Looking for the best lenses for the OM System OM-5 Mark II? There's a huge range to choose from and, while the camera can accept any Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens, some are better suited than others.
The OM System OM-5 Mark II is a relatively modest update of the original OM-5, but it’s an improved camera being sold at the same price as the old one – and that’s rare today. Also rare is this camera’s combination of light weight, weather-sealing, perhaps the best in-body stabilization there is and some clever computational photography features that could make bulky outdoor photography filter systems unnecessary.
It's a great camera and one of the best OM System cameras to buy, but what are the best lenses for the OM System OM-5 Mark II? There are three things I wanted to keep in mind. First, this is an affordable camera that a lot of people will choose for that reason – so I’ve stuck to relatively affordable lenses. You might not think it but, in many ways the OM-5 Mark II is one of the best cameras for beginners – and certainly one of the best cameras for travel.
So none of the lenses on my list costs more than the camera itself – and many are good deal cheaper. Even so, several of these are weather-sealed Pro lenses, and it’s one of the advantages of the OM ecosystem that these are still relatively inexpensive.
Second, this is a compact camera, so you’ll probably want to steer away from big lenses. I’ve made an exception for a couple of zooms that are just too good and too useful to rule out, but mostly I’ve stuck to lenses of a size that match this camera’s compact body.
Third, the OM-5 is weather-sealed, which is unusual at this price, so I’ve concentrated on sealed lenses to go with it. Essentially, any OM System Pro lens is weather-sealed – but its non-Pro 17mm and 25mm version II primes are weather-sealed too.
So now that you know where we’re coming from, let’s get on with the list!
Best lenses for the OM System OM-5 Mark II
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This is the standard ‘kit’ lens sold with the OM-5 Mark II, but it’s a long way from kit lenses as we understand them because this is a professional quality, constant-aperture, weather-sealed zoom that you probably won’t feel the need to upgrade – ever.
It covers an effective focal range of 24-90mm with a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and if that seems a little low to you then keep in mind that this is a lens that delivers edge-to-edge sharpness at any aperture or zoom setting and is very compact and affordable. And if you’re convinced you need a constant f/2.8 lens instead, then there’s always the larger but equally excellent M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II…
Read our full Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro review
The M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II has the same optical construction as the first version of this lens, but the key difference is improved weather sealing. It’s not typically bundled with the OM-5 Mark II, so this will be an additional purchase – though if you already have this lens or its prececessor, then both are a superb alternative to the 12-45mm.
This 24-80mm equivalent f/2.8 Pro lens has a slightly longer reach than the typical 24-70mm pro lenses on other formats, but the same ultra-reliable optical quality, with edge-to-edge sharpness at any aperture or zoom setting. It’s noticeably heavier and bigger than the 12-45mm f/4 on the OM-5 Mark II, but the redesigned grip on this camera is better for bigger lenses like this, so the balance will still be good.
Read our full OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II review
The OM System M.Zuiko Digital 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro is an exceptional lens in all sorts of ways. First, it is a long-range superzoom lens with stellar image quality across its range – and that’s rare. Second, it has its own optical IS to boost the stabilization of the OM-5 Mark II’s IBIS, especially at longer focal lengths. Third, it has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and you just don’t get that with any other superzoom lenses on any other system. Fourth, it’s weather sealed!
For those in the know, this is the go-to long-range zoom for the OM system. The only downsides are its size – it’s not huge, but it’s quite big for an MFT lens – and its price. You won’t see this lens discounted much, but you get what you pay for.
If you’re looking for an ultra-wide zoom to use with the OM-5 Mark II then there aren’t too many choices. You might gravitate towards the M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro, but this is a big old lens with a bulbous front element that rules out conventional filters. Instead, I’d recommend the M.Zuiko 8‑25mm f/4 Pro – and for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s a lot cheaper. Second, it sacrifices only 1mm at the wide end but goes all the way up to an equivalent 50mm focal length when you zoom in. You don’t get the faster f/2.8 maximum aperture, but you do get a unique zoom range that could save you an awful lot of lens swapping. Perhaps the most compelling reason, though, is the optical quality, which is every bit as good as the heavier and more limiting 7-14mm.
Read our full Olympus M.Zuiko 8‑25mm f/4.0 Pro review
If you’re using your OM-5 Mark II extensively for wildlife or sports photography then I would probably recommend one of the bigger OM telephotos – such as the brand new OM System M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 IS Pro, but that’s an expensive, specialized lens that not everyone needs. If you only need a telephoto occasionally, then the 40-150mm f/4 Pro is perfect.
It packs an 80-300mm effective focal range into a retracting design small enough to keep in a corner of your camera bag for when you need it. Optically, it’s excellent. The bokeh can get a little ‘busy’ in the background but that’s a small point because this is a compact, affordable yet super-sharp lens that truly deserves its ‘Pro’ label.
If you like your prime lenses small, portable and discreet, then the M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II fits the bill perfectly. It has what many would consider to be the perfect focal length for street photography, combined with an f/1.8 maximum aperture and pint-sized proportions. It’s not as fast as the f/1.2 Pro version, but then it’s a fraction of the size and price and still delivers excellent results.
Its size means it’s a perfect match for the compact OM-5 Mark II body for when you’re walking the city streets looking for photos. Optically it’s the same as the original version, but adds weather sealing while dropping the focus clutch mechanism on the older lens.
Read our full OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II review
What’s your favorite focal length? For some it will be a 35mm equivalent lens like the M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II, but for others it will be a ‘nifty fifty’ – and that’s where the M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II comes in. Its 50mm equivalent focal length will deliver what many consider the most natural angle of view, while its f/1.8 maximum aperture in combination with the OM-5 Mark II’s excellent IBIS makes this a great lens for atmospheric low light shots too.
The key difference between this and the original version of this lens is the addition of weather sealing, which makes it a great partner for the OM-5 Mark II and its ability to keep shooting in adverse conditions.
Read our full OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II review
If you like photographing the great outdoors then this is a great lens to keep in your camera bag for close-ups of nature to go along with larger, sweeping landscape shots. This is a very deceptive lens! It’s so small and light that you might find it hard to take it seriously as a macro lens, but you only have to use it to see just how good this lens it.
Its 120mm effective focal length means you can shoot timid or hard-to-reach subjects from further away, and the inherent depth of field of the MFT format means you can use it wide open without struggling so much with razor-thin depth of field. Best of all, it’s weather-sealed as well.
Read our full Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro review
