Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45 mm F1.8 Lens, Fast Fixed Focal Length, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

I have Olympus's 25mm f1.8 prime too, which is more expensive, but I think this 45mm version is sharper. Its also just as neatly built, compact and performs just as well in terms of fast and accurate focusing.The 45mm length (90mm in 35mm terms of course) is useful for more than you'd think. Perfect for portraits, it's also great for giving a different perspective on landscapes and cityscapes. I've used it at classic car shows and although it's more tricky to get shots in confined spaces, it's worth the effort to get that slight telephoto look with the extra isolation (i.e. shallower depth of field) you get because the lens is a bit longer.Sharpness is the outstanding feature of this lens though. You notice it from the first shot you take. It makes you feel like a pro. As does the lovely rendering of out of focus backgrounds and a special 'quality' about the photos it takes that's hard to define. Contrast and colour are so good that you'll barely need to adjust your photos in Photoshop or the like. It's hard to take a duff shot with this lens.The only slight downside is that you don't get a lens hood or carrying pouch with the lens but you can pick them up very cheaply if you need them.The bottom line is that this is a near perfect and therefore essential lens for a bargain price. And it's my favourite Olympus lens so far (I also have the 17 f1.8 and the 25 f1.8).

Ordered this 45mm prime lens in response to favourable reviews here and also rather disappointing quality kit zoom lenses supplied with my recently purchased Lumix GX7.Firstly, out of the box what strikes you first is the size. This lens is really tiny, especially when you consider it's F1.8 maximum aperture and it is also very light. When the box arrived, I could not believe that it was heavy enough to contain the lens and thought it was the skylight filter that I had ordered at the same time but was delivered separately. It is also exquisitely made and a thing of real beauty, quality materials and construction and beautiful optics.The fit to my GX7 was tight and snug with not a hint of lateral rocking (more than can be said for the Lumix kit zooms, one of which has already been returned due to a build quality / body fit issue). A pondered long and hard before choosing between my GX7 and an OMD - I have always been a Olympus and Zuiko fan and had a sizeable 35mm kit based on OM1ns and Zuiko primes. I settled for the GX7 and whilst it is a fabulous camera, I now have a twinge of regret that I didn't pick the OMD because the quality of this lens far exceeds Lumix equivalents (although I have also purchased a Lumix 20mm F1.7 prime which is much, much better than the zooms). Update - my Lumix kit zoom was replaced ny Panasonic under warranty and the new lens is fine).In use, the lens is super quick, almost silent and optically superb, working very well with the GX7. Focussing is crisp and rapid and images are rendered sharp right to the edges. Bokeh is lush and even and as a portrait lens, this will take some beating.Overall a superb lens and at a very reasonable price. I don't even mind buying a hood and pouch at this price frankly. Will be moving towards Zuiko prime rather than Lumix for future investments in glass.

The image quality of this lens is excellent: it is very sharp wide open and it renders out-of-focus areas beautifully.The auto-focus is fast.The built quality is good (not as high as the 17mm, for instance, but still absolutely fine).It is a really small lens, so it is easy to carry in your pocket for when you need it (it is a slight telephoto lens, so you are not likely to keep it on your camera as a general purpose lens; Olympus advertises it as a portrait lens - which it is very good for - but it has more uses (see below)).Assuming you already have a kit-zoom on your camera (which would typically cover the field of vision offered by this lens), this lens would allow you to do the following:(1) you can take photos handheld without flash when there is less light (evening, indoors) compared to your kit zoom(2) you can isolate your subject (make it stand out more) by creating backgrounds that are out-of-focus (great for portraits, but not only that), which can look really beautiful.I would recommend this to a friend. However, if you have a Panasonic camera (except the GX7) you should be aware that this lens has no image stabilisation (while Olympus cameras all have image stabilisation built in).