Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses

What Is the Best Micro Four Thirds Lens?

If you don’t like bulky full-frame cameras, I suggest MFT cameras as an alternative, because in combination with the best micro four thirds lenses from my list they will produce amazing photographs. They are optimal for amateurs, travelers, and street photographers.

Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses in 2024:

1. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2

When I first took this lens into my hands, it felt like a toy because of how incredibly small it is. The optical filter’s diameter is only 46mm while its overall size (mount included) is 56mm, which is only slightly bigger than a matchbox.

• View more about the best Olympus cameras for any budget and photography genre.

This is truly impressive given the f/2 aperture. Moreover, the developers didn’t need to compromise on photo quality for such compactness. This lens offers a highly sharp picture, especially with a semi-closed aperture. Geometrical distortions and chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum.

2. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8

Thanks to its focal length, this model is suitable for nearly all photography types. Paired with the camera’s stabilization system, you can take handheld pictures even in the darkness. Besides, this lens offers remarkable sharpness even with an open aperture.

If there aren’t any contrast glares in the frame, then this Olympus lens creates a soft and appealing bokeh. It can produce a peculiar pattern only when there’s a huge difference in brightness. However, that effect can be used to add an artistic feel to each photograph, which isn’t offered by other Micro 4/3 lenses.

3. Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II

The lens looks very expensive and reliable upon the first touch. It’s sturdy and weighty. The lenses, shifting from 35 mm to 100 mm, move inside the barrel, so the case is fully static. The autofocus deserves special praise, bringing this model among the best MFT lenses with instant focus setting regardless of the distance.

• Look through my choice of best mirrorless cameras for travel that are inexpensive.

I haven’t noticed false adjusting or fluctuation when I made selfies at arm's length or did infinite focusing. In poor light, the AF also has a fast and correct reaction.

4. Olympus 17mm f/1.8

Great option for those who’s looking for a reliable, sturdy lens that has a focal length matching 35mm and a moderate wide angle. This is my favorite model among M.Zuiko lenses that I constantly use for travel photographs.

Being compact and lightweight, it is a great companion for traveling photographers. I appreciated how it captures landscapes thanks to high sharpness throughout the frame at a closed aperture. With at an open aperture at a short distance, it blurs the background well, visually highlighting the object of your shot.

5. Olympus 40-150mm f/4-5.6

Among all best m43 lenses, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4-5.6 will be the cheapest one. It produces slightly smoothed results at an open aperture but they become quite sharp when set one step up.

• If you need a budget camera, look though these good mirrorless cameras under 1000 that will let you take high-quality photos and videos.

The AF speed is stunning. For situations when you can’t approach the object, this model is irreplaceable. I love shooting various urban scenes with it. Like any telephoto lens, it “shrinks the space”, as if squeezing the volume out of the image.

6. Olympus 45mm f/1.8

Among Olympus micro 4/3 lenses, this model is a must-have for Sony camera owners. The price is still low and the quality you get is nice. It’s sharp at wide apertures, has low-level chromatic aberrations that are simply corrected in aperture settings, and works great with backlighting.

The main thing I like about this micro four thirds lens is the incredibly soft and pleasing bokeh. It suits portrait and wedding photographs. The focal distance is rather universal. The pocket-sized and light Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 is very easy to transport.

• Check the list of the best lens for wedding photography to take awesome shots.

7. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro

This model is the best choice for macro photography. In combination with Olympus OM-D E-M10 cameras, it creates just the perfect system for macro photography. A relatively small matrix allows not to close the aperture much and zoom scale is really very large.

• Would you like to record bright and breathtaking videos while travelling? Choose one of these affordable mirrorless cameras for video.

The camera’s stabilizer allows working with longer exposures, the lens itself provides the highest sharpness at a wide aperture. Separately, I want to note fast and precise focusing where the distance range manually limited.

8. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 75mm f/1.8

The bokeh it makes looks magical on portraits. The shots are also of high contrast. The chromatic aberrations are low, though they are a common high-aperture optics flaw.

• Choose on of these best mirrorless cameras for beginners that are inexpensive and user-friendly for amateurs.

9. Panasonic 25mm f/1.7

What it makes in dim light and golden hour is just incredible. You can use it for architecture, landscape and portrait photography. It is convenient to take anywhere considering how compact it is. Even being among the best micro four third lenses, it still has flaws, mainly the absence of stabilization that forces you to use it quickly, or with the help of a gimbal or a tripod.

• Check out the best cheap cameras that are user-friendly and take awesome photos.

10. Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN A Art

If you grip it tightly, you can receive a minimal amount of camera shake. You can even eliminate it completely if you have a retractable monopod attached. This lens has a rather fast aperture that allows taking photos at lower ISO even in the darkness.

It’s also quite lightweight and small. This model is capable of recording very sharp video footage beginning at f/2.7. When set to F/4, the received results offer such high sharpness that I never have to adjust the value throughout the day.

11. Rokinon 35mm f/1.2 ED AS UMC CS

It isn’t supplied with electronic wiring, so it can’t transfer data to your camera. It offers high image quality with minimal chromatic aberrations. The max f/1.2 aperture gives you much freedom to experiment with the depth of field. This model is suitable for street, documentary, landscape and portrait photography.

12. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye Pro

It’s the fastest fisheye lens I’ve ever had. It’s quite compact and lightweight, which makes it look nice on any Micro 4/3 system camera. Chromatic aberrations are almost invisible while the edges of the frame are almost as sharp as the center.

• If you like taking architecture pictures, view more about the best lenses for real estate photography.

If you’re interested in sport or architecture photography or are looking for new gear to unleash your creative potential, Olympus Fisheye Pro can become an excellent choice and provide you with original and eye-catching pictures.

13. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II

The ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II is among the best Micro Four Thirds lenses if you like taking long-distance photos. I can confidently say that this lens can handle any subject including animals, birds, sportsmen, travel photographs and landscapes.

I like the large focal range of 75-30mm, which is equiv. to 150-600mm full frame. This is especially impressive considering the modest size and weight. I have no complaints regarding the focusing speed. The lens focuses quickly and accurately allowing you to capture the moment with frame-by-frame focusing when shooting moving subjects.

Top 13 Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses

Image	Name	Features
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2 Lens OUR CHOICE	Cheap Soft blur	Check PRICE →
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye Pro PROFESSIONAL	Lightweight Silent AF	Check PRICE →
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f/1.8 Lens VERSATILE	Compact High lens speed	Check PRICE →
	Olympus 17mm f/1.8 FOR BEGINNERS	User-friendly Metal case	Check PRICE →
	Olympus 40-150mm f/4-5.6 BUDGET	High sharpness Cheap	Check PRICE →
	Panasonic 25mm f/1.7 Lens COMPACT	Flare reduction Lightweight	Check PRICE →
	Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II	Water resistant Noiseless AF	Check PRICE →
	Olympus 45mm f/1.8	For backlight Good bokeh	Check PRICE →
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro	For macro Low weight	Check PRICE →
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 75mm f/1.8	Metal body Smooth blur	Check PRICE →
	Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN A Art	Cheap Lightweight	Check PRICE →
	Rokinon 35mm f/1.2 ED AS UMC CS	Highly-detailed Universal	Check PRICE →
	Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II	Small For any genre	Check PRICE →

How to Choose the Best Micro Four Thirds Lens?

There are different types of lenses (such as aspheric, polarized, MFT lenses, etc.), which differ by functionality. Read more to know what specs matter for good micro four thirds lenses?

Sensor Size

The depth of field is determined by the sensor size: the larger the sensor, the smaller depth of field you can achieve. This means that a lens with an f/1.8 aperture can have different depth of field values depending on if it’s a Micro Four Thirds, APS-C or full-frame image sensor.

Camera Compatibility

If you’re shooting with a Panasonic model, you’ll make better use of that brand’s optics. Olympus cameras have integrated image stabilization, while their lenses lack it. Meanwhile, Panasonic builds image stabilization into the lenses and not cameras. That’s why if you have a Panasonic camera but pair it with Olympus lenses, you won’t have image stabilization of any kind.

Crop Factor

The crop factor of a lens influences its effective focal length. For APS-C sensors, it stands at 1.5x, while cameras compatible with Micro Four Third lenses have a 2x crop factor. This means that if you have a 25mm lens attached to a Micro Four Thirds sensor, it will show you the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera or 35mm on a film camera. 100mm is equivalent to 200mm.

Maximum Aperture

In general, an aperture refers to the size of the lens opening through which the light gets inside and hits the sensor. A photo quality greatly depends on the aperture.

As for the numbers, professionals recommend choosing f/2.8. If you have a lens with f/2.8 aperture or faster, you can confidently work in poor lighting conditions and still get very good results. Such models are praised for producing beautiful and soft bokeh.

Cheap zoom lenses feature a max aperture of f/4 or slower. This number seems good but if you work outdoors and the natural lighting isn’t sufficient, you will have some problems.

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more