The Olympus 45 1.8 Micro 4/3 Lens Review by Steve Huff
Do you desire an almost perfect fast portrait lens for your Micro 4/3 camera?
My guess is that many of you here pre-ordered this lens and you have been waiting for it…patiently. Well, if you do not want to be driven crazy while waiting then you may want to click off of this page right now for the obvious reasons. I pre-ordered my 45 1.8 a few weeks ago, I think close to 8 weeks ago (or so it seems) and it arrived a few days ago in all of its glory from B&H Photo. I already posted a 1st look a few days ago with a video overview and some quick samples that my son took when I 1st mounted the lens but today I will go into it a little bit more with some real world samples!
Out of the Box
When I took the lens out of the box I immediately felt that this lens was quality. I was worried about this one because the Olympus 12mm f/2 is $799 and has a nice solid build. That is a GREAT lens. This 45 1.8 is $399 so I was worried it would feel all plasticky and cheap but I was wrong. To clear that up, the lens feels GREAT in it’s build and is pretty slim and small compared to most micro 4/3 lenses. For example, the Panasonic 20 1.7 looks a little fat next to this 45 1.8 yet the 45 obviously has more glass inside. You can see them both side by side below…
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Shooting with the Lens
The E-P3 with the 45 1.8 – From RAW, converted to B&W – ISO 640 – click image for larger
When I snapped some shots at the local aquarium near my house I was kind of floored by the quality as it seemed to up the quality of the E-P3 sensor! It didn’t of course but it seemed like it because it was giving me DAMN GOOD results. When I reviewed the 12mm f/2 I declared it the best micro 4/3 lens made to date. A BOLD statement but I meant that from every aspect. Build, size, function and IQ. After using this 45 1.8 for a few days I can say that this lens is equally as delicious. Yes, I said delicious! The IQ from this lens on the E-P3 is nothing short of astounding for the micro 4/3 format. Some of the best quality I have seen from any M4/3 camera/lens combo.
AF Speed and Image Quality on the E-P3
The focus is fast, the lens is sharp even when wide open, and the color and contrast is top notch. Bokeh (out of focus area quality) is good as well. Not amazingly crazy like some Leica glass but still, for a $399 Micro 4/3 lens I WILL TAKE IT. Olympus has FINALLY DELIVERED with this and the 12mm. I mentioned it in the 1st look video but if you want a “Holy Trinity” for micro 4/3 you will want to buy the 12mm f/2, either the Panasonic 20 1.7 or new 25 1.4 and this 45 1.8. You will then have a 24/40-50/90. A perfect set of primes and all fast quality glass – sort of Leica like in the execution of lenses I must say.
Yes my friends, Micro 4/3 has finally matured. The cameras are getting better, the lenses are getting better, and in reality, it is getting to the point that this kind of quality is good enough for 93% of us who shoot and post to the web (which admit it, this is what mostly all of us do with our photos ultimately). Seriously. A camera like the E-P3 has some of the fastest AF in the world and when you add on lenses like these what you get back is spectacular. It is hard to complain about it and if you do not have the funds for something like a Leica M9 and a Summilux lens then you can be happy with something like this as you will be getting way more bang for the buck.
If you click on the image below you can see a 100% crop of the image which was shot wide open at 1.8
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Another image shot at f/1.8. I focused on the surface of the water in a Koi Pond
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Stopped down a teeny bit to f/2 it’s as sharp as can be…
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This new lens feels VERY good on the camera. Sleek, silver, and solid but not heavy. I feel the $399 price is WELL worth it so if you see it in stock anywhere and have a Micro 4/3 camera then I would snag it up. It is just one of those lenses that comes around every few years that gets it all “right”.
