The first lens I recommend for Olympus OMD | Family Photo Life

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This video is all about a lens every parent should own and use as an every day carry for making images of their family… an Olympus/Micro Four Thirds 25mm prime. The tutorial covers the differences between how images look made with a fast prime lens and the typical zoom lens everyone gets when they buy a camera. I also break down some images I’ve made with a 25mm and why I love this focal length for making images of my family.

Family Photo Life is a new series for my channel dedicated to parents all about how to make better images of our adventures as families. It will serve as a photography 101 course as well but bent around assignments and images that parents want to make. I hope you’ll join us and become part of a new community where we can help one another! Please tell friends or family that might also want to learn along with us.

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My family camera:

First and maybe only two lenses to buy:

If you still only have babies/toddlers this is the one to get:

If your kids are a little or a lot older and you have lots of events/sports to get images here’s the ticket:

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14 Comments
  1. Terry Breedlove says

    When I bought most original EM5 back in 2013. I bought it with the 17mm 1.8 and 45mm 1.8. The 17mm fast became my favorite lens of all time. I have added the 75mm the 75-300 and the 25mm 1.8. I much prefer the 17mm focal length over the 25mm. On my Pen F the w5mm is a perfect fast nifty 50 equivalent lens which I use for portraits.

  2. Bob Klarquist says

    I bought a used version 1 of the Panasonic 20mm/1.7. It's a pancake so my system is super compact and lightweight. I just love it.

  3. Edwin Jansen says

    Nice vid Joeseph, ty 🤝

  4. ceridan gauv says

    I recommend the 25mm mitakon f.95, if you don't mind shooting manual. My favorite lens!

  5. Steve Kunder says

    Awesome, I am brand new to the Olympus system, so this is very informative.

  6. 123florus says

    Just bought this lens about a week ago as my second mft lens and i really enjoy it…(even though im not a parent :D) the only thing i noticed is that sometimes it tends to hunt for focus quite a bit. Don't really know why since all the tests i read about the lens were saying that it has extremely quick AF.

  7. William Pegram says

    Great video as always. Loved the summary of usages for that focal length & f1.8. Mr Ellis you achieve two things at the same time, you make me want to get out shooting & get back in to check out your new videos! Loved it loved it:) I always learn something watching you. Cheers from sunny Spain.

  8. Libor K says

    Joseph, what a great video.  I agree with you about the 25 mm or in 35mm format 50mm lens. It has been overlooked over the years, but you made an excellent points about the benefits of the low aperture numbers such as 1.2 or 1.8 …. In my time when I started with photography there was only  50mm standard lens on 35mm SLR cameras.Thank you

  9. Timothy Gordon says

    Fantastic video! Don’t forget these m43 primes are designed to be shot wide open – this lens is very sharp with the aperture all the way open at f1.8

    I really appreciate the break down on using a 25mm fast prime as your go to lens, it’s mine and I too use it on silent shutter for street photography. If I’m packing light, I bring my Em1 mii and my 25mm prime.

  10. Gary Pentecost says

    Great video really enjoyed your examples 👍

  11. Roger Quenault says

    A fantastic video as usual very well explained, I’m lucky enough to have 2 oly Omd’ s and the 25 1.8 lives on the em5 I’ve never counted but it must take 60-70% of my images

  12. Steven Kamradt says

    The 25mm also works as a wonderful lens for portraits using the brenizer method, which comes very close to simulating the look of medium format. I wonder how the Panasonic 1.7 compares with the Olympus 1.8? My walk around lens is generally the 14-150 f4-5.6 II, but I also carry the 25 since it is so small and versatile for indoor pictures. if it was weather sealed it might stay on my camera more often.

  13. Helon Florindo says

    Great video and beautiful family. I'm using the OMD EM-1 and the 17mm, 45mm 1.8, and 40 150mm 2.8. My walkaround lens in the 17mm not the 25mm. I prefer this focal range because it's more about what is around and I can do some environment portraits. Both 1.8 and 1.2 pro are great lens too. 100% agree with you that 17/25 + 40 150 are the best choice, but if the user have an OMD M10 or M5 (smaller cameras), maybe the 17/25 + the 75mm will be a nice set also. Cheers! Thanks for the great info!

  14. Bart Vandersnickt says

    Indeed a great lens! I bought the Pana 1.7 tho, a lot cheaper for a starting photographer!

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