photo:microfourthirdslenses
Table of Contents
a catalogue of Micro Four Thirds lenses
see also:
introduction
- the Micro Four Thirds system is blessed with not only a superb range of dedicated AF lenses, but via an adapter, able to access the superb range of Four Thirds lenses whilst still maintaining aperture control, EXIF data and in most cases with the new cameras, autofocus capability, although not continuous AF.
- an awesome high quality, compact camera kit for enthusiasts:
- Olympus m.ZD 12mm f/2.0 lens - wide angle lens - great for night handheld urban shots without a flash
- Olympus mZD 17mm f/1.8 lens - for street photography
- Olympus m.ZD 25mm f/1.8 standard lens - lovely “standard” general purpose and low light lens
- Olympus m.ZD 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens - for portraits
- Olympus m.ZD 60mm f/2.8 macro lens - for macro but could also do portraits although ability to blur the background is more limited
- Olympus m.ZD 75mm f/1.8 lens - for fashion, portraiture, shallow depth of field (DOF), short telephoto work, one of the best lenses ever made
- and a zoom lens for general daytime work
- weathersealed pro kit
- Olympus mZD 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO lens general purpose travel zoom lens
- Olympus mZD 8mm f/1.8 Pro fisheye lens- great for creative imagery or Milky Way astroscapes
- Olympus mZD 40-150mm f/2.8 pro lens sports lens
- if that is not enough, the short lens flange distance means that nearly any lens ever made can be adapted to fit, but you will obviously not have AF capability, nor camera-controlled aperture, nor EXIF data.
- see legacy lenses for mirrorless cameras for examples of such lenses which can be used
- in particular, I would highly recommend the following if you are happy to use manual focus only:
- Rokinon 85mm f/1.4 - buy it in the Nikon mount (new under $US300 from Amazon.com) so it can be used on almost any camera
- Olympus OM 135mm f/2.8 - nice and cheap - look for them on Ebay - great for video of indoor or low light events.
- Canon EF adapter with aperture control:
- Metabones Turbo adapter
news
- Aug 2013: the Olympus OM-D E-M1 has sensor based phase detect AF as well as CDAF and thus has fast AF even with Four Thirds lenses which are not optimised for CDAF.
Micro Four Thirds mount lenses
- none of the Olympus lenses have optical image stabilisation as all Olympus bodies have this built-in.
- Panasonic nomenclature:
- HD = near silent continuous AF and stepless aperture for optimum HD video
- X = premium class with nano coatings for reached flare, and a high level of edge-to-edge optic quality. These are also HD.
- Power OIS = in addition to usual Mega OIS, ability to counter large, slow movements
- Mega OIS = normal optical image stabilisation
- PZ = power zoom control on the lens
- Olympus nomenclature:
- m.Zuiko = designed for Micro Four Thirds
- Zuiko Digital (ZD) = designed for Four Thirds
- OM = designed for Olympus OM film SLR cameras - you will need an adapter to use these, and these are manual focus only.
- OM-D = digital Micro Four Thirds system cameras with in-built EVF and design reminiscent of OM SLR film cameras
- ZERO = new coatings (presumably nano) to further reduce flare
- R = revised lens with silver instead of black finish
- MSC = AF designed for motion and still BUT there is variability in how quiet and fast these lenses auto-focus.
- EZ = power zoom on the lens
lens listing for Micro Four Thirds mount lenses
fish eye auto-focus lenses
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olympus 8mm f/1.8 fisheye Pro | 16mm fisheye | N | Yes | No | nil | 80mm | 315g | $999 |
Pan. 8mm f/3.5 fisheye H-F008 | 16mm fisheye | N | Yes | No | rear | 52mm | 165g | $629 |
wide angle auto-focus lenses
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olympus 5-20mm f/1.8-2.8 (patent only 2015) | 10-40mm f/1.8-2.8 | N | Yes | MSC | $ | |||
Pan. 7-14mm f/4 H-F007014 | 14-28mm f/4 | N | Yes | No | N/A | 83mm | 300g | $980 |
