Are Micro Four Thirds lenses interchangeable between Panasonic and Olympus bodies?
Asked 7/21/2016
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If I buy a Micro Four Thirds camera from one brand, do I need to stick with that brand’s lenses, or can I mix brands like Panasonic and Olympus? I’m mainly wondering whether cross-brand lenses remain fully functional, especially autofocus, and whether there are any feature limitations to be aware of.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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You can mix & match lenses from different manufacturers, with just a few caveats.
- Autofocus will work for all MFT lenses on all MFT bodies (that I am aware of).
- Image stabilization: Olympus does in-body image stabilization (IBIS), whereas Panasonic bodies prior the GX7 and GX8 placed the image stabilization in the lens.† This means that Olympus lenses on older Panasonic bodies will not have any image stabilization; conversely, some combinations of Olympus bodies with Panasonic lenses with hardware image stabilization switches will allow you to choose from either IS (either Olympus IBIS or Panasonic lens IS).
- Lens correction: in-camera lens correction is not guaranteed to work for all combinations. This is usually a low-impact issue: post-processing with software such as Lightroom can allow you to perform lens corrections.
†: User vclaw helpfully reminded me that the Panasonic Lumix GX7 and GX8 cameras have in-body image stabilization.
Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11924
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—within the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system, lenses are generally interchangeable across brands that use the MFT mount, such as Panasonic and Olympus/OM System. Autofocus should work with MFT lenses on MFT bodies.
The main caveats are feature differences rather than basic compatibility:
- Image stabilization can vary by body/lens combination. Olympus bodies are known for in-body stabilization, while many older Panasonic bodies relied on lens-based stabilization. So an Olympus lens on an older Panasonic body may have no stabilization.
- With some Olympus body + Panasonic stabilized lens combinations, you may be able to use either body IS or lens IS.
- In-camera lens corrections may not always be fully supported across every brand/body/lens combination, though this is often a minor issue and can usually be handled in post-processing.
One important distinction: “Four Thirds” and “Micro Four Thirds” are not the same mount. Sensor size alone does not guarantee compatibility. The question here applies to lenses and bodies that both use the Micro Four Thirds mount.
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