The Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses: 11 of My Favorites

One of the advantages of Micro Four Thirds cameras is that Panasonic, Olympus (OM System), and third party lenses with a Micro Four Thirds mount can be used on any Micro Four Thirds camera. Also, in part because of the competition between Panasonic and Olympus, these lenses are consistently impressive and affordable. In this article, I highlight the best lenses I’ve used on Micro Four Thirds.

I’ve organized the article to include a couple options of the best wide angle lenses, best normal lens, best telephoto lens, best macro lens, and best adapted lens. I’ve included several sample photos, so be sure to click through the slideshows!

What are the best Micro Four Thirds lenses?

The best Micro Four Thirds lenses are small, fast, and sharp. This is the beauty of the Micro Four Thirds format. There are so many excellent sharp, compact, and high-performing lenses available. Before getting to the best lenses, I want to highlight how Micro Four Thirds lenses are different from other lenses.

Navigating the 2x crop factor

At its most basic definition, Micro Four Thirds is a sensor size. Specifically, it’s a pretty small sensor – one quarter the area of a full-frame sensor, with a diagonal length that’s 1/2 the size. Because of this, there is a 2x crop factor that needs to be considered when evaluating lenses.

The 2x crop factor is very similar to cropping an image from a larger camera sensor. This comes with some image quality penalties and more noise at a given ISO, but it also means that your equivalent focal length is longer. Because of the 2x crop factor, shooting with a 300mm lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera would have a similar composition as a 600mm lens on a full frame. But the Micro Four Thirds setup could be less than half the size and weight!

Many of the lenses in this list are tiny, yet highly performing. The convenience of small lenses is not to be underestimated.

Importance of a wide maximum aperture

Because of the crop sensor, Micro Four Thirds cameras don’t perform as well in low light. It’s also more difficult to get a narrow depth of field on a Micro Four Thirds camera. (See more in our article Equivalence Also Includes Aperture and ISO.)

For this reason, I judge lenses based on how fast they are. If a lens lets in a lot of light, it can negate these challenges with Micro Four Thirds. Basically, I’ll take all the light I can get because of the inherent disadvantage!

That’s as far as I’ll delve into these technicalities. But keep this context in mind as I assess the “best” Micro Four Thirds lenses below. It’s subjective of course, but that’s why weight, maximum aperture, and performance are some of my top considerations.

Panasonic vs. Olympus (OM System)

Because most Micro Four Thirds lenses are manufactured by either Olympus or Panasonic, it’s tempting to compare the two brands. I really don’t think one is overwhelmingly better than the other. Some Olympus lenses outperform the Panasonic equivalent and vice versa. Other types of lenses are only made by one brand and don’t have an equivalent.

The nice thing about Micro Four Thirds is that you don’t have to worry about which brand your lens is, because as long as it has a Micro Four Thirds mount, it will work great on your Micro Four Thirds camera.

The only time it really matters, is that the advanced stabilization functions and autofocus abilities are sometimes more effective if the lens matches the body. So do keep that in mind. If you’re exactly 50/50 between two lenses, I’d go with the one that matches your camera.

Let’s get into it! These are the best Micro Four Thirds lenses on the market today.

Best wide-angle lens

Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6

The Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 is an excellent rectilinear wide angle zoom lens for landscape photography. It is extremely sharp corner to corner, packs small, and has a comfortable zoom range. It is a great lens to have in your backpack at all times to capture wide angle scenes.

As for its optical performance, it is sharp corner to corner with excellent color accuracy and practically no distortion issues. It’s also a very small lens, and it even retracts, so it’s a very useful portable option. (The weight is only 155 grams / 0.34 pounds.)

Not the fastest lens, the Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 is not a lens I would use for astrophotography. I can guarantee it is not the most enjoyable experience shooting the stars at f/4! It’s also not a good choice for handheld photography in low-light situations, like street photography at night.

Lastly, I never enjoyed this lens for close subjects. The minimum focusing distance is not so close, 9.84”, providing a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.1X. Optical quality also takes a hit at close range. It really is a great landscape lens, but for close focus and stars, I have another recommendation in a moment!

Swipe through these sample photos:

Reasons to buy

• Useful zoom range covers landscape photography range
• Excellent sharpness
• Packs very small

Reasons to avoid

• Narrow maximum aperture
• Not ideal for close focus

Panasonic Leica 9mm f/1.7

The Panasonic Leica 9mm f/1.7 is an exceptional fast, wide-angle lens. As a prime lens, it may not be as flexible as the above Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 zoom. However, it gathers tons of light at f/1.7, and it focuses very close at 3.7”, filling in for what the Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6 lacks. This lens is a great choice for astrophotography, handheld shooting in low light, and close focus wide-angle photos.