Olympus 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro (2015) | 14-28mm f/2.8 | N | Yes | MSC | nil | 106mm | 534g | $1299 |
Pan. 8-18mm f/2.8-4 | 16-36mm f/2.8-4 | N | Yes | Yes | 67mm | 88mm | 315g | $1099 |
Olympus 8-25mm f/4 Pro (coming 2021) | 16-50mm f/4 | N | Yes | MSC | 72mm | 89mm | 411g | $? |
Pan. 10-25mm f/1.7 2019 | 20-50mm f/1.7 | N | 77mm | 128mm | 690g | $1799 | ||
Olympus 12mm f/1.0 patent only phase 2014 | 24mm f/1.0 | N | Yes | MSC | mm | mm | g | $ |
Pan. 12mm f/1.4 | 24mm f/1.4 | N | Yes | Yes | 62mm | mm | g | $ |
Oly. 12mm f/2.0 | 24mm f/2.0 | N | Yes | MSC | 46mm | 43mm | 130g | $799 |
Oly. 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 | 18-36mm | N | Yes | MSC | 52mm | 57mm | 155g | $699 |
Olympus 14mm f/1.0 patent only phase 2014 | 28mm f/1.0 | N | Yes | MSC | mm | mm | g | $ |
Pan. 14mm f/2.5 H-H014 | 28mm f/2.5 | N | Yes | No | 46mm | 21mm | 55g | $370 |
Pan. 14mm f/2.5 II H-H014A | 28mm f/2.5 | N | Yes | No | 46mm | 21mm | 55g | $299 |
Pan. 15mm f/1.7 | 30mm f/1.7 | N | Yes | No | 46mm | 36mm | 115g | $599 |
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 | 32mm f/1.4 | N | mm | mm | g | $ | ||
Olympus 17mm f/1.2 weathersealed Jan 2018 | 34mm f/1.2 | N | Yes | MSC | 62mm | 87mm | 390g | $1199 |
Oly. 17mm f/1.8 | 34mm f/1.8 | N | Yes | MSC | 46mm | 35.5mm | 120g | $499 |
Oly. 17mm f/2.8 pancake | 34mm f/2.8 | N | No | No | 37mm | 22mm | 71g | $249 |
Sigma 19mm f/2.8 EX DN asph | 38mm f/2.8 | N | 46mm | 46mm | 140g | $219 | ||
Pan. 20mm f/1.7 H-H020 pancake | 40mm f/1.7 | N | No | No | 46mm | 26mm | 100g | $340 |
Olympus 20mm f/1.4 weathersealed 2021 | 40mm f/1.4 | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 63.4mm | 247g | $799 |
wide angle to telephoto zoom autofocus lens
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olympus 12-35mm f/1.8-2.4 collapsible patent only 2017 | 24-70mm | No | mm | mm | g | $ | ||
Pan. 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 compact | 24-64mm | Mega | Yes | “fast” | 37mm | 24mm | g | $225 |
Pan. 12-35mm f/2.8 X HD weatherproof | 24-70mm f/2.8 | Power | Yes | HD | 58mm | 74mm | 305g | $829 |
Oly. 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro weatherproof | 24-80mm f/2.8 | No | Yes | MSC | 62mm | 84mm | 382g | $800 |
Oly. 12-45mm f/4 Pro weatherproof | 24-90mm f/4 | No | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 70mm | 254g | $650 |
Oly. 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ MSC weatherproof | 24-100mm + macro | No | Yes | MSC | 52mm | 83mm | 211g | $350 |
Pan. 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Leica weatherproof | 24-120mm | Power Dual | Yes | HD | 62mm | 86mm | 320g | $999 |
Pan. 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Power OIS | 24-120mm | Power | Yes | MSC | 58mm | mm | 210g | $ |
Oly. 12-100mm f/4 OIS PRO weatherproof | 24-200mm f/4 | Dual | Yes | MSC | 72mm | 116.5mm | 561g | $1299 |
Oly. 12-150mm f/4-6.3 OIS - patent only in 2014 | 24-300mm | Yes! | Yes | MSC | mm | mm | g | |
Kodak 12-45mm f/3.5-6.3 | 24-90mm | No | 49mm | mm | g | cheap kit lens | ||
Pan. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 X PZ Asph | 28-84mm | Power | Yes | HD | 37mm | 27mm | 95g | $399 |
Pan. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II | 28-84mm | Mega | Yes | “fast” | 46mm | 49mm | 110g | $ |
Oly. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 | 28-84mm | N | No | No | 40.5mm | |||
Oly. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II collapsible | 28-84mm | N | Yes | MSC | 37mm | 50mm | 112g | $299 |
Oly. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 IIR collapsible | 28-84mm | N | Yes | MSC | 37mm | 50mm | 113g | |
Oly. 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ power zoom | 28-84mm | N | Yes | MSC | 37mm | 23mm | 91g | $349 |
Pan. 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 H-FS014045 | 28-90mm | Mega | Yes | No | 52mm | 60mm | 195g | $280 |
Oly. 14-150mm f/4-5.6 | 28-300mm | N | Yes | No | 58mm | 280g | $520 | |
