Great one. Awesome to show the bracketed and stacked pictures of the match tip. Most of the time reviewers talk about stuff like that but don't show the outcome. Or the other way where they show a great picture but don't tell that it has been shot with bracketing and stacking.
Peter, Great vídeo about this lens. I like how you went outdoors with a flash and diffusure to take a photo. It show how OM is positioning itself and the target audience of this lens.
Definitely on the wish list. I already have the 60mm macro and I think I would have a lot of fun with this one but, having just picked up the OM-1 and the 12-200mm lens this week, I think I'd better wait at least a little while. Great presentation as always, Peter!
Well presented, Peter. Thank you. I think OM SYSTEM is doing the right thing in delivering great options for both high end macro photography and with their telephoto lenses to wildlife photography. MFT screams to be used for that kind of photography, due to the so called crop factor and the fantastic image stabilization. This new lens is expensive but will serve the macro enthusiasts really well. It is an investment for a decade or more, so in those terms the value is ok. It is interesting to see the compatibility with the teleconverters and I would like to see the extend of the image degradation, introduced by those additional optical elements. There must be some, but by looking at your samples, I guess OM SYSTEM was able to deliver a very strong performance overall.
A great review as always, thank you. I pre-ordered it on the day it was announced and cannot wait to give it a try. I am an amateur photographer who loves macro and this lens will hopefully help me to add even better images to my macro talk.
I have the Olympus 60mm macro lens and I love it. I also have two 3rd-party extenders (10mm, 16mm) and they work well. Since I often take close-up shots of rare and endangered plants for nature scientists, I can see the value of the 90mm mainly to keep me further away from the subjects and their surrounding micro-habitat. However, I think that for now I'd rather save to purchase the OM-1 first. Thank you for yet another very well-made video! I rely upon your advice! Cheers!
I have the same setup but I have waited for the 90mm lens since the MFT came out. I wish the lens had f2.8 aperture settings. I wanted to let you know there is a way to use MC-14 with some 3rd party extenders with AF.
@@fanb0y777 And I have done so. You need an extension tube with electrical connections and with an opening large enough to take the projecting glass from the extender.
I have also used 60mm + extenders using extension tubes. It works, but it is quite hard to use. If that is no problem then it is a good choice too. Just make sure the extension tube is big enough so that the extender fits.
Looks like a stellar macro lens. How I wish there would be similar FF macro.. 200mm f 4 IS that accepts TC and gets x4 magnification. Lens speed doesn't matter much because if you are serious about macro, you use a tripod and & or extra light (flash) Well done OM System!
Hey Peter, Ethan from 1of1images. I’ll of course be getting this lens - I had a hard time understanding the “secret” thing you mentioned earlier - that you cannot mention yet…. Is it possible OM Systems would be considering internal focus stacking up to 25 images maybe ???
Thank you, Peter. I've ordered one and hope to do some panos with it. Someone using a different camera brand said you couldn't do that with macro lenses but they were wrong. I did one with my 60mm lens. However, I haven't tried it with the 30mm which I'll probably loan to other family members.
Hi Peter, I just bought a 60mm 2.8 macro. Is that lens the sharpest marco lens or is this one more sharp? Also what f stop is the sharpest on the 60mm 2.8 macro.
The 60mm is much sharper in the center (max at f4), but is rather softer in the corners. The 90 mm is softer overall (sharpest at f5.6), but a bit more uniform. In the macro range f8-f16 they are about the same.
@@ForsgardPeter if you look at tests a f2.8 design will basically always be sharper than a f3.5 because of less diffraction, unless there is significantly less compromises on the "smallness" of the design.
Thanks a lot for this review Peter. Opinions are divided about this lens, but we can praise OMDS for having made a pro macro lens with so many possibilities. I am glad that OMDS does not only focus on wildlife, although this has been a good strategy. As for myself, I already own the 60mm which I am very satisfied with. I don't do much macro, so I'm not going to buy the 90mm. I look forward to your video where you will compare the 60mm with the 90mm.
It goes ok with OM-5 even though it is quite "big". Not saying that you are right about the tripod collar, but you are not wrong either... at your own risk...
4:33 Do you think that the test was done thoroughly and properly to justify your findings? Maybe try again under the same shooting methods and conditions? why stack different amounts of shots? Just curious here. is it impossible to provide side by side comparison with the same image size?
Super review, thank you. When you do the video comparing the 60 mm to the 90 mm, please can you specify the working distances from the front of the lens for us? Olympus only gives the closest focus measured from the sensor plane and, given that the 90 mm is 5·4 cms longer than the 60 mm, it is difficult to know just how much extra working distance the 90 mm allows over the 60 mm at the same magnification.
Thanks for the review. Seems like an awesome lens, but getting big and pricey for my taste. I’ll stick to the amazing 60mm. Now, onward to the PEN- F II 🙏🏻
Great review Peter. I know that I would love to get my hands on one, but it's not on my wish list "Yet". It would not be useful to me for my storm photography but would have limited applications with my wildlife and portrait photography side. But you never know. I look forward to your comparison video in the weeks ahead. Cheers Peter!
Peter, my question is about stacking. I purchased the 90mm 3.5 macro and I have an OM-1 camera. When set for stacking the first time I tried to shoot I got an an error message that this lens was not compatible for stacking. I don't know what's going on. Any advice? Do you have a video dedicated to stacking? Thanks Jim B.
I rented om-1 with 60mm and the focus stacking feature worked great. I just rented it again with the 90 mm and it is no longer stacking. I do not get that busy screen while at stacks. Any ideas? The body version is 1.5 , lens 1.0
To get the 2x magnification, the focus limiter switch must be moved to S macro position. Could he focus limiter switch be programmed to a function button??
If I am correct OM-1 has better stacking. OM-1 has 15 and E-M1 Mark II has 8. I believe that OM-1 has a bit better SyncIS with the lens. Other than that no differences that comes to my kind.
The 60mm macro has significant focus breathing near 1:1 magnification. Is the new 90mm pro any improvement at 1:1 or does the problem occur as you approach it's full magnification of 1:2. Does the MC20 improve or worsen the situation?
Thanks for the review Peter. It's no doubt the ultimate macro lens, but it's definitely not for me--just saw that it's $2050 here in Canada! I already have the 60mm and 30mm macros. Definitely in the "can never afford that!" category, like the 300mm f/4 and 150-400 f/4.5!
