Micro Four Thirds lenses: the full list

Following my other articles covering lenses for various brands and mounts, I’m now tackling a much broader subject: lenses for the Micro Four Thirds mount, also known as MFT, M4/3 or μ4/3. Introduced in August 2008, this mount is now mainly used by two brands: Panasonic, with its “G” range, and Olympus/OM System. Both use it for interchangeable-lens digital cameras, better known as mirrorless cameras. These cameras feature a 13 × 17.3mm sensor, around half the dimensions of a full-frame sensor (24 × 36mm).

This page brings together all the native lenses offered by Panasonic and Olympus/OM System, along with a large number of third-party options, including both autofocus and manual focus lenses.

The Panasonic G1 and Olympus E-P1 and E-P2 were among the first cameras to use the Micro Four Thirds mount. Since then, both brands have released several generations of cameras. Listing every older model would not be especially useful, so here are some of the most recent cameras from each brand:

I have only included relatively recent cameras above, mainly from 2018 onwards, so that you still have a reasonable chance of finding them for sale.

To learn more about these different models, take a look at my comprehensive guide covering the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Without a dedicated adapter, you cannot mount lenses made for other systems, such as Canon, Nikon or Sony, on a Micro Four Thirds camera. I also plan to spend some time researching the best lens adapters available, as this could make a useful article in its own right.

A quick reminder about focal length: in the tables below, you will see lenses described as wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, standard or telephoto. A 100mm lens always remains a 100mm lens, but the sensor size changes the field of view you see through the viewfinder. Because a Micro Four Thirds sensor has a 2x crop factor compared with a full-frame sensor, you need to take this into account when comparing angles of view. A 35mm lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera therefore provides the same field of view as a 70mm lens on a full-frame camera, which already places it in short-telephoto territory.

To go beyond this simple list of lenses for the Micro Four Thirds mount, you can also read our article on the best M4/3 lenses. We explain which lenses we consider the best suited to different types of photography, including portraits and landscapes, as well as different lens categories such as telephoto and macro, and explain the reasons behind our choices.

Below each table, I will also try to guide you and share my opinion on the best options from each brand. Feel free to let me know if you think I have missed any third-party lenses or brands that deserve to be included on this page.

You can sort all the tables below according to the characteristics you are interested in, such as focal length, maximum aperture or filter diameter.

As with the other native lens systems, I have divided the lenses by focal length category:

1. Wide-angle (WA) and ultra-wide-angle (UWA) lenses: focal lengths below 10mm (UWA) and from 10mm to 17mm (WA): Olympus / Panasonic
2. Standard focal lengths: from 17mm to 35mm: Olympus / Panasonic
3. Telephoto lenses: focal lengths above 35mm: Olympus / Panasonic
4. Macro lenses: designed for macro photography: Olympus / Panasonic

Olympus offers a broad range of entry-level, premium and professional lenses. Personally, I find the Olympus line-up easier to understand than Panasonic’s. Most Olympus lenses do not include optical stabilization, but they can often benefit from the image stabilization built into compatible camera bodies.

In 2021, the Olympus imaging business adopted the OM System name, and newer lenses are now sold under this branding. I have listed these lenses in a separate table.

If you need a wide field of view for landscapes, architecture or interior photography, a wide-angle lens should be high on your list. Olympus offers two wide-angle zooms, along with several prime lenses.

Standard lenses are ideal for photographing everyday life. Several highly versatile options are available, which can be particularly useful when travelling if you do not want to carry multiple lenses. Between us, if your priority is to travel as light as possible, it may also be worth looking at premium compact cameras, which can offer excellent image quality in a much smaller and lighter package.

If you need a long focal length for wildlife photography or capturing distant details, Olympus offers a very interesting range of lenses, from entry-level models to professional options. Remember to take the 2x crop factor into account: a 200mm lens on a Micro Four Thirds camera provides the same field of view as a 400mm lens on a full-frame camera, which is already long enough for many types of wildlife and bird photography.

