#M. Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro

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https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2018/05/11/olympus-17mm-f-1.2-pro-lens-review-best-wide-angle-for-micro-four-thirds

“Having earned the top spot as our Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 in our annual Lens of the Year awards, we’ve now finalized our lab testing of the Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens. This 35mm-eq. wide-angle prime lens is undoubtedly a professional-level optic that offers excellent performance. Image quality is spectacular, even at f/1.2, with very low distortion and low chromatic aberration….”

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro professional-quality Micro Four Thirds prime lens with manual clutch focus rings drawn back for accurate, repeatable manual focussing at a quarter turn to go from infinity to closest focusing distance, excellent for stills photography and video production on hybrid cameras and cinema cameras.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro lens line-up as of late October 2017.

Commentary

With the coming release of Blackmagic Design’s Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K aka BMPCC 4K aka P4K later this year, along with the already-released Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 IBIS hybrid 4K stills/video camera and the Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S high-end compact 4K video camera, attention is on affordable yet high-end professional-quality lenses capable of delivering excellent results whether manually-focussed or used with those cameras’ autofocus functionality if they have it.

After trying out prime and zoom optics from several ranges of Micro Four Thirds lenses, I have chosen to invest in Olympus’ M.Zuiko Pro range and will be adding more as availability and finances permit.

My documentary photography and moviemaking work demands gear that can withstand years of use and potentially challenging environments without succumbing, and the weather resistance, durability, quality and relative low weight and size put the M.Zuiko Pro lens range in the frame.

It is hardly surprising that the folks at Imaging Resource awarded their Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 plaudit to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens.

I have yet to have the pleasure of trying one out due to apparent local supply problems, but the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro is at the top of my lens wish list along with its 45mm and 25mm stablemates as well as the 5-stop image-stablized Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro zoom lens followed by the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro wideangle zoom.

I will be adding Xume fast-on, fast-off filter holders, Breakthrough Photography brass knurled step-up rings and UV protection filters, and a full set of top-quality variable and fixed ND filters to my kit in the 82mm and 105mm sizes soon.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro

Screenshot from the Olympus 2018 financial report.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro and Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro professional prime lenses.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens. Not shown in this photograph: retracting the focus ring activates the lens’ manual cutch focus mechanism, allowing for fast, accurate, repeatable focussing and focus pulling.

The M.Zuiko Pro 17mm f/1.2 on an Olympus Pen-F, probably not much larger or heavier than, say, the popular 12-40mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Links

4/3 Rumors  – Olympus financial report discloses Olympus will keep focusing on high end mirrorless

Blackmagic Design – Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Imaging Resource – Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro Lens Review: The best wide-angle prime for Micro Four Thirds

Olympus Global – M.Zuiko Pro

STC Optical & Chemical – Screw-in Lens Adapter For Olympus 7-14mm F2.8

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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC 4K) with Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro zoom lens with manual clutch focus, great for manual focussing. I like the longer image-stabilized Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4.0 IS Pro zoom for available light daily walkabout needs for video and stills.

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K – B&H

Breakthrough Photography X4 UV and ND filters – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera (Body Only) – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Xume – B&H

Imaging Resource: Olympus 17mm f/1.2 Pro Lens Review: The best wide-angle prime for Micro Four Thirds "Having earned the top spot as our Best Wide Angle Prime of 2017 in our annual Lens of the Year awards, we've now finalized our lab testing of the…

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Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Review

Mac users, we’re pleased to announce Macphun’s all-in-one photo editor Luminar is now available for just $69£52 for new users, or $59£44 for existing Macphun users. We rated Luminar as “Highly Recommended”. Use coupon code...

More at FactPatrol: https://factpatrol.com/2017/06/14/olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-25mm-f1-2-pro-review/

#Photography

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#photos #photographer #9611 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens http://go2google.com/product/olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-25mm-f1-2-pro-lens/

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Olympus Australia is running its Summer Bonus promotion from 1st November 2017 to 31st January 2018 for Australian and New Zealand residents purchasing eligible Olympus cameras and lenses purchased in the promotion period. Terms and conditions apply. 