Might be useful for many laboratories too. The nice step between close-up and microscopy. 4x Magnification looks similar like when I reverse mount 35/2 on Pentax. MF only and tripod use, obviously.
@Peter Forsgård yea not as presentable on a display shelf in some cases. Although, my local shop has the lenses in boxes in the back room or on a shelf and just hands a demo model to the customer.
Hi Peter, I would like to have a little help. I would like to start a product photography. I mean, just get some money from what I love. I do have a6400, and some tele lens like sony's 200-600 but that's for wildlife, and I would like to give myself a few months of practise and get some product courses of course, and then start actively. Could you help me with an advice If I should move (because I do plan to do that in next month) to A7-IV and buy a macro lens after, or just get a macro for a6400? Which one on way would you go? I even thought of swapping all of that to OM1 + 60/90 mm + 300 mm f4 pro because it's MUCH MUCH less weight in the field.. but my logic says it's not the way for the future..... when I already have sony equipment and it's closer to FF than reducing to MFT format.... I thought about Lawoa 90 mm x2 macro f2.8 if I stay to Sony, or even new TT Artisans f2.8 x2 macro, because I found it almost twice cheaper.. Please help, ur're an expert! 🙏🙏
Product photography is an interesting genre. Not that easy, but if mastered very lucrative. I would start with the camera you have. Get a macro lens for that. I do not recommend cheap and low quality macro lenses. In product photography sharpness is needed in most cases. Unfortunately cannot say for sure what macro lens is the best option for a6400. I would check what Sigma has to offer. They usually have very good quality and price ratio lenses. OM-1 and the lenses you mentioned is a good choice also. You can get 80Mpix images using high resolution mode in OM-1. The new 90mm is a great macro lens. Having a smaller sensor can be a benefit in product and macro photography. The depth of Field is bigger. You might want that, but it depends on your style. As In said I would start with the a6400 and a macro lens. Of course if have a budget for a new camera and lens it is a different thing. In product photography lighting is quite important. Invest in good lighting too. Good luck and hope everything goes well!
@@ForsgardPeter Exactly, too much things around product photography (and space in your home too..) is there. It's like having tons of equipment in next room including lighting, tables, color cards and other fancy things. People complain about MFT format, but I see a big future for these sensors. There are instead some limits in 1" sensors, but still can be better too (probably won't be though). So as you said I need a lens to my product photography, It don't need to be probably a macro lens (I do have 85 mm f1.8 too I forgot to say), so if it's a big product then could be used with good shallow DoF. But I know some products are really small, so having that is 2:1. If you want to go out for nature hobby shots again you have your macro lens. Gonna look for some professional too. And what's good about OM system, their lenses and cameras are highly waterproof, like.. it's a machine if you go out at rain/snowy days, so that's a big advantage.
The new macro lense is definitely a great product, but for me as a hobby-photographer it is too expensive and I have already the 30 mm and the 60 mm macro lenses. Can you tell us what was the flat flash you used?
@@ForsgardPeter Thank you. I thought it was a special double-layer diffuser with a grip. In the video it looked like you fired between of two layers. I thought in front was a diffusion-layer and in the inner backside there was a reflective side to bounce forward.
If you do the test between this lens and 60mm macro, perhaps you will use de 60mm with de raynox dcr250 and compared. 60mm with raynox dcr250 is my "combo".
That could be a thing. I am not sure if I can get the 90mm in a near future for testing again. That would be cool to see the difference. Of course I could make that match tip photo again and compare.
Some reviewers are touting the lens as having the capabilities of 4x FF equivalence with the teleconverter while others are saying 8x FF equivalence. Can you clarify?
Yes. 4x(35mm format) without teleconverter and 5.6x(35mm format)with mc14 teleconverter, 8x(35mm format)with mc-20 teleconverter. Information from the om system website.
With macro, 1:1 ratio is 1:1 no matter the sensor format. With M4/3 it just fills more of the frame, literally cropping it. Saying it is 2x, 4x or 8x is just marketing nonsense.
This is the best review you have done so far, IMO. The only downside is the IQ of the video. Was it recorded with OM-1 in 8bit mode, which is supposed to be worse than predecessors? OMDS should do more on the video side (pure 10bit w/o HLG/vlog, HQ H265 8bit mode, 3K, LUT with Oly colours etc.
@@ForsgardPeter In FullHD. When I compare with other youtubers videos, the footage lacks details (your forehead) and colours are muted. UA-cam runs certain compression time to time, it is better to upload in highest res. possible. Maybe you saw this but can you watch this? What do you think? ua-cam.com/video/P7rEhkOHNAU/v-deo.html He has better details (he shoots in 4K).
OM System should pick the body of EM-1X and do the same as Nikon has done with their Z9 and called it OM-1X and introduce some more video codecs, LUTS, Log, BRAW and Apple ProRes as this product will gain you more users.
Looks awesome, however, I have the 60 mil and do not do that much macro, I can see this as a great product/portrait lens. Will look forward to your 90 mil vs 60 mil vid. Cheers!
You said innovative. I think "innovative" requires some context, and certainly what's gone before, There is Canon's MP-E 65, released in 1999. With magnification in the range 1x to 5x. Until recent lenses from China there's been nothing to touch it. It's manual focus, unstabilised, F3.5 if I remember correctly. I don't know whether it works with teleconverters It never focusses to infinity, but it does go to 5x without additional hardware. I think the 90mm lens wins with automatic focus bracketting, but other than that its' nt clear that the 90mm would replace my MP-E 65. I have an adaptor, I could use it on M43, and I also have an adaptor to mount it on my Lumix S1R.
The whole package is quite unique. I do not think there is anything like this one. I have used MP-E 65 in the past when I was using Canon. It is an extremenly good macro lens. It was a lot harder to use compared to this one.
@@ForsgardPeter Well, I do use supermacro filters underwater also so maybe it would work. The benefit of not scaring the subject away would be very interesting.
@@juhanivaihkonenunderwater More subject distance (which is good to not scare the critter) means more dirty water between the lens and the critter (which is bad, especially when using flash). Don't you think?