Smaller cameras and lenses are the future
That makes me remember the review I wrote for the Panasonic 20 1.7 a while ago where I put it up against the big monster Nikon D3s. The E-P2 and 20mm won that shootout but that was because I was shooting the D3s with the el-cheapo Nikon 50 1.8. Add that lens to a full frame camera like the D3s and you will get soft images and softer corners. These little cameras like the E-P3 and even the new TINY Panasonic GF3 will always give you pretty sharp corners and there are some fantastic strengths in this smaller sensor with that being one of them. The other strength and the most important one..is SIZE. I see it MORE AND MORE these days…people are dumping their DSLR’s for small cameras like the NEX system, or Micro 4/3 cameras. One reason why Nikon and Canon sales are DOWN this year and I predicted this over the last two years.
The fact is that Nikon and Canon have not made any kind of real effort just yet to get into this market because they probably do not want to destroy their SLR sales which in turn would make their lens sales drop. They had a good thing going for a while (and still do of course) but these little cameras have certainly put a dent into the big bulky SLR market.
If Nikon or Canon would release a REAL DEAL digital Rangefinder style camera with an EVF instead of an old RF it would be great but for some reason they are holding back while companies like Olympus, Panasonic, Sony and even Ricoh with their GXR modular system are now gaining more and more followers. I know Leica have a couple of things planned for 2012 and I expect one of their announcements to make a pretty big splash. Should be fun.
When I took this snap I was listening to Prince’s “Sexy M.F.”
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So back to the 45. Is it perfect? What are its flaws?
Now I am not sitting here writing to you and telling you that this lens will beat a Leica lens or is the best lens in the world right now as I am writing this review in a Micro 4/3 state of mind, not a Leica state of mind. In the M4/3 world it really doesn’t get much better than this, if at all. If I had to note a flaw I would say that it should come with a lens hood and maybe it doesn’t have the best quality Bokeh ever (this is not Leica ro Zeiss here) but it’s damn good. Olympus makes the hood an option but does not include one, BOO.
But that is about it as I find the lens sharp at every aperture, fast to AF, and the color rendition is very good as well. I mean, I just sat here and said it was part of the “Holy Trinity” of Micro 4/3 glass, so not many complaints that I have found.
Wide open at f/1.8 and from a distance. This shot was also taken with the Ricoh GXR and Leica 50 Summitar HERE.
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ISO 1600 – from RAW with a little bit of Noise Reduction and a B&W conversion – f/1.8
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f/1.8 with a bit of contrast boost…
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Aperture and Sharpness
This lens opens up to 1.8 allowing you to not only get great low light shots but also get shallow depth of field and up until this lens, it was tough to get this look with Micro 4/3. Opening up to 1.8 and shooting this focal length will give you super shallow DOF. This is a BIG DEAL of us who shoot with these cameras. How sharp is it? The following photo was shot wide open at f/1.8 and is the full size out of camera file:
Click image for full size file!
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and another…
So there it is!
So there you have it. Short, sweet and to the point. This lens rocks. Period. It also focuses pretty damn close at 0.5 meters which allows for some creative uses. While many say this is a portrait lens, you can see from the images I shot above that it is much more than that. A 90mm equivalent focal length can be useful for many things. I usually stayed away from this focal length on my Leica due to the fact that almost every 90 I shot with had focus issues. Now I will use this setup for my 90mm needs unless I decided to invest in the Ricoh GXR M module where focus issues will also be a thing of the past, WITH Leica glass. The Ricoh is a pretty sweet system with an even larger sensor.
As of this writing I own the 12mm, 20mm and 45 for the E-P3 and enjoy them all. This lens gets my highest recommendation if you are a Micro 4/3 owner. Anyone who knocks this lens (don’t think there will be any) has never tried it or had a defect 
You can buy it at AMAZON
I will now leave you with a few more images from this lens. Enjoy!
More Koi pond imagery – f/1.8
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Using the spot meter of the E-P3 I metered off of the leaves where the sun was hitting. This will give you the best exposure for a scene like this. f/1.8
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My kindergarden class picture. Can you spot me? HINT: I had hair then! ISO 1600, 1.8
I shot this at f/1.8 at 1/15th second – remember this is a 90mm equivilant! ISO 1600.
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F/1.8 inside the Apple store..
