The compact Lumix G Vario 7-14mm f/4.0 Aspherical ultra wide-angle zoom lens, built on the Micro Four Thirds System standard.

Micro Four Thirds users who’d like to shoot with an angle of view that’s equivalent to 14-28mm will fall in love with this lens. Similar in size to the M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO, it’s as petite as fast wide-angle zooms come. Its smooth zoom and focus rings offer precise adjustment and it bestows a reassuringly solid barrel with a customisable L-Fn button. A bulbous front element and fixed lens hood prevents the use of screw-in filters, however third-party adapters are available. Best results are achieved at the 14mm end, with corner sharpness at wide-angle being fairly soft. All things considered, it’s a fine example of a wide-angle zoom that lets you travel light.

Covering a focusing distance from ultra wide angle to super telephoto, the LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT F2.8-4.0 achieves superb image quality and high performance for both stills and video.

With wide-angle coverage, a constant f/1.7 aperture across its 20-50mm equivalent range and de-clicked aperture control from the barrel, this is a dream lens for Micro Four Thirds video specialists and stills photographers. It has some nifty features such as a pullback clutch ring that instantly engages manual focus and is dust and splash proof resistant. Optical performance is as good as you’d expect from a lens that’s associated with the Leica name, with outstanding sharpness between f/1.7 and f/8 and mild distortion at wide-angle. It’s not the smallest of MFT lenses out there, but boy is it an impressive performer in use.

There are good standard zooms and excellent standard zooms. This example falls into the latter of the two categories and is a sensational lens for Micro Four Thirds users. Equivalent to 24-80mm, it’s extremely light (382g), boasts a rugged, splash-dust-and freeze proof construction and can focus within 20cm of a subject at any point in its zoom range. The manual focus ring that’s pulled back to engage manual focus can be knocked quite easily, but keep it pushed forward and autofocus for stills and video performs fast and silently. Optically it’s a very sharp lens and controls aberrations, distortion and vignetting commendably. It’s a lens we can’t imagine venturing out without when using an advanced Micro Four Thirds camera.

Micro Four Thirds users who’d like a versatile image-stabilised zoom are well served by this premium lens that’s equivalent to the classic 24-70mm focal length range in 35mm terms. The build quality is excellent and with weather sealing it can be used when you get caught out in a shower. The optical image stabilisation works in harmony with Panasonic cameras that feature in-body stabilisation to suppress handshake and it’s a lens that focuses quickly and quietly. It suffers from internal reflections and exhibits vignetting and distortion, however centre sharpness at f/2.8 is very good and corners sharpen up by f/8. It’s as compact as fast standard zooms get.

This attractive lens is ideal for Micro Four Thirds users who’d like a zoom they can walk-around with freely. Offering a focal length that’s equivalent to 24-120mm, it’s small and lightweight and provides a fast and silent autofocus performance that doesn’t disturb video recordings. Sharpness in the centre of the frame at the wide end is impressive; however stopping it down by a couple of stops does see sharpness improve at the edges. The zoom ring is beautifully damped and its optical image stabilizer works well with Dual I.S/I.S2 systems offered by most Panasonic cameras. If it’s a resourceful MFT lens you require for stills or video it fits the bill nicely.

The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12‑100mm 1:4.0 IS PRO is the perfect partner for travelling.

The Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 Micro 4/3 L is a 10x high-zoom lens featuring silent design for HD movie recording.

The Lumix G Vario 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 II O.I.S is a versatile Micro Four Thirds zoom with a 28-280mm 35mm camera equivalent.

Panasonic’s fast telephoto zoom for Micro Four Thirds cameras has a lot going for it. It improves on the older version by offering an enhanced optical image stabilisation system that counteracts handshake more effectively when it’s paired with Dual IS and Dual IS 2-equipped cameras. Smoother iris actuation, combined with rapid and silent autofocus ensures it’s well matched to video use where it’s imperative that pesky operational sounds don’t interrupt audio. It’s incredibly compact for a lens that’s equivalent to 70-200mm and produces attractive blurred backgrounds while maintaining excellent centre sharpness at f/2.8. You’ll struggle to find better if you’re looking for a small, lightweight telephoto zoom at the leading edge of performance.