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OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO Hands-on Review

How does the first OM System lens fare in the field?

by Jeremy Gray | Posted 11/04/2021

Last week, OM Digital Solutions announced its new OM System brand, replacing the Olympus name and branding on its products. The first OM System lens has now been announced, and it continues the M.Zuiko tradition, albeit with a new name on the lens barrel and lens cap.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/2000s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is immediately familiar to longtime Olympus fans. The Micro Four Thirds lens promises excellent resolution and soft, feathered bokeh. As a PRO lens, it also includes OM Digital Solutions' most sophisticated optical design technologies. But how does it fare in the field? We went hands-on with the new lens ahead of today's announcement, so let's see how the very first OM System lens performs.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/8, 0.8s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO key features and specs

• Micro Four Thirds lens
• First M.Zuiko lens to be branded with the new OM System name
• f/1.4 maximum aperture
• 20mm fixed focal length (40mm equivalent)
• 57-degree angle of view
• 11 elements in 10 groups, includes 1 Super ED, 3 ED, 2 Super HR and 2 aspherical lenses
• IPX1 weatherproofing (when used with Olympus splashproof camera body)
• Minimum focus distance is 0.25m
• Maximum magnification is 0.22x (in 35mm equivalent terms)
• 9-bladed circular aperture diaphragm
• 58mm filter size
• L x D: 61.7mm (2.43") x 63.4mm (2.5")
• Weighs 247g (8.7 oz.) without lens hood
• $799 USD ($999 CAD)

Lens design and handling: Compact, lightweight and weather sealed

As mentioned earlier, there may be a new name on the lens, but it feels immediately familiar. It retains the same trademark styling as earlier Olympus M.Zuiko PRO lenses. It is quite compact and lightweight, but it also feels very robust. The quality of the materials is outstanding.

The OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is the first to have the new OM System branding.

The lens weighs only 247 grams (8.7 oz.) without its lens hood. Although, the lightweight lens hood adds a negligible amount of weight. The 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is 61.7mm (2.43") long and has a maximum diameter of 63.4mm (2.5"). The diameter is very consistent throughout the length of the barrel. The lens has a 58mm filter thread, which is slightly smaller than most other PRO lenses in the M.Zuiko lineup, including the f/1.2 PRO prime lenses.

Coming as no surprise to seasoned Olympus shooters, the OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is weather-sealed. When paired with a splashproof Olympus body (future cameras will be OM System bodies, of course), the combo has an IPX1 rating. Having used different Olympus PRO lenses in the past, I have no doubts that the OM System 20mm f/1.4 will stand up well to harsh elements.

The OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is compact, lightweight and splashproof.

The lens has a wide focus ring, although there's no physical focus scale like there is on some Olympus lenses. The focus ring itself feels good in use and offers satisfying resistance. It also has a ridged surface, which provides ample grip.

The majority of the lens barrel is occupied by a ridged focus ring.

Overall, the OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens feels like the classic Olympus lens many photographers have come to love. It is compact and lightweight, yet also rugged and thoughtfully designed.

Image quality

The M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens has 11 elements across 10 groups. Eight of these 11 elements are specialized glass optics, including 1 Super ED, 3 ED, 2 Super HR, and 2 aspherical lens elements.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Sharpness

All the crops seen below are 100 percent crops from raw image files converted in Adobe Camera Raw using default settings and built-in lens correction profiles enabled. I have selected specific images to show, but you can download the full-size raw files for each test scene and aperture in the Gallery.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/4000s, ISO 200. Sharpness test scene - Full. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/1.4, center sharpness is pretty good. There's a decent amount of detail visible at f/1.4, and the lens captures good contrast and color. When looking at the corner, the level of detail is pretty good. It's noticeably softer than the center, of course, but the corner performance is still impressive. However, at f/1.4, vignette is quite noticeable. In landscape situations, the darkness in the corner, while easily corrected, can be a slight problem. In other situations, like scenarios where f/1.4 makes more sense, such as portraits, the vignette can add to the overall look of the image. It's subjective. But in any event, the lens produces vignette at f/1.4, and it can be corrected easily during post-processing.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/4000s, ISO 200. 100% center crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/4000s, ISO 200. 100% top right corner crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The vignette is essentially gone at f/1.8. There's a bit more punch to the image at f/1.8 as well, with improved detail in the center of the frame. Corner performance might be slightly improved, although it's difficult to tell.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.8, 1/2500s, ISO 200. 100% center crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.8, 1/2500s, ISO 200. 100% top right corner crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

At f/2.8, the lens delivers even better resolving performance. The M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO gets sharper as you stop down until around f/4-f/5.6, and then diffraction becomes slightly noticeable at f/8, although it's imperceptible unless you are pixel peeping. However, at f/11, the overall softness in the frame is noticeable without zooming in.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200. 100% center crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/250s, ISO 200. 100% center crop. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Overall, the OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens produces images with good sharpness across the frame, even when shooting wide open. There's vignette at f/1.4, but it's not a big deal. You can comfortably shoot the lens at f/1.4 and expect good sharpness in the in-focus areas of the frame, even if they're near the edge. Sharpness improves slightly as you stop down, although it is essentially unchanged from f/2.8 to f/5.6. The image is slightly softer at f/8, although usable for landscape situations where you need a slower shutter speed or more depth of field. At f/11, diffraction is noticeable. Avoid f/16 altogether.

