I’m an avid Micro Four Thirds shooter, I started with the Panasonic GF1 in 2009… back when mirrorless cameras were scoffed at.

Nowadays (and even back then), credible photographers understand the pros and cons of Micro Four Thirds (and how it compares to Full Frame).

We know full frame will always have about a 2-stop advantage in low light, but you can bridge that gap with faster Micro Four Thirds lenses.

You could also bridge that gap with the stabilization offered by Panasonic and Olympus (now OM System), but that’s a whole ‘nother discussion.

A faster µ43 lens also addresses the difference in ability to blur the background.

Here’s an example of mine with the Panasonic-Leica Nocticron 42.5mm f1.2:

I hope this addresses the idea that you can’t blur the background on Micro Four Thirds cameras. Still a common misconception I’ve heard since 2009, and to this day.

The ability to blur the background has a lot of factors, physical aperture size, focal length and distance from the background. The following illustration shows that the Olympus 75mm f1.8 has more background blur than the Canon 24mm f1.4 on a full frame camera:

Now let’s get into the 17 fastest lenses on Micro Four Thirds…

The 5 fastest lenses come with a caveat – they’re all manual focus lenses by Voigtlander:

1. Voigtlander Nokton 29mm f/0.80
2. Voigtlander Nokton 10mm f/0.95
3. Voigtlander Nokton 17mm f/0.95
4. Voigtlander Nokton 42mm f/0.95
5. Voigtlander Nokton 60mm f/0.95

Personally, I’ve tested, but haven’t regularly used these lenses as I much prefer auto focus lenses for my professional work. And if you compare the prices, the highly touted Panasonic-Leica 42.5mm f1.2 doesn’t cost that much more than the Voigtlander Nokton 42mm f/0.95.

And, when you look at the Voigtlander Nokton 29mm f/0.80, priced at $1750, the DoF is still equivalent to 58mm f1.6. If you really want that look you could buy a full frame Sony A7 and Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 for less than that. I own the Mitakon Speedmaster, and though I seldom use it for professional work, I love it and the idea of focus on getting the shot instead of a bunch of shots. The use case for an f/0.95 aperture is fairly narrow, but when you find the right situations, the results are amazing:

Consider that for your next purchase, to me, the best lenses for Micro Four Thirds offer a nice blend of value and size relative to full frame cameras.

Before I continue on with the list of the fastest lenses, do checkout my complete guide on my favorite Micro Four Thirds lenses.

The next 12 lenses are from the Leica branded Panasonic lenses, and the (Olympus) OM System PRO line:

6. Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.2
7. Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2
8. Olympus M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.2
9. Panasonic-Leica 42.5mm f/1.2
10. Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4
11. Panasonic-Leica 12mm f/1.4

If you’re read my previous guide, as well my guide to The Best Budget Lenses on Micro Four Thirds, you’ll know that at this price, the Panasonic-Leica 25mm f/1.4 is probably my favorite lens on the format.

And while it makes sense that the fastest lenses are prime lenses, Panasonic-Leica recently came out with two zoom lenses at an amazing f1.7:

13. Panasonic-Leica 10-25mm f/1.7
14. Panasonic-Leica 25-50mm f/1.7

The 10-25mm f1.7 has been on my mind for quite some time, but for me the Panasonic-Leica 8-18mm still stands as better use for me because I shoot a lot of real estate photography with it. But if I start shooting more video, I might have to opt for the extra speed.

Lastly, I’ll include 3 slightly slower lenses, but I feel are amongst the best value:

15. Panasonic 20mm f/1.7
16. Panasonic 42.5mm f/1.7
17. Olympus 45mm f/1.8   

For the newest lenses, and upcoming lenses, see the Micro Four Thirds lens roadmap.