Oly. 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II weatherproof | 28-300mm | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 83mm | 285g | $599 |
Pan. 14-140mm f/4-5.8 H-VS014140 | 28-280mm | Mega | Yes | HD | 62mm | 84mm | 460g | $649 |
Pan. 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 late 2013 | 28-280mm | Power | Yes | HD | 58mm | mm | g | $ |
Tamron 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 III VC | 28-300mm | Yes | 52mm | 85mm | 280g |
dedicated macro auto-focus lenses
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pan. 30mm f/2.8 macro (2015) | 60mm f/2.8 macro | Mega | Yes | No | g | $399 | ||
Olympus 30mm f/3.5 2.5x macro | 60mm 2.5x macro | N | Yes | MSC | 46mm | 57mm | 128g | $US299 |
Pan. 45mm f/2.8 macro H-ES045 | 90mm f/2.8 macro | Mega | Yes | No | 46mm | 63mm | $669 | |
Oly. 60mm f/2.8 macro weathersealed | 120mm f/2.8 1:1 macro | N | Yes | MSC | 46mm | 82mm | 185g | $499 |
OM 90mm F3.5 2x Macro OIS PRO coming 2023 | 180mm 4x macro | Y | Y | Y | 62mm | 435g |
standard and short telephoto auto-focus lenses
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Olympus 25mm f/1.2 weathersealed pro | 50mm f/1.2 | N | Yes | MSC | 62mm | 87mm | 410g | $1299 |
Pan. 25mm f/1.4 | 50mm f/1.4 | N | Yes | No | 200g | $580 | ||
Pan. 25mm f/1.7 | 50mm f/1.7 | N | DFD, 240Hz | Yes | 46mm | 52mm | 125g | $ |
Oly. 25mm f/1.8 | 50mm f/1.8 | N | Yes | MSC | 46mm | 41mm | 136g | $349 |
Sigma 30mm f/1.4 2016 | 60mm f/1.4 | Yes | 52mm | 73mm | 265g | $US460 | ||
Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN asph | 60mm f/2.8 | N | 46mm | 39mm | 135g | $219 | ||
Pan. 35-100mm f/2.8 HD weatherproof | 70-200mm f/2.8 | Power | Yes | HD | 58mm | 100mm | 360g | $1200-1500 |
Pan. 35-100mm f/4-5.6 | 70-200mm f/4-5.6 | Mega | Yes | HD | 46mm | 50mm | 135g | $ |
Oly. 40-150mm f/2.8 weatherproof | 80-300mm f/2.8 | N | Yes | MSC/dual | 72mm | 160mm | 880g | $1499 |
Oly. 40-150mm f/4 weatherproof 2022 | 80-300mm f/4 | N | Yes | MSC/dual | 62mm | 99mm | 382g | $900 |
Oly. 40-150mm f/4-5.6 | 80-300mm | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 83mm | 190g | $299 |
Oly. 40-150mm f/4-5.6R | 80-300mm | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 83mm | 190g | $299 |
Pan. 45-150mm f/4-5.6 OIS | 90-300mm | Mega | Yes | 52mm | 73mm | 380g | $299? | |
Pan. 45-200mm f/4-5.6 H-FS045200 | 90-400mm | Mega | Yes | No | $250 | |||
Pan. 42.5mm f/1.7 portrait | 85mm f/1.7 portrait | Power | Yes | Yes? | 37mm | 50mm | 130g | $399 |
Pan. 42.5mm f/1.2 portrait | 85mm f/1.2 portrait | Power | Yes | Yes? | 67mm | 77mm | 425g | $1599 |
Olympus 45mm f/1.2 weathersealed | 90mm f/1.2 | N | Yes | MSC | 62mm | 85mm | 410g | $1199 |
Oly. 45mm f/1.8 portrait | 90mm f/1.8 | N | Yes | MSC | 37mm | 46mm | 115g | $399 |
Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN | 112mm f/1.4 | N | 55mm | 60mm | g | $ | ||
Sigma 60mm f/2.8 EX DN ART | 120mm f/2.8 | N | 46mm | 56mm | g | $239 | ||
Oly. 75mm f/1.8 | 150mm f/1.8 | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 69.5mm | 305g | $899 |
super telephoto auto-focus lenses
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | silent AF | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oly. 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 weathersealed | 24-400mm | No | Yes | MSC | 72mm | mm | g | $900 |
Pan. 50-200mm f/2.8-4 OIS | 100-400mm | Power | DFD, 240Hz | MSC | 67mm | 132mm | 665g | $1699 |
Oly. 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 | 150-600mm | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 116mm | 430g | $799 |
Oly. 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II | 150-600mm | N | Yes | MSC | 58mm | 116.5mm | ||
Pan. 100-300mm f/4-5.6 H-FS100300 | 200-600mm | Mega | Yes | No | 67mm | 126mm | 520g | $599 |
OM System 150-600mm f5-6.3 (2024 ?Sigma lens) | 300-1200mm f/5-6.3 | Yes | mm | 2,065g | $US2700 | |||
Pan. 150mm f/2.8 HD ??2014-15 | 300mm f/2.8 | ? | No | ? | ? | ? | ||
