As good as they get - definitely one of the must-have-lenses for µ43rds. Just bought a second one for myself, because our first one almost never leaves my wife's camera. Yes, they are that good.

sharpness; microcontrast; speed; price; about everything

lens hood is extra; and expensive as well

The Olympus 45mm f1.8 is a short telephoto lens designed for Micro Four Thirds cameras including Panasonic Lumix G, Olympus PEN and Olympus OM-D models. Mounted on a Micro Four Thirds body it delivers an effective focal length of 90mm, making it a classic portrait lens, while the maximum aperture of...

Superb image quality; Sharp right into the corners at f4, f1.8 focal ratio ideal for shallow depth of field (relative to MFT lenses), Great value for money, Incredibly small and light, No compatibility issues to report on Panasonic or Olympus bodies

Modest closest focusing distance of 0.5m means it's no macro lens; Lens hood not supplied as standard - it's an optional extra; Lack of optical stabilisation may be an issue for Panasonic owners; No weather-sealing

The stand-out feature of Olympus 45mm prime lens is its fast maximum aperture. Although there is no need for the bright viewfinder image that f/1.8 offers (because electronic viewfinders compensate for the lens aperture very well) it is important in providing a narrow depth-of-field that can be used...

this is a fabulous portrait/venue lens: sharp, fast, and light. The lighter weight of the lens allows for good balancing on small micro 4/3 bodies, and personally I don't believe a metal casing would add value.

This is a review of the Olympus 45 mm F/1.8 M.Zuiko Digital ED Lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras such as the Olympus PEN and Panasonic G series. Why Buy This Lens Olympus has called this lens an "affordable portrait lens" and it certainly lives up to that distinction.

Excellent image quality; fast autofocus; sharp; good for low light; great quality/price ratio

Not metal; not good for macro

I use two systems, a Nikon D800 with a good selection of lenses and my Oly EM-1, also with a nice selection of lenses and this 45mm 1.8, in terms of intended use, compares to my Nikkor 85mm 1.4.

Compact Size; Fast aperture; Lightweight; Nice Bokeh; Sharp Focus

Not A Pro Series Lens; Not weather resistant

Really should have been weather sealed. The designers were overly focused on this as a studio lens.

Incredibly sharp wide open; Almost scary sharp if the subject has, say, rough skin; Amazingly small size and light in weight

Not weather-protected; Silver color

Wanted a fast, versatile lens for my system (EPM-2). Did some shooting around the Holidays and was not disappointed.Very sharp images no noticeable flare or distortion. Good for portraits. I expect to use this lens to capture Hummingbirds in flight for still and video. Have to wait until summer.

As others have said this lens is very sharp over a wide range of apertures. It is also compact and weighs only 116g so can be left permanently in your bag. It produces a nice bokeh and is ideal for portraits and general short range telephoto work.

Great Picture Quality; Lightweight

Every micro four thirds user should pick up this lens, it is super sharp and the price is ridiculous. Sure, not a metal build, and nor has this got the really useful manual focus ring that some of the more high end Olympus lenses have, but you really can't quibble.