OM SYSTEM OLYMPUS M. Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f1.8 (Silver) Lens for Micro 4/3 Cameras - International Version (No Warranty)

I got this to complement the Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro on the E-M1 body. I wasn't satisfied with the amount of DOF control I had with the 12-40, since its DOF was roughly equivalent to f/5.6 for 35mm, and that isn't quite shallow enough to isolate the subject from some backgrounds at certain distances. With the 45mm f/1.8, the DOF is about f/3.5 in 35mm, and that's close enough to f/2.8 visually (I did comparison tests with my 5D Mark III and 24-70mm f/2.8 L II), which is good enough for most of what I shoot. If I need DOF even more shallow than that, I'll just use my Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 with an adapter on the E-M1 (no autofocus though).The 45mm f/1.8 is quite sharp wide-open, and autofocuses just as quickly as the 12-40 Pro, while being very tiny and extremely light. I only use it to shoot wide-open for the shallow DOF look, and due to the focal length being about 90mm in 35mm equivalent, it's too long for most indoor shooting situations unless it's a large space, and you'd have to be quite far from the subject to get the full length figure in the shot, so that means you'd be shooting mostly head/bust/waist length portraits with it. Outdoors, if you are doing typical street style shooting, it'll be too long for a lot of situations, which is why I consider this mainly a specialty lens for portraits. It's not close-focusing so its macro capability is quite limited too.For the purpose it serves, it's an excellent lens at a great price. One of the best bang for the buck in the world of camera lenses.

Equivalent to 90mm lens on 35mm SLR (or full-frame DSLR camera). A good addition to the 17mm and 25mm fixed lenses from Olympus.PROSLens is razor-sharp (I think this sharper than the 25mm and a lot sharper than the 17mm) and the autofocus is quiet and very rapid even in fairly dim conditions (on Oly ELP5 and ELP7 bodies). Great for portraits as others have noted. Bokeh is soft and round (see picture) while detail is razor sharp even wide open. A tiny bit of edge softness BUT only at F1.8 stopped to F2.8 this lens is extremely sharp across the entire field. Good contrast, color rendition, and flare is well-controlled (two included photos were shot into the sun).It is a small lens, good for portability with a few other primes if you are not into zoom. Minimum focus distance is about 19.5". Focus ring is smooth and easy to control in manual focus mode. Lens mount is metal unlike cheaper kit lenses.CONSBit expensive for a plastic body lens. That being said - I have used it a lot for 2 years and everything works fine, so maybe the plastic is adequate.

Takes much sharper photos than the kit zooms. For the price this is a must have addition. Allows low light photos. At f1.8 it is great for blurring out the background for portraits and such.

I was in a big debate as of late. I wanted to jump into the Nex or Alpha line from Sony. Each time I pulled the pre-order trigger on a camera I canceled it in doubt. One of the reasons is because I have a very special place in my heart for Olympus. Boy I am glad I made the choice I did. This Olympus 45mm is what has changed my mind completely. This lens represents a strong commitment from the Micro Four Thirds consortium to provide true photo enthusiasts a well thought out and complete system. Needless to say I am a prime lens fan. I don't remember the last zoom lens I wanted to shoot, of course this is just my opinion. I think Olympus and Panasonic have clearly shown their product is far more mature than the Nex lineup, but that does not mean they should rest easy. Sony has some very compelling tech and if M43 want's to remain competitive there is going to need to be a serious look at sensor quality.Now onto the lens itself! I was surprise when it arrived how small it was. I had read online about it's narrow and petite form. Honestly I was not prepared for how small it is. Like Steve Huff SAID, it is has far less girth than the Panny 20mm 1.7. The stout build quality also surprised me and while it is not as good as a Leica, Zeiss or even the Olympus 12mm F2, it is very good for it's price point. Part of this may be due to the perceived "density" of the lens because of it's diminutive size. The lens design itself is very well thought out. The focus ring is smooth and in the perfect place. It looks amazing as well.It features a small 37mm filter thread which should cut the cost of a larger filter by a bit. However this does not really matter as it doesn't come with a lens hood. You have to buy one separately from Olympus if you need it. I needed one. This is perhaps my biggest problem with the lens, which I can handle!I was a bit concerned at first when I saw there was no black lens option from Olympus a few months ago when this was announced. However, after looking at it on my black GF1 I have to admit I really like the retro look it gives it. In fact, I think I like the silver-lens-on-black-body look better than anything. It reminds me of some old Leitz or Voigtlander lenses, and that of course is ALWAYS a good thing.I tested the AF outside as well as in the dimly lit studio. The lens is very quiet and snappy in it's performance. I am sure the EP-3 would really make the AF on this lens shine. One of the biggest reasons for buying this lens was AF. I was worried that it wouldn't focus very well with just the strobe's modeling lights in the studio. Contrary to that, it perform admirably. It wasn't absolutely perfect but neither were any of my DSLR systems. I used both face detection and single point AF and both settings worked great.As a Panasonic user, I wish I had image stabilization. One reason that I am anxiously awaiting the Pen Pro.

I like to think of prime lenses as guns in a video game's weapon loadout. You need a close range weapon, a good all arounder, and a long range option.This is my 3rd prime lens for my Pen F camera, and follows my 25mm (the all rounder), and my 17mm (my short range spread weapon). The 45mm is creating these crazy artistic shots with total ease I've never managed to get out of the shorter lenses.Portraits in moderate lighting come out sexy. Increase the light and hair and skin take on molten gold tones. Darken it and any trace of green or blue from ambient space gives faces dramatic character.As a paintbrush this is better than any other lens option I have. The trouble of course is that the focal length means space becomes a contradiction. To get farther away I need more space, but then I lose some control over that space.But something about that feels more like art.