10 Years Later, Olympus 17mm F1.8 Still Worth Getting?

Olympus 17mm f1.8 was launched in June 2012. Is it still worth getting?

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⏱Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:30 Specifications
02:58 Closest Focusing Distance
04:44 AF Speed
05:37 Usage
06:21 Image Quality
07:23 the Price
08:02 Watch Next!

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[ypebanbung-michael]

during pandemic I felt in love with manual focus. It calms me down than I felt in love with manual shooting, just ISO Auto. Now I'm considering just one lens, the 17mm 1.8 on my em5ii. I am just a hobby photographer.

[carmenfissenden]

Lovely to see you on the mend Peter . This was an interesting take on an old favourite and it may attract some who might be interested in getting this lens .

As a ten year old lens this does seem to have remained relevant for those using the smaller bodies.

Thanks Peter

[Daveesrc]

Glad you are getting back to normal this video has opened my eyes to a lens I have never considered.

[bmiller]

Great video Peter, and I am glad you are getting back on your feet!

Back when I shot in 35mm with an Olympus OM-2N, I got ahold of the Zuiko OM 24mm f2.8, as my wide angle lens in my kit. Ever since, I have always sought wide angles wider than the equivalent of 35mm. I got the terrific Zuiko 9-18mm when I was using 4/3, and now use it on my m4/3 E-M1 mk2 with an adapter. That lens covers the range of the 17mm, and more than a year ago, I invested in the Laowa 7.5mm f2.0, which I love, manual focus and all! I am happiest pushing the extremes, I guess.

[mawavoy]

Glad to see you recovering. Thanks for the update and highly informative video.

[walterxplinge]

Nice to see you back! Hope your recovery goes well. And a great way to make your return, looks like an excellent lens.

[jakedooom]

I flip into manual focus whenever auto focus is struggling, or when I need to focus “through” other objects. For example, when my subject is framed through twigs, or railings, or glass, or a grate of some kind. Or if the content in my composition frame has the kind of texture that confuses automatic focus. These are often an important part of the compositions I like to frame. I appreciate lenses and cameras that make it easy to switch in and out of manual focus.

[malcolmwright]

Good to see you back. I hope you're back up to full strength and fully recovered soon.

[rogerquenault]

Glad your feeling better, the 17mm F1.8 is a lens I’ve wanted for a long time and had the money to get it and then I watched your video on the OM 1 and the Bluetooth shutter release and you made me spend my money getting them, now I want the 17mm F1.8 again but will have to wait until the fund build back up.

[TikTok-blrm]

Good to see you back, Peter. Look after yourself. I have this lens (I'm not a pro) and loving it.

[corykphotography]

this and its opposite the 75mm f1.8 are at the top of my list along with the 12mm f2 and absolutely any Pro Zoom. As of recently my passionate hobby is starting to get people to notice and think about hiring me. I will forever continue my escape with my photographic journey but there are focal lengths i will soon need. this 17mm is one of almost necessity. Plus i want it for landscape, night scape, and group portrait.

[ceaabe]

This lens is my favourite MFT lens for daily use wandering around in my city. I also love manual focus to calm down and take some time for a photo.

[thomps]

Glad to see that you're on the mend!
I had a look at the metadata filters on my Lightroom library and this lens accounts for around 50% of my shots taken with the PEN-F. I find it a great lens for street photography including street portraits and environmental portraits.

[neilcousineau]

Hey I hope your feeling better soon. My travel kit is the EM10 mk ii the 17 and 25mm and 40-150 kit zoom. Zuiko small primes are fantastic.

[spanksen]

Love the 17mm1.8 in combination with smaller Olympus Camera. Get well soon Peter

[lorenschwiderski]

Your videos keep getting better as the years roll on. You are on a roll! In regard to manual focusing, I have not done so since retiring my Canon TLb from service, and buying a Pentax SF1. There are times when I should manual focus, but my current habit is to be all-in on auto-focus. Street shooting is also one in which I use auto-focusing. Using single area focusing for that. And have gone tighter than 17mm, using a Lumix 30mm as my new go-to lens. If a person wanted something between wide and narrow, the OM 20mm seems like something to consider, but I don't know if it warrants the $800 price tag, nor if it is really a top quality? I got the Lumix 30mm macro for $299. The Olympus 17mm seems over-priced. Take care, Loren

[irishrose]

Great review Peter! Great to see you back on your feet and out doing videos! Stay well!

[HARTBLANCH]

Thank you Peter for your video. I wish you a quick recovery.

[NormanBaatz]

Glad to see you back! Nice lens. It has some advantages (metal, MF, quiet, a bit faster) over my “main” m43 lens, my 10 (12?) year old Panasonic 20mm 1.7 pancake that I still appreciate 😊

[vincenzoavignone]

Hi Peter, congratulations for your videos, always interesting and full of reflections,
Both the 17mm f/1.8, the 25mm f/1.8 and the 45mm f/1.8, are three excellent pearls, still current today, perhaps uniformed to a single filter size, they will certainly need a good refresh, certain that even the 25mm and the 45mm with the manual focus clutch, metal and weather resistant, wow wow that would be fantastic.
Let's say that the new Brand OM System has started a good path with the new 20mm f/1.4, but the manual focus clutch is missing to be a perfect lens.