In this guide, we’re going to be rounding up the best Micro Four Thirds lenses you can buy right now. Based on our extensive review experience, we’ve rounded up all the best lenses available for the Micro Four Thirds system. Lenses need four stars and above to make the cut – so this is a pretty exclusive club!

The Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system allows for the interchangeable use of Olympus, OM System and Panasonic lenses and cameras. An MFT lens will work just as well on the Panasonic Lumix GX9 as it will on the OM-Systems OM-1 or the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV.

As you can imagine, this gives you a lot of choice. It can be a little overwhelming to know where to start when you’re looking at lenses not just from Olympus and Panasonic, but also third-party manufacturers like Sigma, Samyang, Tamron and Laowa. The MFT system has been going since around 2008, so there’s a big catalogue available.

We’ve divided up this guide into sections. First we’ve got the lenses that received the full five stars in our reviews – these are the best of the best! Next, we’ve grouped the lenses that received 4.5 stars, then lenses that got a still-impressive four stars. Lastly, we’ve included a couple of lenses we reviewed but didn’t give a full star rating to. We’ve included lenses for a broad range of budgets, at all different focal lengths, so whatever you shoot, there should be something for you.

Here’s a little help choosing the right lens for your MFT camera.

How to choose the Best Micro Four Thirds lens:

Image Stabilisation – IS, Power OIS, Mega OIS – If you’re using a Micro Four Thirds camera without In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), then having optical image stabilisation in the lens is going to be of particular interest, it’s also worth looking out for it when looking at longer telephoto lenses. Panasonic lenses with optical image stabilisation come with “Power” or “Mega” OIS, whilst Olympus lenses with optical image stabilisation simply have “IS” in the name.

Manual Focus or Autofocus – The majority of Micro Four Thirds lenses are autofocus, but some, from companies like Laowa, and Samyang, are manual focus only. If manual focus isn’t for you, then make sure to check first.

Crop factor – The Micro Four Thirds system has a 2x crop factor, so that means that a 50mm lens used on a Micro Four Thirds camera, will actually give a 2x cropped view, giving the equivalent to a 100mm lens (in 35mm equivalent terms).

Weather-sealing – If you’re likely to be shooting street or landscape photography and don’t want to stop due to poor weather conditions, then look out for a lens that is weather-sealed, as this will help protect your lens, as well as your camera.

So without further delay, here are the Best Micro Four Thirds Lenses, starting with the best of the best:

5 Star rated lenses: (Gold award)

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4 PRO – £899 / $1099

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 8-25mm

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4 PRO lens gives you a great wide-angle range, from ultra-wide 16mm to 50mm equivalent. It offers superb optical quality, as well as impressive close-up performance. With it being a PRO model, you’ll find that it’s also got excellent build quality and handling.

Best for: All round use, including wide-angle

Pros

  • Great quality throughout zoom range
  • Snappy, silent autofocus
  • Generally excellent build quality

Cons

  • On the heavy side for MFT

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm f/4 PRO review


Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH Power OIS – £1149 / $1397

Best for portraits - Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 ASPH OIS

The Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH Power OIS lens gives you an impressive short telephoto portrait lens, with autofocus, optical image stabilisation, and impressive image quality, this is a high quality lens with a lot to love. However, it does come at a price, being roughly £1149 new, or around £730 used.

Best for: portraits and bokeh

Pros

  • Razor-thin depth of field
  • Fast focusing

Cons

  • Not the sharpest lens in the box

Read the Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 ASPH Power OIS review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO – £863 / $1299

Best Micro Four Thirds lenses - Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm F1.2 PRO Lens

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO lens gives a fast F1.2 aperture, a manual focus ring, and beautiful bokeh, but it comes at a price, at roughly £1000. For those that want the extra brightness, and low-light abilities, this lens is well worth looking at, but for many, the price will be a concern.

Best for: portraits and bokeh, with a 50mm equivalent view

Pros

  • Fast maximum aperture
  • Gorgeous bokeh
  • Weather sealing

Cons

  • Quite hefty
  • Pricier than alternatives

Read our Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 25mm F1.2 PRO review


Samyang 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS

Samyang 21mm 
f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS

This is a manual focus lens available for a range of APS-C and Micro Four Thirds lens mounts, it’s also been released as a CINE T1.5 version of the lens for use with video creation. The lens gives direct aperture control, and manual focus. You may struggle to find this lens, so keep an eye out for the CINE version, or have a look to see if it’s available used.