If you are looking for a telephoto lens for your Micro Four Thirds camera, we have published a comprehensive review of the Olympus M.Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 ED. It is a distinctive and highly appealing lens for outdoor portrait photography on this format.

If you want a macro lens from one of the native brands, the choice is fairly limited. Olympus offers only two prime macro lenses, just like Panasonic. For a broader selection, you will need to consider third-party brands. Options include the Laowa 50mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro, Samyang 100mm f/2.8 ED UMC Macro and, for tighter budgets, the 7Artisans 60mm f/2.8 Macro 1x. I will discuss these options in more detail later on.

We have since published an article on the best Micro Four Thirds macro lenses, particularly those from Olympus, OM System and Panasonic.

Let’s now move on to Panasonic’s lens range. As a reminder, Panasonic uses the acronym O.I.S. to indicate that a lens includes optical image stabilization.

Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds wide-angle range includes a variety of options, covering focal lengths from 7mm to 25mm in its zoom lenses. Zooms such as the 7-14mm f/4 and 8-18mm f/2.8-4 are appealing for their versatility, while fast primes such as the 9mm f/1.7 and 12mm f/1.4 offer wider apertures. Premium models such as the 10-25mm f/1.7 provide excellent optical quality, although they are heavier and more expensive. More affordable options such as the 14mm f/2.5 are compact, lightweight and budget-friendly.

To learn more, read our review of the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH, an excellent lens for street photography!

Panasonic offers a very extensive selection of standard Micro Four Thirds lenses, ranging from the compact and affordable 12-60mm to premium zooms such as the 12-35mm f/2.8 and 12-60mm f/2.8-4, which combine versatility with strong optical performance. For even greater flexibility, the 14-140mm is an appealing travel lens capable of covering a wide range of situations. Prime options such as the 15mm f/1.7, 20mm f/1.7 and 25mm f/1.4 are compact and fast, making them ideal for low-light photography and producing attractive background blur, particularly for portraits.

Panasonic offers a wide selection of Micro Four Thirds telephoto lenses to suit different needs and budgets. These include compact, inexpensive models such as the 35-100mm f/4-5.6, which is ideal for beginners, as well as brighter and more premium options such as the 35-100mm f/2.8 with its constant aperture. For greater flexibility, the 45-150mm, 45-175mm and 45-200mm provide a good balance between reach, size and price. The 50-200mm f/2.8-4 offers excellent optical quality and a relatively wide aperture, making it well suited to portraits and action photography.

For wildlife and sports photography, lenses such as the 100-300mm f/4-5.6 and 100-400mm f/4-6.3 make it possible to photograph distant subjects while remaining relatively light, at under one kilogram. At the top of the range, the 200mm f/2.8 combines a very wide aperture with exceptional image quality, making it ideal for low-light situations and strong background separation, although it comes at a predictably high price.

We recently published a full review of the Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 ASPH Power OIS, an excellent and affordable portrait lens.

Panasonic offers only two native Micro Four Thirds macro lenses: the compact and affordable 30mm f/2.8, which is ideal for beginners, and the more premium 45mm f/2.8, which provides a longer working distance and optical image stabilization.

Following the sale of Olympus’s imaging division to OM Digital Solutions Corporation in 2020, new lenses are now released under the OM System name. The name combines references to Olympus and Maitani, the influential Olympus camera designer who played an important role in the brand’s history.

The table below lists the new lenses released under the OM System brand.

OM System offers a small but varied selection of Micro Four Thirds wide-angle lenses, ranging from the compact and affordable 9mm f/8 to more advanced models such as the versatile 8-25mm f/4 PRO. Photographers interested in creative effects may appreciate the bright 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO with its extremely wide field of view, while the lightweight 9-18mm f/4-5.6 is a practical and relatively affordable option for travel.

OM System’s range of standard zooms and prime lenses is becoming increasingly appealing. The 12-40mm f/2.8 and 12-45mm f/4 PRO provide a good balance between versatility and optical quality, while the 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO offers an extremely useful zoom range equivalent to 24-200mm on full frame, along with built-in stabilization. For photographers looking for a fast prime, the 20mm f/1.4 and 25mm f/1.2 PRO can produce attractive background blur and are well suited to portraits, with the 25mm providing the field of view of a classic 50mm full-frame lens.

