The Olympus 75 1.8 was never underrated. When it came out it was widely regarded as the finest MFT lens ever made. Even DXO mark said it was one of the sharpest lenses they ever tested - regardless of format. Cool shots - especially your landscapes. It is a killer headshot lens.
It is also perfect for events. When I'm photographing events, I usually use the Sigma 16mm f/1.4, the Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7, and the Olympus 75mm f/1.8. I usually have a 25mm f/1.7 in the bag too, but I don't use it that much. And if it's a larger event or the backgrounds are cluttered and it's not too dimly lit, I may use the Panasonic 100-300. I also plan to add the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 to my collection soon. For pet photography, the 75mm is excellent for photographing cats because the longer focal length allows me to choose my backgrounds carefully and blur out most of the remaining clutter. For dogs, it is excellent for action shots when used with the E-M1 II. I just hope they'll make a Mark II version that's weather sealed like Panasonic recently did with their 25mm f/1.4 because when I was using this lens to photograph a dock dogs competition, it was getting pretty wet! If you really want to see this lens come into its element, take it to a dog agility competition or even just to a local dog park to photograph the dogs playing fetch. The results are outstanding!
I agree it's not underrated, 75mm (150mm) is not a very popular focal length in many cases and its price is still pretty high so it's not a surprise if they don't sell tons. And I don't think a new version, even weather sealed (no issue with mine because it's not, BTW), could change that.
I have the 75mm -- it is the perfect indoor event lens: sports, dance, theatre, concerts, conventions, churches, weddings, funerals. Great bokeh and sharp as advertised.
I bought mine, a black one a few months back and I absolutely love the sharpness of it. So far, I've shot only portraits so I can't comment on the landscaping part. I bought the combo of 45mm + 75mm (F1.8) so it was a great deal.
I purchased this lens 2nd hand half price, and it turned out to be literally brand new! On top of that it's now my favourite, stunningly sharp and beautiful results on the G9.
A couple of years ago I made 2 trips to Thailand and on the first one, I was with my E-M1 and Nikon FF cameras. The idea was the Olympus to be my backup but at the end, the Nikon was the backup just sitting in the camera bag. For the second trip, I had E-M1 and E-M5 II + 12-40 and 40-150 PRO lenses and 17mm and 75mm f/1.8 lenses. For the first two weeks, I was shooting only with the zoom because of convenience, but when I got tired I switched to the primes and I was amazed. 17mm is great for street and environmental portraits, while the 75mm is great for candid portraits and from a distance if you don't want to disturb the people. It's an absolutely great lens. The image quality is amazing, bokeh is great, the only issues for me are the lack of manual focus clutch, the missing and expensive hood and that is not weather-sealed, but I recommend this lens to all m4/3 shooters.
Sometimes a longer lens is also good for portraits, because then you need a bit smaller background and that's practical especially for corporate portraits.
Thanks for the video, Peter. I have 9 Olympus lenses in my arsenal and two Lumix/Leica. The 75mm f1.8 is hands down THE best. Period. Almost as good as my classic 105mm Nikkor from back in the 70s - the best lens I ever used in my life. But the 75mm Oly is soooo close! Fantastic glass.
This lens is one of the best Olympus line up. I feel it is on par with the PRO lens in term of result. I'm using this lens often for beauty shots in sweet 17's job or wedding. Many people only metioned the sharpness, but if you compare it with the 45mm f1.8 u will notice the skintone far better different. Only 45mm f1.2 pro dan Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 can match it's beautiful skintones' s result. So, not just the sharpness, but also beautiful skintones and somehow when we shoot on high ISO this lens somehow generates result one or half stop result better than the common lenses. The result is cleaner. But as your mentioned Peter, the focal length is the downsize. You need to adjust. When i first buy this lens, i feel the same but for a whole month i shoot only with this lens as casual shoots (either street or model photoshoots). Then the issues were solved. So far this is my most dependable lens besides 12-40mm PRO.
Peter: I also own this lens and bought it a few years ago with my Oly EM5 Mk II. I also used it on my EM1 Mk II and now on my EM1X..it's one of my favorite M4/3 lenses. Results are sharp and the colors are nice. Seasons Greetings.
