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Olympus Pro lenses 17/1.2, 25/1.2 and 45/1.2

dirk

DPRF-Founder
Administrator
Olympus announced at the Photo Expo the other two Pro lenses from its F1.2 FFL range. The 17/1.2 and the 45/1.2 fixed focal length. Not very light and with a steap price tag, this is nothing you want to attach on a small MFT body or buy it without beeing sure you need it ;)

Here is the press release:

The two new lenses have been created under the same single design philosophy of the F1.2 PRO prime lens series (which includes the already released M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO); to give beautiful depictive performance which delivers high-quality feathered bokeh and outstanding resolution; razor sharp fast, high-precision AF in a compact, lightweight lens which is dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof (-10°C).

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO lens will be available from late November 2017, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO from March 2018 (see below for recommended retail prices).

M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO (35mm equivalent: 34mm)
Photographers can enjoy superior feathered bokeh at a maximum aperture of F1.2; this prime lens is ideal for landscape and documentary photography even in harsh conditions thanks to its compact, lightweight design which is dustproof, splashproof and freezeproof to -10°C.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO employs aspherical lens elements and includes newly developed ED-DSA (Extra-low Dispersion Dual Super Aspherical) lenses. Olympus is the first manufacturer to successfully mass produce these lens elements which allow a reduction in the number of lenses used and make it possible to achieve a lighter-weight lens with a similar overall length to the M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO. This construction also compensates for various types of aberrations that tend to occur in wide-angle lenses, such as chromatic aberration, distortion, and color bleeding on the image periphery.

M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO (35mm equivalent: 90mm)
Allowing shots with pleasing proportions of the human face, this prime lens is the perfect choice for portraits. With outstanding feathered bokeh at a maximum aperture of F1.2, professional photographers can rely on precision technology and attention to detail in the design to capture the true beauty of their subject.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO is a medium telephoto lens and the design of the back focus and relay lens system allowed a reduction in the number of lens elements required, resulting in a very compact, light-weight lens. Olympus has used optimally placed lens elements to effectively compensate for abberations such as out-of-focus color bleeding – a common problem on large-aperture lenses – as well as peripheral color bleeding. Photographers can enjoy excellent optical performance which delivers feathered bokeh effects and accurately reproduces details even at the widest aperture setting.

Both lenses also use the same Z Coating Nano technology found on the M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO for sharp, clear image quality that significantly reduces ghosts and flares that tend to occur in backlit shots.

Depictive performance

The M.Zuiko F1.2 PRO prime lens series delivers feathered bokeh and outstanding resolution using an optical design that prevents a significant reduction in light. This bokeh style transitions smoothly from the in-focus to the out-of-focus and gives photographers a smoother, softer overall background bokeh which adds depth of field and makes the subject stand out more beautifully, without sacrificing any resolution.

Fast and high-precision AF

The Olympus fast, high-precision auto focus is at the heart of the design philosophy for the M.Zuiko F1.2 PRO prime lens series. The F1.2 PRO lenses are class leading; delivering high speed performance to ensure that photographers never miss that vital shot.

When paired with the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, professional photographers can rely on blisteringly quick, high-precision coverage of their subjects. Due to the advantages of mirrorless cameras when it comes to autofocus with large aperture lenses, the E-M1 Mark II’s 121 point all-cross type On-chip Phase Detection AF sensor provides edge to edge, breathtaking pictures even at F1.2.

Despite being large aperture lenses, a lightweight focusing unit allows the MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) mechanism to facilitate high-speed, high-precision still image autofocusing and silent, smooth autofocusing for movies in all of the M.Zuiko F1.2 PRO lenses.

Close-up shooting

The F1.2 PRO prime lens series joins many other M.Zuiko lenses, to give photographers exciting close-up shooting opportunities which further enhances the beautiful bokeh, covering a larger area.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO has a closest focusing distance of 20cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.15x (35mm equivalent: 0.3x), while the M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO has a closest focusing distance of 50cm and a maximum image magnification of 0.1x (35mm equivalent: 0.2x).

Premium design

Olympus designed the F1.2 PRO prime’s to give photographers a series of lenses which have a premium feel, high functionality and superior operation, fitting of a M.Zuiko PRO lens.

Understanding the importance of the ease of use, Olympus has created a common design and layout of the control section, so that photographers can concentrate on shooting without interruption – even when changing the lens between shots.

The focusing ring has been positioned at the front of the lens to make focusing easier especially when paired with the large grip of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II. The L-Fn button is situated on a gently curving surface which makes it easy to access. The MF Clutch mechanism allows photographers to instantly switch between auto and manual focusing mode by pulling the focusing ring towards them.

By making the overall length and the maximum diameter of each lens almost the same size, Olympus has cleverly created a series of lenses which are compact and light-weight, perfectly suited to the OM-D camera range.

Available Accessories (sold separately)

Due to the clever uniform lens diameter of the F1.2 PRO Prime series, the Zuiko PRF-ZD62 PRO Protection Filter can be used across all three F1.2 PRO prime lenses.

The Zuiko PRF-ZD62 PRO protection filter maximizes the abilities of M.Zuiko PRO lenses bearing the Zuiko name. It features a special coating, which cuts reflection by approximately half compared to conventional multicoating, black edged glass, and a satin finished black alumite aluminum frame for a matte surface that suppresses reflections.

Pricing & availability

  • The M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 PRO will be available from March 2018 at EUR 1.399 RRP** incl. VAT
  • The M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm F1.2 PRO will be available from December 2017 EUR 1.299 RRP** incl. VAT

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I'd like to try the 45mm lens as it will produce a 90mm f1.2 (35mm equivalent) which would be superb for portrait work. 75-100mm represent the right kind of focal lengths that mean you don't crowd the sitter and that shallow dof at full aperture can produce outstanding images. Money being very tight right now, I'll have to stick with my MF Zeiss Planar 55 1.2 on the E-M1 - perhaps one day I can afford to buy the E-M1 MkII and the 45mm... Well, I'm allowed to dream!
 
The DOF of the 45/1.2 on MFT sensor will be roughly like a 90/2.0 fullframe lens on a fullframe sensor. 2 stops more.

But I read on the internet that the bokeh of the Olympus lens seems to be really nice "creamy". Still a very big and heavy lens for MFT standards, especially compared to the Pana 42/1.7.
 
I handled these lenses at Photo Expo in NYC, and although large, they are surprisingly light. After shooting with the 25 and 45, the 17 was N/A to shoot due to an early firmware, I can say that the sharpness is outstanding at f1.2, focus speed is lightening quick, and they both exhibit the same bold and crunchy drawing look of the f2.8 pro zooms, and should compliment each other nicely if you like that look. I do for some things, but not necessarily for others. I do have a full set of Voigtlander f0.95 Noktons which have a very different look, a more subtle drawing look, more filmic, less crunchy, but still superbly sharp. The Olympus 1.2 primes are about half the weight of the Voigtlanders, which basically comes down to the difference between an aluminum and polycarbonate body vs aluminum and brass.
 
I do have a full set of Voigtlander f0.95 Noktons which have a very different look, a more subtle drawing look, more filmic, less crunchy, but still superbly sharp.

That is very interesting to hear...

I would love to see image comparisons for the Bokeh and sharpness wide open between the Voigtländer lenses and the Olympus and Panasonic lenses...
 
That is very interesting to hear...

I would love to see image comparisons for the Bokeh and sharpness wide open between the Voigtländer lenses and the Olympus and Panasonic lenses...

When they are all available at my local shop, some time after the new year I presume, I’ll do an informal comparo.
 
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