Eligible Olympus cameras and lenses include the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, OM-D E-M5 Mark II, Pen-F and a range of M.Zuiko Pro professional prime and zoom lenses.

Links

Olympus Australia – OLYMPUS Summer Bonus

Olympus Australia – Olympus ‘Summer Bonus’ Promotion – Terms & Conditions – PDF

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Olympus PEN-F Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus Australia Summer Bonus Promotion, Up to AU$300 Off for Eligible M.Zuiko Pro, OM-D and Pen Cameras and Lenses Olympus Australia is running its Summer Bonus promotion from 1st November 2017 to 31st January 2018 for Australian and New Zealand residents purchasing eligible Olympus cameras and lenses purchased in the promotion period.

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4/3 Rumors: Newly published Olympus patent confirms a 12mm f/1.2 PRO lens is coming

4/3 Rumors: Newly published Olympus patent confirms a 12mm f/1.2 PRO lens is coming

https://www.43rumors.com/newly-published-olympus-patent-confirms-a-12mm-f-1-2-pro/ “Back in 2017 we told you that Olympus is developing and will launch a new 12mm f/1.2 PRO lens. We now found a brand newly published patent describing the lens specs in three slightly different version…” The Olympus M.Zuiko Pro lens line-up as of late October 2017. Soon, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/1.2…

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Longtime popular mirrorless camera website MirrorLesson’s Mirrorless Comparison spinoff has published early but complete comparisons of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro lens and its Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 predecessor, and the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro lens and its Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 predecessor. 

The M.Zuiko Pro f/1.2 prime lens triad: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro and Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro, all with their focussing rings drawn back to emphasise their manual clutch focus mechanisms.

These sorts of side-by-side tryouts are useful when assembling an optimal set of lenses for any camera system, and are something I would love to do myself with more of an in-the-field as-close-to-real-life-as-possible tryout, less of a techie pixel-peeping and specifications comparing spiel.

Given my relative lack of access to the range of gear I would want to try out and write about, I am glad that others out there in the northern hemisphere do have access to items of interest, like MirrorLessons’ Wales-based Heather Broster and Mathieu Gasquet, and are great at more technical reviewing.

Olympus M.Zuiko Pro 17mm and 45mm f/1.2 primes and their f/1.8 counterparts

I learned to select camera systems first by the quality of their lenses, second by the functionality of their camera bodies and those principles remain in force despite the digital era’s constantly evolving hardware and software technologies.

Lens choice should be based on genre, camera shape and size, and other shooting stills, video or both.

In my case (mostly) available light documentary, small to medium size mirrorless rangefinder and render style cameras when possible, and both video and stills, often in the same project.

I appreciate the smaller Micro Four Thirds and APS-C lenses, especially the pancake and “Fujicron” lens designs, for allowing me to be discrete and unobtrusive when shooting in public but find manual clutch focus lenses invaluable when shooting video and for critical focus with fast apertures and longer focal lengths.

Video brings other lens features into consideration, too, especially when shooting in the great outdoors under bright sunlight or with fast sensors of 400 ISO and over.

That is when you need to add neutral density filters to your kit as a top quality variable ND filter, or a set of fixed ND filters, or both, along with a set of aluminium or better yet brass step-up rings.

Most professionals standardize on 77mm or 82mm diameter filters then add step-up rings to their lenses allowing for fast and relatively easy lens and filter swapping.

Some add Xume System magnetic lens adapters and filter holders for greater safety and speed when swapping variable or fixed ND filters.

One thing to bear in mind when shooting video outdoors on sunny days is that variable NDs with maximum densities of 6 stops may be inadequate, so please consider variable NDs with higher density values such as the Aurora-Aperture or SLR Magic products in the list at the bottom of this page.

Alternatively, if choosing fixed NDs then space them well and ensure the highest density is 10 or more stops for shooting in bright sun with high ISO sensors, an even more important consideration with Panasonic rumoured soon to be announcing a new low-light version of the GH5 with higher base ISO sensor.

