Quite so. One of the main reasons that despite owning full frame Nikon and Canon cameras, I decided to get a used EM1 MKii. I already had an EM5 MKii. The size of some of the recent offerings for other mirrorless cameras, verges on monstrosity. The whole point of mirrorless was to be light, small, affordable plus giving high quality images not being as large and heavy and expensive as the DSLRs.
I just bought this lens in mint condition from ebay. It included a clear glass lens protector/filter for %150. Been testing all day on my venerable OM-D E-M1 camera and I must say it is exceeding my wildest expectations. Great video Robin! I consistently watch your reviews before buying Any lens. Bravo! just boug
Photographers anecdote with this lens: Me to model: "Let's take close ups with my favourite lens" Model "Oh, what a tiny cute thing. Is it a toy?" Model after shoot: "Wow!" :-) In my opinion, it still outcompetes the 25mm/1.2 during most situations Thanks, dear Robin and enjoy your coffee. Joerg
Thanks Joerg for the coffee and kind words. I guess, we can't compare 25mm vs 45mm, they are both very different lens, they render the background (telephoto compression) very differently!
@@robinwong Thanks, dear Robin. Indeed, the telecompression is an very important effect. Therefore I'm only switching from 45mm to 25mm if needed, e.g. limited space. Have a nice day. Cheers , Joerg
Reason number 11. A wonderful lens for street photography. It is so small that it doesn't attract a lot of attention. Thanks Robin for a wonderful video ... also for the reminder to dig this out of my camera bag more often.
my main lens for street photography, bought it by mistaking it for a 25mm, never shipped it back, became my main. So small it's contrasting when I see other photographers sometimes with their huge full frame and lenses
I purchased this lens to take my daughters senior portrait. Great lens, I couldn't be happier with it. The lens paid for itself . Money well spent. Thanks for the review!
This lens is absolutely stunning! Ultra sharp images, no distortion and makes you work hard for those great compositions unlike zoom lenses. A gem of a lense
It is a very good lens and I love its simplicity, compactness and am reminded of the image quality of my Leica Summicron 35mm 1.4 optic I used during the 1970s.
I own the Zuiko 17mm, 25mm, and 45mm lenses. They are all excellent lenses, but the 45mm is certainly my favorites. Absolutely beautiful results every time. It is a real bargain and a must-have for any micro four-thirds set up.
The 17 wasn’t that sharp overall and the 25 I had wasn’t sharp at the borders. The 45 is perfect though. I have to test the 75 :))) Although for the same price I got a Canon 135 f2 which of course has monster size...
I also think the lens is perfect. You forgot another reason. Because the lens is so small, it appears much less threatened to people and you can easily walk between people.
I keep researching this lense and have almost purchased it several times, but have stopped each time thinking I don't shoot enough portraits to justify the purchase. However, this video has finally convinced me that I need to add it to my camera bag and will be buying it straight away! Thank you Robin...for this great video and all your other awesome videos!
Going to buy one, but got a Panasonic 25mm lens instead. The Olympus and Panasonic primes, when coupled with IBIS, are awesome lenses for night photography.
I have this lease and portraits are the furthest from my mind. It’s a great lens and I’ve just started to use it on my Panasonic G9 and the results have blown me away. I hope you purchased it!
This is the first non-kit Olympus lens I purchased. Not realizing that the lens is often discounted, I paid the full price of $400 for it. I feel it is worth every penny even at full price. That Olympus could make a 90mm equivalent lens with such great performance in such a small package is nothing short of amazing.
I just bought this lens second hand (£140) as my first ever lens because of this review and others like it, to go with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7. I'm completely new to photography, so am scratching around the internet looking for online photography courses, and reviews on how to use this lens to its maximum. Thank you Mr Wong. 👍😊
I totally agree Robin. This lens is so small and light and the results are amazing. It is so much fun to take pictures with my Pen-F. A realy good combo. At least the price is really good for this lens. Thanks for your video. Your pictures in this video are very nice by the way!