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and more images…click any for larger – exif is intact in all
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Below..ISO 1600 at night outside with one light bulb above his head. f/1.8
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Related posts:
- The Panasonic 14mm 2.5 Micro 4/3 Lens Review by Steve Huff
- OLYMPUS 12MM F/2 Micro 4/3 Lens IN STOCK
- The SLR Magic 11mm f/1.4 Toy Lens review for Micro 4/3 – Feeling Groovy!
- The Fuji X100 Digital Camera Real World Review by Steve Huff
- The top 7 complaints of the Fuji X100 and how I get around them. By Steve Huff.
First row, third from the right?
Yes, you are correct!
Thanks Steve, as a fully vested m4/3 owner(G1+EPL-2) this lens has been on my sights ever since reading about in Wong’s Olympus site. Thanks for giving us your take on this badboy, I’m hunting it down as its running scarce much like the 20mm 1.7.
Cheers,
Jorge
Good luck!
Fantastic review as usual, Steve.
I totally agree with you about the Oly 45mm. I had it for two weeks now and I really enjoyed the quality images its delivered. The best m4/3rd lens I have used. Love it.
Thanks, and enjoy it!
Steve,
Can the 45 and the 12mm fit the Sony NEX5n body?
Thnx
No, the12 and 45 are for Micro 4/3 mount only.
Hi Steve,
Great review. Short and sweet. I guess there only so many ways you can say that this lens is sweet.
Loving it along with the pana 25mm f1.4.
Cheers
Luke
Nice real world review. The images are great from this new lens. I went ahead and ordered one and can’t wait to recieve it. I hope it works well on my GF1.
I just got the 45 yesterday and I agree completely with this review.
Thanks so much for having such a great site. I read it daily and am always recommending it to friends. I mainly got a GXR because of your recommendation. I had read other reviews but yours was so convincing. And I might add it was the one that was right. I love that camera.
Hopefully one day I’ll be able to afford Leica gear.
Thanks so much Steve!!
Thanks Steve!
Hi Steve,do the Oly 45mm 1.8 and the 12mm 2.0 have IS built into them or do they rely on in the camera IS of the EP 3 ? I’m currently using a GF1 with the 20mm 1.7,neither of which have IS on board.
No IS in the lens but the E-P3 built in IS is used.
;
MIJ 50/1.8 vs 45/1.8
Steve if you can get hold of a Zuiko 50/1.8 MIJ (Made in Japan) serial 5million+ would be grateful if you would kindly compare it to this new 45/1.8 for sharpness wide open, colour, bokeh.
Thank you.
Hi, one of the lens testing sites tested the 50/1.8 and, in comparison, to all 4/3 lens it didn’t fare very well.
Warren
Thank you Warren. Would you have the link & did they test the MIJ 50/1.8 serial 5million+
[...] Sadly I haven't got this lens yet, but there are a lot of sample images in Steve Huff's just-posted review. His conclusion is: "This lens gets my highest recommendation if you are a Micro 4/3 owner. Anyone [...]
All we need now are rangefinder styled PEN and GF bodies with built in EVFs – and µFT will go ballistic.
I couldn’t agree more…
Kinda can’t believe neither company has actually released such a product.
With the NEX7 and it’s undoubted success I’m sure and hope it’s only a matter of time.
Well at least I hope
Just get any the NEX-7 when its out and you have all you want.
Not enough lenses. That’s where the NEX 7 falls short. Not to mention, the lenses just feel ridiculous on those cameras….
I agree that Panasonic and Olympus are missing the boat here. They need to integrate the EVFs now! AND they need to market them better. The average person doesn’t even know these cameras exist!
I think a great commercial would be to have an SLR being chisled down by a sculptor, to reveal a much smaller E-P3! That would get people’s attention…. The only reason the vast majority of people buy SLRs is for speed…
Hi Steve! Ur review validated my purchase of this lens for my e-p2 over buying an M8 and 35 cron. But i was just wondering if purchasing a used M8 would still be an option now when u are saying that Leica will be doing something mind blowing on ’12?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
If you want a rangefinder the M8 is still a good buy, of course.