Picked up a used version in silver finish I think it was my 3rd or 4th prime lens purchase and although it’s not my everyday lens choice I’m always impressed with the quality images that it produces. Probably Olympus finest lens in the prime range imo although I haven’t been disappointed with any of the primes. Thank you for review and sharing the images you captured with it 😊👍
Glad you featured this lens. I bought it at AUD 900 a few years back and it has lower price now. At that time, you could choose the cheap 45mm f/1.8 or this 75mm - this lens is "classier" in build, compressed perspective and bokeh but it was long for portrait. So when Olympus made the pro 45mm f/1.2 I guess one primary use for this lens, portraiture, was lost as the 45mm allows nearer communication distance to the subject. Although it is 75mm, in equivalent terms lit is a 150mm which makes it like the classic common 135mm lenses for film - and if you think back, many people bought the 135mm because it was "the" tele that could be easily used without handshake, weight and high price. I find for street closeups of people unaware, it is good, and if you want to push distractions out of frame in urban scenes, it is good. I don't like the Olympus hood, it has that ugly little screw. I bought an ebay metal hood.
As far as I'm concerned, ALL METAL HOODS are bad. They ding easily, and what is worse, they do not dampen shock, but transmit shock to the lens and body. If the hood is screw mounted, they damage the filter thread, and make the use of filters difficult. Ideally, a resilient plastic bayonet mount hood for the working and field photographer. A metal hood, is for a lens to be on display on a shelf, not used to take pictures. AS it is, if possible I place a silicone wrist band around the tip of the hood to negate accidental bumps.
@@chrisbaudeg3233 I've been in the game for a long time. I still have collapsible rubber, super shock absorbent hoods from 1978, metal hoods from about the same era, plastic hoods from the 2000s. I've dropped several digital camera bodies which are dead. Bashing lenses? So far none, touch wood. The 75mm would just feel "wrong" with a plastic hood
The 75 1.8 sat neglected for some time in my cabinet. After watching this review I decided to take it on a recent trip where schlepping the 40-150 on some trails would be a trial. It was an excellent choice. Clear and crisp. Plenty of detail. Easy to pack. The results were very satisfying. Thanks for reminding us of what a great lens this really is Peter!
I recently aquired this lens second hand with lens hood. Excellent performer for the m43 system. A lower light alternative for the 40-150mm f/2.8. You gain 1 1/3 stops of light compred to the 40-150mm. I had to take pictures of a ceremony in a church and the 75mm helped me to get lower iso pictures. You have a 150mm FF lens with an aperture of 3.6 in FF terms with is very beneficial for event photography. I do not regret my purchase.
Nice video . 👍 Same depth of field and sharpness as the 45 f1.2 only with a lower angle of view. I preferred to spend the same money buying the 45 f1.8 plus this lens that only buys the 45 f1.2 and I do not regret that decision. Franco Fontana is master using long lens to make landscapes abstract objects.
I had this lens in the test kit before I bought my first OM-D. It is really good, but in my opinion too expensive for what it is: no weather sealing, no focus clutch, no hood included. The Sigma 56mm f1.4 costs less than half and is as good. Just a bit shorter.
It is the best lens for portraits especially for wedding documentaries :-) I really love it. Bit if you are not interested in portrait photography the lense might be a bit "exotic" for most photographers :-)
I had a shock. I was expecting the 75mm f/1.8. Is there an f/1.2? Peter calls this a 1.2 a few times at the start. So I'm a bit confused as to which one he is using here. I guess it's the 75mm 1.8 and the 1.2 is a 45mm lens shown elsewhere?
This was one of the first m4/3 lenses I bought, and while I don't carry it often. It is my go to for portraits. It is just a splendid lens. Optical perfection in my opinion.
I bought a used version of this lens (in black) mostly to take photos of the kids at their indoor events. The focal length is a challenge at first but the photos have turned out very well even at iso 6400. Paired with the em5 mkiii it is such an easy combination to carry with me. I enjoyed your video and seeing the excellent and varied images you’ve taken with it! Thanks!
I still haven't bought this lens , but I think shooting street portraits would suit this lens . Much the same as you shooting editorial portraits . Good work Peter .
For what it's worth, I discovered using a 50mm full-frame lens on my Nikon DX 7200 gives me the same 75mm effect with its crop sensor! Thanks for this video!
HI PETER, Your comments mirror my exoerience with this lens right down to the colour of the body. I have long felt this should be my favourite M4/3 lens for a lot of reasons... yet it doesn’t get used very often. The 12-40 and 40-150 pair are always in the bag first... Great lens though. Pleasure to use and wicked sharp.
