Design and Build
As soon as you pick up the Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens you smile because you are holding a quality product. You have that feeling because of the metal build. There is some plastic trim, the focus ring and cap are also made from plastic but overall, the Olympus 17mm f1.7 feels like it is built to last. Although a thoroughly modern lens in many respects, I also get a bit of a retro vibe from it. Perhaps due to the build but also the numbers and distance scale on the barrel add to the feeling. The front lens element is small which is nice because there's less to be damaged in a glancing blow. The filter thread is 46mm which is the same as some other popular M43 lenses, handy if you already have 46mm filters.
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| Panasonic Lumix GX80 and Olympus 17mm f1.8 |
When mounted on my Panasonic Lumix GX80, the Olympus 17mm f1.8 looks right at home. I think this lens is perfect for any small or medium sized M43 cameras. The weight is just about right, it's slightly heavier than the Lumix 25mm f1.7 for example.
Size-wise the 17mm f1.8 is also just about right. It's not as small as a pancake lens but it's smaller than comparable many lenses. Below you can see both the 17mm and the Panasonic Lumix 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 zoom next to each other. The 17mm is not a lot bigger than the tiny 12-32.
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| Lumix 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 and Olympus 17mm f1.8 |
The 12-32, when set to 17mm, has a maximum aperture of f4. If you are considering the Olympus 17mm as a compliment to the 12-32, I think it's a good choice.
Focal Length
M43 17mm is equivalent to 34mm in Full Frame (FF) terms. That's close to the classic 35mm angle of view. Therefore the 17mm is a moderate wide angle lens suitable for all kinds of photography. I would characterise the angle of view as 'comfortable'. What I mean is, for the majority of day-to-day photography this is probably all you need. It's not very wide so there's no distortion when you get close to the lens.
It is not suited to portrait shots, although it can be good for what's called environmental portraits. That's when you include some other elements with your subject. The best example is when you are on holiday, you want to take photos with someone in it but also some background. It is a personal choice though, I must admit that I also like the 25mm (50mm equiv.) focal length too. If you are considering a 25mm lens instead, click here for an article I wrote on the Lumix 25mm f1.7.
Close-Focussing
It says 25cm is the closest you can focus but it seems to be more like 20cm to me. This is pretty good for most situations. As the field of view is wide, it isn't easy to get close-up (macro style) photos. However, you can still get some nice flower photos as long as the flowers are big enough. In the following photo the flowers are small, because of the 17mm angle of view you can get more in the frame.
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| Olympus 17mm f1.8, taken at f4, ISO 200 |
To get those close up shots of smaller flowers you could consider buying the Olympus MCON-P02 macro adapter, it screws onto the front of the lens. I have one for use with my Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens. The MCON-P02 also works well with the 17mm:
I took the three pictures (left to right) of daisies (small flowers) above in Aperture Priority at F4, ISO 200:
- Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens only, as close as I could get
- Olympus 17mm f1.8 lens + MCON-P02 macro adapter, as close as I could get
- Olympus 45mm f1.8 lens + MCON-P02 macro adapter, as close as I could get
The 17mm and MCON-P02 definitely gets you closer (photo 2 is closer than 1) but is it worth the extra USD 90 (approx.) and hassle (screwing it on/off)? In my opinion, no. I think you'd be better off getting a dedicated macro lens. Where the MCON-P02 makes a big difference is when used with the Olympus 45mm f1.8 (photo 3). If you also have that lens then it might be worth getting the MCON-P02. A more detailed article on the MCON-P02 is here.
Auto-Focussing
Fast and silent. I have no complaints using it with my Lumix GX80 camera. Way better than the Lumix 20mm f1.7, if you are comparing those two lenses, I would recommend the Olympus 17mm f1.8.
Manual Focussing
The Olympus 17mm f1.8 has a Manual Focus Clutch. The focus ring can be pulled back, this reveals a focussing distance scale and activates manual focus in the camera. On my Panasonic Lumix GX80 camera this works perfectly. Pull the focus ring back, the camera goes into MF. Push the ring forward and I'm back in AF mode.