One thing I think that is worth touching upon (intentional pun) is how much more useful the touch screen for selecting AF points becomes on the EP3.
For the most part with m4/3 in particular, focus and recompose works because the DOF covers any errors, but when your getting up to the 45mm f1.8, you can find yourself with your focal plane shifted a bit forward or back if you use focus and recompose, tip of the nose instead of the eyes in focus for example. With the touch screen on the EP3 though, its so fast and easy to frame the shot, and then just touch where you want the focus to be. Tap right on the eye and your good to go! Really makes that feature (touch af point, no touch shutter) way cooler to me now
Also cool, is that on the PEN’s, you can have no only face detection AF, but eye detection, with the choice of which eye even.
Suddenly nailing those really shallow DOF shots becomes so much faster and easier and much less disappointment when you get them on your 27″ monitor and realize that the focus isn’t quite where you wanted it and seeing the image full size you can see the forehead or nose or ear is in sharpest focus and not the eyes.
Great review, thanks Steve. Based on your EP3 review I purchased the camera with the 12mm and just ordered the 45mm. For a perfect kit, all what is needed now is a fast 20mm Olympus lens with the optical quality of the (Panasonic) Summilux 25mm and the looks, features and build quality of the Oly 12mm.
Hey Steve, I have been reading your reviews for about a year now. I really enjoy your site. This review has definitely convinced me to give this lens a try. Thanks! I think it will go nicely with my GF2. I was tempted to make the move to the E-P3, but I’m holding out hope for the rumored Panasonic “GX1.”
One question… Do you find image stabilization is a must for this lens? The single drawback I find with the Panasonic vs Olympus cameras is the in-body IS. How beneficial is that for a lens of this type?
P.S. I’ll be sure to order the lens through your site. It looks like B&H doesn’t have it available at this time, and Amazon’s price is much higher. I’ll just wait until B&H gets it in stock…
Well having IS is always good for telephoto lenses, so if shooting in low light it would come in handy but it is not necessary.
Nice leather strap on the E-P3, mind to share who made it?
I had this lens since Japan release it, simply love it coz it’s fast. I also luv to snap from the E-P3 touch screen, right to the subject I wanna focus. keke..
Steve,
Is it just me, or does this lens produce sand-like noise, both on the background and on the focused subject? It’s evident on all the full-res shots when viewed at 100%.
It could just be that you’ve added it by mistake in ACR 6.5 (Effects tab->Grain slider).
Its not you or the lens, its the M4/3 format. ANY 100% view of an OOC image on Micro 4/3, especially when they are sharp like this lens produces, will give you that noise. NO NOISE was added. Just a very sharp lens and the smaller sensor does not give 100% smooth files when viewed at 100%. Good news is you do not see this noise in print or in web sized images and who stares at 100% digital files anyway? Thx
100% noise free files look a bit odd anyways, especially for b/w images. X100 for example at base ISO is really, really clean, but looks a bit synthetic if you grew up shooting film. I actually would prefer shooting at a higher ISO than needed, and with the NR off, just to get that little added “tooth” or texture to the files, and even then often add a little grain in PP.
In SilverEFX2 I almost always added a little extra grain as well, even w/ m4/3 images just because it makes the end product look more like what I grew up considering to be a “photograph”
Hey Steve,
I love your real world reviews and have been following your site since i got into m43′s with the e-pl2. I have the 14mm, 20mm, 25 f1.4, and the 45 f1.8. Is the 12mm f2 appreciably better than the 14mm pancake you reviewed before? Is it worth the price difference?
Well, you have a GREAT set of lenses there. The 12 and 14 are close and with the 12 hat you basically gain is an extra 2mm, you get f/2 over 2.5, better build, MSC (silent for movies), super fast AF and the MF feature where the focus ring snaps down to activate MF. Plus its gorgeous on the camera.
Image quality wise the 14 has a little more distortion but the 14 is great. Id only trade up if you wanted the snap MF feature or extra 2mm.