Best for: manual controls, and manual focus

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Images look good throughout aperture range

Cons

  • Spotty availability
  • Manual focus only

Read the Samyang 21mm f/1.4 ED AS UMC CS review


Samyang 50mm f/1.2 UMC CS – £373

Samyang 50mm F1.2 AS UMC CS

The Samyang 50mm f/1.2 UMC CS lens is a manual focus lens, that is available in a number of different lens mounts, including Micro Four Thirds. The lens offers a large f/1.2 aperture, making it one of the “brightest” lenses available in this list, but it’s also excellent value for money, being available for around £300. If manual focus isn’t for you, then have a look at the Leica 42.5mm f/1.2 lens above. You’ll find it’s also available as a CINE version, with T1.3 aperture, and gearing designed for video creation.

Best for: manual controls, with bright f1.2 aperture

Pros

  • Great sharpness at wide apertures
  • Very good value

Cons

  • No autofocus

Read the Samyang 50mm f/1.2 UMC CS review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4 PRO – £599 / $699

Olympus 12-45mm F4 Pro on E-M5 III

Olympus 12-45mm F4 Pro on E-M5 III

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4 PRO lens is designed to be a compact, but high-quality zoom lens, giving a useful 24-90mm equivalent. It weighs in at just 254g, making this very light, and at 7cm long, it’s also compact. It’s smaller than the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens, whilst also offering slightly more telephoto reach. As a PRO lens it is weather-sealed, making it suitable for shooting in poor weather conditions. Image quality is excellent, and the lens also offers excellent close-up performance.

Best for: all-in-one wide-zoom, with weather-sealing

Pros

  • Weather sealed build
  • Excellent for close-ups
  • Lightweight and portable

Cons

  • Susceptible to flare

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4 PRO review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro – £1199 / $1399

Olympus 12-100mm f4 PRO lens on OMD E-M1

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO lens offers an impressive zoom range, equivalent to 24-200mm, giving a versatile all-in-one zoom lens. It’s also been designed to give high image quality, and the lens doesn’t disappoint, scoring 5 stars in our review.

Best for: all-in-one super zoom

Pros

  • High quality throughout zoom range
  • Excellent stabilisation system

Cons

  • f/4 max aperture

Read our Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO review


4.5 star rated lenses:

OM-System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 PRO – £649 / $799

Best Micro Four Thirds lenses - OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 Pro review

OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 Pro review

The first lens from OM Digital Solutions, the OM-System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens lives up to the PRO name and like other Olympus M.Zuiko lenses, delivers great optical performance. Andy Westlake reviews the lens, and finds that it gives a great balance between size and weight, whilst offering a bright f/1.4 aperture. It’s also a more affordable option when compared to the f/1.2 lenses available.

Pros

  • Portable for an f/1,4 lens
  • Smooth, attractive out-of-focus blur
  • Quick, quiet autofocus

Cons

  • No focus clutch mechanism

Best for: high-image quality, and 40mm view

Read our OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 PRO Review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO – £1059 / $1399

7-14mm vs 12-40mm

The 7-14mm, right, is very similar in size and design to the 12-40mm f/2.8

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO is a lens that gives an ultra-wide angle zoom range of 14-28mm (in 35mm equivalent terms), and with a fixed f/2.8 aperture available the lens can give better low light performance than other ultra-wide-angle zooms available for Micro Four Thirds. If you’re in the market for an ultra-wide zoom, then this is definitely up there with the best.

Best for: ultra-wide zoom with f2.8 aperture, landscapes

Pros

  • Excellent handling
  • Compact build

Cons

  • Some corner softness at wide angles

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO review


OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO – £799 / $899

Best for portraits - Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2 ASPH OIS

OM System 40-150mm F4

Announced alongside the flagship OM-1 camera, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO is its second all-new optic under the OM System brand, after the M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm F1.4 PRO. It’s a compact, weather-sealed telephoto zoom than employs a space-saving retractable design and promises premium optics. With a zoom range equivalent to 80-300mm on full-frame, it’s designed for use with Olympus and OM System cameras but can also be used on Panasonic Lumix G-series MFT bodies.