Panasonic 100-400mm f4-6.3 weathersealed | 200-800mm f/4-6.3 | Power | DFD, 240Hz | Yes | mm | 172mm ext | 985g | $US1799 |
Olympus 100-400mm f5-6.3 IS weathersealed | 200-800mm f/5-6.3 | OIS | MSC | Yes | 72mm | 206mm | 1120g | $US1499 |
Olympus 150-400mm f4.5 + 1.25xTC (2020) | 300-900mm f/4.5 / 375-1000mm f/5.6 | Dual | MSC | Yes | mm | g | $US7500 | |
Pan. 200mm f/2.8 | 400mm f/2.8 / 560mm f/4 | Power | DFD, 240Hz | Yes | 77mm | 174mm | 1245g | $US2999 inc. 1.4xTC |
Olympus 200mm f/3.2 patent only 2017 | 400mm f/3.2 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 200-300mm f/2.8-4 (patent only 2015) | 400-600mm f/2.8-4 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 300mm f/4 Pro weathersealed (2016) | 600mm f/4 / 840mm f/5.6TC | Yes | MSC | Yes | 77mm | 227mm | 1270g | $US2500 |
Olympus 300-500mm f/2.8-4 (patent only 2015) | 600-1000mm f/2.8-4 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 400mm f/4 patent only 2017 | 800mm f/4 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 400mm f/5.6 patent only 2017 | 800mm f/5.6 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 500mm f/4 Pro IS (patent only 2015) | 1000mm f/4 | Yes | MSC | Yes | mm | 338mm | g | $ |
manual focus lenses in MFT mount
lens | focal length in 35mm terms | OIS | C-AF | HD | filter | length | weight | price in US |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
iZugar 3.25mm fixed f/2.5 fisheye | f/2.5 220deg circular fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | mm | 160g | $499 |
Entaniya 2.3mm, 3.0mm and 3.6mm 250deg fisheye MF only | 250deg VR fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | mm | 1600g | $3730 |
Laowa 4mm f/2.8 fisheye MF only | f/2.8 fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | mm | 135g | $ |
Nodal Ninja 7.3mm f/4 fisheye MF only | f/4 fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | 42mm | 200g | $279 |
Meike 6.5mm f/2.0 fisheye MF only | f/2.0 partial circular fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | mm | 300g | $4 |
7Artisans 7.5mm f/2.8 fisheye MF only | f/2.8 fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | mm | g | $139 |
Rokinon/Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye MF only | f/3.5 rectilinear fisheye | N | N | N | N/A | 48mm | 197g | $299 |
Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MF only | 15mm f/2 110deg | N | N | N | 46mm | 55mm | 150 or 200g versions | $ |
Mieke 7.5mm f/2.8 fisheye APS design | 15mm f/2.8 | N | N | N | nil | mm | 260g | $ |
Mieke 8mm f/2.8 fisheye MF only | 16mm f/2.8 | N | N | N | 77mm | mm | g | $400 |
SLR Magic 8mm f/4 fisheye MF only | 16mm f/4 | N | N | N | 43mm/52mm | 41mm | 110g | $349 |
Laowa 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D MF only | 18mm f/2.8 | N | N | N | N/A | mm | g | $ |
Olympus 9mm f/8 fisheye bodycap | 18mm fisheye | N | MF | No | 13mm | 30g | $99 | |
Kowa Prominar 8.5mm f/2.8 MF only | 17mm wide angle | N | MF | N | N/A | mm | g | |
Samyang 10 mm f/2.8 | 20mm f/2.8 | N | MF | N | none | 86mm | 580g | $549 |
Laowa 10mm f/2 Zero-D | 20mm f/2 | N | MF | N | 46mm | 41mm | 125g | $399 |
Voigtlander Nokton 10.5mm f/0.95 MF only | 21mm f/0.95 | N | MF | N | 72mm | 82mm | 586g | |
Konica-Minolta 8-17mm f/2.8 - patent only stage 2013 | ||||||||
SLR Magic Nokton 12mm f/1.6 MF only | 24mm f/1.6 MF | N | N | N | $499 | |||
Kowa Prominar 12mm f/1.8 MF only | 24mm f/1.8 | N | MF | N | N/A | mm | g | |
Laowa 12mm f/1.8 MF only | 24mm f/1.8 5 blades | N | N | N | 46mm | 50mm | 165g | $ |
Samyang Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 MF | 24mm f/2.0 | N | MF only! | No | 67mm | 59mm | 245g | $400 |
Pan. 12mm f/12 3D stereo | 24mm 3D stereo | $210 | ||||||
Samyang 14mm T3.1 Xeen Cine | 28mm T3.1 Cine | N | MF | N | none | 113mm | 1175g | $ |
Olympus 15mm f/8 bodycap | 30mm toy | N | MF lever | No | 9mm | 22g | $60 | |
Samyang Rokinon 16mm f/2.0 MF | 32mm f/2.0 | N | MF only! | No | 77mm | mm | g | $ |