OM System offers a broad range of Micro Four Thirds telephoto lenses, including versatile zooms and fast prime lenses. The 40-150mm f/4-5.6 R is a lightweight and affordable option, while the f/4 PRO and f/2.8 PRO versions provide better image quality and more robust construction at a higher price. For greater reach, the 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 and 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS are well suited to wildlife and sports photography without becoming excessively expensive.

Among the prime lenses, the 45mm f/1.2 PRO and 75mm f/1.8 are excellent portrait options, thanks to their wide apertures and attractive background blur. For demanding wildlife photographers, the 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25 IS PRO and 150-600mm f/5-6.3 IS provide extremely long reach, making it possible to capture fine details from great distances.

The current selection remains very limited, although more lenses may be added in the future.

Below is a list of the main third-party brands offering lenses for the Micro Four Thirds mount. As far as I know, only a few brands currently offer autofocus lenses, including Tamron, Sigma and Yongnuo. Most of the other lenses use manual focus.

Unless I am mistaken, Tamron offers only one highly versatile standard zoom for the Micro Four Thirds mount. It can be used for portraits, landscapes, detail shots and many other situations, thanks to its very broad focal range. Equivalent to a 28-300mm lens on full frame, it has earned a fairly good reputation in this category. Naturally, low-light performance becomes more limited because of the variable aperture, particularly at the long end of the zoom range.

Sigma offers several highly appealing lenses that compete well with Olympus and Panasonic models, often at lower prices. Sigma uses the “DC DN” designation for lenses developed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Three of the brand’s best-known fast primes are the 16mm, 30mm and 56mm f/1.4 lenses.

Tokina produced two long-focal-length lenses for this mount, although they are now quite difficult to find. My honest opinion? There are better options available elsewhere.

Laowa offers a highly interesting range of specialised and extremely fast Micro Four Thirds lenses. Wide-angle enthusiasts may appreciate the 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye and the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D, which provide dramatic perspectives, with the latter designed to keep distortion to a minimum. For photographers interested in bokeh and shallow depth of field, particularly for portraits, the 18mm f/0.95 Argus and 25mm f/0.95 Argus APO offer exceptionally wide apertures. The 50mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro also provides 2:1 magnification for capturing extremely fine details.

The Mitakon Zhongyi range includes manual focus lenses covering focal lengths from 17mm to 85mm, with maximum apertures ranging from f/0.95 to f/2.8. Many of these lenses are exceptionally fast, making them well suited to low-light photography and producing strong background blur. The range also includes macro options.

Samyang’s manual focus lenses for Micro Four Thirds cover focal lengths from 7.5mm to 300mm. Whether you need a fisheye, wide-angle lens or telephoto option, there are models available for different styles and budgets. Although many are no longer recent releases, they are often appreciated for their robust construction and good value for money.

Voigtländer lenses for Micro Four Thirds are known for their excellent build quality and exceptionally wide apertures, ranging from f/0.8 to f/0.95, which is quite remarkable. With focal lengths from 10.5mm to 60mm, these lenses are ideal for low-light, night and portrait photography, as well as creating strong background blur. Their all-metal construction and elegant design also make them popular with photographers who value both performance and appearance.

The Chinese brand 7Artisans offers a broad range of affordable Micro Four Thirds lenses, covering focal lengths from 4mm to 60mm. They are well suited to photographers who want to experiment with different focal lengths without spending too much. Although optical quality can be inconsistent, these lenses provide an inexpensive way to explore everything from fisheye photography to macro work, while their wide apertures open up plenty of creative possibilities.

Meike offers a wide range of very affordable Micro Four Thirds lenses, making the brand appealing to photographers who want to try specific focal lengths without spending too much. Although optical quality is often considered average, these lenses provide an inexpensive way to experiment with different focal lengths and styles, from fisheye to wide-angle photography.