Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60 mm F2.8 Lens, Standard Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

Product Information

The scale on the left side is an indication of actual image resolution. The taller the column, the better the lens performance. Simple. For larger subjects like the ones I tend to photograph, thereis enough space to work comfortably with a flash and diffuser.I almost always shoot with an external and diffused flash, so it’s important that I have a decent working distance. To that end, the longer the focal length of the macro lens (and the smaller the size of the lens), the better. The M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 is good in both respects. DC-G9 + OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro @ 60mm, ISO 400, 1/80, f/10.0 Sharpness The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro Lens is a Micro Four Thirds lens compatible with Olympus mirrorless digital cameras. Being a dedicated macro lens, it lets you take shots at close range in true (1:1) life size, as well as offering you continuous focusing from this distance to infinity. Built with incredible precision, it features an internal focus system with floating lenses that is capable of producing equally high image quality when shooting macro, landscapes, portraits, and more. Create shallow depth of field effects with its open aperture and really show off the contrast between razor-sharp details and circular bokeh that this lens creates. Interestingly, the OM System 90mm f/3.5 surprised me in remaining quite sharp even at narrower apertures. Diffraction still caused some loss in sharpness, of course, but my impression is that the only sharpness loss I saw at these apertures was from diffraction. The lens didn’t seem to contribute any additional issues of its own. You’ll see in a moment how much sharper the 90mm f/3.5 is compared to my M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 even when both were are narrow apertures of f/16 and f/14. When I was using this lens at moderatemagnifications – say, 1:2 or 1:3 – I felt luxuriously distant from my subject. This made it less likely that I’d scare my subject, and most of all, it gave me a lot more flexibility with my lighting equipment. At1:1 magnification and even 2:1, I felt I had enough space to light my subject effectively.

All in all, I was extremely impressed by the OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro in terms of sharpness. It wasn’t just in this test above – in every photo that I took with the lens, regardless of focusing distance and aperture, it was sharp from corner to corner. Bokeh

Ease of Use

From now on, everyone who has used, or continues to use, full-frame or larger format for capturing subjects that benefit from a deep depth of field, especially landscape and macro subjects, is an incompetent ass who’s in dire need of both re‑education and new camera gear. What’s more, it can even double up as a casual portrait lens thanks to its focal length, excellent sharpness and 2.8 aperture. E-M1, 1/1250, f/2.8, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 60mm The most obvious comparison is the M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro, which has a maximum magnification of 1x and has served me well for several years. Although it’s certainly not a 90mm 2x macro lens, it will get the job done for most subjects. Additionally, the Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 also offers 1x magnification, although it has an even shorter working distance.

So now that we’ve found an insect we want to photograph, what comes next? How do we translate this dewy insect into a photograph? Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc. to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more. Here’s another with a stronger crop: DC-G9 + OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro @ 60mm, ISO 160, 1/250, f/11.0 DC-G9 + OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro @ 60mm, ISO 160, 1/250, f/11.0 As far as construction goes, they are similarly built. Both have high-grade plastic bodies built to tight tolerances and feel solid in the hand. The 60mm is a bit longer. The 45mm is fatter and a little bit heavier. The 45mm’s focus ring is ribbed rubber, while the 60mm uses ribbed plastic. As far as construction goes, the biggest difference is that the Olympus 60mm is a weathersealed lens, so used on a body like the Olympus OM-D or Panasonic GH3, you’ll get some protection against splashes and dust when shooting in the rain or the desert. As for image stabilization, I kept it on most of the time, and the steadiness in the viewfinder was apparent. That said, the difference was not as noticeable as I’ve witnessed on some telephoto lenses, especially at high magnifications. This is normal for a macro lens, but I still recommend keeping IS on unless you’re shooting from a tripod. According to CIPA measurements, it offers an impressive 7 stops of stabilization. Sharpness

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We haven't yet tested this lens: it offers built-in optical image stabilization as well as full 1:1 reproduction.

Note at macro distances, any wobbles are greatly magnified, so for serious close-up work you should attempt to use faster shutter speeds than normal – even with stabilization – or better still use a tripod. At the other end of the scale, closing the lens aperture can also be used to deliver an artistic effect where diffraction can turn bright point sources of light into spiked shapes known as starbursts. The number of spikes corresponds to double the aperture blades, so all three macro lenses will render 14 spikes. Here’s how the Lumix 30mm Macro’s ‘starburst’ rendering compares to the Lumix 42.5mm f1.7 (a non-macro lens). I find that the M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 is perfect for my type of photography, which tends to be of small animals – usually reptiles and amphibians. The Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 macro is my go-to lens for these subjects, and has been for many years. I’ve dragged it around the world and always find it very easy to use.How does this compare to the M.Zuiko60mm f/2.8? Below is a comparison photo from f/14. To my eye, it looks worse than the f/22 image above! I find this performance very impressive by the 90mm f/3.5, especially considering that the M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 was, before now, my sharpest lens. OM-1 + OLYMPUS M.60mm F2.8 Macro @ 60mm, ISO 200, 1/200, f/14.0 In particular, here are what my autofocus speed tests showed. I tested the focusing speed of both lenses from 1x to 0.5x magnification. After 10 replications with each test, the OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO grabbed focus in 5.8 seconds on average, while the 60mm f/2.8 grabbed focus in 5.2 seconds on average. (I also wonder if a newer copy of the 60mm would be even faster, since as I’ve said, mine has seen some things.) This means you can fill your composition with something that’s a mere 8.5 millimeters wide (about a third of an inch) on a Micro Four Thirds camera. By comparison, a more common 1:1 macro lens can only fill the frame with something roughly 17 mm / 0.67 inches wide on Micro Four Thirds. That’s a huge difference for photographing small, unusual subjects like hairs and pigment cells on tiny animals. OM-1 + OM 90mm F3.5 @ 90mm, ISO 100, 1/200, f/7.1 The Lumix G 30mm f2.8 is a simply-styled but smart-looking lens that resembles others in the Panasonic catalogue. Measuring 64mm in length, 59mm in diameter and weighing 180g, it’s roughly similar in size to a typical non-collapsing kit zoom. The Leica 45mm f2.8 Macro lens is almost exactly the same length, but squatter at 63mm in diameter and a little heavier too at 225g. Meanwhile the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro is a little longer and thinner (82x56mm) and essentially the same weight at 185g.

Sharpness is at its best at around f/4 on the 60mm but all values between f/2.8 and f/8 perform in a similar manner. As for the 30mm, it peaks at f/5.6 but f/3.5 and f/8 are also excellent. Both lenses begin to show signs of diffraction by f/11, while f/16 and f/22 are quite soft.Lens configuration: 7 elements / 6 groups with 1 Aspherical ED element, 1 DSA lens element and 1 Aspherical glass element There is just a trace of corner shading when the lens is used at the ƒ/2.8 setting - the extreme corners are almost a 1/3 EV darker than the center. At any other setting, corner shading is not an issue with this lens.