@@_Thumbnail_ Generally yes, but now we are talking about centimeters, and I find that with 30mm macro it so close that you can kill the subject accidentally and 60mm macro is ok usually. You can easily place your lights or strobes so that you will not get backscatter, or you something like snoot to narrow the light beam.
Great review, Peter. I've seen many positive comments about this lens. Unfortunately, as a camera system becomes more mature new products (especially lenses) will naturally be more specialized. From all I can read, this is the most advanced macro lens - period - and yet there are those who think it is priced too high. None other than Chris from DPReview said that considering its feachers the price is totally justified.
I put this lens on back order yesterday. I do a lot of insect photography in the warmer months. My biggest criticism of the 60mm macro that it just is not that sharp (this is compared to the full frame Nikon Z105mm macro, the problem with that lens is magnification). I hope the 90mm will resolve more detail and I look forward the the extra magnification, especially because I already have the 1.4 teleconverter, a Raynox and extention tubes.
Thanks Peter! Wonderful and complete review! This Lens is amazing! I will not buy it for this price. For 999€ I would buy immediately! But for 1499€, is very difficult to justify the investment. Macro is a hobby for me and I already own the 30mm and 60mm.
For the professionals this looks like a very nice lens, and compared to the prices of other brands pro lenses is reasonably priced. For those who are occasional photographers the 40 - 150 kit lens combined with aftermarket extension tubes (with electrical contacts@$22) can make some nice "macro" photos. Micro 4/3rds cameras are an affordable way to get into the hobby and later add professional quality gear if so desired.
On travels and hikes I even use the 14-150 zoom plus a screw-on-macro-lens. Covers virtually all "small wildlife" situations I might get into. And is light and small, ideal for the small daypack together with maybe spare clothings, food and beverages. And the screw-on-macro-lens is quicker to put on and off compared to the mounting of extension tubes, and less risky to drop the zoom lens or get dust / dirt into your camera.
It is not officially supported. The lens does not have the small "spikes" that keeps secure. I tested the collar and it works well. You just have to be careful so that the lens does not drop.
Certainly an interesting lens. I do a great deal of photography with the 30mm and 60mm macros, recording plantlife and other relatively still subjects. In 3 or 4 weeks the violets will be coming into flower so I will be on my knees in the wet grass. Alas there is still no prefect lens for my other love, flying insects. The local northern brown argus butterfly is less than 30mm wingspan so 1:1 is not needed, but butterflies are off and away as soon as they detect you. Tripods, reflectors and flash also frighten them off. So a longer lens is needed. I use the Olympus 40-150 f2.8 with a teleconverter. I think something like a 300mm able to focus as closer than 1 metre would be prefect. The Oly 300 f4 might do the job, but the weight and the price...
@@oneeyedphotographer I have tried in the past. They are fine for subjects that won't fly away, but with flying insects such as damselflies and butterflies you need to keep your distance to avoid them flying off. It's possible with a long lens with extension tubes but can be very difficult to find the subject and focus, as the focus range is quite small. Easier in a 'studio' but hard outside. Zooms are quite useful as you can zoom out to find the subject, then zoom in. With these subjects the IQ over the whole field is less important as most of the photo will be out of focus anyway, although chromatic effects are still undesirable!
Do I want it? YES!! Do I need it? Not really. Can I afford it? No. It's that simple. Everyone should ask themselves these three questions when a new piece of tech comes on the market.
As a Macro lens - how it was designed and how I'll primarily use this, I don't consider it 'slow'. It will almost always be stopped down to F8 or thereabouts.
@@ForsgardPeter depends on the subject. For me, I love to keep eyes only in focus on the tiny jumping spiders. But if you focus stack in lower light, then 2.8 is brighter
Now I can, it is the tripod collar from the 40-150mm F2.8 Pro lens. It is not officially supported. 90mm does not have the little nobs that keeps the collar tightly . There is a possibility that the lens slips out.
It is surely a very good objective but very expensive and for a very specific use. As an extension of Olympus, OMDS clearly neglects a less budgeted and often younger public who could make the future of the brand, hiking, street, travel, for its compactness, its lightness, its versatility... but the cost and the almost exclusive focus on fauna/flora unfortunately keeps it away. And we are forced to wonder about the future of the brand (which is disappearing from stores in France).
Did OMDS stop selling the 30 and 60 mil that are very good and much cheaper? No. They are just extending the range to match different needs and budgets. So then why to complain?
The 30mm and the 60mm are still available, and they have not stopped offering the 30mm and the 60mm. There are products for different photographers. OMDS is concentrating on high-end and a bit pricey equipment at the moment. As I said, they still concentrate on high-end products.
@@ForsgardPeter This is the problem. I'm French too and it's true that OMDS products leave the major brands and specialist stores. High-end lenses for a very targeted practice, that's fine. But non-tropicalized 1.8 lenses and an OM5 in 2022 with the same body as that of 2019 and the same defects which were already a problem at the time (menu, usb-c, etc.), all of this is for me a strategic error longer term. Soon, OMDS will only be available in Japan and on websites. The year 2023 will be decisive for forming an opinion on this.
Great. We just got a product that none of us asked. We wanted a Macro 60 mkII with a focus clutch and perhaps a less plastic feel or better build. Nobody asked for a large, slow and 3-times the price 90mm macro with IS (when the IBIS in most Olympus cameras are exceptional performers). Plus at this focus magnification, as you well point out, you need to focus stack and use a lot of light that makes by definition this lens not the best choice for going out in the wild. Unless you have very patient bugs that will wait for you to setup a tripod, a set of flashes and you setting the focus staking option on...
"the IBIS in most Olympus cameras are exceptional performers" The problem is that at macro distances, the field of view is much smaller than IBIS is designed for. It's well-known that IBIS is less effective as telephoto "reach" goes up, but what's REALLY happening is that IBIS is less effective as field of view decreases - which is exactly what happens at macro reproduction ratios! So OIS is actually a huge benefit to hand-held macro shooters.
@@Bytesmiths And so is a tripod, and more light to close down the aperture and a home studio... Hand held in the field I have doubts this 90mm will outperform the 60mm in practicality and probably results.
@@franciscoscaramanga2342 Perhaps you're right. I've always been a tripod macro shooter. But it appears OMDS went to great lengths to satisfy the hand-held shooter with this one. It could have been a totally different lens without OIS - smaller, lighter, brighter… I'm trusting they had their reasons for their design decisions. Just wish I could check it out myself… without selling a kidney!