Links

Mirrorless Comparison – Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.2 PRO vs M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 – The complete comparison

Mirrorless Comparison – Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2 PRO vs. Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 – The complete comparison

Mirrorless Comparison – Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2 PRO vs M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 – The complete comparison

TheCameraStoreTV – Focus By Wire: Why It Sucks (Featuring Possible Solutions!) – “It seems every other TCSTV episode, Jordan Drake is complaining about focus-by-wire lenses. So Jordan and Chris Niccolls decided to explain what focus-by-wire is, and why you probably don’t want it if you’re shooting video.”

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on these affiliate links and purchasing through them helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Aurora-Aperture PowerXND 2000 Variable Neutral Density 1.2 to 3.3 Filter (4 to 11 Stops) – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8 Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 Lens – B&H

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH. Lens – B&H

Sensei Pro Aluminium or Brass Step-Up Rings – B&H

SLR Magic 82mm Self-Locking Variable Neutral Density 0.4 to 1.8 Filter (1.3 to 6 Stops) – B&H

SLR Magic 86mm Solid Neutral Density 1.2 Image Enhancer Filter (4 Stop) – B&H – add this to the SLR Magic variable ND above to convert its density range to 5.3-10 stops instead of 1.3-6 stops.

XUME Lens Adapter and Filter Holder Pro Kit – B&H

Mirrorless Comparison Compares Olympus M.Zuiko Pro 17mm and 45mm f/1.2 with Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm and 45mm f/1.8 Primes Longtime popular mirrorless camera website MirrorLesson's Mirrorless Comparison spinoff has published early but complete comparisons of the…

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https://www.lenstip.com/524.1-Lens_review-Olympus_M.Zuiko_Digital_ED_45_mm_f_1.2_PRO_Introduction.html

“… A long list of assets with only one more serious flaw and a record-breaking resolution performance – we don’t doubt that the Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 45 mm f/1.2 PRO deserves our ‘Editors’ Choice’ badge. Our summary is exceptionally short but there’s really nothing to talk about. It’s another excellent Micro 4/3 lens. …”

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens

Commentary

As our gallery below indicates, the Micro Four Thirds format is not without some notable choices in fast zoom lenses and faster prime lenses in short to medium telephoto focal lengths suitable for the traditional approach to portrait photography and for closeup and big closeup shots in moviemaking, so the LensTip Editor’s Choice Award for the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45 mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens is noteworthy indeed.

Voigtländer Nokton 42.5mm f/0.95

SLR Magic HyperPrime Cine 50mm T0.95

Veydra 50mm T2.2 Mini Prime

Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 Aspheric Power OIS

Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 Power OIS

Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 II Power OIS

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro

Links

LensTip.com – Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45 mm f/1.2 PRO

Olympus Global – M.Zuiko Pro

Help support ‘Untitled’

Clicking on and purchasing through these affiliate links helps us continue our work for ‘Untitled: Stories of Creativity, Innovation, Success’.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO Lens – B&H

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter – B&H

Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens – B&H

Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. Lens – B&H

Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm f/2.8 II POWER O.I.S. Lens – B&H

SLR Magic HyperPrime Cine 50mm T0.95 Lens with MFT Mount – B&H

Veydra 50mm T2.2 Mini Prime Lens – B&H

LensTip.com: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45 mm f/1.2 PRO "... A long list of assets with only one more serious flaw and a record-breaking resolution performance - we don’t doubt that the…

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Micro Four Thirds rumours website 4/3 Rumors, sister site of Fujifilm rumours website Fuji Rumors, has uncovered an interview by Japanese digital camera site D.C Watch with the designers of the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro prime lens about further such professional quality M.Zuiko Pro lenses to come. The interview is a good read even in its machine-translated English version. 

First f/1.2 maximum aperture prime lens in the Olympus M.Zuiko Pro professional-quality lens series, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro. Olympus has already designed the next two f/1.2 primes, with more possibly to come.

The interview’s most promising revelation is that Olympus has been actively listening to customers and so the prime lens side of the M-Zuiko Pro series will soon be gaining a second f/1.2 maximum aperture lens, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro.