Image Quality
Superb! I am not a pixel peeper and I don't do scientific tests. I can only say that I'm very happy with the photos when I use this lens. I wouldn't say the 17mm is a huge improvement over other lenses, such as the Lumix 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 for example, because that's an already sharp lens. However, the low-light capability of the Olympus 17mm f1.8 puts it head and shoulders above such a lens. For example, if you are outside photographing flowers and then go inside to photograph, fine, the lens does a fantastic job in both situations. If you can use a low f number, your ISO can stay lower, giving you more detailed photographs in low light.
Background Blur / Bokeh
Yes, it's possible with this 17mm lens with f1.8, you can get some nice out-of-focus effects. But don't expect too much because 17mm is wide and to get the best bokeh effect you really need a longer focal length. If you are deciding upon your first prime and bokeh is important to you, go for a 25mm (50mm equiv.) or better still, a 45mm (90mm equiv.) lens.
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| Olympus 17mm f1.8, photo taken at f1.8, ISO 200 |
It's also worth mentioning that traditionally this 17mm (35mm equiv.) focal length is preferred by those who want depth of field, they don't want so much bokeh. Often a photograph can be best with more in focus, always keep this in mind, don't get too swept up in the notion that bokeh is always needed in your photos.
Negatives
The Olympus 17mm f1.8 is excellent, these are the only downsides I can think of:
Negatives
The Olympus 17mm f1.8 is excellent, these are the only downsides I can think of:
- A lens hood is not included in the box. It's a shame as sometimes with direct sunlight there are some blue flares that appear. The official Olympus lens hood costs an arm and a leg! There are third-party ones, that's probably the best choice, maybe later I'll get one.
- There's no weather sealing but no other lenses in this price range/style, have weather sealing. Also, weather sealing is not important unless your camera body is also weather sealed. It's also a small lens so easy to shelter under your jacket if you get caught in a surprise shower.
Price
When originally released it was pricey. In recent times the 17mm has often dropped to around USD 350. I was lucky to get mine on sale, brand new, for about USD 230! Keep your eye out, you might get such a bargain. If you compare to a lens such as the Lumix 25mm f1.7 or Olympus 45mm f1.8, then yes the 17mm is expensive. However, remember that the 17mm is a lens with a much higher build quality and the manual focus clutch too. The 17mm is a premium lens for the discerning photographer!
Competition
You could stick with a zoom lens such as the Lumix 12-32mm f3.5-5.6. It covers all the most popular focal lengths and it's small and light. However, it's not the best in low light, at 17mm the 12-32 will give you a maximum aperture of just f4. The Olympus 17mm f1.8 can open up a lot of new photography opportunities.
For other primes I'd say the Panasonic Lumix 20mm f1.7 and Leica 15mm f1.7 are the closest competition. They are similar focal lengths to the Olympus 17mm f1.8 and are also small, compact lenses. I used to have the 20mm, it was great but the auto-focus was slow and the 20mm focal length didn't suit me. I haven't used the Leica 15mm f1.7 yet but all the reviews I've seen rave about it. I wanted this lens but I ended up with the Olympus 17mm f1.8 instead, the reason was price. The 15mm is often much more expensive.
Olympus have another 17mm, their Pro level lens, it has a maximum aperture of f1.2 and it is weather sealed. However, it's huge and heavy compared with the 17mm f1.8. Also, the Pro lens is super expensive. If you are looking for the best, of course the Pro lens is it. If you are looking for the best value, the 17mm f1.8 is the lens you are looking for.
Conclusion
The Olympus 17mm f1.8 is a fine lens that is a joy to use! The focal length is general purpose, the lens is light, compact, it has great build quality, it looks the part... it's a great little lens.
References
Here are a few reviews and other links:
Micro Four Thirds:
Specifications:
Review by David Thorpe:
A comparison between the 17mm and the Olympus 14-42mm kit lens by Rob Trek:
A comparison between the Olympus 17mm f1.8 and the Pro lens, here's a video by Peter Foresgard:
Disclaimer
I wrote this article to help others and for my own pleasure. I have no affiliation with Olympus or any other camera company. These are just my own thoughts and opinion. If you disagree, that's fine.
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