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Today we’re searching for the best micro four thirds lenses, and we have some amazing options for you to look at. Everyone loves using a micro four thirds camera. They’re fun, they utilize a small image sensor that’s great for macro photography and everyday photography, and there are tons of options for lenses.
Not to mention, these lenses are far more affordable when compared against lenses for a DSLR system. They’re cheaper than APS-C lenses and those designed for full-frame cameras. And even though they are more affordable, they still offer fantastic optical quality to improve your capabilities overall as a photographer.
Plus, you get a wide range of lenses to choose from. Wide-angle, zoom, prime, and super telephoto. These lenses are small and light, and they offer extremely impressive build quality since they’re engineered to deliver the best images possible. Many of these lenses even come with stepping motor autofocus systems which means accurate stills and ridiculously smooth transitions when you switch over to shoot movies.
The two biggest names in micro four thirds lenses are Olympus and Panasonic. They’re really at the forefront of the modern digital camera system for micro four thirds. The good news is that you can mix and match, using an Olympus lens on a Panasonic camera or the other way around. Most cameras even allow you to use lenses from third-party manufacturers, giving you even more options to choose from!
1. Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f2.8 ASPH Power Optical Zoom Lens
First up is a powerful optical zoom lens from Panasonic that is a few years old but still worth every penny. This is a digital interchangeable zoom lens and one of the first in the Lumix G Series, with an F2.8 zoom that professionals and enthusiasts can enjoy. The focus allows you to capture a wide variety of different scenes, from epic landscapes to enclosed areas like portrait studios. Plus, the lens comes with professional-grade glass, including 14 elements in 9 groups. The UED glass works to minimize the chromic aberration while the UHR lens helps with better detail and more exquisite clarity from corner to corner.
One of the best things about this lens is how light and durable it is, making it a great partner for outdoor excursions with your micro four thirds camera. The lens is highly mobile, allowing you to shoot while on the move. And because of the power optical image stabilizer, you can be moving as quick as you want and still take amazing photos without any blur. This is one of the more affordable options from Panasonic, and even though it did come out a few years ago, it is still relevant for today’s photographers!
Pros
- Modestly Priced
- Sharp at All Focal Lengths
- Lightweight & Durable
- Weather Sealing
- Impressive w/ a Range of Camera Systems
Cons
- Bokeh Not Perfect
- Not the Best for Macro Shots
2. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power Telephoto Lens
Next up we have a great telephoto lens from Panasonic. This lens is a bit more expensive than the last one we talked about, but that’s because it comes packed full of versatility. It’s small enough to carry around in a pack wherever you go, the lens is very sharp, it doesn’t need to do much hunting in low-light conditions, its construction is superb, and it gives an unbelievable range. This is the type of lens that you can use to replace your cumbersome bag of multiple lenses. Use your micro four thirds camera and the Panasonic 14-140mm telephoto lens and that’s all you’ll ever need!
Even more impressive is the dual image stabilization, which dramatically helps with handheld shots. You can use the lens both for video and still pictures, and it’s basically impossible to tell you’re not using a tripod. This is how reliable the image stabilization is. Pictures and videos have never been clearer, especially when using a Panasonic camera.
Pros
- 10x Zoom w/ Clear Images
- Smaller & Lighter Than Other Telephoto Lenses
- Ideal for Videographers
- Perfect in Low-Light Situations
- Exceptionally Versatile
Cons
- Color Issues at Short Focal Lengths
- Model is Several Years Old
3. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f1.8 Prime Lens
Not everyone needs a zoom lens. If you’re looking for an amazing prime lens, Olympus has you covered. This M.Zuiko 25mm is an awesome standard lens that is superb for doing any type of photography. It works wonders in the day or night, with a 47-degree angle of view putting it right between a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens. Basically, you get the best of both worlds here. The f1.8 circular aperture is fast and delivers impeccably soft defocused backgrounds, which is absolutely critical to anyone taking portrait photos. And if there’s not enough light to capture your subject in, don’t worry. This lens is perfect in the darkness. This also means that you can skip out on the flash because your lens will be able to gather up all the light it needs.
