In this review, we will be comparing Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro and Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake, two Wideangle Prime lenses by Olympus. Both lenses have the same focal range of 17mm but different max apertures: Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro has a max aperture of F1.2 while the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake has a max aperture of F2.8.
We will start with briefly looking and the main specs of these two lenses and in the section, we will start analyzing in more detail and list the pros and cons of each lenses.
What type of photography are the Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro and Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake lenses good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro and the Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
| Photography Type |
Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro |
Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake |
| Bird/Wildlife | Poor | Poor |
| Sports | Poor | Poor |
| Portrait | Average | Average |
| Travel | Average | Average |
| Street | Excellent | Excellent |
| Wedding | Average | Average |
| Walk Around | Average | Average |
| Vlogging | Good | Good |
| Landscape | Very Good | Very Good |
| Macro | Poor | Poor |
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro is the longer of the two lenses at 87mm. The Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake with a length of 22mm is 65mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro also has a larger diameter of 68mm compared to Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake's 57mm diameter.
Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake weighs 71g, 81% (319g) lighter than the Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro's weight of 390g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Wideangle Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for size comparison purposes.
Wideangle Prime Lenses in Micro Four Thirds Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Olympus 17mm F1.2 Pro and Olympus M 17mm f2.8 Pancake has the same Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Micro Four Thirds lenses are OM System OM-5, Panasonic GH6 and OM System OM-1.
Focal Range