@@earlteigrob9211 My 60mm Macro focus stacks just fine. Yes, there's a crop, but you can position your lens to account for it. Not a problem. To be fair, I'm generally not attempting 1:1 true macro much which may be where the focus beathing is the worst.
This lens is way too expensive for me. 1499€ is too much for a hobbyist Is certainly a good lens but is also a lens that will not be used on a regular basis Compared to the 60mm macro more than double in price?
Great product, but for this price is not worth it. I would perefer to keep my 60mm + Raynox250 glass for extra magnification (despite minor quality distrupution) and invest that money for like F4 300mm lens to widen my photo range.
That's a heavy beast. It is pin sharp but I left it at home when we went away and that's b/c of the weight limit when I wanted to take heaps of lenses b/c we were going remote.
@@oneeyedphotographer great! My comment was actually meant as a joke! Insect and spider eyes are easy to see, problem is, there are too many of them on the same subject...
@@oneeyedphotographer I am deeply sorry, not the faintest intention to target you personally or otherwise. It was just a lighthearted comment on the proliferation of AI subject recognition functions. My apologies if I caused you any distress in any way.
In my opinion, OM-System really needs to focus on its pricing and product portfolio strategy soon. Having only 1 recent tech camera body in the portfolio (OM-1) which is becoming more and more apparently overpriced as opposed to the products the competitors are releasing is one thing. But overpricing the supporting system of lenses as well is just suicide.
The price is always something we need to consider. I agree that this is a bit on the pricey side, but it also is good value for money. It is for me too expensive since I already have the 30mm and the 60mm macros. If I did not have them I would most likely buy this lens. Also if I was a macro photographer i would sell the 30 and the 60mm and buy this.
It's a specialised Pro lens with a lot of tech in it. Yes, it's expensive. Have you looked at the prices of Canon's premium RF lenses? OM System have also released a revised 12-40 f/2.8, the 20mm f/1.4, and the 40-150mm f/4, which are all reasonably priced.
Check out the lenstip review. they rake OM Systems over the coals for going with f3.5 instead of f2.8 or even, f2. The reason...diffraction limits when using the teleconverters. Don't forget, this lens reduces to f5 at the 2x magnification level. Add a teleconverter and stop it down? Not so good. I own the 60mm which is f2.8. I was also hoping for more working distance with this lens, but because the lens is so long, the increased working distance is minimal. This new lens is not 3x better, so I won't be paying 3x more for it. Sorry OM Systems, try again.
@@BMadPhoto Bright image...is good for composing. Would not generally use f2.8 for taking a single shot of the actual image unless I didn't want much depth of field, but there is something called focus stacking/bracketing. That is what everyone does now. So, you can use a wider f-stop and not worry about depth of field. On top of that, use of extenders is improved when they start from a wider f-stop. Diffraction starts to become an issue beyond f/8 for m4/3. Using the 2x MC-20 with this new lens at f/5 which is the best it can do at 2x magnification puts you at f/10. If this lens was f/2.8. then the 2x would be at f/4 and the teleconverter addition would be at f/8.
I read it. They make lab tests. Those are important, but can you see a problem in the images that has been made in real life? I think the IQ is quite good. Yes F2.8 would have been better. The lens would have been a lot bigger and that would have been most likely an issue for many. Lenstip is right about the aperture. The IQ would have been even better if the aperture was F2.8 and the F4 and F8. I have tested the diffraktion and it starts to affect the images quality in real life photos around F11-F16. With real life images I mean when it is visible. In lab tests, yes after F8.
@@ForsgardPeter Okay. If anyone primarily does macro photography, or at least that is a large portion of their photography...then the new 90mm lens is the most convenient way to do it. I do some macro, but I certainly do not concentrate on even life size (which is 1:1), as opposed to even greater magnifications. I've played with the MC-14 teleconverter and the 60mm macro lens. I've played with the Raynox lens on top of that. But in general, I shoot larger insects...butterflies and the like. I make much more use of my 300mm f4 pro, with the MC-20. I recently bought the 100-400mm lens. I did so because there is a nearby field of wildflowers where sometimes the butterflies are too close for the 300mm and sometimes I want more than 300mm. Obviously, the 150-400mm pro with TC would be the best solution...but that lens is expensive. 😅 Maybe someday. Later in the wildflower season, I set up remote cameras next to specific flowers that attract butterflies and rarely, hummingbirds. I watch with binoculars and shoot when something is on the specific flower. For that purpose, 40-70mm (80-140mm full frame) works best for me. The 60mm macro is perfect in this case. The 12-40mm and the 40-150mm pro also work well. The 75-300mm is a bit too long. I also have the 12-50mm kit lens and it's just fine for this purpose. I have several cameras! I still have my original EM5. However, the hummingbirds do not like the sound of the mechanical shutter so I can't use it in this application!!!
300mm F4 is surprisingly good for close-ups, and 40-150mm F2.8. 60mm with extension tubes + extenders works well regarding image quality. It is just quite hard to photograph with that combo.
Best macro ever? I think my Nikon 70-180mm zoom is the most versatile macro lens I know about. But okay, it is not Olympus, it is not weather-shielded, and has no IS. Which is what attracts me to this one. IS will make it easier for handheld macro in the woods. But I need to think about it more, and save up. I do have the Panasonic 45mm (with OIS) and the Olympus 60mm.
@@ForsgardPeter thanks for getting back to me Olympus used to make a weather sealed tube. But not any more. I was suggesting that the 60mm with extension tubes might be as good a macro system at much less cost. The kenko works together with the in camera stacking. The weakness would be weather sealing. And the restriction to a narrow macro field of view. I am waiting to see how the 90mm compares for insects and spiders.
It is a bold statement, I know. I explained it in the video. The specs are pretty impressive. I do not think there is another macro lens with those specs? IS (7 stops with SyncIS), IP53, 4X (FF eqv.) magnification, 8X (FF eqv.) magnification with a 2X teleconverter, MF Clutch, full-time working AF on all distances, including S-Macro. etc. There might be some macro lenses that some features that are better, but is there a lens that has all this?