Nice shots, I tend to like (full frame) in the 80-90 range but this is a nice versatile length and in silver I think it is a great match to the Pen F. style wise.
I could not afford this lens at 800 EUR and bought the Sigma 60mm f/2.8 at 200 EUR instead (metal lens hood included). The extraordinary sharpness of this Sigma lens (Made in Japan) can be proved through HIRES mode. All features of that lens except highest aperture play on top level, it is my most surprising lens.
The Olympus 75mm 1.8 (150mm equiv.) would be good for photographing children or pets as they'd more easily forget your're there because of the distance.
The manual lenses I love and shoot the most is the Zeiss Pancolar 50mm 1.8 followed by the Zeiss Planar T* 50mm 1.4 I use these on my Sony A7, Fujifilm X- Pro 1 and XT1.
I really like this lens but I just cant justify buying it as I wouldnt use it often enough (I keep my eyes peeled for used bargains). I dont take portraits but, this is the sort of focal length I use for wildlife and the Zoo, Presently I tend to use a 45mm f1.8 which is perfect for the Zoo but, if I need longer on a reserve I use my 14-140mm zoom. The zoom is fine but, I much prefer primes so would love to add this lens to my kit; its easily the best lens not in my kit. Have fun ;-)
25mm f1.8, 45mm f1.8 and 75mm f1.8 are lenses every micro four thirds user need to have. The 45mm is best value and a beautiful lens and the 75mm is just an outstanding lens. The 25mm is no slouch either.
Yeah I love the 75mm! Crazy sharp wide open. Good for weddings in dark churches. Great for headshots. I could do a wedding with the 12-40mm and the 75mm.
I love this lens. Sharp, compact, great for head shots and close ups of people and some outdoor scenes. But I don't use it as much as the zooms I have. Why? Not as flexible, and when I hand my camera to someone to take a picture of my family and me, they have no idea what to do. As far as landscapes go, I too like telephoto lenses. Wide angle shots are nice, but I defy most people to identify in a wide angle shot exactly what they are looking at.
also a great lens for pet portraits as the longer working distance works very well. I am now tempted to go out and shoot some landscapes with it this weekend. Thanks for the review and inspiration!
Great video. Thanks. I've a question that I haven't found a convincing answer to. A 45mm m4/3 lens has a view that's similar to what a a normal view of 90mm lens would be. But do they have the same perspective. Isn't it the perspective that makes portraits of 85mm FF more flattering, while wide angle portraits less flattering? I can't get this out of my head, nor have I found a good answer. Perspective should remain the same, whether 75mm on m4/3, or 75mm FF, right? Or am I mistaken about some basics? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Just an amateur beginner here.
@@ForsgardPeter Apologies for creating the confusion sir. I did some searching on the net. In a forum, I learnt the perspective/distortion is dependent on distance between lens and subject. I assume the lens on apsc or m4/3 that gives same subject to lens distance as 85mm on FF, will give the same perspective. Many thanks for your kind consideration 😊
@@peterpanimg It becomes a little bit confusing when thinking about scaling up and down from 35mm to APS-C and M4/3. Especially regarding depth of field! I think the field of view of 45mm on M43 is same as 90mm on FF so to fill the frame with a face you would have the same subject distance and same perspective (I think) but not necessarily the same depth of focus. It gets more confusing when you have a FF lens and put it on an M43 camera because you have two factors. 1. The crop factor means that you will be twice the distance away to get the same image on the M43 with a given lens, so perspective will be different and background bokeh is less pleasing but 2. the smaller circles of confusion will get magnified up to an extent when you print the photo a given size like 12"x8." Someone published some depth of field graphs online. It's one of those things where I think I get it and then think about it more and get confused!
Love the pictures from Scotland -- and that lens gives those pictures "calendar appeal" -- since they do compress and capture the distance along with the foreground. Your photos "out and about" have a slightly compressed, shot from a slight distance, photojournalism feel -- shooting from enough distance that you capture the subject but without inserting yourself into the action/scene. So the equivalent 150mm length is a good "middle" ground telephoto length. I find that I like it as well with my 35mm cameras -- and I prefer the 150mm prime lenses instead of trying to hit the 150mm mark on a mid-range (70-210mm) zoom. The closest that I have native for my Lumix G85 is the Lumix 45-150, and I can get to that 75/150mm length, but the aperture is not great, so maybe down the road I'll get that 75mm prime for my G85.... Thanks!!!