Samyang Rokinon 16mm T2.2 Cine MF | 32mm f/2.2 | N | MF only! | No | mm | mm | g | $529 |
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 17.5mm f/0.95 | 35mm f/0.95 | N | MF only! | No | 58mm | 80mm | 540g | ~$1500 |
Laowa 17mm f/1.8 MF only | 34mm f/1.8 5 blades | N | N | N | 46mm | 50mm | 160g | $ |
Venus Optics Argus 18mm f/0.95 MFT APO | 36mm f/0.95 9 blades | N | N | N | mm | mm | g | $449 |
Samyang Rokinon 21mm f/1.4 MF | 42mm f/1.4 | N | MF only! | No | 58mm | mm | g | $500 |
ShenyangZhongyi 24mm f/1.7 MF only | 48mm f/1.7 MF | N | MF only | N | ||||
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 25mm f/0.95 | 50mm f/0.95 | N | MF only! | No | 70mm | 410g | $999 | |
Meike 25mm f/0.95 | 50mm f/0.95 | N | MF only! | No | 55mm | 101mm | 540g | $ |
Mitakon 25mm f/0.95 | 50mm f/0.95 | N | MF only! | No | 43mm | 55mm | 230g | $399 |
MS-Optical Sonnetar 25mm f/1.1 | 50mm f/1.1 | N | MF only! | No | g | $650 | ||
7Artisans 25mm f/1.8 MF only | 50mm f/1.8 | N, 12 iris blades | N | N | 46mm | mm | g | $70 |
Kowa Prominar 25mm f/1.8 MF only | 50mm f/1.8 | N | MF | N | N/A | mm | g | |
Cosina Voigtlander Super Nokton 29mm f/0.8 | 58mm f/0.8 | N | MF only! | No | mm | mm | g | |
Meyer Optik Lydith 30mm f/3.5 swirling bokeh art lens | 60mm f/3.5 | MF | 220g | $US749 | ||||
Mitakon Zhongyi 35mm f/0.95 II MF only | 70mm f/0.95 MF | N | MF only | N | 55mm | 60mm | 460g | |
Samyang 35mm f/1.2 and T/1.3 Xeen Cine | 70mm T1.3 Cine | N | MF | N | 62mm | 73mm | 426g | $ |
SLR Magic 35mm T1.4 MF only | 70mm f/1.4 MF | N | MF only | N | 52mm | 70.3mm | 370g | |
Samyang 35mm T1.5 Xeen Cine | 70mm T1.5 Cine | N | MF | N | none | 147mm | 1380g | $ |
Handevision 40mm f/0.85 | 80mm f/0.85 portrait | No | MF | No | 67mm | 128mm | 1150g | Eur1799 |
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 42.5mm f/0.95 portrait | 85mm f/0.95 portrait | No | MF | No | 58mm | 75mm | ? | |
ShenyangZhongyi / Mitakon 42.5mm f/1.2 MF only | 85mm f/1.2 MF | N | MF only | N | 52.5mm | 310g | $359 | |
Konica-Minolta 43mm f/1.4 - patent only stage 2013 | ||||||||
Samyang Rokinon 50mm f/1.2 MF | 100mm f/1.2 | N | MF only! | No | 58mm | mm | g | $550 |
TTArtisans 50mm f/2 FF | 100mm f/2 portrait | No | MF | No | 43mm | 34mm | $US79 | |
Kowa Prominar 90mm f/2.5 MF | 180mm f/2.5 | N | MF only! | No | mm | mm | g | $ |
Meyer Optik Trioplan 50mm f/2.9 for soap bubble bokeh, front focus lens | 100mm f/2.9 | $US449 | ||||||
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 60mm f/0.95 | 120mm f/0.95 | N | MF only! | No | 77mm | 88mm | 860g | $1299 |
Samyang 100mm f/2.8 macro | ||||||||
Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 135mm/T2.1 | 270mm T2.1 | No | MF only | No | 1,600g | $5,700 | ||
Kenko / Tokina 300mm f/6.3 macro mirror lens for MFT MF | 600mm + 0.5x macro at 0.8m | No | MF only | No | 55mm | 66mm | 300g | $199 |
Samyang / Rokinon 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens MF | 600mm + macro | No | MF only | No | 95mm? | 65mm | 320g | $280 |
macro extension tubes
- Kenko AF Extension Tube Set for Micro 4/3rds:
- 10mm and 16mm tubes with all the contacts and circuitry to maintain communication between the camera body and the lens.
- AF (within the limited macro range) and auto exposure are maintained, although with some lenses AF may not function.
- focal length of the lens should be longer than the focal length of the tube for proper operation.
- stacking of the tubes is not possible with the Panasonic 45MM Macro and PZ 45-175MM lenses, and potentially with other lenses.
conversion lenses
- these are lenses that mount on the front of another lens via a bayonet mount to either make it wide field of view, more telephoto, fisheye, or more macro.
- Olympus MCON-P01 Macro Converter - designed for M. Zuiko 14-42mm MkII/R, 14-150mm, and 40-150mm lenses
- Olympus WCON-P01 Wide Angle Converter - converts M.Zuiko 14-42mm MkII kit lens into an 11mm ultrawide-angle lens
- Olympus FCON-P01 Fisheye Converter - converts M.Zuiko 14-42mm MkII kit lens into a fisheye lens.
