Tried both, the Zuiko 45 f/1.2 is really better. Besides the aperture ring will not work on olympus bodies. It's useless. The wheather sealing on the olympus is gold. Great buil quality. That lens will last.
I just ordered the Olympus and have a gh5. I read that the latest firmware update now supports the function button on the Olympus lenses. And yes, what decided it for me was that it's weatherproof where the Panasonic is not and for the money really should be. I also prefer the more accurate manual focus capability for doing rack focusing.
Great review. I didn’t notice the difference in color you mentioned as much. It didn’t really pop. I did, however, notice the difference in bokeh. The Olympus is definitely smoother.
The one thing missing here is the Panasonic 42.5 1.7 That lens is sharp like the Noct but has a close focus that makes it standout. Another thing not explored here is B&W. The Noct’s characteristics really stand out in B&W, while the Oly 1.2’s characteristics are best suited to color photographs, so for those of us who love B&W the Nocticron is the perfect choice. While manufactured by Panasonic, the Noct was designed by Leica and it has a lot of that Leica aesthetic. They have a philosophy of aiming for great sharpness at the point of focus, but very rapid falloff into blur from the focus point and this is what produces the pop mentioned in this review. The Leica aesthetic has always been particularly special in B&W.
Dear Steve, Many thanks for the useful comparison that you have made. However; please advise if the Olympus F1.2 could be used in Video shooting and whether it has got built in image stabilisation. Also, advise the benefits when used in shooting video with Olympus EM1 Mark II or Mark III.
since both this lens will be mostly used for portrait, the olympus 45 f1.2 is a slightly better choice, smoother bokeh, sharpness at f1.2, and color is a little nicer and more uniform than the panasonic which is neat for portrait. the better contrast of leica is not that useful in portraits to win over the the advantage of olympus.
TRUE :/ Its a Shame to because Panasonic and Olympus Companies work together in the exchanging of electronics pin-out interfacing both brand Lenses in Compatibility, YET LACK TAKING SMART MENU NOTES NOT LEARNING FROM PANASONIC Is a SHAME Here when it Comes To GREAT MENU LAYOUT PANASONIC WINS HANDS DOWN, TO OLYMPUS CLUTTER CONFUSION 101
The Nocticron was further away from the hydren, hence the lack of sharpness. Also I prefer you that you can see what the background is, so it's not completely washed away. So I prefer better 3D rendering.
The Leica is a bit wider too though. Even if the Oly 1.2 is sharper, I'm going for the Nocticron, mostly for those times where I'll use it with dual IS. I've used the Oly 45mm 1.8 on pro shoots and had nothing to complain about regarding sharpness, so either of the 1.2's seems viable to me.
I've been contemplating between the two, and odds are I'll go with the Olympus even though I use Panasonic bodies... Manual focus clutch is a big plus (doubly so the ability to swap between autofocus and manually set zone focus with the flick of your left hand), as is the fact it's $700 CAD cheaper than the Panasonic, and Olympus even throws in weather sealing, which can be handy for those who live in climates where temperatures dropping down as low as -30C are the norm.
I find the manual focus clutch on the Olympus waaay more useful. Lets be real ...how often are you going to be changing aperture on a 1.2 lens? Might as well get the 45 1.8 if thats the case.😉
I find the clutch keeps engaging in my camera bag and I'm left wondering for a moment why the lens won't autofocus. I don't use manual focus very often, if at all on autofocus lenses. So, it's a feature I can live without, but I will agree Olympus lenses are excellent both in build quality and IQ.
The Olympus 45 1.8 is one of the great little deals in photography. As for the other two... yeah it seems from this the Olympus clearly performs better. But who cares? You shouldn't buy either. For that kind of price you can buy a used full frame camera with a 85mm 1.8 lens (a Canon 6D, for example), and get way better image quality and bokeh for the same price as just that lens. Olympus and Panasonic should be selling these lenses for half the prices listed here--especially when you consider they need half the glass compared with their full frame equivalents.
Not necessarily. I was using the 45mm f1.8 on an Olympus, alongside another (more experienced) photographer with a 5d4 and Sigma lenses at a dimly lit pro shoot. He had to stop down to keep his sharpness good, and high shutter speeds because no tripod. I was cool to shoot at f1.8-2.0 with slower shutter speeds (IBIS FTW). Under close scrutiny, I was getting cleaner shots and got more selected shots. These lenses are no joke. Also, you're not paying for the raw materials, glass isn't some rare material. You're paying for the tight tolerances, the tooling and the amount of precision calculations that go into these lenses. Get ye a shot on some good M43 gear and you'll see.
