A real jewel

I gave it 4.5 for stunning optical quality, fast AF, great build quality (a lot of metal), great versatility and price. The only thing missing is weather sealing. I don't understand why Oly didn't throw that in too. Makes the half star loss.

A lot of articles I read about this lens describe it as a bit of a specialty item. It'd only be useful for portraits. The focal length is wired, and so on. For me none of this holds true. It's a small telephoto prime for me. Yes it's great for portraits. But it's useful for all kinds of shoots where a bit of reach is good. I use it all the time for all sorts of shots including landscapes.

It's small form is great for travelling. It delivers very cripsp and detailed images yet isn't seen as a "threatening professional lens" by people you photograph. It has a friendly feel to it yet still gives you a 150mm equivalent in focal length.

Clearly at 1.8 it's not at it's best. But I shoot it at that aperture regardless. Works great in low light. Would not recommend it in bright conditions. Stop it down to 2.2 or 2.8 and it starts to shine. For optimal sharpness I find f3.5 very useful.

As far as the price goes, there're people who complain. But these are always there. I find it dirt cheap for what you get. One can get it used for ~500$ including the original Oly Lenshood. This is not a "supermarket" lens but a high end piece of glass. That costs, regardless of the system.

All in all I have no regrets buying this beauty. It's a constant companion and performs great in most conditions. If you can make use of it like I do, I can only recommend it. If you find it difficult working with 100mm and longer lenses, this may not be for you. In that case it'd really be a specialty item.

Hi Roman,

yes, I have to say the same. It's a very nice lens, really.

Like you, I actually like the focal length. It is similar to the "sharp" region my eye can capture. Therefore, I find this FOW being surprisingly "natural". Easy to compose.

Though, it's not an everyday lens for me. I shoot around 5% of my photos with it, my zooms seem to be more versatile.

But, when i look at my all time favorite shots, this lens contributes 20%. I could say this lens has a 4 times higher "all time favorite" keeper rate compared to my PRO zooms

Christof

Agree ... great lens, but it is jewel-priced, too. For this price I would expect MF clutch and lens hood. Looking for the best bang for bucks, my "jewel" is Oly mZD 45/1.8.

I love the 75mm, too.  It "fits" the E-M1 perfectly to me, and the images are simply beautiful.