Aberrations

The lens produces slight longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA). Consider the shot below, captured at f/1.4. We see a slight magenta outline around the white chess pieces in the foreground and slight green aberrations around the black pieces in the background. It's barely noticeable when viewing the image at full size, but it can be seen up close. That said, aberrations are nonetheless well controlled, especially for a fast lens.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/400s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/400s, ISO 200. 100% crop. Notice the slight magenta aberrations around the white pieces and the slight false green color around the black pieces. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

There are other test shots in our Gallery in which you can see a bit of LoCA, especially the ones shot at fast apertures. As you stop the lens down, LoCA is less noticeable.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/2000s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens does a good job controlling purple fringing. I didn't notice any during my time with the lens. Concerning lens flare, the lens does a good job of controlling flare and ghosting. OM Digital Solutions used ZERO coating on its new lens, which also helps reduce lens flare and ghosting and ensures good contrast in strong lighting conditions. The lens hood does its job, although I also shot some without the hood, and the lens did well then.

Bokeh

OM Digital Solutions has used the know-how gained during the development of the M.Zuiko PRO f/1.2 lenses to ensure feathered bokeh transitions in the new, slightly slower, M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO. The work the engineers at OM Digital Solutions have done has paid off.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/320s, ISO 200. Bokeh test scene at f/1.4. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens delivers strong bokeh performance. Bokeh balls are nice and circular, and they're also clean. There's no ugly onion-ring bokeh effect or dirty bokeh. Bokeh gets slightly less circular as you move toward the extreme edge of the frame, but I don't find it distracting or problematic.

Bokeh stays almost entirely circular even as you stop down, too. While bokeh gets less soft, of course, out of focus highlights maintain smooth edges.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 200. Bokeh test scene at f/2.8. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

 

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/2.8, 1/20s, ISO 200. Bokeh test scene at f/5.6. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

In the field: Autofocus and overall usability

The OM System 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens promises high-speed, high-precision autofocus performance. When tested on the Olympus E-M1 Mark III, the lens focused quickly and accurately. I had no issues with autofocus performance in any of the lighting conditions in which I tested the lens.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/8, 2.5s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens delivers pretty good close-focus autofocus as well. The lens can focus down to 0.25m (0.82'), which results in maximum magnification of 0.11x. However, in 35mm-equivalent terms, the maximum magnification is 0.22x, thanks to the 2x crop factor. It's not a macro lens, but it works well close up, nonetheless.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/8, 0.8s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The compact size of the OM M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens lends itself to a good user experience. Paired with a relatively compact camera, like the E-M1 III, it's a very lightweight combination. A lightweight weather-sealed combination, at that.

With strong sharpness and pleasing bokeh performance, the 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens is well-suited to a wide variety of photography. You can use it for landscapes, as I did quite a bit during my time with the lens, or use it as a standard portrait lens.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/2.8, 1/60s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

40mm isn't quite what's considered a 'normal' length, although 40mm and 50mm are quite close. I like the angle of view afforded by the 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens, though, because 40mm is more useful for many landscape situations than 50mm, but the 57-degree angle of view still delivers a natural-looking perspective.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/320s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens is also well-suited to close-up photography, even though it's not quite in macro territory. The close-focus performance is good, adding to the prime's overall versatility.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/1250s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

Autofocus performance is good, too, and when paired with the excellent IBIS system in Olympus cameras, it's easy to get sharp photos with the M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens, even in challenging situations.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/60s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO Hands-on Review Summary

A strong start for the first OM System-branded lens

What I like:

• Great build quality
• Compact and lightweight
• Weatherproof
• Good sharpness
• Very nice bokeh

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/11, 0.6s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

What I dislike:

• I'd have liked a physical focus scale
• Some vignette at f/1.4
• Minor LoCA in certain situations

The first lens from OM Digital Solutions to include the new OM System branding is a great one. The 'new' system is off to a great start while paying homage to the Olympus history that precedes it. For Olympus camera owners, it's the same great quality you've come to expect from M.Zuiko PRO lenses, just with a different name.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/8, 0.8s, ISO 200. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.

The lens delivers strong optical performance in a robust, compact and lightweight design. Even at f/1.4, the lens is sharp. It delivers pleasing, feathered bokeh and maintains mostly good control over aberrations, even in challenging lighting conditions. It's a versatile lens and should make for a worthwhile addition to many photographers' kits.

Olympus E-M1 Mark III with OM System M.Zuiko 20mm f/1.4 PRO lens (40mm equiv.), f/1.4, 1/320s, ISO 200. This image has been converted and processed to taste in Adobe Camera Raw. Click for the full-size image. Click here for the RAW file.