Best Micro Four Thirds lenses buyer's guide

[Gordon Laing]

Hi everyone, I've prepared a buyer's guide for Micro Four Thirds lenses.

So if you're wondering what lens to get next, please check out my Best Micro Four Thirds lenses guide!

Gordon

[nic2109]

I have read and enjoyed Gordon's MFT Lenses Guide. I also bought him a couple of coffees!

But I wonder whether it might be possible to add some comments about using full Four Thirds lenses with an adapter, and whether that might change any recommendations. From what I read Olympus made some very well-regarded Four Thirds lenses; might these out-perform some MFT examples?

What are the pros and cons? And are all adapters equal? I use a G5 with Lumix 14-42mm and 42-200mm kit lenses.

Thanks.

Nick

[kimchi]

You're right that a number of the original 4/3 lenses are often regarded among the best of their type for any system. However, they are bigger, heavier, and focus slower on m4/3 bodies with the exception of the Olympus E-M1 which focuses as fast as the older 4/3 bodies with 4/3 lenses.

With the exception of some longer pro zooms and pro telephotos, pretty much any lens type available for 4/3 is now available in native m4/3 lens mount. These native m4/3 lenses are generally just as good or better than the original 4/3 lenses, are smaller, and focus faster. Furthermore, 4/3 lenses aren't stabilised as they rely on in body stabilisation on Olympus cameras. Your Panasonic body is less suited to these 4/3 tele/zooms for this reason.

Panasonic and Olympus have lenses in development which will plug the gap of some 4/3 pro zooms/telephotos, so unless you already have 4/3 lenses, or a 4/3 body you really want to use, I don't see much point in buying the older 4/3 lenses anymore.