I know it is a bold statement. I explained it in the video what I meant. No I am not sponsored. I am an OM SYSTEM Ambassador. We do not get payed, or at least I am not. We have other benefits, like access to gear that we can borrow etc.
with all the euphoria Peter for this lens, but I don't think it's the best on the market, you would have to compare it with Sigma and Sony in the corresponding 90 mm category. In addition, I think the price of 1500 € is completely exaggerated. At least for private users. Olympus says goodbye for me and obviously focuses on the professional photographer. In addition, you always have to see the quality of a lens in combination with the camera, and unfortunately Olympus lags behind Nikon, Canon and Sony. I also don't understand Olympus that you can get the 30 mm under 60 mm at a ridiculous price and then put the 90 mm in such a price segment
I am sure both of those lenses are good. The Sony is up to 1:1. Sigma 105 macro is also 1:1, but with that you can also use extenders if you have the L-mount version of the lens. Sigma does not have a stabiliser. The new 90mm from OMDS is great package. I agree that it is a bit on the pricey side, but as I said in the video it is a good value for money. What comes to cameras form OM SYSTEM and other brands. Yes there are some great alternatives to OM SYSTEM. On macro photography m4/3 has an advantage. You get more DOF. To get the same angle of view you need a 180mm on a FF body. The DOF is minimum. Then you most likely need bracketing and stacking. OM SYSTEM cameras are most likely the best cameras what comes to stacking. As I said there are a lot of cameras that are better at some things than OM SYSTEM, but macro is not the one that many cameras are better.
Thank you Peter for your awnser. I believe you are right about it being the best Macro lens over all. I cant see how all these who talks the system down, some with mathematics that reality shows not true, some with other "feelings". I wish they could stop being so thretened by OM System, but at the same time it shows OM System is a great competitor.
It seems to me that many Olympus/OM1 detractors haven’t actually owned or used their equipment. My OM1 certainly outperforms my old full frame Nikon and is much easier to carry a full range of lenses for travel and wildlife photography. The 60mm macro is superb and I expect this lens is much better.
Hi Peter and thanks for your review. Some interesting facts but like most others I am not convinced that such an expensive lens could be considered ‘good value for money’. Wake up om systems you are turning your back on the amateur market if you think we can afford it. The 60mm macro still looks the best value for money in my book.
Sorry, but presenting a new lens as the best ever made sounds like advertising and not a review. It's a pity that OM System is drifting more and more only into the nature photography corner and is getting more and more expensive. That's no longer interesting for me.
I think it is a wise move from OMDS to go that path. There is more room for them as the gear they are making is great for that genre. It is not the path my photography is going. OM SYSTEM cameras and lenses are good for many other genres too.
@@ForsgardPeterTheir material is also ideal for the street and travelling, for a young audience, and that's completely left out. What's new in OMDS apart from releasing products designed under Olympus? They lose the spirit of the micro 4/3 and make it a niche for wealthy seniors lovers of flowers and birds...
That niche might quite good. When selling something there is a strategy to sell everything for everyone or selling a niche product to a fewer amount of people. Both strategies can be successful. It remains to be seen how OMDS strategy works in the long run. Of course the products are quite similar to Olympus products. The R&D team is basically the same.
Their focussing on nature and wildlife photography is just part of their current marketing strategy, which started with the 150-400mm Pro zoom. About a decade ago Olympus were sponsoring rock music photography exhibitions. I'm a music photographer, which is considered strictly the preserve of 35mm sensor cameras. I recently switched back to Olympus and I'm still able to get great shots of bands in some terrible lighting, using the very affordable f/1.8 Zuiko primes. M4/3 will do over 90% of photographic jobs, and some of them better than other formats. They are ideal for photojournalism and documentary work, sports and many other genres beyond nature. And remember, "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." Marcus Aurelius
I really do thing a huge portion of society has lost their minds. Someone please explain to me in real, understandable terms, exactly what an 'Eco-friendly' box is -- other than it's uglier and cheaper to produce than the older very attractive black boxes with photos of the gear. Either box can be shredded and repurposed. Either one will turn into a pile of ash if incinerated. If the idea is that there is less printing ink used, then we are talking about a hair-splitting joke.
@@agylub And you know this, how? This is all nothing but marketing jargon. Do you seriously think the old boxes were made by companies going out and looking for 'old growth' to cut down. 😂
I work in package design. Almost all current packaging printing is done in CCP using quite toxic and poorly regulated inks. The new 'sustainable' cardboard is slightly more expensive to produce, but biodegrades with less chemical seepage. But of course is overall a bit cheaper to produce due to print cost savings. There are of course high quality sustainable inks available, but they cost more. So you are right to suspect a cheapskate :)
Cameras will die a slow death for the average consumer. The diference between a stupid smartphone and a camera is very little. Nobody on their right mind will spend thousands of euros for a camera, then thousands of euros for each lens and i'm not even counting tripods, triggers, lights, stabilizers etc when their smartphone takes nice enough pictures. When smarphones were 48p, not so long ago, there were good reasons for everybody to get a camera but now a smartphone camera is good enough for 99,99% of us. As an example, I decided to take photos of an event i was participating but not professionally. Do you think people cared about blurry photos, photography rules or straight up horrible photos? When i showed them the photos, they were interested in those where they had a funny smile or were hugging a friend, stuff like that, regardless of being out of focus or having too much noise. They just don't notice it or give a crap about it. Only photographers really worry about those issues, nobody else cares and that's the reason why cameras will become a device only for professionals or wealthy people. I honestly gave up my photography hobby because the prices of everything related to photography are pure nonsense.
That is what has happened. Less people buy "real" cameras. In around 2010 the number of cameras that were sold was about 120 million. Now the same amount is around 20 million. Smartphones have taken over a huge part of camera sales.
Happily, not all of us relish being 'average consumer' - whoever that entity is. Thankfully, not every product and practice targets the world in terms of one size fits all.