Yea agreed Peter a great lens which I use with models when I want a full body shot and not a portrait. Great around the pool and for urban fashion shoots etc . regards Graham
I have this lens. One comment about the metal hood it is very sensitive to physical forces. Mine got a bang from a bench in a park and got deformed. I thing a plastic one will serve better
Well that's 75mm f1.8 not f1.2 (at 0:04) hehehe. By the way 75mm is my most favourite lens while 12-40mm pro is my most useful lens in m43 system. I love the rendering of 75mm and indeed you need to adjust and adapt the focal length. I speed 1 month using that lens only. Not using other lenses. The glass is very fantastic. Oh about the lens hood, inside of it were covered by black colour velvet. The nature of that is absorbing the light so it reduced flare and adding more colour and contrast. Many critics buy the third party hood such JJC. If you looking for a bare hood to block the light, buy the JJC. But the original hood, really does give impact on colour and contrast. IMHO
i left olympus em5mkII for practical reasons: - too small body - too short battery life - no phase AF on sensor The rest was fantastic. If the em5mkIII fix those things, why not. (i known there is the em1mkII but it's too expensive for me and it is a overkill for my need)
btw: i'm back to a canon Dslr that give all the features i loved about the em5mkII (beside the IBIS) plus better grip better battery life and better af in low light and for 'action'
Laughs, my models are bearded old men, so I don't want to be that close to them. That's why Oly 75 / 1.8 is perfect for me. Then it is super-sharp fully open as my other options are. I am an old Nikon guy and have lots of exciting glasses in the cabinets, and use Metabones Speedboster with m43. One of the old ones I particularly like for portraits is the Nikkor 105 / 2.5 PC. With the Speedbooster it gets about the same focal length and aperture as the Oly 75 / 1.8. With that combo I have created my very best image, which I might one day get exhibited in a juried art exhibition. But, I have some other funny lenses for portraits, including the Mitakon 85 / 1.2 for Nikon which gives me 60 / 0.85 with Speedboster for m43. A Samyang 135 / 2.0 that gives me 95 / 1.4. Good good wide open, but gets a little cramped. Why I have them is that one day I might buy my Fuji GFX. Perfect combo with m43, and several of my lenses will work perfectly with GFX. Bought a lot of 2.0 Zuiko lenses for mye OM 3Ti, and also a Speedbooster back to m43, and waiting for the best prized 100/2.0 Zuiko. It's still missing. Why I have all of those lenses. As you know, old bearded men prefer darkness, and I love to use the existing light, or make photos in darkness.
Thank you, Peter. I have the 40-150, which I absolutely love. I only take wildlife and landscape photos....also macro flowers and bugs. Is this a lens I should consider? Its sharpness is legendary.
I do the same kind of photography, and I also have the 75. The minimum focus distance is not very good, it is better on the 40-150. But the sharpness and bokeh goes very well with still lifes of bigger flowers or plants, I think.
Nice clip! Nice images! I loved the animal shots and closeups. You’ve given me pause for thought! Bring on the 75mm vs 45mm duel! Maybe add the 12~40mm Pro (at 40mm) for a more difficult comparison? 🤔
To my mind You must have been quite away from the Scottish motifs I could hardly recognize such an apostrophized squeezing effect - except in those where there is a big motif in the foreground. Here I believe to see the differences between wide angle and moderate telephoto focal lengths the most. I own the 60mm f/2.8 Macro which I use mostly in the mountains to switch rapidly from landscape photos to macros. But to concentrate on subtle details in landscape I use the Panasonic 100-300.
And the focal length also really has nothing to do with the squeezing effect. That effect is because of the distance to the subject. Hence why it is usually attributed to longer lenses, because you stand further away from the subject most of the time. But compare a 10mm lens with a 100mm lens, from the exact same spot, and the difference is not there. (when you crop the 10mm to a 100mm viewing angle, and you can see the pictures are identical).
As I said in the video that it is a bit different from the 45mm f1.2 pro lens. I dont if it is the "pop" or something else. Maybe it is the pop or 3D look.
I do not believe it to be an underrated lens (maybe a pleasant surprise or experience instead). I would appreciate seeing a comparison with the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 since it appears to be much cheaper, sharper, of a more convenient focal length and with equivalent aperture circle (of about 40mm). Would that be possible under your relationship with Olympus?