Thanks Andreas for the kind words. I always emphasize on photos first - for me at least, no photos, no talk! There is no point rambling on about how great the lens is, if I don't have anything to show!
I totally agree with you about this lens Robin. I used to own it a few years ago but I sold my entire M43 system back in 2016. However whenever I looked back at my photos from that era, the pictures taken with the Olympus 45mm f1.8 always stood out. Beautiful colour, sharpness and bokeh. So, a couple of months ago I saw a good price on a new Olympus EM10ii and this lens and I bought it. I am so pleased that I did. I shan't buy any other lens for the camera. This is a pairing that will be permanent for me. Its a unique combo; a high quality setup for candid portrait/street shots that weighs so little and performs so well. I really appreciate it when RU-vid reviewers go back in time and review older hardware that is now available at such an affordable price.
I ordered this lens a couple months ago with a $50 discount on the Olympus website. I am in Vietnam, and it was delivered to my dad's place in Vermont. It'll be my present to myself when I get home, once the world becomes sane again. Please world, get sane, so I can use this lens!
I’ve had this lens for years and it continues to amaze me! Almost all my MFT lenses are Olympus. My only complaint is the lack of included lens hoods in all but the most expensive Oly lenses, and the fact that the hoods are expensive if you do get them. Great images Robin!
I've got this lens mounted now on an original E-M5 (Mark i) body that I purchased just last week(!) for under $140! It's a low cost light weight rig but delivers great images!
This 45mm F1.8 was one of the reasons y buyed the omd 10 markIII months ago for my family portraits, and even street photography. Its really small and the price ratio is glorious. Still i'm really impressed with the smooth bokeh and sharpnes of this lens. Ty Robin your videos are really great, your passion for photography is really contagious!!
@@robinwong Yes! i will do that that 45mm is truly a gem on the system, my next step will be the 25 prime or the 12-40 2.8 pro i cant decide! probably the 12-40 pro if i can purchase one on good state second hand. Thank you Robin!
I have the Olympus 17mm, 45mm and 75mm f/1.8 primes which cover most use cases. They are all seriously good lenses, for me though it is the 75mm that really stands out.
Thanks Robin, beautiful video about the amazing M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8. I own this lens for years and it never fails in tacking beautiful portraits. Greetings from Germany 📷 👍🤗🙏
I really love this lens too. When I'm not underway with the "big" equipment (M1M3 and Pro lenses), I always have the PEN-F with the 17 mm 1.8 attached, the 45 mm 1.8 and the FL-LM3 in my bag. So I can do Landscape, Street and Portrait with minimal gear in a superb quality. :-)
Great video Robin bringing out the Top reasons of this unique lens...and the fact that it was introduced in 2011 and still remains a top choice...and all this for an unbeatable price of USD 299 !!!
Great review. For my very light kit, I carry the 45 and the Panny 20 to use on my good old EPL5. Works for most situations I find myself in when mountain biking, ski touring, or just wanting a light kit than with my OMD with Pro lenses. It's hard to beat a such great lens that fits in a shirt pocket!
Hey man, may I ask a question, is there an advantage using ibis even it's brod daylight? Or should I disable it and just use it when shutter needs to be low?
Hi Robin. This was one of my first Olympus lenses. In pre-OM-D days I intended to work with the 4 f1.8 primes only. The EM-5 and the 12-40 PRO changed all that. I still have the 45, and use it periodically. Thanks for a good review.
Back at the end of 2011 I got my first M43 camera (E-P1) and the first lens I bought was the 45mm F1.8. It was amazing to get that dreamy out of focus look for a very reasonable price. I still have the 45mm and I still love it. Recently there has been so many people saying the gap between FF and M43 has closed. But is it possible to find an equivalent FF lens of the same price, size and capability? I would be surprised. M43 lives!