The 4/3 Rumors folks previously reported that Olympus had already designed two more fast f/1.2 primes, one of them being the 17mm. I wonder what the other is?

A very quick snapshot made with the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro lens wide open during an Olympus camera event in Sydney. Even a very brief hands-on with this lens and several others in the M.Zuiko Pro range confirmed their high quality, solid construction and appeal as sturdy professional-standard lenses for stills and video.

I am an unrepentant former Leica M-System rangefinder lens user from my magazine, newspaper and corporate photography days and became accustomed to the idea of mechanically superb, optically extraordinary, near-indestructible, colour-matched prime lens sets.

Although I did not manage to build a Leica lens lineup as well-populated as the one illustrated below, I came close and happily relied on them for many years. Each focal length was just right for the tasks for which I bought it and each earned its place in my lens kit again and again.

Three Well-Spaced Lens Lineups

The current Olympus M.Zuiko Pro prime and zoom lens range from 8mm through to 300mm focal lengths.

My personal benchmark for well-spaced colour-matched sets of professional-quality primes, Leica’s Summicron-M f/2 lenses with the 21mm Summilux-M thrown in at the wide end.

The current Veydra Mini Prime cinema lens lineup, from 12mm through to 85mm all at a maximum aperture of T2.2.

Contemporary videography and stills photography make more demands of lenses than stills photography as I practiced it during the analog era ever did. Now that we are in the midst of the 4K era and Panasonic’s Lumix GH5 is introducing us to 6K video through its video-based 6K Photo functionality, optics must be sharper, better corrected and more highly resolved.

I am now a zoom lens convert thanks to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro and its f/2.8 sister zooms in the 7-14mm and 40-150mm focal lengths but they have their limitations when shooting in available darkness.

That essential three-zoom lens kit needs to be supplemented with matching high speed prime lenses when light is in limited supply and when bokeh and subject against background separation is an essential storytelling element.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm f/1.2 Pro fills the gap in the middle of the focal length range and the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 Pro, with that focal length being my most relied-on of all time, will be a welcome second.

I would love to see several other M.Zuiko Pro primes make their appearance soon and the obvious focal lengths would be 10.5mm, 14mm and 42.5mm. The latter would clearly benefit from an f/1.2 maximum aperture though it would not be absolutely crucial for the wider two.

I know that Olympus makes some excellent prime lenses in its Premium lens range, but the M.Zuiko Pro lenses are a leap above as professional instruments able to endure some of the most challenging conditions in which documentary photographs and movies are made.

I have non-M.Zuiko Pro lenses for less challenging work, but my Leica days raised the bar high and the M.Zuiko Pro zooms and prime lenses approach that high standard.

Links:

4/3 Rumors – Olympus 25mm f/1.2 PRO lens designer interview: More f/1.2 lenses are coming!

D.C Watch – M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 25mm F1.2 PRO “美しいボケ”に挑んだオリンパスの意欲作

D.C Watch – M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 25 mm F1.2 PRO, Olympus’ willingness to challenge “beautiful blur”

ePHOTOzine – Top 33 Best Lenses For Micro Four Thirds Cameras 2017

Olympus – M.Zuiko Pro

What Prime Lenses Should Olympus Make Next for Its M.Zuiko Pro Professional Zoom & Prime Lens Series? Micro Four Thirds rumours website 4/3 Rumors, sister site of Fujifilm rumours website Fuji Rumors…

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#lens #photographer #3944 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F/1.2 Pro Weatherproof Lens *NEW* *IN STOCK* http://go2google.com/product/olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-25mm-f1-2-pro-weatherproof-lens-new-in-stock-2/

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#photographer #picture #3020 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F/1.2 Pro Weatherproof Lens *NEW* *IN STOCK* http://go2google.com/product/olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-25mm-f1-2-pro-weatherproof-lens-new-in-stock-2/

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#cinematography #lights #3291 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F/1.2 Pro Weatherproof Lens *NEW* *IN STOCK* http://go2google.com/product/olympus-m-zuiko-digital-ed-25mm-f1-2-pro-weatherproof-lens-new-in-stock/