Congratulations for purchasing into the OM SYSTEM! Formerly called Olympus, OM SYSTEM lenses have been universally held in high regard across the photo industry. With that said, we’re rounding up what we think are the best OM SYSTEM lenses for beginners. Keep in mind, we’re also including Olympus lenses in this round up. And finally, everything here is under $500 and has been tested by our staff. Take a look with us!
How We Chose the Best OM SYSTEM Lenses for Beginners
Here’s some insight into how we chose the best OM SYSTEM lenses for beginners:
- Our editorial policy doesn’t let us talk about products we haven’t reviewed. The Phoblographer’s staff has reviewed every single one of these products. We’ve even included links to them. All the product images and sample images were photographed by us too.
- This post is sponsored by OM SYSTEM, who trusted us with selecting some of their best lenses on a budget.
- All the OM SYSTEM lenses in this roundup are primes and capable of doing lots of cool things. But honestly, the system is best known for its higher end zoom lenses.
- OM SYSTEM used to be known as Olympus. So, Olympus lenses will work here too, but only the Micro Four Thirds lenses they’ve made. Panasonic also offers some for the format.
- These are OM SYSTEM lenses aren’t weather resistant, so be careful in the snow and rain.
- These OM SYSTEM lenses were carefully selected with various needs in mind, which is reflected in the product images.
M.Zuiko 30mm f3.5 Macro
In our review, we state:
“As is always with M.ZUIKO lenses, the color rendition here is fantastic…”
M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8
In our review, we state:
“The M.Zuiko 45mm f1.8 is a lens that I want to shoot wide open all day and all night. On a personal level, I’m very pleased with the sharpness I get with the lens when shooting wide open. For users who love shooting photos of flowers and other plant life, you’ll be pleased to know that the results that come out of the camera only need slight color boosts (if any) and the usual sharpening and clarity adjustments.”
M.Zuiko 25mm f1.8
In our review, we state:
It’s pretty damned amazing. Olympus said that they basically took the same formula for the 45mm f1.8 and modified it to work with the 25mm focal length. And it seems to have worked. The 45mm f1.8 is one of the sharpest and most affordable Micro Four Thirds lenses we’ve tested, so it’s only natural then that the 25mm f1.8 is right up there.
M.Zuiko 17mm f1.8
In our review, we state:
“I found overall image quality to be very good. Colors are natural and pleasing but I found them to be lacking the same punch that I get from other lenses like the Panasonic 25mm f1.4. Blooming was not a major issue (it never really bothers me anyway) and I had no trouble with flare, even when shooting without a hood.”
This piece is presented in partnership with OM SYSTEM. We’ve independently and ethically reviewed all the products in this post already without sponsorship. And we worked with them to recommend a few key gems to you.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.