These weather sealed lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras play nice in all kinds of weather.
The Micro Four Thirds platform has some truly amazing weather sealed lenses available for photographers. Whether you’re a street photographer, wedding photographer, portrait artist, or are a wanderluster who likes taking pictures of their travels, there are certainly weather sealed lenses for you. After the break we’re going to share with you four of our favorite weather sealed lenses on the Micro Four Thirds platform. All of them offer incredible image, and stellar build qualities.
There is no doubt about the fact that inclement weather (whether it be falling snow, torrential rain, or a thunderstorm) can take your images to another level. As long as you’re safe and are prepared for whatever Mother Nature may throw your way, you can truly capture some stunning pictures.
Thankfully weather sealed lenses make it a little bit easier for us to venture out into the great outdoors to capture images in otherwise nasty situations. Slap a weather sealed lens onto a weather sealed camera body and you’ll have nothing to worry about when it comes to your gear. The four weather sealed lenses listed below are some of our favorites on the Micro Four Thirds platform. All of them perform amazingly well out in the elements, and produce images that will leave you speechless. Scroll through the list and check them out.
Panasonic 12mm f1.4
Wide angle, weather sealed lenses can be hard to come by on the Micro Four Thirds platform because of the two times crop factor, but the Panasonic 12mm f1.2 is a solid option. With an equivalent focal range of 24mm, this lens is a great option for landscape photographers, street photographers, documentarians and, environmental portrait photographers.
In our review we said:
“This lens is capable of delivering some of the best image quality that weâve seen from the Micro Four Thirds wide angle lenses. Plus it has a great build quality.”
Thanks to the incredible optics in this lens (15 elements in 12 groups, and nine rounded aperture blades), this lens is capable of producing incredibly sharp images. With one ED Element, two UED Elements, and two aspherical Elements, you can be sure that images will be free from major distortions, color fringing, and chromatic aberration. The images produced are super sharp when shot wide open, with maximum sharpness hitting at around f5.6. Colors produced are somewhat muted but can be easily edited in post with Capture One Pro 12 or Lightroom.
If you’re a lover of bokeh you’ll love this lens too. When shot wide open and close to your subject, the bokeh produced is super creamy and smooth. You’ll have no complaints with the lens in this regard. Autofocus performance is also really good, especially on Panasonic cameras. In bright light the lens is lightning fast; with just a little drop off in performance in low light situations. On Olympus Cameras the same can be said for daytime shooting, but there is more of an impact when focusing in low light. Overall though it’s a great performer.
Another great thing about the Panasonic 12mm f1.4 is the build quality. All of that beautiful glass is protected by an all metal body and some pretty serious weather sealing. The lens feels really nice in the hands and is easy to use thanks to the well placed focus ring, and the aperture control dial. It also weighs just 0.73lbs. You’ll really have no problems with this lens if you decide to venture outside into the rain, wind, or snow. Just make sure your camera is weather sealed, or is protected from the elements before you go out.
Overall this lens is stellar. The image quality is wonderful, and it’s built like a tank. This is without doubt one of the best weather sealed lenses on the platform.
Buy now ($1297.99): Amazon
Panasonic 12mm F1.4 Image Samples
Pro Tip:Â Weather sealed lenses give you the freedom to go out and shoot in all different kinds of weather. The elements can really add to an image and can elevate them to a different level, but you have to make sure your camera is weather sealed too. If you’re unsure, keep a few of these weather proof camera covers in your camera bag. With these on hand you’ll be able to shoot no matter what.
Olympus 25mm f1.2 Pro
While the Olympus 25mm f1.2 Pro may not be cheap, it’s a stunning lens that deserves to be on this list of must have weather sealed lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Its phenomenal image quality will delight photographers who cover multiple genres from street to portraits, and events, to documentary. Its durability also means you can take it out into some really harsh weather and will never have to worry about it.
In our review we said:
“Landscape, street, and outdoor photographers are going to love this lens. During our tests, we took the lens out into the rain here in NYC. When coupled with the OMD series of cameras, the lens totally withstood any sort of harassment that Mother Nature decided to dump on it.”
Inside this mostly metal lens you’ll find a whopping 19 Elements in 14 Groups (one SED lens, two ED lenses, one E-HR lenses, three HR lenses, and one aspherical lens), along with nine rounded aperture blades. On a Micro Four Thirds camera this 25mm lens will have the equivalent focal range of 50mm. Make no mistake about it; images produced with this lens will make your jaw drop. This lens is razor sharp from f1.2 and on. The bokeh that can be achieved is beautiful (portrait shooters will love this), colors are accurate and true to life; with skin tones being a particular highlight.
As with most Micro Four Thirds lenses there is hardly any need to ever stop down past f5.6. There’s little to no distortion in the images, just a slight hint of purple fringing which can be fixed in post, but that’s about it. You can just shoot and can be safe in the knowledge that your images will be stellar. This lens is capable of producing some magic. Focusing speeds are fast, and accuracy is on point.
We didn’t encounter any issues when using this lens. We took it out into a heavy rain shower and the lens just kept on humming along and performed admirably. This lens has its sea legs for sure. The Olympus 25mm f1.2 Pro feels great in the hands too. It weighs in at 0.90lbs, so it’s easy to use for long periods and will balance well on your camera. There is a large easy to use focus ring which pulls back easily to switch to manual focus mode too. It’s a joy to use.