This might be interesting to consider when comparing the 45mm f/1.2 PRO (1.159€) and 75mm f/1.8 (879€). Just include the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 (354€) as well if possible.
hello Peter , I have that lense too , but my question is about your eyeglasses, they don’t get dark under the sun when you are in this video, I have several of mine with prescription lenses and they get dark under the sun but I think i’m not exposing correctly when taking pictures and only a couple of times I do realized this . do you think it’s important?
I used to have glasses that turn darker in the sun. Two problems that I had, the scene looks a bit odd to my eyes and they did not dark in when driving so I decided to have normal lenses. But that is only something that I experienced and it is something that one can get used to.
Now I have m.Zuiko 12-40 2.8 and m.Zuiko 45 1.8. I am thinking about buy m.Zuiko 75mm 1.8 or m.Zuiko 25mm 1.8. I love making portraits with my 45mm, so that's why am thinking about next portrait lens - 75mm. But I am worry that 75mm may be too close, so I willa not us it so often. I other way 25mm is nice focal lenght, but I also have it on my 12-40. 25 prime will give me more light and less weight (for walking). What should I buy? (I can't buy both :) )
Hard call. Are you happy with the 45mm f1.8? If you are, go for the 25mm f1.2, it can be used for portraits also and it is more versatile that the 75mm f1.8. On the other hand the 75mm f1.8 is a very good lens.
@@ForsgardPeter Thanks for your respond. Yes, I am happy with my 45mm 1.8, but I am looking for something better to shoot portraits of my daughter. And also something more "interesting". At this moment I will try to buy 75mm 1.8 and see how it works. Than I decided to stay with this lens or sell it. Lenses m.Zuiko PRO with light 1.2 are quite too expensive for amateur. Best Regards!
Very hard decision. both lenses have it advantages. 75mm can also be used as a short telephoto, but it also a bit more expensive then the 45mm f1.8. On the other hand it is cheaper than the 45mm f1.2 Pro. What ever you decide you cannot go wrong.
I have an old Yashica 50mm lens. My camera is a Sony a6000 with an APS C sensor. I believe the crop factor is 1.5x. Does this mean the perceived focal length of 50mm for full frame translates to 75mm on my camera?
It is hard to say. Both lenses has it advantages. The 75mm is a prime lens and the 12?-100mm is a zoom lens. It depends so much what you like make images of.
For an indoor event I used both lenses, and the final selection for my album contains much more 75mm than 35-100, for outdoor daylight events the difference in sharpness, color is not so evident flickr.com/photos/60485344@N00/sets/72157704178805925
@@ForsgardPeter I want to be a Pro Photographer but I want to capture peoples in some wild & unsafe places in Africa, Do you you recommend 75mm or 45mm or Panasonic 35-100mm ? I Want 1 Camera + Lens always on my body with me so I can capture the moment!
I would go with a quite small combo. Maybe an E-M1 MKII and the 17mm f1.8? That will give you more flexibility to have the surroundings also in your portraits. If you want to shoot more classical portraits I would go with a 45mm, either the f1.8 or the f1.2 version.
would any decent 50mm f1.8 dx (you can get afs 50mm f1.8 nikkor for like $80) do the job pretty much the same ? lanscapes/portaits, you dont need af that much... in 2021 it's still not cheap, you can hardly get it used for less than ~$400.
I would say yes IF you do lots of portraiture and have some room to work, or if you're doing indoor event photography where the extra range and aperture speed could be really beneficial. But the difference in focal length is really not huge. I have both and probably should sell the 75. I don't do a lot of portraiture or indoor event type work and just don't use it enough to really justify keeping it. It is truly excellent in terms of optical quality, however. For the kinds of things I do the close focusing capabilities of the 60 f/2.8 make it a much better option for ME. I think it really comes down to YOUR uses and how you'd see it complimenting the 60.
even though its a very sharp lens, i hardly use that focal length for my everyday shooting. even if i do, i'll still prefer the 45mm f1.8 angle of view.
Plus the 45mm f/1.8 is so tiny that no-one else has any idea that you're using a short telephoto. That's a big plus. It doesn't look like a long lens. In fact it's so small, it's almost invisible! So much less intimidating.
@@deenugent473 yes dear in Hong Kong the Gray Import selling for now $430 & Official Olympus Warranty one selling for $480, These are Prices for 9-Aug-2018!