Best for: Telephoto zoom, in a compact lens

Pros

  • IP53-rated weather-sealing
  • Excellent optical quality
  • Super-fast autofocus

Cons

  • Lacking some physical controls

Read the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4.0 PRO review


Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN – £379 / $475

Sigma 56mm F1.4 DC DN | C

The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN is part of a range of compact prime lenses designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. With a bright f/1.4 aperture, this lens is a great portrait lens giving a 112mm equivalent on Micro Four Thirds cameras. It’s also relatively compact, and would make a great choice for anyone needing to shoot in low-light conditions.

Best for: longer telephoto portraits with pleasing bokeh

Pros

  • Excellent value for money
  • Solid construction
  • Good physical size for MFT

Cons

  • No AF/MF switch

Read the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN review


Panasonic Leica DG Summulix 12mm f/1.4 ASPH. – £1049 / $1297

Panasonic Leica 12mm f1.4

The Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 ASPH lens is a premium lens with the Leica branding, and the wide-angle lens gives a 24mm equivalent. You’ll find an aperture ring on the lens, but you can also control the aperture with the camera. There’s also a solid build quality, thanks to a metal construction, and you’ll also benefit from weather-sealing. Perhaps more importantly, the lens also delivers excellent image quality, with plenty of fine detail, even when shooting wide-open.

Best for: shooting wide-open landscapes with high image quality

Pros

  • Great for low light
  • Splashproof construction

Cons

  • Quite expensive
  • Aperture ring won’t work with Olympus

Read the Leica DG Summilux 12mm f/1.4 ASPH review


Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH. – £149 / $247

Panasonic Lumix 25mm 1.7

The Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH lens is an entry-level, and very afforable bright prime lens, giving a 50mm equivalent you can think of this lens as the “Nifty Fifty” to get for your Micro Four Thirds camera. Being roughly half the price of an Olympus 25mm f/1.8 lens, this Panasonic lens is hard to beat.

Best for: great value, portraits, compact lens

Pros

  • Super-affordable
  • Useful standard focal length

Cons

  • Lots of credible alternatives

Read the Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 ASPH review


Laowa MFT 10mm F2.0 C&D Dreamer – £399

Laowa MFT 10mm F2.0

The diminutive Laowa 10mm f/2 is for Micro Four Thirds cameras, offering a 20mm equivalent wideangle view

Priced at £399, this manual focus Micro Four Thirds lens offers a 20mm equivalent angle of view, and is just 125g in weight. Being only 41mm long, it’s a tiny little lens that will suit those people looking for a compact, portable lens. This lens may be manual focus, but it has electronic contacts, and the aperture is controlled by the camera. The lens has been designed to give minimal distortion, and for those looking for a wide-angle lens, this is a great choice, scoring 4.5 stars in our review.

Best for: wide-angle shooting with manual focus

Pros

  • Small, super lightweight
  • Good sharpness at narrow apertures

Cons

  • Vignetting at f/2
  • No autofocus

Read our Laowa MFT 10mm F2.0 C&D Dreamer Review.


4 star rated lenses:

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN – £269 / $339

Sigma 30mm f/1.4

The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN is part of a range of bright f/1.4 lenses designed for APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras, along with the 56mm f/1.4, there’s also a 16mm f/1.4 lens available. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 gives a 60mm equivalent field of view, making it slightly longer than the “standard” 50mm lens. With an f/1.4 aperture, it’s also a good choice if you need to shoot in low-light conditions.

Best for: low-light and portraits

Pros

  • Edge-to-edge sharpness
  • Useful optical coatings
  • Performs great wide-open

Cons

  • Focus is quiet, not silent

Read the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN review


Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT – £529 / $549

Laowa 7.5mm

The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT is a manual focus lens with direct aperture control, with no electrical contact to the camera. The lens is available in silver or black, and gives an ultra-wide 15mm equivalent. Being made for Micro Four Thirds only, it’s extremely compact, and lightweight making it easy to take with you wherever you go.

Best for: ultra-wide view and manual focus

Pros

  • Excellent centre sharpness
  • Small, lightweight

Cons

  • No autofocus

Read the Laowa 7.5mm f/2 MFT review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO – £699 / $1002

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED Fisheye 8mm 1:1.8 PRO

The 8mm is long and slim for a fisheye lens

If you’re looking for a fisheye lens, then the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 PRO is a fisheye lens with autofocus (AF), and weather sealing. It’s got a fast maximum aperture, making it suitable for low-light use, and delivers impressive image quality.

