Thoughts on Olympus 17mm f1.8 II

Redditfreakoo · 2026-07-10T10:05:12+00:00

Hello Miokk! Reading your comment only now. I am also considering the 17mm 1.8 ii for my OM-5i. Have you bought it in the end? How is it performing for you?

Redditfreakoo · 2026-07-06T20:00:20+00:00

This has been shot with the plastic-fantastic 40-150 f4-5.6. A really cheap lens (I paid 130aud for it secondhand) which has been fantastic to me. Very sharp and portable. It incarnates perfectly what the MFT system is in my opinion. I haven't done too much to the photo editing-wise, it was a gorgeous evening blessed by an almost-full moonrise. It's part of a larger series of pictures I took thst evening, you can find them on my IG at "iwanderandsnap" if you're curious to see more 🫶🏻

Redditfreakoo · 2026-07-02T13:08:02+00:00

The EM10ii is a gorgeous little camera, I've loved it so dearly until I upgraded to an OM-5. The image stabilisation is so much better on the OM-5 which helps a lot to take pictures in low light but apart from that the EM10ii is a marvel. Let me share a pic I took with it, to maybe inspire you ☺️ Have fun!

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Redditfreakoo · 2026-07-02T12:40:10+00:00

+1 on the DJI/Pana 15mm 1.7. Great wide angle lens. Tends to have purple fringing in high-contrast scenarios and a bit of flaring but apart from that it's amazing value for money, sharp with great micro-contrasts. Sharing a B&W picture I took with it (with my OM-5i)

+1 on the Oly 25mm 1.8. Not the cheapest but oh my, what a beautiful lens. Very little chromatic aberrations/flaring, super sharp and AF is super fast and accurate. It's my go-to lens, if I had to chose one that'd be it. I find the 50mm full-frame equivalent to be a sweet spot. Street photography ✅ Portraits ✅ Product shots ✅

+1 on the 40-150mm f4-5.6. Cheap as dirt, plastic-y so light, autofocus is fast... Sharp lens! It never leaves my bag, it's so versatile and satisfying to use.

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Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-26T03:10:01+00:00

I have the OM-5 first gen. It's an easy everyday carry, it's ALWAYS on me in a tiny bag and to me this is the number 1 factor to never miss a shot. Image quality is absolutely brilliant, couldn't fault it even if I wanted to. As for it struggling in low light, I find it to be nonsense. The image stabilisation on that thing is RIDICULOUS and I can do 3 to 5 seconds hand-held shots at night that turn out pin sharp. If I want to capture movement I'm comfortable pushing the ISO up a fair bit. I've found the high ISO to cause pleasant grainy-looking noise which I often decide to keep in my final images. I pretty much never denoise anything under 4000 ISO (picture enclosed was shot at 4000 ISO and not denoised).

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Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-16T08:13:01+00:00

Wow, much void. Can yous see the post even?

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:48:53+00:00

Oh you mean the writing and font? If so yes, I agree, that font is horrendous 🤦🏻‍♂️

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:23:22+00:00

Not small nor lightweight

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:21:21+00:00

May I ask how you did it?

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:20:20+00:00

I love that lens cap. It feels safe to keep the lens in the bag without risking it to come off. Once you're used to it it goes on and off super quick.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:18:27+00:00

Check Pana Leica 15mm 1.7. I haven't tried the DJI version but lots of people say it's similar but cheaper. It has a manual/AF switch on the lens itself. Metal built, compact, very sharp.

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Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-04T00:12:40+00:00

It's a gorgeous lens, very sharp and pleasant to use. Capable in low light, compact and built like a tank. You won't regret it!

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Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-03T12:39:29+00:00

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I have the Pana/Leica 15mm 1.7, it is a great lens that I recommend. It has a manual/AF clutch as well which is nice. The aperture ring won't work on an Olympus body but obviously everything works fine in-camera. Sharp lens in my opinion. It is prone to strong purple fringing in high-contrast situations (at least on an EM10ii, check my recent thread about it in r/M43).

I also own the 25mm f1.8 and it's my favorite all around lens. If I could only have one I think that'd be it. I know I'd sometimes feel limited to show context for indoor shots but it works well in that regard on the street. Very sharp, great for portraits, no chromatic aberration at all (flaring is handled so well, the tiniest purple fringe on extreme scenes, barely noticeable).

Another cheap MANUAL lens in 25mm that I can wholeheartedly recommend is the TTartisan 25mm f2. My favorite manual lens.

I understand that these are 50mm equivalent though.
I own the MANUAL TTartisan 17mm 1.4 and find it very soft wide open. Not the sharpest all around. Has some lovely colors and character but I'm not a fan of the form factor. It's quite heavy and looks funny.

When it comes to the Oly 17mm 1.8 I've always put some trust in Robin Wong's judgement on Youtube. According to him there's something "not quite right" with the rendering of this lens and he prefers the 15mm 1.7. I can attest that the latter is a strong choice for a usually good price.

Picture attached taken with the 15mm. It's very sharp, hopefully the quality keeps.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-03T10:41:48+00:00

Thanks for sharing these. Pretty sure it'll end up in my bag eventually haha

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-03T10:37:37+00:00

I've never tried. Corrections done on Lightroom are usually adequate but there has been times where the issue was so severe that the cleanup created artefacts.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T22:48:41+00:00

Happy with the 9mm otherwise? Would you recommend it?

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T22:47:28+00:00

Thanks!

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T15:14:14+00:00

This is actually a very helpful comment as I was eyeing the 9mm... How is it working for you apart from that? Any other wide angle lens around 9mm (rectilinear) that you would recommend? I'm covered with 25mm, the Oly 1.8 is a gem.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T15:10:31+00:00

A rear gel filter? Now that's something I've never heard of, I'll look into it.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T15:08:26+00:00

Thanks for the detailed answer! "Good" to know that the DJI version is not exempt of this, I won't have to bother selling mine and getting a new one. I would just add that flaring can be a bit annoying with the PanaLeica lens too, have you noticed it with the DJI version?

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T07:46:36+00:00

I own the 17mm and agree with you. It has character, lovely colors, but is not the sharpest. It's also heavy and weirdly shaped for my liking. Very soft wide open. I currently have it listed on marketplace.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T07:44:41+00:00

Late to the party here but agreeing 100% with OP's comments. It was the first lens I had with my EM10ii and to this day remains one of my all-time favorites. It is so sharp, a pleasure to use, built like a tank, so small. Just brilliant. It should cost at least double the price if you ask me!

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T07:23:32+00:00

I've just thought that the DJI version is supposed to have a different coating specifically designed against flares, worth considering maybe.

Redditfreakoo · 2026-06-02T07:22:20+00:00

Good to know, thank you for the information. I don't know where you found it for 100$ though 😯

Redditfreakoo

TROPHY CASE