Weather sealing could be an important differentiator between the two Olympus 45mm lenses (the f/1.8 does not have it). So for a pro photographer, who might be forced to shoot in bad weather conditions, the f/1.2 would be a no-brainer (granted, you could ruin 3 pcs. of the f/1.8 for the price of the f/1.2 … ;)).
Since I'm buying, I bought the 45 f1.8
Tried both, the Zuiko 45 f/1.2 is really better. Besides the aperture ring will not work on olympus bodies. It's useless. The wheather sealing on the olympus is gold. Great buil quality. That lens will last.
It's quite funny how you prize the Nocticron's aperture ring while using it on an Olympus body.
I thought that. Is it correct to say the aperture ring won't work on an Olympus body? I know that to be the case with my Panasonic 15mm lens
yes the Apeture ring doesent work on Olympus at all neither IS. this is a no go for a review this guy needs to get his information
If I'm not shooting with film , I'll use my ep5 with the oly 45 1.8 for walking the streets . Nice and light set up . Enjoyed your easy comparison .
Thanks for this great comparison, just bought the Olympus after watching the S35 street review.
I just ordered the Olympus and have a gh5. I read that the latest firmware update now supports the function button on the Olympus lenses. And yes, what decided it for me was that it's weatherproof where the Panasonic is not and for the money really should be. I also prefer the more accurate manual focus capability for doing rack focusing.
Great review. I didn’t notice the difference in color you mentioned as much. It didn’t really pop. I did, however, notice the difference in bokeh. The Olympus is definitely smoother.
The 45mm f1.8 punches way above its weight, size and price!
The Panasonic 42.5 f1.7 is am unsung hero you haven't included. It's my favorite lens of my three: PL DG 15mm F1.7, 25mm f1.4
panasonic 42.5 1.7
I'd buy the lens with the more appealing (appealing to me) bokeh ... and that's the Oympus for me. It's creamier.
Does it work the aperture ring on the Olympus EM1 1:25?
The one thing missing here is the Panasonic 42.5 1.7 That lens is sharp like the Noct but has a close focus that makes it standout. Another thing not explored here is B&W. The Noct’s characteristics really stand out in B&W, while the Oly 1.2’s characteristics are best suited to color photographs, so for those of us who love B&W the Nocticron is the perfect choice. While manufactured by Panasonic, the Noct was designed by Leica and it has a lot of that Leica aesthetic. They have a philosophy of aiming for great sharpness at the point of focus, but very rapid falloff into blur from the focus point and this is what produces the pop mentioned in this review. The Leica aesthetic has always been particularly special in B&W.
Sadly the 45.2 f1.7 fails with bokeh.
the noct is not sharp at f1.2 . it is sharp stopped down, at which point i can use iphone and get the same level of bokeh
Hmm. I'd go with one of the Olympus lenses. Looks a bit like the Panasonic is less value for money.
$1400 and not weather sealed is ridiculous, the oly45 will outsell it eventually
I prefer the focus clutch to the aperture ring.
I paid $140 used for the Olympus 45 1.8 and it came with a hood. At that price it doesn't make any sense not to buy it.
this is such a great, straightforward review i instantly sub'd
Dear Steve,
Many thanks for the useful comparison that you have made. However; please advise if the Olympus F1.2 could be used in Video shooting and whether it has got built in image stabilisation. Also, advise the benefits when used in shooting video with Olympus EM1 Mark II or Mark III.
great review, what do you think about the future of Olympus? just invested in some equip.
Gotta go 45 1.8 because it's small light and in keeping with the principles of Olympus and sharp enough - oh and it's CHEAP.
Mike Whiles same.
And only $250
I picked mine up used for 80 euro. Superb lens.
I missed a word about the Voigtländer. And what's about the alternative speedbooster?
A very informative review! Very nice.
My conclusion would be another!
Have a beautiful 2018!
Regards Ulf
since both this lens will be mostly used for portrait, the olympus 45 f1.2 is a slightly better choice, smoother bokeh, sharpness at f1.2, and color is a little nicer and more uniform than the panasonic which is neat for portrait. the better contrast of leica is not that useful in portraits to win over the the advantage of olympus.
You cannot ignore the quality the Olympus 45 f/1.2 screams in your face.
the aperture dial wont even work on your body
Lol olympus manual clutch works anywhere
Olympus 45mm 1.2, you just cannnot beat a great quality product.
I have the 45 1.7 and never considered the step up.
I don't believe the Nocticron aperture ring works with Olympus bodies. Or am I missing something?
They did?
What camera and lens did you use to fil this review? Btw, an excellent review!!!
Panasonic nocticron is a legend here. Ignore at your own peril
The aperture ring does nothing on an Olympus body...
