Olympus Premium Lens Roundup

Micro Four-Thirds is a highly popular mirrorless platform that enjoyed a headstart by being first to market in 2008. Even though it was recently surpassed in number of lenses by the Sony E system which launched in 2010, these two remain vastly larger and more comprehensive than all other mirrorless systems. Currently, 115 different lenses are offered by 9 brands, with the majority produced by Panasonic that co-founded the system with Olympus. The entire family spans focal-lengths from 7 to 400mm, equivalent to 14-800mm, which covers almost any photographic need. Adaptors allow access to an even greater range of lenses.

Here two Premium lenses for Micro Four-Thirds from Olympus are reviewed. These are high-end optics with quality construction that are not labelled PRO yet are designed to deliver an outstanding optical performance:

• M.Zuiko 12mm F/2 - Original premium ultra-wide prime which introduced the first hybrid manual-focus ring, also used in the previous 3 lenses.
• M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro - The longest of 4 AF macro lenses offered for Micro Four-Thirds.

Top-of-the-line lenses are covered in the Olympus Professional Lens Roundup. Those are all built to an even more sturdy level in a completely weatherproof and freezeproof construction.

The above links lead to the specification page of each lens. Each next page in this Olympus Premium Lens roundup reviews one of those in detail along with an analysis of its handling and optical performance. Click on the Next button to advance or use the menu below it to jump to a specific lens.

The two lenses here were introduced at different periods in the evolution of Micro Four-Thirds, so the naming and distinctions changed over time. Most notable, the 12mm F/2 is not weatherproof because it predates such mirrorless cameras from Olympus.