- Panasonic DMW-GWC1 Wide Conversion Lens - converts 14mm to 11mm for use on 14mm f/2.5 and the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm
- Panasonic DMW-GTC1 Tele Conversion Lens - 2x zoom - converts 42mm to 84mm for use on the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm
- Panasonic DMW-GMC1 Macro Conversion Lens - for use on 14mm f/2.5 and the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm
- Panasonic DMW-GFC1 Fisheye Conversion Lens - for use on 14mm f/2.5 and the LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm
anamorphic adapter lenses for cine work
- SLR Magic Anamorphot 1.33x - 50 adapter
- 1.33x squeeze factor uses the entire 16:9 sensor area to achieve the desired 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
- fits onto lenses with filter sizes Φ62, Φ58, Φ52, Φ49 via stepping rings
- ~$899
- 20-85mm focal length taking lens should be used for mFT sensor
teleconverters
- see also: teleconverters for Micro Four Thirds
- these are small adapters which mount BETWEEN the camera and a lens
- also called tele-extenders
- they usually are 1.4x or 2x
- a 1.4x teleconverter effectively gives a field of view of a lens with focal length 1.4x that of the actual focal length at a cost of 1 stop of aperture (a 2x teleconverter comes at a cost of 2 stops aperture)
-
- announced in Sept 2014; 1.4x teleconverter; $399
- designed for, and only compatible with the Olympus mZD 40-150mm f/2.8 pro lens, Olympus 150-400mm f4.5 pro zoom with built-in 1.25x TC and Olympus mZD 300mm f/4 PRO lens
- Olympus MC 20:
- released June 2019; 2x teleconverter;
- designed for, and only compatible with the Olympus mZD 40-150mm f/2.8 pro lens, Olympus 150-400mm f4.5 pro zoom with built-in 1.25x TC and Olympus mZD 300mm f/4 PRO lens
- Panasonic DMW-TC14 1.4x TC
- designed for and bundled with the Panasonic 200mm f/2.8
- Panasonic DMW-TC20 2x TC
- compatible with Panasonic 200mm f/2.8
stereo 3D lenses
- Panasonic also make a stereo 3D lens - a 12.5mm f/12 (H-FT012) which weighs only 45g and can be used to create true 3D HD Panasonic videos.
other specialised manual focus lenses in Micro Four Thirds mount
lomography / "toy" lenses
-
- fisheye lens + 12mm f/8 lens + 24mm f/8 lens
- Olympus 15mm f/8 “body cap” lens
- LensBaby Trio 28: 3 lenses in one - sweet spot, velvet glow, twist petzval swirling bokeh
fisheye lenses
- Olympus 9mm f/8 fisheye bodycap
- Sakar Kodak 8mm f/3
super macro lens
-
- announced July 2021 available in most mounts including full frame (although some vignetting at infinity focus on full frame)
- close focus 19.1 cm;
- 11 elements in 8 groups, incl. 3 high refractive;
- 10-bladed diaphragm; 62mm filter; 600g;
- $US229
- Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2:1 super macro ultra macro APO
- announced Aug 2020
- close focus down to 5.3“ or 13.5cm with working distance of 44.45mm and a focus throw is 215°;
- electronic contacts for recording EXIF data and changing aperture but no AF
- 7 blade diaphragm; aperture down to f/22
- 14 elements in 10 groups incl. 3 ED “eliminating CA”
- 79mm long; 240g;
- $US400
- ZY Optics Mitakon 20mm f/2 4.5x super macro lens
- announced 2016
- $US199
-
- 4-5x ultra-macro lens with special USB-powered macro lighting unit to manage the close working distance
- working distance 11mm!
- target holder
- $US479
extremely fast aperture MF lenses for shallowest DOF
- Schneider Kreuznach Super-Angulon 14mm f/2.0 due end of 2013
- ZY Optics Mitakon Speedmaster 17mm f/0.95 9 blades,58mm filter,close focus 30cm,461g, announced Sept 2020 $US399
- Sakar Kodak PV 25mm f/0.95
- FZeros 25mm T 0.95 Cine with 11 blades
- 7Artisans 35mm f/0.95 $US250 released Dec 2020
- Schneider Kreuznach Xenon 30mm f/1.4 due end of 2013
- Ibelux 40mm f/0.85 mark II
- Sakar Kodak 50mm f/1.1
- Schneider Kreuznach Makro-Symmar 60mm f/2.4 due end of 2013
- Meyer-Optik-Goerlitz Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 MFT lens - gives soap bubble-like bokeh, 15 blades, expensive
- Samyang 135mm f/2.0
tilt-shift lenses
- B.I.G 15mm f/4.5 shift lens (based on the Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f/4.5)
- Fotodiox shift adapters – Canon FD, Minolta MD, Contarex
- Adriano Lolli tilt adapters – most 35mm camera lenses
- Flashpoint tilt adapter – Nikon lenses
- Lens Baby tilt transformer (pdf) - converts any Nikon lens into a tilt lens
cine lenses
- Laowa 7.5mm T2.1 MFT CINE
- 226g; close focus 12cm; $US599
- Rokinon 16mm T2.2:
- aspherical; close focus 7/9”; standard gearing for focus and iris; de-clicked aperture ring; $529
- Zeiss CZ.2 28-80 T2.9:
- 95mm filter; 196mm long; full frame lens but optimised for 4K Super 35 standards; 2.5-2.8kg; $19,900
- Samyang 14mm T3.5 Xeen Cine full frame
- Laowa OOOM 14-60mm T2.9 MFT
- 2024 model; 1.35kg; 77mm filter; close focus 56cm; $US1999
- ZY Optics Mitakon Speedmaster 17mm T/1.0
