The last of the f1.2 large aperture, fast lenses as of 2017 has finally come around for a user review! This lens rounds up a small group of PRO lenses which I believe will grow in time, joining the M.Zuiko Digital 25mm f1.2 PRO and the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.2 PRO lenses in a lineup of ultra fast lenses in the PRO category of lenses offered by Olympus.
Like it's brother, the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.2 PRO, the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.2 PRO also has the "feather bokeh" that the former was being promoted for, which gives smooth bokeh transition of subject to the background, thereby creating soft edges of the background bokeh and making the subject pop. All 3 lenses share same filter size and are similar in size.
Some specs of the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.2 PRO
For most people, the idea of a standard lens would be a 50mm equivalent, while some, the 35mm equivalent which this lens is built for. I've been longing for a weather sealed, 35mm equivalent lens that is extremely sharp and light and it finally arrived in the form of this lens. Having previously owned the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 premium lens and the first M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8 lens with the PEN E-P1, this lens is a lens that I personally have waited for for a very long time.
In the picture below, you can see the size difference between the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8, the 1.8 version would be about 1.5 times the size of the f2.8, making the PRO lens a huge lens by comparison!
Having used a Full Frame camera for years before I came back to using Olympus, there are lenses I've grown accustomed to, one of them being the 35mm f1.4 lens and in my case, the Sigma 35mm f1.4 ART which I used for comparison.
Initially when I looked at it, it seems like there wasn't a big difference between the 2, compared to the comparison of the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.2 PRO to the Sigma 85mm f1.4 ART, but when I looked at the diameter and held it in my hand, the difference was clear. The Sigma was noticeably bigger even if not by much, but the weight was a big difference, 390g(Olympus) vs 665g(Sigma). While itself isn't a very impressive difference, the weight when I carried all my gear was.
Like it's brother, the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.2 PRO, the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.2 PRO also has the "feather bokeh" that the former was being promoted for, which gives smooth bokeh transition of subject to the background, thereby creating soft edges of the background bokeh and making the subject pop. All 3 lenses share same filter size and are similar in size.
Some specs of the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.2 PRO
- Focal length - 17mm (34mm in 35mm equivalent)
- Lens construction - 15 Elements in 11 Groups (1 Super ED lens, 3 ED lenses, 1 ED-DSA lens, 1 EDA lens, 1 Super HR lens, 1 aspherical lens)
- Dust & Drip proof - Yes
- Closest focusing - 0.2m
- Maximum aperture - f1.2
- Minimum aperture - f16
- Number of blades - 9 (Circular Aperture Diaphragm)
- Weight - 390g
For most people, the idea of a standard lens would be a 50mm equivalent, while some, the 35mm equivalent which this lens is built for. I've been longing for a weather sealed, 35mm equivalent lens that is extremely sharp and light and it finally arrived in the form of this lens. Having previously owned the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8 premium lens and the first M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8 lens with the PEN E-P1, this lens is a lens that I personally have waited for for a very long time.
In the picture below, you can see the size difference between the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8, the 1.8 version would be about 1.5 times the size of the f2.8, making the PRO lens a huge lens by comparison!
Having used a Full Frame camera for years before I came back to using Olympus, there are lenses I've grown accustomed to, one of them being the 35mm f1.4 lens and in my case, the Sigma 35mm f1.4 ART which I used for comparison.
Initially when I looked at it, it seems like there wasn't a big difference between the 2, compared to the comparison of the M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f1.2 PRO to the Sigma 85mm f1.4 ART, but when I looked at the diameter and held it in my hand, the difference was clear. The Sigma was noticeably bigger even if not by much, but the weight was a big difference, 390g(Olympus) vs 665g(Sigma). While itself isn't a very impressive difference, the weight when I carried all my gear was.
Last edited: