Do you enjoy switching from autofocus to manual focus for greater creative control? The 17mm f1.8 makes it easy with a two-position snap focus ring. With the ring in the autofocus position, you can either use AF or switch to manual focus using the camera controls. But when you want to shoot old-school, just move the snap ring to engage the Manual Focus Clutch for the satisfying feel of a classic mechanical lens as you focus in on your subject. A distance/depth-of-field scale on the lens barrel makes it easy to calculate the correct focus position; it’s great for zone focusing when you want to be stealthy while shooting street scenes.

Whether your preferred subjects are friends and family, panoramic landscapes, unique architecture or all of these and more, the 17mm wide-angle is the perfect addition to your kit. It’s also a lens you can grow with; use the manual focus options to become a more complete photographer and capture the beautiful images you see in your mind’s eye for posterity.
 

One of this lens’s most interesting features is the unique-to-Olympus Movie & Still Compatible mechanism, or MSC. This technology provides amazingly fast – and nearly silent – autofocus operation. You’ll really notice the benefit when you play back your HD video and the only thing you hear is the ambient background noise in the scene you were filming; what you won’t hear is the sound of the lens moving as it changes focus. This lens is perfect for tracking action. With MSC and the super-bright f1.8 aperture, you can film a school play or indoor sporting event in low light and still get excellent results.