The average consumers is a bold statement to make. Most photographs were and are taken to catch and immortalize the moment. So what you have seen is the use of photography as 95% of people always sees photographs. Only profesional photographers talked as this is a art. Most people goes to museums to see paintings which is a real art. During the days of film SLR, point and shoot going into the digital age of DSLR, the majority bought a camera to make photos of a moment. During 60, 70,80, 90 and the first decade of new millennia is was the same. For taking pictures of birthdays, births and special moments or during holidays. The smartphone is providing a good solution for 95% of the use case. The professional photographers are also dying because there is less need for them in news, family photos and events. Right now, due of smartphones, the most amount of photos are taken every day but not with dedicated cameras. But don’t count out hobbyist market, as a lot of people are buying those expensive cameras, also old film cameras and old film lenses. I saw that old used Nikon FM3a was selling for around €1800. There is enough market for hobbyist, people who in their spare time will go outdoors and take the patience to take a photo simply for the sake of taking the photo.
I do not think they have. Does the half prices lens have the features? SyncIS? Compatibilitu with extenders? Can you do in-camera Focus stacking? What about IP53 grade weather sealing? I agree that it is a lot of many, but you also get a lot with that money.
@@ForsgardPeter A few years ago, I was looking fr a long macro lens for my Canon camera. Most were F3.5 or F4 and unstabilised. Only the Sigma 180mm was stabilised, it's also F2.8. A huge lens.
This brand can not fool any longer and also with this lens. Other brands do much better and cheaper in APS-C and full frame than this foolish MFT product for over 1350 € . Happy influencing with that crap ! 🤣🤣
Give me an example of another 2:1 macro lens that has AF, IS and weather sealing. Oh, you can't? Thought so. Also, Canon sells their 100mm f2.8 1:1 Macro for over $1300...
Great one. Awesome to show the bracketed and stacked pictures of the match tip. Most of the time reviewers talk about stuff like that but don't show the outcome. Or the other way where they show a great picture but don't tell that it has been shot with bracketing and stacking.
I wanted to show that because you need those features with the lens. The DOF is so shallow especially when using the MC-20 with it.
@@ForsgardPeter I think that not many users know about the possibilities of OMDS.
Thanks Peter. I was able to preorder mine yesterday £1299 in the UK.
Peter, Great vídeo about this lens. I like how you went outdoors with a flash and diffusure to take a photo. It show how OM is positioning itself and the target audience of this lens.
Thanks. I wanted to try how it is to photograph with this lens handheld. I guess quite many OM SYSTEM users will do that.
Definitely on the wish list.
I already have the 60mm macro and I think I would have a lot of fun with this one but, having just picked up the OM-1 and the 12-200mm lens this week, I think I'd better wait at least a little while.
Great presentation as always, Peter!
Thanks.
Well presented, Peter. Thank you. I think OM SYSTEM is doing the right thing in delivering great options for both high end macro photography and with their telephoto lenses to wildlife photography. MFT screams to be used for that kind of photography, due to the so called crop factor and the fantastic image stabilization. This new lens is expensive but will serve the macro enthusiasts really well. It is an investment for a decade or more, so in those terms the value is ok. It is interesting to see the compatibility with the teleconverters and I would like to see the extend of the image degradation, introduced by those additional optical elements. There must be some, but by looking at your samples, I guess OM SYSTEM was able to deliver a very strong performance overall.
A great review as always, thank you. I pre-ordered it on the day it was announced and cannot wait to give it a try. I am an amateur photographer who loves macro and this lens will hopefully help me to add even better images to my macro talk.
Hope you enjoy it!
I have the Olympus 60mm macro lens and I love it. I also have two 3rd-party extenders (10mm, 16mm) and they work well. Since I often take close-up shots of rare and endangered plants for nature scientists, I can see the value of the 90mm mainly to keep me further away from the subjects and their surrounding micro-habitat. However, I think that for now I'd rather save to purchase the OM-1 first. Thank you for yet another very well-made video! I rely upon your advice! Cheers!
I have the same setup but I have waited for the 90mm lens since the MFT came out. I wish the lens had f2.8 aperture settings. I wanted to let you know there is a way to use MC-14 with some 3rd party extenders with AF.
@@fanb0y777 Thank you! I'll look into it. Cheers!
@@fanb0y777 And I have done so. You need an extension tube with electrical connections and with an opening large enough to take the projecting glass from the extender.
@@evenhandedcommentor6102 Yes, some ext. Tubes from certain Chinese brands offer large openings for the MC14. =D
I have also used 60mm + extenders using extension tubes. It works, but it is quite hard to use. If that is no problem then it is a good choice too. Just make sure the extension tube is big enough so that the extender fits.
Thanks, as always, for a thorough review. Pre-ordered through Amazon and B&H.
Great review. I'd love to hear more about that flash set up!
It is a cheap diffusior and an Olympus radio flash. The flash can be any brand that is compatible with Olympus/OM SYSTEM cameras.
Looks like a stellar macro lens. How I wish there would be similar FF macro.. 200mm f 4 IS that accepts TC and gets x4 magnification. Lens speed doesn't matter much because if you are serious about macro, you use a tripod and & or extra light (flash) Well done OM System!
I agree about the fastest aperture. In a macro lens it does not matter that much.
Hey Peter, Ethan from 1of1images. I’ll of course be getting this lens - I had a hard time understanding the “secret” thing you mentioned earlier - that you cannot mention yet….
Is it possible OM Systems would be considering internal focus stacking up to 25 images maybe ???
No it is the tripod collar. It fits, but there are not anything that holds it firmly.
@@ForsgardPeter The "secret" thing is a tripod collar?? I don't get it....
@@Centauri27 I think Peter means the tripod collar from the 40-150mm fits the 90
@@Carlos1180 Ah, interesting. So it'll fit, but there's no actual collar lugs on the lens--that's why Peter says "there's nothing to hold it firmly"?
hi peter, I will pre-order it! ❤
Thank you, Peter. I've ordered one and hope to do some panos with it. Someone using a different camera brand said you couldn't do that with macro lenses but they were wrong. I did one with my 60mm lens. However, I haven't tried it with the 30mm which I'll probably loan to other family members.
Hi Peter! Thanks for the great videos on mft system! Where is the 90mm vs 60mm showdown? :)
Unfortunately I do not have either of those lenses anymore.
Hi Peter, I just bought a 60mm 2.8 macro. Is that lens the sharpest marco lens or is this one more sharp? Also what f stop is the sharpest on the 60mm 2.8 macro.
The 90mm is sharper, but 60mm is almost as sharp. I have used F4 or F5.6 to get the sharpest results.
