I use it for doing portraits with a full frame mirrorless cam. At f2 it's still very sharp and contrasty. Stunning quality glass.

A little bulky and heavy compared to other 50's I have but well balanced after all.

Holds highlights well.
Nice rendering of skin tones.
Pleasing bokeh.

It's a large lens (for the Zuiko line).
Too low in contrast at f/2.

I agree with reviewers who describe this lens has having very pleasing qualities. It renders skin tones nicely, holds highlights well, and has very pleasing bokeh. In fact, I prefer the "look" of pictures taken with this lens to my pre-asph Leica Summilux, a lens I have used for years and simply love. However, I don't think the Zuiko 50/2 is comparable to a lens like the 50mm Summicron (others here have compared compared it to the Cron) simply because the 50/2 macro is not very good at f/2--that's a major drawback for a lens that is being compared to the Summicron and a deal breaker for anyone who might need to use the lens wide open. In fact, I would describe the lens as unusable at f/2; it's just way too low contrast. At f/2.8 it's much improved. So in short, yes, the lens has characteristics that are highly recommendable, but I'm replacing it with a 50mm that I can confidently shoot with at f/2. If you don't need the f/2, you'll likely love this lens.

Similar Products Used:

Leica 50mm Summilux (pre-asph)
Zuiko 40mm f/2
Nikon 50mm f/2 AI
Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF

Perfect all-purpose normal lens. Great sharpness, speed, close-focus, angle of view.

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This is one of the great little-known "sleepers" among 35mm camera lenses. I honestly think it's a better lens in virtually every way than the vaunted Leica 50mm Summicron. Unlike most macros, it's fast enough, and the right focal length, to use as a normal lens. Ironically, its only shortcoming might be its macro performance--I don't think it quite matches some of the competition at true macro distances, although it's good. But used as a normal lens, it's hard to match, let alone beat, at any price. P.S. I'm Editor-in-Chief of _PHOTO Techniques_ magazine (www.phototechmag.com).

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I've been a professional camera reviewer for a dozen years so I've used hundreds of 35mm lenses.

Super sharp, excellent contrast and color performance

Just a little bit bulky in the OM4-T body

I agree with the reviewer Mr. Mike Johnston, this is the best normal lens I have ever used. It is clearly better than the last version of the 50 mm f2.0 Summicron-M, which I currently own. I have also compared its performance with some of my friends Cannons and Nikons normal lenses, and this Zuiko is the sharpest. Although I seldom use it for macro photography, its performance as such is also great.

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Similar Products Used:

50 mm f2.0 Summicron-M, 50 mm f3.5 macro Zuiko.