Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75 mm F1.8 Lens, Fast Fixed Focal Length, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G Series), silver

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Microphone rods and instruments interposed between the lens and the subject of the photos were suddenly transformed: they no longer were disturbing elements but became volumes that enriched the frames thanks to the bokeh. Here are some sample images. Each image is shot from the same spot with the same light. The only adjustment made between photographs is a stop down in aperture. You'll be pleased with the results of this lens, your clients will be happy, but remember it's not weather sealed, the hood is extra, and the manual focus is practically non-existant. The Olympus 75mm ƒ/1.8 M.Zuiko looks and feels like a premium offering, with an old-school aesthetic and all-metal construction. Despite being a micro-four thirds lens, it's fairly big, but not overly heavy (10.7 oz). It is a natural fit with the OM-D EM-5, but may be slightly heavy for the smaller micro four-thirds cameras. The lens uses a fairly complex design: 10 elements in 9 groups, including 3 ED lens elements (Extra-low Dispersion) and 2 HR (High Refractive Index) lens elements. The diaphragm is made up of 9 rounded elements to provide pleasing out-of-focus results.

Based on the results above, the biggest hurdle to overcome in attaining a sharp image is the 75mm’s large f/1.8 aperture. For a Micro 4/3 lens, depth of field is quite small at f/1.8 and pinpointing a focus point will determine whether your image is sharp enough to your liking. The Olympus 75mm 1.8 doesn’t exhibit any issues with lens flare. In fact I shot it straight into the sun through some leaves and it coped remarkably well. It retained plenty of contrast in the image. Move the sun just out of frame and you have no problems with flare at all. I’m sure this is how our parents looked at us as well. Before they knew it, their children were off to high school, going to university, getting married, and having children of their own.

Unfortunately, the Oly 75mm f/1.8 has no optical image stabilization (O.I.S.), which means you need to rely on a tripod or the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) of your camera. The Olympus 75mm ƒ/1.8 M.Zuiko accepts the LH-61F lens hood, which is not supplied with the lens. A special lens cap (LC-61) is also available - this cap fits directly over the lens hood. Lateral chromatic aberrations, typically seen as blue or purple fringes along contrasty edges, are essentially a non-issue with this lens – the examples below show the worst-case scenario. Longitudinal chromatic aberration, also known as 'bokeh fringing' is a bit easier to spot, especially in photos taken at maximum aperture, but only if you are actively looking for it.

The optional sun hood is one of the best sun hoods I own. It’s an all-metal construction and rugged built. It attaches to the lens with a small pin, which is my favorite way to attach sun hoods.The size of the Micro 4/3 sensor inside Olympus and Panasonic bodies is generally considered to be half the size of a full-frame sensor. This difference has an incredible effect on the photographic experience as a whole with these cameras, but when it comes to shopping, the biggest impact is in the field of view. Micro 4/3 lenses, as a rule of thumb, can have their focal length multiple by a factor of 2 to be brought in line with the generally accepted full-frame focal length. So, if you have the awesome Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens on your camera body, you’re actually using a full-frame focal length of 40mm. That’s not a small thing considering the plethora of great optics released for the m43 since 2012. Olympus 75mm f/1.8 photo examples If you’re ready to buy your first portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds system, I cannot think of a single reason you shouldn’t jump on the Sigma 56mm f/1.4. Indeed, the only reason to consider the more expensive 75mm instead is for its longer focal length, which is preferable for headshots or events where you need a longer reach. Overall the Olympus 75mm is a great performing lens. Optically it is one of the sharpest lenses I have used for any system. If you are using micro 4/3 and you want to define every eyelash in your vicitms (ahem sorry I mean subjects) then this lens can easily do that. The creamy bokeh and sharp glass from wide open mean that you can use this lens exactly how it is intended to be used. Alright, the name of the game. Realistically, I’ve said all the bad I can say about this 75mm lens. From here on out, all you’ll hear is praise.

MPB puts photo and video kit into more hands, more sustainably. Every month, visual storytellers sell more than 20,000 cameras and lenses to MPB. Choose used and get affordable access to kit that doesn’t cost the earth. I had rented this lens a few times and absolutely loved it every time I used it, but lamented when I had to return it. After renting the lens at least half a dozen times I came to the realization I had probably spent more money on renting it than I would have if I had just bought it, so it's now in my arsenal. So in saying that, and having used this lens reasonably extensively over the last few months, I would say the types of photography I personally have found it most interesting to use would be for landscapes (bear with me) and people pics, portraits and candids. We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.Just bare this in mind if you are going to shoot in very high contrast conditions but I would not let it put you off what is otherwise a superb performing lens. It feels well balanced on an EM5 II and even better with a grip attached. For a 150mm equivalent lens this is exceptionally small and light. But it doesn’t feel cheap. Just well built, solid and professional. But, having said that, this personal focal length won’t be for everyone. If you tend to shoot landscapes, or yearn for artistic street photos, I can’t see the Olympus 75mm being a lens of choice. There’s too much reach in the 75mm to stay impersonal and it’s difficult to capture a proper landscape at the 150mm focal length.

As seen in the photo above, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 is a handful of a lens, at least when compared to many other Micro Four Thirds offerings, but it is actually quite compact for a fast telephoto lens. It's not exactly lightweight, though: weighing in at 305 grams, it feels dense with glass and metal. In spite of the smaller Micro Four-Thirds sensor, this lens can deliver an enormously shallow depth of field. All apertures deliver creamy and seamless out of focus elements, resulting in the most beautiful bokeh in the micro four-thirds lens world. The lens mount is made of metal, meaning the mount between camera and lens is as durable as it gets. At the smaller lens end of the spectrum, this metal mount doesn’t make much of a difference. However, as lenses get bigger, it becomes easier to grab the camera by the lens instead of by the camera body. At this point, a metal mount becomes paramount to making sure your lens doesn’t break in half.A lens like the Olympus 75mm 1.8 is a beautiful thing. I really do find satisfaction in handling and looking at a piece of glass that is this well made. There is a beautiful aesthetic to well made products and I appreciate this. The view across to Arran from Seamill Hydro on the west coast, shot wide open at f1.8 which if I am honest, I didn’t really intend and probably would have benefited from something around f2.8-f4. But it still created a very nice image. It was just before New Year and the weather in that part of the world was fairly dramatic about 3pm in the afternoon.