- Samyang 20mm T1.9 Xeen Cine full frame
- ZY Optics Mitakon Speedmaster 25mm T/1.0
- FZeros 25mm T 0.95 Cine with 11 blades
- Samyang 35mm T1.5 Xeen cine full frame
- ZY Optics Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm T/1.0
- Samyang 135mm T2.2 Cine
- Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 135mm/T2.1
- Veydra Mini Prime Micro 4/3 Mount Cinema Lenses:
- see kickstarter
- $US3695 for the set: 16mm, 25mm, 35mm, and 50mm T2.2 lenses ($US2499 if kick in with kickstarter)
- also 12mm T2.2 coming June 2015 (?$US1200 but $US699 if kick in with kickstarter)
- 85mm T2.2 coming 2015
- Irix 150mm T3.0 Macro Cine lens
- announced mid 2019 “11 blades, superb high resolution to meet 8K video, nearly zero chromatic aberration and has almost no visible distortion” on a full frame mount it will give 1:1 macro, so on MFT's you get double that
anamorphic cine lenses
- a 1.8x anamorphic lens squeezes the image to allow you to shoot 2.39:1 footage on a 4:3 sensor
- Vazen say their lenses give a butterly smooth oval bokeh, signature blue, but not over saturated, horizontal flare and the widescreen cinematic look with outstanding sharpness, even wide open.
- Vazen 28mm T2.2 1.8x anamorphic
- announced Feb 2020
- 77mm filter; 720g; close focus 0.82m; 80 x 107mm (3.2 x 4.2“)
- $US3250
- Vazen 40mm T2 1.8x anamorphic
- announced June 2019; 1.8kg; $US3250;
- Vazen 65mm anamorphic
- announced June 2019
anastigmat lenses
- reinvention of the 1910 Emil Busch Glaukar 3.1 Anastigmat Lens
- the original was designed for portraiture and was a “fully corrected photographic lens, which besides solving spherical aberration, corrected coma and astigmatism … It was characterized by the homogenous transfer from sharpness to the more fuzzy areas. Very important: the chromatical aberration was extremely low for the time. ”
- this new re-invented lens is a 97mm f/3.1 full frame lens and uses the same classic three-lens-design of the original Glaukar lens, focuses down to 1.5m, has a 37mm filter thread, weighs 410g which they expect to sell online for $US2000 but early adopters can get it for around $US799
Four Thirds lenses
- see Four Thirds lenses - these will require an adapter and will autofocus on the newer cameras (albeit slowly unless the lens is CDAF compatible or the camera has phase detection AF such as the E-M1)
fast CDAF compatible
- ie. designed for CD AF (“High-Speed Imager AF support”) and will have faster AF with Micro Four Thirds cameras than those which don't have this technology (those without may take 2-3 seconds to AF on stationary subjects unless you have a camera like the Olympus OM-D E-M1)
- lens may require a firmware update for this compatibility see Olympus compatibility document (pdf)
- Olympus ZD 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 II zoom lens version II only
- some of the newer consumer lenses such as:
- 9-18mm f/4-5.5 ED
- 18-180mm f/3.5-6.3
- 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 ED
- 25mm f/2.8 pancake
- newest 14-42mm
- newest 40-150mm
legacy lenses
- see legacy lenses for mirrorless cameras - these will require an adapter but generally, manual focus only and you need to manually adjust aperture on the lens, although some adapters do allow AF and electronic aperture control with modern lenses
image galleries of photos taken with Micro Four Thirds cameras
image galleries of specific lenses on Micro Four Thirds or Four Thirds cameras
kit zoom lenses
- the kit zoom lenses are great all purpose lenses for general use during daylight hours when you are not sure what you will be photographing, or you really do not want to be changing lenses much such as when on travel to strange places.
- they are NOT so good indoors or after the sunsets - you are far better off using a wide aperture prime lens in those situations
Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm
- if you want the smallest zoom available, this is it, only 27mm long and 95g but packs a lot of optical quality despite its size when compared to other consumer zoom lenses
- DxOMark lens review - “a winner” - achieves scores equivalent to entry-level kit lenses mounted on APS-C-sensor cameras, easily beats the Nikon 1 Nikkor 10-30mm lens.
Panasonic Lumix 14-140mm HD OIS
- a very good quality 10x zoom with OIS designed for HD video but reasonably heavy and long for a M43 lens
wide angle
Panasonic 7-14mm f/4
- a much more compact and affordable lens than the Olympus Four Thirds super pro version
Olympus ZD 7-14mm f/4 Four Thirds super pro weatherproofed
Olympus m.ZD 12mm f/2.0
- a premium quality wide angle lens (equivalent to 24mm on a full frame camera), optimised for HD video, with ZERO (nano coatings) and a wonderful manual focus functionality with an analog-like manual focus ring mode with DOF markings - perfect for hyperfocal style street photography.