If you’re looking for a solid 50mm equivalent lens for your Micro Four Thirds camera it’s really hard to go wrong here. At just under $1,000 you’re going to be getting a lens that will exceed your expectations in every area. The image quality is fantastic, and the build quality and durability of this lens is hard to beat. This is why the Olympus 25mm f1.2 Pro made our list of must have weather sealed lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Buy now ($999): Amazon
Olympus 25mm f1.2 Pro Image Samples
Pro Tip: Weather sealed lenses are made to be used out in the elements, but that wonât stop them from becoming covered in grime. Keep a basic lens cleaning kit in your camera bag so that you can remove dirt, grease, and water spots that the rain and snow will leave behind.
Olympus 12-60mm F2.8-4 Power OIS
If you’re looking for a do-it-all wide to telephoto lens, the Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8-4 is a solid option. Itâs a beauty in every sense of the word. Thanks to its great build quality, sharp images, and durability, the Panasonic 12-60mm may well be the perfect walk around lens for all Micro Four Thirds users.
In our review we said:
“During my tests, I was rather surprised by what the lens is capable of. Itâs super sharp and Iâve got no qualms here. I also really enjoy the colors, the lack of most chromatic abbreviations, keeping the distortion down low, etc.”
Inside the housing youâll find 14 elements in 12 groups, along with nine rounded aperture blades. The glass is covered with Panasonicâs Nano Surface coating which really helps keep distortion and color fringing under control. Four of the elements are aspherical, and two are ED, and they also help keep images free from distortions. Images produced with this lens are super sharp from edge to edge and you’ll never find any reason to stop down below f5.6. The colors that are produced really reminded us of what a Canon user can expect from their glass, with skin tones being a particular highlight. The consistency of results in terms of sharpness, colors, and autofocus performance on both Panasonic and Olympus cameras made us happy too.
The Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8-4 also features optical stabilization which really helps in low light situations. Another area where the 12-60mm excels is in autofocus performance. No matter what situation we found ourselves in, the lens was able to quickly find and lock on to whatever we were tracking. It never missed a beat
The 12-60mm f2.8-4 is built solidly. There’s no doubt that this lens will stand up to heavy use. While the plastic doesnât have any kind of texture to it, the zoom ring offers a nice place to grip the lens. You’ll find that this lens really feels nice in the hands. This piece of glass weighs just 0.70lbs, which means you can put this on your camera and walk around with it all day without breaking a sweat. It’s will also balance nicely on any camera as well which makes it pleasant to use.
The Panasonic 12-60mm is another one of the companies weather sealed lenses, and like the others, this lens will stand up to whatever weather comes its way. Crazy wind blowing around dust and debris will be no problem. Heavy downpours will not cause any issues, and the heaviest of snow storms won’t bother this lens. According to Panasonic the lens is also freeze proof, and will function in temperatures as low as -10c (14 degrees Fahrenheit). You’ll probably stop working before this lens does.
If want a lens that you can carry around with you all day, and that can be used to shoot a variety of genres, you should take a look at this lens. This 24-120mm equivalent lens is perfect for landscapes, portraits, street, documentary, and event photography. Thanks to its great image quality and durability you won’t be left wanting more. The Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8-4 is another one of our favorite weather sealed lenses that should be on your shopping lists.
Buy now ($897.99): Amazon
Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8-4 Image Samples
Pro Tip: Make sure you keep extra SD cards on your person. As great as SD cards are, they can, and do fail from time to time. Make sure you’re prepared so that you can keep on shooting if the unthinkable happens. This SD card is fast (U3), reliable, and cheap.
Olympus 14-150mm F4-5.6 II
Weather sealed lenses on the Micro Four Thirds platform certainly aren’t the cheapest you can buy, but the Olympus 14-150mm F4-5.6 II is the exception to this rule. Don’t let the low price tag fool you. This lens is a beauty thanks to its incredible weather sealing and great sharp images.
In our review we said:
“If you need a superzoom with weather sealing and a pretty good zoom range, you canât beat this one. Slap it into your camera and go shooting.”
The Olympus 14-150mm is an incredibly versatile lens. With an equivalent focal range of 28-300mm you’ll be able to capture nice wide images one second, to nice tight portraits the next. Inside the plastic housing you’re going to find 15 elements in 11 groups, and seven rounded aperture blades.
Image quality for a lens at this price point is really quite staggering. Sure, you’re not going to achieve images that would match a Pro lens, but you won’t be disappointed. Images are sharp, the bokeh that’s produced is pleasing to the eye and is in no way distracting. Colors rendered are nice and saturated and offer good levels of contrast too. There is a slight amount of fringing, but one click of your mouse in post will take care of that.
For a sub $500 lens that covers such a long focal range, this lens is superb. The lens is also a top performer when it comes to autofocus capabilities. This lens never let us down. In both good lighting conditions and bad, the Olympus 14-150mm was able to find focus quickly, and accurately.
The build quality is also tremendous. As you can see from our image above, we set the lens down in the snow on multiple occasions to really put it to the test. Each time we picked it up and used it the lens performed as if nothing had happened. The weather sealing on this lens is simply amazing. You’ll have no issues with it when it’s freezing cold and snowing, nor will you have anything to worry about when it’s wet and windy. Just go shoot and be happy. There’s nothing to worry about here.
The lens has an external zoom so it’s size does increase quite a bit when in use, but it’s still easy to use. The textured zoom ring dominates the body of the lens, and offers a nice place to rest your hand when in use. It also offers a fair amount of grip too which comes in handy in the rain and snow. The lens is made out of plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. Honestly it doesn’t feel out of place on high end camera bodies. Amazingly this lens weighs just 0.62lbs!
This lens is a must own. Its versatile focal range makes it perfect for everything from street to travel photography, and the weather sealing will fill you with confidence. You’ll have no issues shooting with this lens in any weather situation. This is one of the weather sealed lenses that should be in the bag of every Micro Four Thirds shooter.
Buy now ($499): Amazon
Olympus 14-150mm F4-5.6 II Image Samples