The 60mm is much sharper in the center (max at f4), but is rather softer in the corners. The 90 mm is softer overall (sharpest at f5.6), but a bit more uniform. In the macro range f8-f16 they are about the same.
@@GrenlandUnderVann Thank you very much. I just got the lens, and I was wondering which one would be better. I currently have the 60mm f2.8
@@ForsgardPeter if you look at tests a f2.8 design will basically always be sharper than a f3.5 because of less diffraction, unless there is significantly less compromises on the "smallness" of the design.
Thanks a lot for this review Peter.
Opinions are divided about this lens, but we can praise OMDS for having made a pro macro lens with so many possibilities. I am glad that OMDS does not only focus on wildlife, although this has been a good strategy. As for myself, I already own the 60mm which I am very satisfied with. I don't do much macro, so I'm not going to buy the 90mm.
I look forward to your video where you will compare the 60mm with the 90mm.
Tripod collar? I'm wondering Peter if this lens would be too large and heavy to use on the OM5?
Good shout !! 😮 didn’t think of that one
It goes ok with OM-5 even though it is quite "big". Not saying that you are right about the tripod collar, but you are not wrong either... at your own risk...
Look at Red35. He use the OM-5 in the video he made about the 90 mm. He looks quite happy
Large, but not heavy (something under 500 g). Should be no problem for smaller cameras.
By applying the magnification extension MC-20, is there any difference about the sharpness of the picture? From 2x to 4x magnification...
There is only a slight difference. IQ is best without any extenders.
4:33 Do you think that the test was done thoroughly and properly to justify your findings? Maybe try again under the same shooting methods and conditions? why stack different amounts of shots? Just curious here. is it impossible to provide side by side comparison with the same image size?
I could try that if I get the lens again for testing.
Super review, thank you. When you do the video comparing the 60 mm to the 90 mm, please can you specify the working distances from the front of the lens for us? Olympus only gives the closest focus measured from the sensor plane and, given that the 90 mm is 5·4 cms longer than the 60 mm, it is difficult to know just how much extra working distance the 90 mm allows over the 60 mm at the same magnification.
Thanks. I will.
Thanks for the review. Seems like an awesome lens, but getting big and pricey for my taste. I’ll stick to the amazing 60mm. Now, onward to the PEN- F II 🙏🏻
Yes, Pen-F Mark II would be awesome.
@@ForsgardPeter Pen-F Mk2 yes, but then with a tilting EVF like Panasonic GX9 so we can use this 90mmm Macro close to ground!
Great review Peter. I know that I would love to get my hands on one, but it's not on my wish list "Yet". It would not be useful to me for my storm photography but would have limited applications with my wildlife and portrait photography side. But you never know. I look forward to your comparison video in the weeks ahead. Cheers Peter!
I will try to get a hold of the 90mm again and make a proper side-by-side comparison.
It looks like a great lens but I think I stick to my old trusted 60 mm f 2.8 lens. Thanks for the review.
Peter, my question is about stacking. I purchased the 90mm 3.5 macro and I have an OM-1 camera. When set for stacking the first time I tried to shoot I got an an error message that this lens was not compatible for stacking. I don't know what's going on. Any advice? Do you have a video dedicated to stacking? Thanks
Jim B.
Did you have the MF Clutch on Manual Focus? M.Zuiko 90mm F3.5 is compatible with stacking.
OK, will give it another go tomorrow. Thank you.@@ForsgardPeter
I rented om-1 with 60mm and the focus stacking feature worked great. I just rented it again with the 90 mm and it is no longer stacking. I do not get that busy screen while at stacks. Any ideas? The body version is 1.5 , lens 1.0
Did you check the settings? You had AF turned on?
@@ForsgardPeter yes I do
To get the 2x magnification, the focus limiter switch must be moved to S macro position. Could he focus limiter switch be programmed to a function button??
Unfortunately no. Not sure if it is possible.
Brilliant video, thank you Peter! What external monitor is it at 9:40 ? Looks interesting...
It is a Feelworld LUT6. I have a video about it: ua-cam.com/video/mz0G8v2JI3I/v-deo.html
@@ForsgardPeter Thank you Peter!
Peter.. is there any real advantage to use this lens on a the OM-1 over the MKii ?
If I am correct OM-1 has better stacking. OM-1 has 15 and E-M1 Mark II has 8. I believe that OM-1 has a bit better SyncIS with the lens. Other than that no differences that comes to my kind.
What about focus breathing? A big issue when focus stacking. Thank you.
It is there. If you do it internally the camera can figure it out. Also as you saw on the video Luminar Neo was able to do very good job.
The 60mm macro has significant focus breathing near 1:1 magnification. Is the new 90mm pro any improvement at 1:1 or does the problem occur as you approach it's full magnification of 1:2. Does the MC20 improve or worsen the situation?
Now, THIS, I cannot wait to get me one! Greetings to a Finnish from a Finnish in Exile ;-)
Thanks for the review Peter. It's no doubt the ultimate macro lens, but it's definitely not for me--just saw that it's $2050 here in Canada! I already have the 60mm and 30mm macros. Definitely in the "can never afford that!" category, like the 300mm f/4 and 150-400 f/4.5!
Might be useful for many laboratories too. The nice step between close-up and microscopy.
4x Magnification looks similar like when I reverse mount 35/2 on Pentax. MF only and tripod use, obviously.
It could probably be used in labs.
eco-friendly box is a nice move. it is a nice plus. I may need to pick up a macro lens. I currently don't have one.
I think so too. It does not look that good, but it better than the old fancy looking shiny boxes.
@Peter Forsgård yea not as presentable on a display shelf in some cases. Although, my local shop has the lenses in boxes in the back room or on a shelf and just hands a demo model to the customer.
Hi Peter, I would like to have a little help. I would like to start a product photography. I mean, just get some money from what I love. I do have a6400, and some tele lens like sony's 200-600 but that's for wildlife, and I would like to give myself a few months of practise and get some product courses of course, and then start actively. Could you help me with an advice If I should move (because I do plan to do that in next month) to A7-IV and buy a macro lens after, or just get a macro for a6400? Which one on way would you go? I even thought of swapping all of that to OM1 + 60/90 mm + 300 mm f4 pro because it's MUCH MUCH less weight in the field.. but my logic says it's not the way for the future..... when I already have sony equipment and it's closer to FF than reducing to MFT format.... I thought about Lawoa 90 mm x2 macro f2.8 if I stay to Sony, or even new TT Artisans f2.8 x2 macro, because I found it almost twice cheaper.. Please help, ur're an expert! 🙏🙏
Product photography is an interesting genre. Not that easy, but if mastered very lucrative.
