Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25 mm F1.8 Lens, Fast Fixed Focal Length, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

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Look at that image above and seriously tell me that you wouldn’t expect to see something like this on a Tumblr blog or Food blog? The colors are insanely accurate right out of the camera and if you process them more in Adobe Lightroom 5 you’ll deliver something even better. As we get to smaller apertures, the Panasonic retains a slight lead in the center at f/2.5, but by f/3.5, the lenses are just too similar to worry about. Likewise in the corners, the Olympus stays visibly sharper throughout, though by f/3.5 the differences are extremely small. Chromatic aberrations, typically seen as purple or green fringes along contrasty edges, are a slight issue with this lens, although we would not call it a serious problem. Over the years I have grown fond of certain lenses for the Micro 4/3 system. The Panasonic 25 1.4 is one of them while others like the Olympus 45 1.8, 75 1.8 and even 17 1.8 are up there as well with me. The 60 Macro is astonishing and the 12mm f/2 is one I really enjoy. The new 12-40 Zoom seems pretty versatile and incredible as well. I’d say my #1 most used lens on my E-M1 is the 17 1.8. For me, it has the sharpness, the detail, the color, and the “feel”. I love it but I also have been enjoying the 35mm (equiv) focal length more lately.

Olympus 25mm f1.8: So good! - Focus Review Review Olympus 25mm f1.8: So good! - Focus Review

Due to the shorter focal length we will not get subject isolation as we will get on a real 50mm. It will give us 25mm DOF and isolation and yes, f 1.8 is a true f/1.8. Just on a 25mm lens. The build quality is like the Olympus 45mm f/1.8. A large ribbed focus ring, a metal lens mount and a lot of plastic. It doesn't feel fragile and because it's heavier then the 45mm, it feels quite substantial for a lens this size. A plastic lens hood is included.Whether you’re going after food or fashion work, this is a pretty damned good lens. However, the 45mm will have less distortion because it is a longer focal length, so it will be better for portraits too. That doesn’t mean that the 25mm can’t handle portraits well though. We did two days straight of long and arduous shooting with the lens. Falloff of illumination towards the corners is well controlled for a fast aperture standard lens. At f/1.8 the comers are 1.21 stops darker than the centre of the image and stopping down to f/5.6 results in visually uniform illumination across the frame.

Olympus 25mm f1.8 vs. Panasonic 25mm f1.7 – Adrian Thomas Olympus 25mm f1.8 vs. Panasonic 25mm f1.7 – Adrian Thomas

You will never have trouble from vignetting with this lens. Even at full aperture, the vignetting is less than half a stop. In comparison: For a standard lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor, a stop and a half is not unusual. I don’t know if the rattlesnake exits on Pany bodies but it does surprise me that not much is written about this issue. Olympus OMD EM5– Most folks own the EM5, and believe us when we say that you won’t want to take the lens off the camera. Please Support The Phoblographer So which 25mm prime lens should you get? I own the Olympus 25mm and have played with the Panasonic for a bit, so here are a few thoughts. Panasonic Hmm. I have the PL 25 sitting on an OMD EM5 and even though the lens is beautiful (and big M43 speaking), what I cannot stand is the rattlesnake noise that is constant when using this lens. Its annoyance is such that I rarely use the lens and I am now seriously considering the Oly 25 and just trashing the PL 25.It's a similar situation to Olympus's mid-range zooms; there's the 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro or the 12-45mm f/4 Pro. Both lenses have their strengths, with the f/2.8 "version" offering better low-light performance and subject isolation, for example, while the 12-45mm is smaller, lighter (and less expensive) yet offers a bit more reach. Emphasis on "a bit," to be fair. However, the new 8-25mm f/4 Pro provides quite a bit more in terms of versatility, with a 16-50mm-equivalent zoom range compared to the 7-14mm's 14-28mm-eq. range. This new 8-25mm f/4 Pro lens might not be the ideal choice for low-light situations, but it's well-equipped for all sorts of shooting scenarios, including landscapes, close-up macro-style photography, travel, outdoor architecture, and just general photography purposes and snapshots. The slight barrel distortion is unusual for an MFT lens, automatic in-camera correction normally all but eliminating any distortions. Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8: Verdict