The sharpness is impressive, even wide open, corner to corner. It’s great for capturing sharp stars even wide open at f/1.7. That said, for shooting near the minimum focusing distance, I find that performance improves after stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6.

The lens is minimalistic and compact in design, featuring only a buttery focus ring and weighing 130 grams / 0.29 pounds. It’s built of 12 elements in 9 groups, including two extra low dispersion elements and one ultra-high refractive index element.

The wide f/1.7 maximum aperture is a huge selling point and makes this lens suitable for astrophotography or low-light photography. A rounded seven bladed aperture creates a pleasant background blur, especially at close focus.

One of my other favorite aspects of this lens is the extremely close minimum working distance. You can actually focus as close as 3.7” which yields a maximum magnification of 0.25X. I enjoy using this lens almost like a macro lens! Few other lenses could achieve such unusual perspectives.

Despite being a prime lens, it is very versatile. I use it for close focus, landscape, and astro photography. It even excels underwater. The only time I find it limiting is at times it is too wide for some landscapes. Having the ability to zoom in would be nice at times.

Reasons to buy

• Wide f/1.7 maximum aperture
• Sharp throughout aperture range
• Tiny minimum focusing distance for creative flow
• Budget friendly
• Small and light

Reasons to avoid

• If you want a zoom, this one cannot zoom
• Can be too wide for some landscapes

Best normal lens

Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 PRO

I wanted to include some normal lenses in this article, but I realized my photography usually doesn’t push me to use these “middle” focal lengths! Regardless, I have had my eye on this lens for a while. If you want a standard zoom to cover many of the most common focal lengths – not too wide, not too long – the Olympus 12-45mm f/4 PRO would be one of my top choices.

Jason already did a full review of the Olympus 12-45mm f/4 PRO and concluded that it “has excellent performance and should be more than enough for almost every application including landscape, portrait, and even wide-angle wildlife.” He also said it has a good price-to-performance ratio even though some higher-end options exist.

Those higher-end options include the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO and the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7, which would be better choices for low-light photography thanks to the wider maximum apertures. You can also consider a prime lens if you want a brighter option, which I’ll cover next.

Another good alternative is the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO lens. It has a much longer zoom range, and the image quality is surprisingly high for a superzoom. However, it is also a heavy and bulky lens (at least by Micro Four Thirds standards). And the price of $1400 is high enough that I’d recommend the $700 Olympus 12-45mm f/4 PRO instead to most photographers.

Reasons to buy

• Good image quality
• Portable
• Well-priced for what you get

Reasons to avoid

• Narrow maximum aperture
• Image quality worsens at close focusing distances

Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II

The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II is one of the sharpest and highest-performance Micro Four Thirds lenses out there. It’s very deserving of a spot in this article.

The main selling point (other than image quality) is the bright maximum aperture of f/1.4. This will let you take photos in low light, and blur the background, without much difficulty. At 205 grams / 0.45 pounds, it’s a bit heavier than some normal prime lenses, but it’s still small and portable. It’s remnicent of “nifty fifty” lenses for full-frame cameras, in part because the equivalent focal length is 50mm.

That said, it is one of the higher-end nifty fifty lenses, costing $700. If you’re on a budget or want something even smaller, the Panasonic Lumix 25mm f/1.7 is $250, and the Olympus 25mm f/1.8 is $400. The performance of those two lenses is also very high, although the Panasonic Leica 25mm f/1.4 II comes out ahead (and captures more light).

Here are some of Nasim’s samples from the older version of this lens:

Reasons to buy

• Bright maximum aperture of f/1.4
• Best-in-class image quality
• Smaller alternative to most midrange zooms

Reasons to avoid

• If you want a zoom, this one cannot zoom
• More expensive (and a bit heavier) than most “nifty fifty” lenses for Micro Four Thirds

Best telephoto lenses

Olympus M.zuiko 300mm f/4.0 IS PRO

One of my favorite lenses I’ve ever shot with is the Olympus 300mm f/4 IS PRO lens. It’s an exceptional telephoto option for Micro Four Thirds and ideal for wildlife photography. The f/4 maximum aperture is quite good for such a long focal length. It allows you to take pictures in relatively low light with very pleasant bokeh.

This lens is as sharp as a lens can be. Wide open at f/4, the 300mm f/4 captures crisp images corner to corner. I never felt the need to stop down to maintain sharpness; f/4 is already excellent.

As if being optically perfect weren’t enough, the lens also has an excellent internal stabilization system. It’s the best in lens-stabilization I’ve used. When paired with an Olympus or OM System body, the system can allow for 6 stops of image stabilization, but even with Panasonic cameras, it’s near best-in-class.

