The closest focusing distance is 0.5m, the same as the Olympus 45mm f1.8, although more than double that of the 0.23m of the Voigtlander 42.5mm f0.95. Meanwhile the Olympus 75mm f1.8 focuses down to 0.84m, although of course is more than 50% longer in focal length. Interestingly this means the maximum magnification / reproduction on the Nocticron is roughly the same as both the Olympus 45mm and 75mm lenses, although the Voigtlander can get much closer than any of them, delivering greater magnification albeit with significant loss of quality due to spherical aberrations. Here in shot above I see the Olympus 45 f/1.2 winning again. The Bokeh is nicer, the contrast is perfect IMO and it’s the sharpest of the lot. Here you can see the 45 f/1.7 difference with the Bokeh. There’s a generously-sized manual focusing ring that feels smooth and nicely damped in operation. I’d say it feels similar to the Summilux 25mm f1.4 and slightly better than the Olympus 45mm f1.8, but on my own set of sample lenses, the Olympus 75mm f1.8 focusing ring felt smoothest of all. Used in isolation you’re unlikely to notice the difference, but it is interesting to compare them side by side. I should note the focusing ring on my sample sometimes felt a little scratchy when pulling focus for video – it was rarely an issue for stills, but I could feel it from time to time when constantly turning the ring from unusual angles. The Nocticron features optical stabilisation to iron-out any wobbles when mounted on bodies without sensor-shift stabilisation, and also boasts fast autofocusing; indeed it’s the brightest Micro Four Thirds lens with autofocus, and the only short and bright telephoto prime I can think of with optical stabilisation.

First and foremost is the optical quality, particularly at the fastest apertures. Not only is the PRO much sharper when both are set to f/1.8 but it also outperforms the cheaper lens at f/1.2 – not to mention that you can achieve better subject separation. If you prefer something a little wider, perhaps for street photography, I can also highly recommend a 17mm prime or thereabouts and again there’s lots of options, albeit at a higher price than the 25mm above; I’m going to suggest either the Panasonic Leica DG 15mm f1.7 or the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f1.8, both in a similar ballpark price-wise; I personally prefer the Leica, but love the more compact size of the Olympus when mounted on a smaller body. It’s also worth noting that the performance of the two lenses can decrease on Lumix cameras because Panasonic’s DFD AF technology is not compatible with Olympus lenses. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III + Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 (1/200 sec, f/1.8, ISO200) (Image credit: James Artaius) Optically the Nocticron employs 14 elements in 11 groups, compared to 11 in 8 on the Voigtlander, 10 in 9 on the Olympus 75mm f1.8 and 9 in 8 on the 45mm f1.8. This makes it the most complex optical design of the group, although it is also the only one with optical stabilisation. It also features some exotic elements including two aspherical, one ED and one UHR element; I’ll see if they have a positive impact in my optical results.

ADVERTISEMENT

Show me some of your work so I can appreciate why it takes a FF camera to shoot what can be shot with a camera phone." The obvious difference in price, size and design may already be enough to convince you one way or the other but we cannot help but ask ourselves: how big a difference is there between the latest optical wonder and the first portrait prime for the system released six years ago? Let’s find out! The lens focuses to 19.7 inches (0.5-meter), at which it captures subjects at 1:10 life-size. It's certainly not a macro lens, but you can still frame very tight headshots when shooting portraits. The Panasonic Nocticron doesn't offer an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to close focus —its minimum focus capability matches the Olympus. Image Quality

The minimum focus distance of the two lenses is identical (50cm) while the maximum magnification is just a little higher on the 1.8 lens (0.1x vs. 0.11x). Both lenses perform admirably in terms of sharpness but there is no question that the 45mm PRO has a clear edge over the 45mm, particularly at the fastest apertures. This comes as no surprise given that the 45mm 1.2 belongs to the M.Zuiko PRO category of lenses and is four times as expensive as the 45mm 1.8 at the time of writing. It's an absolutely fantastic portrait lens that's also adept at day-to-day photography if you know how to use it. So while this is mainly one for the headshot hunters, it's more versatile than it seems –and if you want to try your hand at portraiture, it's such low price and great value that you can't really go wrong. If you’re after a new lens to extend your reach, then there’s no shortage of telephoto zooms available. At the budget-end and designed to complement a kit zoom, I’d suggest either the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f4-5.6 or the Panasonic Lumix G 45-150mm f4-5.6 OIS. These are two of the most affordable lenses in the catalogue and ideal partners for a basic kit zoom on a budget body; if you have a Panasonic body without stabilisation, go for the Lumix G 45-150mm model which has optical stabilisation. If you’d like even longer reach without breaking the bank, I’d recommend the Panasonic Lumix G 100-300mm f4-5.6 II OIS that takes you to 600mm equivalent coverage at a relatively affordable price.

Summary

Beyond this, prices increase significantly as you enter the realm of professional zooms with higher quality, tougher build and brighter apertures. My favourite pair are the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f2.8 PRO (boasting a constant f2.8 aperture but without optical stabilisation), and the Panasonic Leica DG 50-200mm f2.8-4 (which sacrifices the constant aperture for a slightly longer range and a much smaller body for greater portability, and also includes optical stabilisation). Both lenses also make ideal pairings with the Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 and Panasonic Leica DG 12-60mm f2.8-4 respectively.

In terms of focusing sound, all three were very quiet, but there were audible differences: the 45mm f1.8 was the quietest (perhaps not surprising given the minimal weight of optics to shift), followed by the Nocticron, leaving the 75mm as the noisiest. Although again noisiest seems a bit unfair as all three are very quiet at focusing and the sound of any stabilisation in action – especially the in-body Olympus system – will drown them out. Olympus PEN E-PL7 + Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 (1/2500 sec, f/1.8, ISO200) (Image credit: James Artaius) Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8: PerformanceThe Leica Nocticron is a premium short telephoto lens for the Micro Four Thirds system with a 42.5mm focal length and bright f1.2 aperture. When mounted on a Panasonic or Olympus Micro Four Thirds body, it delivers equivalent coverage of 85mm, making it ideal for portrait work or capturing tighter views than a standard lens. The bright f1.2 focal ratio gathers twice as much light as f1.8, making it ideal in low light, while also delivering shallower depth of field effects, again perfect for portrait work. Wydawc Of course, the 45mm f/1.8 isn’t without its merits. Because it is so small and light, it is much easier to transport and can suit any Micro Four Thirds body in the range. It is also four times cheaper than the PRO lens, so unless you regularly shoot portraits and require the best quality Olympus has to offer, it (or its sibling within the Panasonic Lumix range) may prove a more tempting proposition. In terms of size and weight, the Nocticron, like the Voigtlander, feels most at home on Micro Four Thirds bodies with a decent grip. It’s a perfect fit on the Lumix GH3 and Olympus OMD EM1 (left), and feels relatively large but still usable on the Lumix GX7 or Olympus OMD EM5. Mount it on one of the smaller bodies though, like the Lumix GF or GM or Olympus PEN series and it looks massive, becoming quite unwieldy. For a laugh I fitted it onto the tiny Lumix GM1 where it felt like one of those vintage Sony cameras where you supported the lens and just tapped at the body to make adjustments. If you own one of the smaller bodies, the 45mm f1.8 will look and feel much more appropriate. Out of all the lenses on this list, the one I love most is the Olympus 40-150mm F2.8 Pro. While it is large for a micro four-thirds lens, it feels wonderful in hand, is glorious to use, and it produces wonderful-looking images.