Hi Steve, another question, what brand is this lovely shoulderbelt you have mounted to your E-P3 ? Would be great to know….. About the 45 1.8 – I already ordered it, hoping Olympus will soon deliver the German market too…. Best RainerJ
Its listed in my gear page by the E-P3
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/my-gear-the-gear-i-own-and-use-on-a-daily-basis/
So it should be the braided Style in pitch black?
http://www.barton1972.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1_4&products_id=1#
Thats it! and its a GREAT strap. My have right now
Its just long enough and super soft and comfortable. Even has some stretch to it. Love it.
Yeaa I agree, really sexy. I will have to find out where I can buy it in Germany if not i will do everything to get it from the US. Before I did see this strap, I never even thought about a strap … now I cant wait. Is it not be specific that photographers also want not only practical things (which it really is after your description) but also nice looking things…like the Oly E-P3, PL3, the 2.0 12mm (I ownen to , and I newer want to miss it again for my indoor pictures)…. Thanks a lot! Big Help!
Steve, thanks for the writeup. I just got my 45/1.8 yesterday and agree with you 100% — this lens is a sign that Micro Four Thirds has matured as a serious photography system.
One thing I thought I’d mention for people who are looking around for one: I too had one on backorder at B&H and was still waiting… when I dropped into a local full-line camera store and found they had two of them on the shelf! Apparently Olympus is making an effort to see that ALL their dealers get SOME stock, rather than routing everything to the biggest outlets. So if you’re interested in one of these, try asking at your local Olympus dealer, if there’s one where you live. I bought one from the local dealer and cancelled my B&H order; same price, by the way.
Incidentally, the lens works just as well on Panasonic’s bodies, although of course with those you don’t get IS (I didn’t miss it.) In case anyone would rather look at ballerinas than fish, here are some sample photos I shot with mine yesterday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranger_9/sets/72157627676653771/
Steve, thanks for the great review. I actually compared some photos with the similar ones made with the Ricoh+Leica and I wonder why there appears to be such a huge difference in colors. The photo with parrots seems to be way off the mark in terms of colors, especially so when compared vs the one from Ricoh which looks very natural and balanced and juicy. Is it due to wrong WB, or the lens, or another reason?
Just different ways of rendering the scene and different lenses as well. That Leica Summitar is very unique.
I totally believe you the lens is great but won’t a cheaper 50 millimeter 1.8 from any manafacturer give me the equivalent
look for a lot less money no AF Of course I have the pentax fa 50 1.4 because of that I may not get this lens….
You lose AF, gain weight, gain some size. if you are a MF aficionado and want a 100mm then a 50 1.4 from whoever will work. If you want a 90mm that is made for the system, and to use its fast AF and touch screen (which is actually pretty remarkable on the E-P3, as in focusing on any part of the frame AND shooting it all in an instant.
So $399 for a lens made for the system, fast AF, nice size, great build, super sharp wide open and on the E-P3 using the one touch shooting on the LCD will ensure you get what you need in focus.
Or pay less for an older MF lens that probably won’t be as sharp, slower to focus (still not a fan of MF on the Micro 4/3 cameras as I find it slow and hit or miss) and larger.
Total personal preference.
Don’t suppose you have shot with the FT 50/f2.0? Commonly said to be the “must have” FT glass, due to its amazing sharpness, and it’s what i shot on my E-PL2. Likely i will get the 45 anyways, but just wondering how they compare in sharpness/colour/contrast/bokeh?
I shot the 50 when I used to own the E-1 but it would focus slow on the E-P3 with adapter so Id rather stick to the 45 for size, speed, cost, etc.
Hello,
I’m from Japan and this lens is on sale for roughly $350usd (converted from Japanese yen). I’m assuming based on your review that that would be a good price to pick up this lens. Just a few questions (I’m still new to photography but got an m4/3 not long ago)…
1) Does this camera work with my E-PL1? Would I need to do anything or do I just pop the lens in and thats it?
2) How does this camera fare, in your opinion, with landscape and night view shots, particularly nightview? I’m interested in night photography and would love your feedback.
Thanks and I enjoy reading many of your articles. Keep it up!
