Olympus wasn't first to release an ultra-wide aperture portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds system. Panasonic brought the 42.5mm Nocticron f/1.2 to market four years ago. We were wowed by the 42.5mm and gave it an Editors' Choice award, in part because of how unique an offering it was. Now it has a competitor, in the form of the Olympus M.Zuiko ED 45mm f1.2 PRO ($1,199). The Olympus is less expensive, just as impressive from an optical standpoint, and built extremely well. That makes it our new Editors' Choice. Design Like the other lenses in Olympus' f1.2 PRO series—the 17mm f1.2 and 25mm f1.2—the 45mm f1.2 ($1,099.00 at Amazon) is housed in a black metal barrel. It's about the same size and weight as its siblings, 3.3 by 2.8 inches (HW) and 14.5 ounces. It also uses the same filter size, 62mm, so you can use one set of filters for the entire series. A reversible lens hood is included, as is a soft carrying pouch. The lens is sealed both internally and at the mount to protect...
The Olympus M.Zuiko ED 45mm f1.2 PRO isn't the first ultra-bright portrait lens for the Micro Four Thirds system, but strong optics and a lower price than the alternative make it your best option.
Excellent sharpness; Very bright aperture; No distortion; Manual focus clutch; Weather-sealed design
Large for some cameras; Omits optical stabilization; Modest corner dimness at f/1.2