Yeah, but it ‘feels nice’
TRUE :/ Its a Shame to because Panasonic and Olympus Companies work together in the exchanging of electronics pin-out interfacing both brand Lenses in Compatibility, YET LACK TAKING SMART MENU NOTES NOT LEARNING FROM PANASONIC Is a SHAME Here when it Comes To GREAT MENU LAYOUT PANASONIC WINS HANDS DOWN, TO OLYMPUS CLUTTER CONFUSION 101
Could you make a quick comparison between the 42.5 f1.2 and the 45 f1.2 at the same field of view and not the same distance? Thank you in advance.
What about these compared to the Voigtlander
The Nocticron was further away from the hydren, hence the lack of sharpness. Also I prefer you that you can see what the background is, so it's not completely washed away. So I prefer better 3D rendering.
The Leica is a bit wider too though. Even if the Oly 1.2 is sharper, I'm going for the Nocticron, mostly for those times where I'll use it with dual IS. I've used the Oly 45mm 1.8 on pro shoots and had nothing to complain about regarding sharpness, so either of the 1.2's seems viable to me.
I've been contemplating between the two, and odds are I'll go with the Olympus even though I use Panasonic bodies... Manual focus clutch is a big plus (doubly so the ability to swap between autofocus and manually set zone focus with the flick of your left hand), as is the fact it's $700 CAD cheaper than the Panasonic, and Olympus even throws in weather sealing, which can be handy for those who live in climates where temperatures dropping down as low as -30C are the norm.
I find the manual focus clutch on the Olympus waaay more useful. Lets be real ...how often are you going to be changing aperture on a 1.2 lens? Might as well get the 45 1.8 if thats the case.😉
I find the clutch keeps engaging in my camera bag and I'm left wondering for a moment why the lens won't autofocus. I don't use manual focus very often, if at all on autofocus lenses. So, it's a feature I can live without, but I will agree Olympus lenses are excellent both in build quality and IQ.
You've praised the aperture dial but did it actually work on your E-M1? It doesn't work with 15 mm 1.7 and any panasonic lens I know of.
It should work, try updating your lens/camera firmware, as it needed an update to work with my EM10 Mark IV
@@hellsing0999999999 I have the latest updates. Panasonic and Olympus limit their mutual functionality.
dude, I don't think you can use aperture dail on olympus body
which Persol is that? :D
The Olympus 45 1.8 is one of the great little deals in photography.
As for the other two... yeah it seems from this the Olympus clearly performs better. But who cares? You shouldn't buy either. For that kind of price you can buy a used full frame camera with a 85mm 1.8 lens (a Canon 6D, for example), and get way better image quality and bokeh for the same price as just that lens. Olympus and Panasonic should be selling these lenses for half the prices listed here--especially when you consider they need half the glass compared with their full frame equivalents.
Clearly you have no idea of the benefits of the M 4/3 gear. As for cost, you're comparing a used with new. Go troll somewhere else.
Not necessarily. I was using the 45mm f1.8 on an Olympus, alongside another (more experienced) photographer with a 5d4 and Sigma lenses at a dimly lit pro shoot. He had to stop down to keep his sharpness good, and high shutter speeds because no tripod. I was cool to shoot at f1.8-2.0 with slower shutter speeds (IBIS FTW). Under close scrutiny, I was getting cleaner shots and got more selected shots.
These lenses are no joke. Also, you're not paying for the raw materials, glass isn't some rare material. You're paying for the tight tolerances, the tooling and the amount of precision calculations that go into these lenses. Get ye a shot on some good M43 gear and you'll see.
Nocticron for quality
Olympus f1.8 for budget
You ought to test out the Kamlan 50mm1.1...
Audio is annoyingly uneven through the different segments.
concentrate on the product chief
I had both 45mm 1.2 and 42.5mm 1.2, but dynamic range on Panasonic nocticron is better than Olympus.
More dynamic range ??? or better Tstop ?
What would you say is the best lense for someone wanting to shoot mainly landscapes and panos on a Panasonic G9?
Olympus 17mm f/1.2.
Weather sealing could be an important differentiator between the two Olympus 45mm lenses (the f/1.8 does not have it). So for a pro photographer, who might be forced to shoot in bad weather conditions, the f/1.2 would be a no-brainer (granted, you could ruin 3 pcs. of the f/1.8 for the price of the f/1.2 … ;)).
Very serious Pro photographers rarely use any of these. They probably use full format or at least aps-c, if they can afford 45mm f1.2
Are all 3 weather sealed? 🤔 If not, no reason for comparing.
Only the Olympus f/1.2 is weather sealed.
bokeh olimpus 45 f/1.2 wins
is it me or that background is doing something distracting :S
it's you.
The winner is Olympus f/1.2 :)