$350 US is a good price, yes. Yes, the lens would just attach right to your E-PL1 as it is a M4/3 lens. The E-Pl1 is a great camera and this combo would work well and give the same IQ results that you see above.
Thank you for the quick response. I was planning to get the 20mm Panasonic one but couldn’t find it and was gonna relegate myself to the 17mm Olympus. Then I read reviews and had doubts until I read your review about the 45mm.
Thanks for your help
The 45mm is a fantastic lens, but its far from a substitute for the 20mm, or the 17mm or even the 25mm. Its 90mm equiv and that makes it a short telephoto, or commonly called “portrait” lens because its a nice shot for a head and shoulders portrait.
The 20mm is over twice as wide and is more of a general purpose lens as is the 17mm. The 45mm would be a rather poor choice for general landscapes frankly.
I think that before you spend a good deal on any lens, you first learn what focal lengths you actually like shooting at. If you don’t have the kit zoom, you can pick on of those up for under $100, or perhaps borrow one even.
Spend a day walking around with your camera and see where on the zoom dial you like your shots and then choose a lens that matches those focal lengths
Simply picking up a 45mm either because Steve said it was good, or because you couldn’t find a 20mm are both poor reason to buy a lens.
Again, it is a fantastic lens, but if you enjoy landscapes and night shots, there are other choices that would probably suit you better.
The 25mm f1.4 with its added speed, paired with the IBIS of the PEN camera would make for a fantastic and quite versatile setup for both night shots and general walk around shooting
Thanks for pointing that out.
I have the 14-42mm kits lens that came with my camera. I rarely zoom all the way; in fact, it’s usually in set to no zoom (as in immediately after unlock position).
The 20mm is almost nowhere to be seen in Japan, but the 14mm is available. Likewise is the 17mm Olympus pancake. Would any adjustments be needed if I pop a Panasonic lens into an Olympus body?
Thank you everybody for your help
Thank you very much steve huff for your quick response as always and you’re very good advice but I just don’t like that focal length much it’s not for me and like I said I already have a 50 millimeter 1.4 so good luck with your lens I know you will enjoy it….lol
[...] narrow and petite form. Honestly I was not prepared for how small it is. Like Steve Huff said, it is has far less girth than the Panny 20mm 1.7. The stout build quality also surprised me [...]
Wow, this is SO out of time, but the UPS guy just dropped off my 45/1.8 tonight and the thing I just didn’t get even from the video is just how tiny, jewel like, and flat out gorgeous this lens is. Mine’s mounted on my G2 and it just looks so incredible. I see (a little) what you Leica guys are talking about.
Really nice review got it aswell!!
Here are some samples with my e-p3
Hope you like them!
Greetz from Amsterdam.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timvanvliet/sets/72157627295087905/
Thanks for this review! Your clearly written article, good sample photos and enthusiasm gave me enough courage to order one Zuiko 45mm 1.8 for about $350.
We’re expecting a black christmas this year as the weather is unusually warm so the 1.8 should compensate. Also I hope this lens will cheer up my motivation to actually take some photos in the future.
Looks like an awesome lens. Will buy one!
Great review as always Steve!
By the way, have you tried pana-Leica DG Macro Elmarit 45 f/2.8 ? How good this lens compared to oly 45 f/1.8 ?
Yes I did. It is larger, slower to AF (it is a macro lens) and more expensive. Still, a beautiful rendering!
The review is here:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/05/16/the-panasonic-leica-45-macro-f2-8-lens-for-micro-43-review/
Steve, I’m hoping to purchase a m4/3 camera(Panasonic Lumix GX1) and I’m stuck choosing between the 45mm F1.8 or the 20mm F1.7. Like a 50mm on a FF DSLR, which one is the all purpose lens?
Well a 45 will be a 90 and a 20 will be a 40. Just decide on which focal length you prefer. A 90 is not really an every day lens so I would go for the 20 1.7.
Has anyone ever told your buddy who we often see in the pictures that he looks like Frank Black ? The lead singer from the Pixies