If 300mm is not enough for you, the 300mm f/4 IS PRO telephoto is compatible with the M.zuiko MC14 and MC 20 teleconverters. These teleconverters boost the focal length to 420 and 600mm respectively. Even with the loss of light from the teleconverter, they are still very usable.

In short, this is a Micro Four Thirds powerhouse for wildlife photography, even in low light.

Reasons to buy

• Extremely sharp
• Fast f/4 maximum aperture for such a long lens
• Top notch stabilization

Reasons to avoid

• Expensive at $3000

Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400 f/5-6.3 IS

The Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400 f/5-6.3 IS telephoto lens is another telephoto option for Micro Four Thirds. This one is a zoom lens, so it can be more versatile than the 300mm prime above. It also has a whopping 800mm equivalent focal length when fully extended. This is a great lens to photograph small birds, distant sports, aviation, and more.

A major weakness of this lens is that, when fully extended, the maximum aperture is only f/6.3. This can be very limiting if you’re not shooting in bright sunlight. Even the f/5 maximum aperture at the wide end isn’t ideal. I still include it as one of the best telephoto options because it has good image quality, and it caters to a wide focal length zoom range, making it a versatile lens.

This is the largest Micro Four Thirds lens I’ve ever shot with. At 10.45” fully extended, and weighing 2.46 pounds (1.1 kilos), it’s quite bulky for a Micro Four Thirds lens. I recommend using it with a tripod. That said, it is still much lighter than a typical full-frame telephoto zoom.

5-axis Dual Sync IS is not supported by this lens, so only 3 stops of shutter speed shake are accounted for (as opposed to six when shooting with the Olympus 300mm f/4 IS PRO with a compatible Olympus or OM System body). That’s another reason to use it with a tripod or monopod system.

Reasons to buy

• Wide zoom range
• Extremely long reach
• High performing lens all around
• More budget-friendly at $1500

Reasons to avoid

• Narrow maximum aperture, especially at 400mm
• No Sync I.S. compatibility

Budget option: Panasonic g.vario 100-300 f/4-5.6

I would also like to add this third telephoto option for Micro Four Thirds shooters on a budget. The Panasonic Lumix g.vario 100-300mm f/4-5.6 is a much more affordable telephoto option than the aforementioned lenses. Although it underperforms the big lenses in image quality, it is extremely compact, and still produces more-than-useable images.

If you want a 600mm equivalent lens that weighs less only 1.14 lb and fits in a small pouch, this is the lens for you! It also doesn’t break the budget at $650, which I appreciate.

Reasons to buy

• Extremely compact
• Most budget friendly telephoto for Micro Four Thirds

Reasons to avoid

• Won’t be the sharpest lens in your arsenal
• Relatively narrow maximum aperture

Olympus M.zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO

Lastly, for the telephoto portion of this article, it would be a disservice not to mention the Olympus M.zuiko 15-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO lens. This lens is surely the best supertelephoto lens available for Micro Four Thirds shooters, and the ultimate wildlife photography lens.

The lens has a massive focal length of 500mm (equivalent focal length of 1000mm) with the in-lens teleconverter applied. It is also fast at a constant f/4.5 maximum aperture, even at 400mm. The lens is compatible with Sync IS on Olympus and OM System bodies.

The drawback? It is seriously expensive at $7,499. It is hard to justify such an expensive lens for most of us, especially since Micro Four Thirds is often considered a budget system. That said, the capabilities of this lens are remarkable – performing as well as the 300mm f/4 (or possibly even a bit better) yet reaching up to 400mm, or 500mm with the teleconverter. And as a zoom, there’s a lot of flexibility.

Reasons to buy

• Best super telephoto lens for Micro Four Thirds

Reasons to avoid

• More expensive than a Nikon Z6, Canon R5, Sigma 150-600mm lens and 10 weeks’ worth of groceries combined
• Heavy enough that you’ll want a tripod or monopod

Best Macro Lens

OM System 90mm f/3.5 2x Macro IS PRO

The best Micro Four Thirds macro lens is the OM -System 90mm f/3.5 2x Macro. Not only does it have the best features of any macro lens for Micro Four Thirds, it is also the sharpest I’ve shot with. It is fully weather sealed to a rating of IP53, adding to it’s versatility. It even has internal stabilization. This lens is a must-have for any super macro shooters looking to go beyond 1:1 macro.

First and foremost, this lens is as sharp as it gets. What impressed me the most was its sharpness at narrow apertures. For most lenses in this article, I focused on the importance of sharp and wide apertures, but for macro, sharp narrow apertures are important. It’s something I covered in my review of this lens.

