 45mm F1.2, since I have the F1.8 version, and also the 75mm lens! Both are fantastic too
@@robinwong 75mm f1.8 generates unique compression that 45mm focal length cannot replace. But it's not easy to communicate with photo partners. I use it less since having 45mm f1.2 because of wider focal length usage +++ same blurry bokeh as 75mm.
Btw how do you rate bokeh between favourite 25mm f1.2 and 45mm F1.8? Are they similar?
Hi Robin,
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.
Hi Robin, Great as usual. I have the 12-40 Pro and the 12-100 Pro lenses along with the 14-150 and 40-150 kit lenses. Is there any value in considering this lens for any type of usage?
Do you upgrade all the F1.8 to the F1.2 pro???
despite it's performance, perhaps THE best MFT lens, for it's price I'd rather buy a 45 1.8 + 70 1.8
For me, the whole point of the Olympus system is small size and portability, so the 45mm f1.8 will be just fine.
It's also about one quarter of the cost of the 1.2.
You get one of these free with the em1 ii right now
i love the old 43 zuiko 50mm f2 macro
I got one . . . great lens.
Same here. With an mmp3 converter, the lens has extended his life on my em1 mk2
Superb video. What's price for this lens ?:)
Here in Malaysia it is about RM5k
Some "professionals" tend to calculate apertures on different sensor sizes same way as equivalent focal lenghts are calculated. Say 45mm f1.2 on MFT would be 90mm f2.4 or smth like that. Though in reality aperture has no such equivalent transformation, f1.2 remain 1.2 on all sensor sizes. If we talk about light "transmission", of course.
Yes and No 😊
Yes, if you are referring to the light that passing through the lens. f1.2 remain unchanged, after all it is mathematical calculation.
No, if you are referring to the bokeh. in this case the bokeh is equivalent to f2.4 in term of 35mm sensor. This is perception.
@@betruly7894 M4/3 F/1.2 is equivalent to F/2.4 on cameras with a full frame sensor in terms of depth of field, not bokeh. DOF and bokeh ae two different things.
@@PinnaclePete 🤨🙄
@@PinnaclePete by and large, if the DoF is the same, the amount of bokeh will be the same, however I agree that there can be subtle differences in the character of the bokeh, depending on number of blades and lens design.
@@betruly7894 for equal F-stops on different formats, yes, the light *intensity* will be the same, however the larger sensor will experience more total light *energy*, which means less noise, if the sensor tech is the same on both systems.
1/32000??? WOW!
Yeap!
I would love to own this but like al pro lenses it is too expensive. I will buy the sigma 56mm 1.4 instead. Even more bokee , supersharp and more than 3 times cheaper. Of course the olympus has better quality and the focus clutch but three times the price better? Not for me.
Can I wash the this lens into wash machine?
1:17 I think it is only weather sealed when it is attached to the camera. :P
The lens worked perfectly fine after I poured water all over it for 10 seconds or more.
My site now links to you via my favorite links :)
Thanks, much appreciated!
For that price, f/0.95 would have been better. It would have been the depth of field equivalent of 85mm f/1.8 full frame. This f/1.2 is the depth of field equivalent of 85mm f/2.4 full frame. Still good, but... could be better. How about the Voigtlander 42.5mm f/0.95 for M4/3? If you want shallow depth of field, then that one should be at least considered.
Olympus considered making their PRO trinity lenses F/1.0 during the planning stages but concluded that the size and weight would be greater than most m4/3 users would want. Not to mention that the cost would be more than most would be willing to shell out.
The Voigtländer is a very good lens but it's not quite as sharp as the Olympus and doesn't autofocus.
@@PinnaclePete Thank you for the info, I had no idea that they considered it. And yes, they were probably right in their assessment. Also thanks for your insights about the Voigtlander.
F0.95 will mean that the lens needs to be twice as big, to maintain the same quality. Making it smaller will have a lot of compromises, as seen in Voightlander lenses with no AF, and much inferior optical quality.
Check out the new fuji 50mm 1.0. vs 56 1.2. 850g (!!) vs 350 g. 850g is more than oly 40-150 2.8 pro.
@@kamilrakowski23 I did. It's a dud lens, I'm afraid. Too close to the 56mm in specs, but more expensive, nearly three times the weight and larger depth of field. I don't understand what's the point of that lens except for WR and perhaps faster AF, but at a terrible cost.
The auto-focus (using the E-M1 mk ii) is abysmal, losing more shots than it ever catches.
Using latest firmware?
I used E-M1 Mark II and I have no issues with AF. Something must have been wrong with your configurations.
@@adamvaz9097 Yes, always on the latest.
@@robinwong What exactly could "have been wrong"? Please tell me the correct configuration.
To expand on my original comment, if I put the camera into auto mode and slowly allow it to hunt and seek back and forth to obtain focus on a static subject then it eventually and perfectly succeeds, rendering a superb image.
My main use case is to shoot street photos blind and quickly. Here, the majority of shots are out of focus. I don't just mean that the putative subject is out of focus, but that nothing in the frame is in focus at all. It's not just missing focus, it's clueless.
Weird. Oly 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 are incredibly fast and accurate when it comes to autofocus. This is the main reason why I choose oly 45 1.2 over sigma 56 1.4. I have m1 mii and m1miii myself. Perhaps you should send it to olympus service.With Panasonic and Sigma, there were times when the camera completely missed the target. With oly 17 1.2 and 45 1.2 this has never happened.