This lens weather sealed and with a 46 mm filter thread - it would be a dream lens! Well, with this low price, weather sealing is not that much of an issue, because the lens is so cheap. Still, I would pay more and carry (a bit) more weight for the convenience. It might actually come … ;-)
@@robinwong you ARE a good sales person indeed Robin. I like all your videos and have been following you for a few years now. I especially liked one particular thing you said that was not directly photography related and to which I do not want to attract attention here in this forum as this is out of context. :-)
Just got mine delivered today ☺️ Just 110€ including a lens hood (used, but like new). Coming from a vintage 50mm 1.9, this tiny thing is a beast for taking pictures of our cats in low light 🤣
The nice thing about M43 is not only that you don't have to stop down for sufficient DoF, as almost all the FF-Pros do, but still have the benefit of letting in more light with comparable DoF and being so much lighter and smaller at the same time :)
An important point a lot of people have missed. But when we being this up, there will be a lot of people saying things like oh but you can't go any wider if you want to. Sometimes, I have learned it is best to just keep quiet. There is no end to these kind of argument.
I scored one for $120. It's actually the second prime lens I purchased (found a 30mm macro for $160). I love how versatile it is for what I do with it (family events, snake photos).
Great lens loves the f1.8 lenses, so easy to keep in a pocket just wish the 45mm had the same focus ring like the 17mm and all f1.8 lenses used the same filter thread thought your point 11 would be you have ten for sale on eBay lol. point 12 try the 45mm with the extension tube it's a fantastic macro lens then.
The 45mm was meant to be in a lower tier than the 17mm, hence it has plastic body and no manual focusing clutch. Not sure what happened after that, Olympus just put them all in the same category.
Thanks Robin, I've had the 45mm 1.8 for about 6 years and I concur with your assessment. While it was my most desired M4/3 lenses has turned out to be one of my least used after going back to Panasonic bodies, largely because of ucorrected chromatic aberration with Panasonic bodies and somewhat, harsh distracting bokeh on complex backgrounds when stopped down a bit from wide open. While your's and other photographer's M.Zuiko 45mm shots are stunning in terms of contrast, color and detail, on the Panasonic bodies, I'm unimpressed when compared to the 42.5mm f/1.7 Panasonic and bigger, heavier and more expensive Leica options.
Hi Robin, I'm sure that now you are more famous than Steve Huff and Mike Johnston together (I never heard of them before). Please continue your great job!
Just grabbed this for 219$ on mpb love how in just getting into m43 at the right time where all these lens were 4-6 hundred dollars years ago and are now dirt cheap on the used market. Bought a g7 about 2 months ago and have sourced 4 lens for under 1k
Awesome I have this lens and dont use it as much as I should. Recently I bought the Panasonic Lumix. G9 II i think this lens will be a perfect partner for it. Cheers John
I have three best lenses for video -- Tokina 11mm-16mm f2.8 (there is a learning curve for getting to know how to use this lens), Nikkor 35 mm f1.8 on my D3300 and Olympus 45 mm f1.8 on my G85. You are right, this lens is the best to convince clients.
Three and a half years ago this was the lens that was finally responsible for me selling all my full frame gear and moving to Micro 4/3rds. I handled the lens at a photography show and coundn't believe that it really was the equivalent of a full frame 90mm f1.8, after the big, heavy 85mm and 90mm f1.8 full frame lenses I'd been using. It's now my most used prime lens and second only to the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, which is the most used lens I have. It's sharp and it's lovely, what more can I say?
You can get this lens for used about 160 Euros in Germany. Actually I saw one still with the original plastic covers not removed for 165 Euros in the shop. I have the zuiko 14-150 mm and the Lumix 20mm and all the shots that people like are taken with the Zuiko 45mm f1.8. For Robin the lens is the money maker, I don't make any money with it yet, but it is the lens which makes most people happy with their pictures.
I'm doing my first official wedding gig and the store clerk at B & H photo recommended this lens. I also have a 12-60mm Leica lens so I hope I'm covered as I've run out of budget for more lenses. Thanks for this reassuring video.