The lens is not as tiny and compact as the M.zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro, which I’m also quite fond of (see below). The OM System 90mm f/3.5 is 5.4 inches long and weighs about a pound / half a kilo. The 90mm focal length allows for a comfortable working distance between you and your close-up subjects.

What is extremely attractive about this lens is that it is fully electronically connected to the camera. Most 2x macro lenses are manual focus only. This not only makes the lens more versatile, but it also means that the lens is capable of focus stacking. This is very useful for shooting at extreme magnifications.

If 2x macro wasn’t enough for you, the lens is also compatible with the M.zuiko MC20 2x teleconverter for extreme 4x magnification. All electronic function, including autofocus, is retained when using the teleconverter. A bit of sharpness and two stops of light are lost.

Reasons to buy

• Extreme 2x magnification
• Impeccably sharp
• Efficient autofocus
• Internal stabilization
• Weatherproof
• Teleconverter compatibility for even more magnification

Reasons to avoid

• Large lens
• High price

Olympus M.zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro

The M.zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro was the undisputed king of the Micro Four Thirds macro lenses prior to the recent release of the OM System 90mm macro. This 1:1 macro lens is ultra compact and sharp. It focuses fast, handles extremely well, and is very affordable. This is my go-to recommendation for any Micro Four Thirds shooter looking for a macro lens, if the 90mm f/3.5 is overkill for your needs.

The M.zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro is probably the lens I’ve shot with the most out of all my lenses. I can say with confidence it is an extremely high performing lens. It has also survived a lot of use in harsh conditions over the past several years. I can speak to its splash and dustproofness!

I find the lens to be sharpest at f/5.6, maintaining excellent sharpness between f/2.8 and f/8. I find f/11 to still be sharp enough for my shots, while also providing a comfortable depth of field for 1:1 macro photography.

The lens is made of 13 elements in 10 groups including one extra low dispersion element, one extra high refractive index element, and two high refractive index elements. Impressively, all this is made in a compact lens spanning only 3.23” and weighing 185 grams / 0.4 pounds.

The autofocus of this lens is excellent, even when I shoot at night with only a dim flashlight lighting my subject. There is a focus limiter which helps the lens focus very quickly.

There is no stabilization in this lens, though I never found that to be an issue for my macro photography, where image stabilization tends not to work as well anyway.

Reasons to buy

• Sharp
• Extremely compact and lightweight
• Fast autofocus
• Weather proof

Reasons to avoid

• No internal stabilization
• Fewer advanced features than the 90mm f/3.5

My favorite adapted lens

Laowa 15mm f/4 macro

I wanted to add a brief mention here of a lens I’ve found very useful to my photography, even though it’s not a native Micro Four Thirds lens. I’m talking about the Laowa 15mm f/4 macro.

This lens requires an adapter to be used on a Micro Four Thirds camera, but even so, it’s one of my favorite lenses for the system.

The Laowa 15mm f/4 macro is an extremely unique lens. At a working distance of 2.17″, this lens provides a maximum magnification of 1:1. This means you can capture some very nice, wide-angle macro photos with this lens.

It is not an easy lens to use, especially adapted. It is a fully manual lens, meaning both the aperture and focus must be set on the lens itself. For macro, I rarely see this as an issue. What is tricky is the almost nonexistent working distance when at high magnification – but that comes with the territory if you want a wide-angle macro.

The lens also sin’t as sharp as the others in this list, but despite that, it’s sharp enough for everyday use. I’ve taken many of my favorite images with this lens, which speaks to its utility.

Additionally, this lens is a shift-capable lens, which means it can minimize converging lines, like buildings or trees that look to be “falling” backwards, by physically shifting the lens. This is useful for architectural photography and some landscape photography.

Reasons to buy

• 1:1 macro magnification at 30mm equivalent
• Shift-capable lens
• Yields unique photos

Reasons to avoid

• Fully manual lens
• Requires adapter

Conclusion

As you can see, the Micro Four Thirds format has few limitations. Even if you find that it’s missing a lens you need, you can always adapt other lenses, like I did for my Laowa 15mm f/4 macro. There is a plethora of prime and additional zoom lenses out there which cover almost every need.

My favorite part of Micro Four Thirds lenses is that many don’t break the bank. The Panasonic Leica 9mm f/1.7 and Olympus M.zuiko 60mm Macro are two of my favorite lenses, and both are under $500. There are not many formats that are as budget-friendly as Micro Four Thirds.

Did I miss any superb Micro Four Thirds lenses? This list is just my personal preference, and every photographer’s choices will probably be different. Let me know in the comments if there are more we should test at Photography Life. I’ve worked with most of these lenses extensively, so feel free to ask me any questions about them.