I am newer to the micro four thirds system and purchased this 25mm f/1.8 ii as my first lens. For years, I have primarily used a 50mm full frame equivalent field of view, regardless of the camera system. Such a versatile focal length! This lens provides excellent sharpness and clarity starting wide open. Great bokeh and out of focus areas, very pleasing, especially when focused on a close subject. This lens will almost always be on my OM-5 Mark ii for family and travel photography.

Om System has made a great lens even better. Weatherproof and more solidly built. Sharp and smooth to focus just right to keep on my walk around camera nearly all day.

This lens is a great addition to my set and meets all my expectations of shooting sharp and rich images.

Loved my excellent "old" E-series' Macro 35mm f3.5, but the 25mm f1.8 is lighter, needs no adapter, of course, and it is, as sharp as anything I have used under $800! Comes with a hood (ahem, why don't some other M 4/3s lenses?), feels smooth and solid: it has a strong metal base. Remember 2 things: no macro, and f1.8 gives shallow DOF. "Reconditioned"? I have had 5 bodies and 4 lenses that Oly said were not new and never 1 proble. Hint! How good is the 25 recon? I just shot 200 RAW pix at a brunch in a huge home with wildly diverse EVs: no problem with my E-PL5. This lens shows the 50mm perspective of 35mm film cameras, but few "normals were as sharp, distortion-free, and soooo light. I carry this on my E-PL5, the kit zooms packed, and the beloved 35 on a spare E-PM2 body. Be sure to hold the feathery PENs straight and level -- then be amazed at lightning-fast stills-shooting. A darned near perfect prime for PENs and OMD's. Oh, the price? It's the best investment in sharp since the longbow.