- great for travel, indoor interiors, landscapes and night photography but it is expensive at about $700
- it is not going to give as shallow a depth of field as a much more expensive 24mm f/1.4 pro lens on a Canon or Nikon full frame dSLR, but when combined with 5EV IS of an OM-D body will give better low light performance for stationary subjects such as interior shots of palaces, etc on your holidays.
Pansonic Lumix 14mm f/2.5 pancake
- a lovely pancake lens offering almost 1 stop more aperture than the kit zoom lenses but not as much as the 20mm pancake
- internal focusing with faster, less noisy AF than the 20mm pancake and just as sharp in the centre
- some CA in the corners and like the 20mm pancake, bokeh is not that great
- pronounced barrel distortion which as with the CA is corrected in camera by Panasonic cameras
Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 17mm f/0.95 manual focus
- a large lens and expensive but if you want shallow depth of field in a 17mm lens, this is it.
Olympus m.ZD 17mm f/1.8
- nice small lens for street photography in particular
- much better than the 17mm f/2.8 lens and with faster AF but it is bigger and more expensive
- faster, more silent AF than the Panasonic 20mm lens
Olympus m.ZD 17mm f/2.8 pancake
- nice small pancake lens for street photography
Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 pancake
- this is a brilliant party lens!! a must have unless you can afford the 25mm f/1.4 lens.
Olympus OM 21mm f/3.5
"standard" 50mm FOV lenses
Cosina Voigtlander 25mm f/0.95
Panasonic Leica-D 25mm f/1.4 M43 version
- much smaller, lighter and more affordable than the Four Thirds version but lacks the aperture ring
Panasonic Leica-D 25mm f/1.4 Four Thirds version
short telephoto lenses
Olympus m.ZD 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens
- a beautiful compact affordable lens with fast, silent AF and lovely background blurring for portraiture
- DxOMark lens tests - not as sharp in the centre as the incredibly sharp centre of the 12mm f/2.0 lens. Well controlled distortion, CA, and vignetting. A very nice lens indeed for its size and price. Not as sharp wide open as the much more expensive combination of Canon 85mm f/1.8 on a Canon 5D Mark II but sharper than the Nikon 85mm f/1.4G on a Nikon D700 at f/2.0. It has less vignetting and distortion than either of these lenses at f/1.8-2.0.
Cosina Voigtlander 50mm f/1.1 in Leica mount
Olympus OM 50mm f/1.4
Olympus ZD 50mm f/2.0 macro for Four Thirds
Olympus ZD 50mm f/2.0 macro with 2x EC20 teleconverter
Lens Baby Composer
Olympus m.ZD 75mm f/1.8
- coming in late 2012
- silent, fast AF and promises awesome background blurring capability in a medium telephoto (150mm) field of view while the fast f/1.8 aperture allows for low ISO and fast shutter speeds, and when combined with 5EV IS of the OM-D you have a brilliant combination indeed
- another great portait/fashion lens and will be fantastic for indoor sports and concerts
- depth of field and background blurring becomes close to what is possible with a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L lens on a full frame dSLR which is the main lens for many professional photographers, but of course this lens is a fixed focal length and far smaller and cheaper.
Rokinon 85mm f/1.4
- this is a personal favorite because it renders images very similar in aesthetic quality to my Canon 135mm f/2.0L lens on my Canon 1D Mark III 1.3x crop camera
- buttery smooth bokeh, sharp, and cheap (under $400 new) but it is manual focus
Canon TS-E 90mm f/2.8 tilt-shift lens
- this manual focus tilt shift lens is a superb lens and makes a great close up lens on Micro Four Thirds as one can alter the plane of focus to assist with shallow depth of field, but at present one cannot adjust its aperture whilst mounted on a M43 camera - must be preset on a Canon camera.
medium telephoto lenses
Olympus ZD 50-200mm SWD Four Thirds lens
- an awesome lens but big and heavy (but much smaller and lighter than any equivalent from Canon or Nikon)
- the most telephoto reach you can get into most commercial sports events such as AFL football, Australian Open tennis which are restricted to 200mm lenses.
with 2x EC-20 teleconverter to give hand holdable 800mm field of view
Olympus OM 100mm f/2.8
- this is great for low light / indoor concerts from a distance with its 200mm field of view yet f/2.8 allows hand holding while the lens is small enough to be allowed into most commercial concerts
Olympus OM 135mm f/2.8
- this is great for low light / indoor concerts from a distance with its 270mm field of view yet f/2.8 allows hand holding while the lens is small enough to be allowed into most commercial concerts
Olympus OM 200mm f/4
super-telephoto lenses (600mm FOV)
Olympus m.ZD 75-300mm
Panasonic 100-300mm OIS
Olympus OM 300mm f/5.6
photo/microfourthirdslenses.txt · Last modified: 2024/10/22 10:20 by gary1