Olympus Zuiko ED 50mm f/2.0 Macro

Superb image quality even wide open - sharp, distortion-free with no lateral CA ; Compact and lightweight compared to similar lenses for larger formats ; Fast maximum aperture for a macro lens

Unrefined autofocus motor and no focus range limiter switch ; Susceptible to flare with bright light sources in the frame ; Bokeh chromatic aberration at wider apertures ; No macro ratio scale

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm F2.0 Macro is a lens which we've held in high regard ever since we started using it for our reviews of Four Thirds camera bodies, and subjecting it to our full optical test suite shows precisely why. Certainly in terms of...

Dust and splash-resistant ; Manual focusing is easy ; Keeps chromatic aberrations to a minimum ; Depth of field is great

No reproduction ratio display ; Only 0.52x magnification ; Distance window is obscured ; Focusing is a little slow ; Loses sharpness at wide apertures

One of a handful of macro lens options for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) users, the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro provides an effective focal length of 100mm when used with Four Thirds cameras, but with an actual focal length of 50mm it's much...

harp optics at wider apertures

Long-winded focus options

The optics are sharp enough at wider apertures but there's precious little else that appeals for the money

slow and noisy autofocus.

Writing test summaries for such instruments is a sheer pleasure. The ZD 2.0/50 is really optically excellent. One serious reservation concerns the autofocus work. If Olympus in its newest devices maintains the 2.0/50 ED model’s quality of optics and...

Sharp optics at wider apertures

Long-winded focus options

The optics are sharp enough at wider apertures but there's precious little else that appeals for the money

Does exactly what it advertises. Not an all day, every use lens but it works for what it was designed for.

max aperture f2 ; dust/splashproof ; excellent image quality ; compact/light ; versatile

focusing

Sharp. Stupid sharp. So sharp, it makes sharp lenses look like cracker jack toys ; F/2 ; Weather sealed. You can shoot with this in the rain, no problem. Just make sure your body is weather sealed too ; Solidly built, not plastic or cheap feeling ;...

Can fail to focus/rack through focus limits in low light ; Loud autofocus compared to other Zuiko lenses I have used ; insufficient magnification and working distance for "bug hunters," although I think that problem is mostly in my head - I can't...