Best for: fisheye, creative landscapes / architecture

Pros

  • Robust and splashproof
  • Fast, silent autofocus
  • Generally good optical quality

Cons

  • Expensive for a fisheye
  • On the bulky side

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f/1.8 Fisheye PRO review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS – £1299 / $1499

Olympus 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS

The lens comes with a deep bowl-shaped plastic hood

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS lens is a mid-range telephoto zoom that gives a 200-800mm equivalent, although with a relatively slow aperture, you do need bright sunny conditions to get the best out of the lens and camera. It’s also compatible with the Olympus MC-14 and MC-20 teleconverters if you want even more reach.

Best for: impressive telephoto reach

Pros

  • Excellent sharpness
  • Close focusing distance
  • Robust and weather-sealed

Cons

  • Somewhat bulky
  • f/5-6.3 is restricting

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS review


Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS – £349 / $497

The 12-60mm lens gives a useful zoom range from 24-120mm equivalent, with optical image stabilisation, and a more affordable price tag compared to some lenses. Focus is snappy, and image quality is respectable, making is a great upgrade option for those who have a 14-42mm kit lens.

Best for: all-in-one zoom with good value for money

Pros

  • Very portable
  • Silent autofocus and aperture mechanisms
  • 25cm close focusing distance

Cons

  • Image quality more good than great

Read the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Power OIS review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 – £799 / $899

Olympus 12-200mm review

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 all-in-one “super zoom” lens offers a somewhat incredible 24-400mm equivalent zoom range. The lens benefits from a weather-resistant construction, but due to the lack of optical image stabilisation, it’s not recommended for use on cameras that don’t feature in-body image stabilisation (IBIS), as it could be tricky to get sharp shots when using more of the telephoto zoom. It’s also not as sharp as other lenses, particularly at the telephoto end of the lens, however, this is often the case with super zoom lenses.

Best for: all-in-one super zoom with plenty of reach

Pros

  • Huge zoom range
  • Weather-resistant
  • Good close-focusing distance

Cons

  • Middling sharpness
  • Autofocus struggles in low light

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 review


Tamron 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 Di III – £390

Tamron 14-150mm Micro Four Thirds Zoom Lens

The Tamron 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 Di III offers an alternative to the Olympus 14-150mm f/4.0-5.6 II, and Panasonic 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 II super zoom lenses, with slightly more telephoto reach than the Panasonic, and being slightly brighter at the wide-angle end than the Olympus. The lens lacks optical image stabilisation, so it is best paired with a camera body that features in-body image stabilisation.

Best for: all-in-one super zoom

Pros

  • Cheaper than rivals
  • Great size for travel

Cons

  • No weatherproofing
  • No stabilistion

Read the Tamron 14-150mm f/3.5-5.8 Di III review


More Micro Four Thirds lens to consider:

Whilst we haven’t rated these lenses, we have given them a thorough test, and you can find out what we think of them, as well as view sample photos from these lenses to see if they’re what you’re looking for.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO – £6499 / $7499

Olympus 150-400mm f/4.5 1.25x TC PRO

With its teleconverter engaged, the lens provides 1000mm-equivalent reach

For the professional sports or wildlife photographer, this lens offers a 300-800mm equivalent range, which can be extended to 375-1000mm (at f/5.6) using the built-in 1.25x teleconverter! When used with the Olympus OM-D E-M1X it’s also said to be able to give up to 8 stops of image stabilisation! It’s also considerably lighter than full-frame equivalents. It’s also compatible with the Olympus MC-14 and MC-20 teleconverters if you want even more reach.

Best for: professional quality telephoto zoom with maximum reach

Pros

  • Useful built-in 1.2x converter
  • Versatile zoom range
  • Weather sealed

Cons

  • Very pricey
  • Bird AF slower than rivals

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO review


Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO – £1299 / $1499

Olympus MZUIKO Digital ED 40-150mm f2.8 pro

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO lens is the go-to lens for those who want high-quality images, and a bright f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range. It’s well matched to the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens, as the zoom range follows on from this, giving an 80-300mm equivalent zoom range. It’s also weather-sealed, and has an internal zoom mechanism so that the lens doesn’t change length when you zoom.

Best for: telephoto zoom with bright aperture, ideal for sports

Pros

  • Broad, useful zoom range
  • Smooth, satisfying handling
  • Good detail resolving

Cons

  • Built-in hood can interfere with zoom ring

Read the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO preview

More reading

If you’re looking for more zoom lens options, then have a look at our round-up of the Best Zoom Lenses for Micro Four Thirds, or have a look at our latest lens reviews.

Follow AP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.