I recently bought the 45mm 1.8 and the 25mm 1.8. I love the look and overall picture quality of both of those lenses! For street photography the 45mm is a little tight. In crowded places there´s always someone between you and your "target". But for people and portraits in particular, it´s fantastic!
Love this lens too. And with 17mm 1.8 & 60mm macro, the whole kit is so light... It truly fulfills the m4/3 promise of mobility. I just wish they'd included the plastic lens hood; I mean really, how much cost could that be?!
Hi Robin, Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate them. I am a Canon full frame user (amateur), but purchased an used Olympus pen ep7 with a 14-42 lens following a review on zenography RU-vid channel about the pen cameras and I am really impressed with the image quality and the fact I can put it in my pocket. Please keep up your reviews for ordinary non-professional photographers like me. Thank you again.
What an amazing experience with yo article! Congratulations. Thanks for sharing that story!! Keep up!! Love the videos. And yes, love the look of the 45mm.
Thanks for the video. One reason I like the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 lens on my micro 4/3 digital camera is that I can use it for test shots for my Leica M6 35mm film rangefinder with 90mm f/2 Leitz lens.
Great video, Robin. I do own the lens and agree it is light, has nice bokeh and excellent image quality. I do find it is prone to hunting in low light or back light situations.
I'd suggest shooting at wide open F1.8, then the hunting is less. Also depends on which camera you are using. If you are using the older Olympus cameras, then yes, the hunting is a real issue. Any newer OM-D cameras (E-M1 Mark II, E-M1X, E-M5 Mark III, etc) will have the ability to take advantage of wider aperture and focus much better in low light.
Thanks Robin. I found an "open box" lens being offered by a reputable online retailer at a reduced price and just bought it based on this review and a Peter Forsgard review.
All are agreed - a superb lens.I've only had mine a week but the results have been stunning, especially the way it renders that creamy background blur. Talking of which, Mr. Johnston did not invent or 'introduce' the concept of 'bokeh' to photography. He merely found a sex non-English word to replace 'blur/'background blur', which doesn't sound so classy. The same thing happened when a guy called Jack Duganne started calling his inject prints 'giclée. This French word is intended to give an air of class to the end result, which is no more than an inkjet print. The word 'giclée' is simply the French for 'squirt/spout/spray'. A friend of mine started marketing his prints as 'giclée' tho' they were produced in exactly the same way, from the same printer, as the prints he formerly sold as 'inkjet'!
Great video Robin. I really love this lens too! I was very fortunate a few years ago to pick up a used OMD EM10 and a 45mm F1.8 for $200 AUD. Lens was in mint condition and decided to sell the EM10 for $200 and keep the 45mm for my EM5. I'm always happy with the results I get and will continue to use it for many years to come :)
Hi Robin, fab video and I agree it is an outstanding portrait lens for the size and money.. great for video too...my own preference for the majority of outdoor portraits is now the Olympus 75mm f1.8 but the 45mm and 25mm are still gems to use when needed...
I did a photoshoot in studio last saturday and I am in the middle of processing the photos. Was very curious about background highlights on few of my lenses with Christmas lights and other shiny decorations. Zooms unfortunately have "onion rings", while M.Zuiko 75mm F1,8 and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 came to have the best highlights I was about to be critical a bit about the sharpness when compared to 25mm F1.4 Summilux, but after closer examination of the photos I retracted that argument. Also at F2,2 and F2,5 were both lenses exceptionally sharp. Given the fact that Summilux is considered to be among the sharpest M43 lenses this is quite surprising find. Also highlights. Summilux unfortunately has visible aperture at the edges, 45mm F1.8 had perfectly round highlights, both at F2.2 and F2.5 apertures. One last find... Olympus lenses tend to be slightly more bluish compared to Lumix lenses. Comparing 25mm Summilux and 45mm F1.8 this difference appears to be 350 Kelvin. If you want to match two such lenses, add to Olympus one, or alternatively substract from Lumix.