This prime lens comes included with the lens hood, it has the special Zuiko extra-low reflection optical coating to completely eliminate ghosts and flares, and the linear drive motor offers quick, almost completely silent focusing that will feel like magic to any skilled videographer. Paired with the in-body image stabilization of any Olympus camera, you’re able to shoot longer exposures without needing to purchase or travel around with a tripod. Plus, this fantastic lens is under $300!
Pros
- Best Travel Lens
- Perfect Bokeh for Portrait Photographers
- Focal Length Feels Comfortable – Great for Beginners
- Bright Colors & Perfect Depth of Field
- Low-Light Performance is Surprisingly Solid
Cons
- Sometimes Slow for Videos
- Digital Zoom Sometimes Poor
4. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro Lens
Another great lens from Olympus is their f2.8 macro lens. This has a 7.4” minimum working distance with a 60mm focal length. You get a focus limit switch and an integrated working distance window which allows for the confirmation of subject distance. This is one of the best macro lenses not only for micro four thirds cameras – but indeed for any camera out there! It’s a nice balance between getting up-close and personal with your macro subjects without getting so close that you cast a shadow over what you’re trying to take a picture of. The aperture on this unit is extremely bright, allowing for surprisingly solid low-light performance.
Of course, as a macro lens, this is not a highly versatile piece of equipment. You can use it for portrait photography and everyday pictures, but it’s not going to act like a zoom lens. But for what it does, taking sharp photos with beautiful bokeh and giving you enough range to not be hovering over your subject, it’s the perfect lens at the perfect price.
Pros
- Extremely Small – Yet Powerful
- Razor-Sharp images
- Easy to Use
- Magnification is Perfect for Macro & Portraits
- Minimum Focus Distance of 7.5”
Cons
- Plastic Construction
- Depth of Field Sometimes Challenging
5. Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm f2.8 II ASPH Zoom Lens
Last up is an even more impressive telephoto lens from Panasonic that you can use with your micro four thirds camera. This is a beast of a unit, coming in as the most expensive lens on the list for today. However, it brings telephoto brilliance that will knock your socks off. It has a super long range of 35-100mm, allowing you to take some very nice pictures of things at a great distance. And yet at the same time, you can still take great portraits and closeups with astonishing bokeh. The zoom lens uses nano surface coating, developed by Panasonic to reduce reflections across all of the light spectra. This means clear pictures even if you’re sitting in the dark.
As with every quality Panasonic lens, this unit is splashproof and dustproof, and tough enough to withstand anything you might throw at it. It offers incredible optical image stabilization, compensating for any camera shake you might encounter. It’s a great adventure lens, it’s an absolute must-have for wildlife photographers, and it’s fairly new on the market, meaning it’s loaded with the newest technology and optical advancements to make you a better photographer!
Pros
- New Lens on the Market/Best Technology
- Fast & Accurate
- Light & Easy to Handle
- Ideal for Cinematic Portraits
- Good for Long-Distance & Close-Up Photography
Cons
- Quite Expensive
- Slightly Long Compared to Some Lenses
Final Thoughts
After checking out the five best micro four thirds lenses, you undoubtedly noticed that they are all from either Olympus or Panasonic, and this is because there are simply no other options at this point from the other big players in photography like Sony and Canon. And even though you can use either lens with either camera, you’re probably wondering which is the absolute best brand.
The truth is that Olympus and Panasonic both offer the best micro four thirds lenses. Neither one is really better than the other. However, we do recommend that you stick with a lens that matches your brand of camera, either Panasonic and Panasonic or Olympus and Olympus. It just feels generally better when you use a lens that was designed for your specific camera.
When it comes to Panasonic, their lenses focus heavily on optical image stabilization, and this is definitely a great feature to have. On the other side, Olympus primarily focuses on sensor-shift stabilization. Both features are ideal for preventing blurry images when taking a picture by compensating for any potential motion, but they work a bit differently.
Sensor-shift image stabilization works with your lens taking advantage of the built-in image stabilization within your actual camera, whereas the optical image stabilization is based on the optics of the lens. Both features do the same thing and work extremely well, but when it comes to the technology helping with the physical lens, the optical image stabilization from Panasonic is definitely a winner.
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