I would start with the camera you have. Get a macro lens for that. I do not recommend cheap and low quality macro lenses. In product photography sharpness is needed in most cases. Unfortunately cannot say for sure what macro lens is the best option for a6400. I would check what Sigma has to offer. They usually have very good quality and price ratio lenses.
OM-1 and the lenses you mentioned is a good choice also. You can get 80Mpix images using high resolution mode in OM-1. The new 90mm is a great macro lens. Having a smaller sensor can be a benefit in product and macro photography. The depth of Field is bigger. You might want that, but it depends on your style.
As In said I would start with the a6400 and a macro lens. Of course if have a budget for a new camera and lens it is a different thing. In product photography lighting is quite important. Invest in good lighting too.
Good luck and hope everything goes well!
@@ForsgardPeter Exactly, too much things around product photography (and space in your home too..) is there. It's like having tons of equipment in next room including lighting, tables, color cards and other fancy things.
People complain about MFT format, but I see a big future for these sensors. There are instead some limits in 1" sensors, but still can be better too (probably won't be though).
So as you said I need a lens to my product photography, It don't need to be probably a macro lens (I do have 85 mm f1.8 too I forgot to say), so if it's a big product then could be used with good shallow DoF. But I know some products are really small, so having that is 2:1. If you want to go out for nature hobby shots again you have your macro lens. Gonna look for some professional too. And what's good about OM system, their lenses and cameras are highly waterproof, like.. it's a machine if you go out at rain/snowy days, so that's a big advantage.
The new macro lense is definitely a great product, but for me as a hobby-photographer it is too expensive and I have already the 30 mm and the 60 mm macro lenses.
Can you tell us what was the flat flash you used?
I had FL-700WR and triggered it with FC-WR. I also had a collapsible diffuser.
@@ForsgardPeter Thank you.
I thought it was a special double-layer diffuser with a grip. In the video it looked like you fired between of two layers. I thought in front was a diffusion-layer and in the inner backside there was a reflective side to bounce forward.
Yes I did fire it between two layers. It is a collapsible "box". Sorry I was not very clear.
@@ForsgardPeter Thank you for clarifying.
Very cool, I only have the 30mm one.😊
If you do the test between this lens and 60mm macro, perhaps you will use de 60mm with de raynox dcr250 and compared. 60mm with raynox dcr250 is my "combo".
That could be a thing. I am not sure if I can get the 90mm in a near future for testing again. That would be cool to see the difference. Of course I could make that match tip photo again and compare.
Some reviewers are touting the lens as having the capabilities of 4x FF equivalence with the teleconverter while others are saying 8x FF equivalence. Can you clarify?
Yes. 4x(35mm format) without teleconverter and 5.6x(35mm format)with mc14 teleconverter, 8x(35mm format)with mc-20 teleconverter. Information from the om system website.
@@kamilrakowski23 --Thank you!
With macro, 1:1 ratio is 1:1 no matter the sensor format. With M4/3 it just fills more of the frame, literally cropping it. Saying it is 2x, 4x or 8x is just marketing nonsense.
thanks for the scoop!
This is the best review you have done so far, IMO. The only downside is the IQ of the video. Was it recorded with OM-1 in 8bit mode, which is supposed to be worse than predecessors? OMDS should do more on the video side (pure 10bit w/o HLG/vlog, HQ H265 8bit mode, 3K, LUT with Oly colours etc.
Did you watch it SD or fullHD? I think I used the same settings like I always do. Need to check that.
@@ForsgardPeter In FullHD. When I compare with other youtubers videos, the footage lacks details (your forehead) and colours are muted. UA-cam runs certain compression time to time, it is better to upload in highest res. possible. Maybe you saw this but can you watch this? What do you think? ua-cam.com/video/P7rEhkOHNAU/v-deo.html He has better details (he shoots in 4K).
OM System should pick the body of EM-1X and do the same as Nikon has done with their Z9 and called it OM-1X and introduce some more video codecs, LUTS, Log, BRAW and Apple ProRes as this product will gain you more users.
Looks awesome, however, I have the 60 mil and do not do that much macro, I can see this as a great product/portrait lens. Will look forward to your 90 mil vs 60 mil vid. Cheers!
I already have the 60 f2.8 for the occasional times I shoot macro - and the 90 is very pricey (from my perspective) so I think I will stop there.
soo cool just want one, would have been complete untouchable if was f2.8
You said innovative. I think "innovative" requires some context, and certainly what's gone before,
There is Canon's MP-E 65, released in 1999. With magnification in the range 1x to 5x. Until recent lenses from China there's been nothing to touch it. It's manual focus, unstabilised, F3.5 if I remember correctly. I don't know whether it works with teleconverters
It never focusses to infinity, but it does go to 5x without additional hardware. I think the 90mm lens wins with automatic focus bracketting, but other than that its' nt clear that the 90mm would replace my MP-E 65. I have an adaptor, I could use it on M43, and I also have an adaptor to mount it on my Lumix S1R.
The whole package is quite unique. I do not think there is anything like this one. I have used MP-E 65 in the past when I was using Canon. It is an extremenly good macro lens. It was a lot harder to use compared to this one.
Very interesting lens, not sure how I could use it underwater because of the DOF but still.
That would be hard.
@@ForsgardPeter Well, I do use supermacro filters underwater also so maybe it would work. The benefit of not scaring the subject away would be very interesting.
@@juhanivaihkonenunderwater More subject distance (which is good to not scare the critter) means more dirty water between the lens and the critter (which is bad, especially when using flash). Don't you think?
@@_Thumbnail_ Generally yes, but now we are talking about centimeters, and I find that with 30mm macro it so close that you can kill the subject accidentally and 60mm macro is ok usually. You can easily place your lights or strobes so that you will not get backscatter, or you something like snoot to narrow the light beam.
Great review, Peter. I've seen many positive comments about this lens. Unfortunately, as a camera system becomes more mature new products (especially lenses) will naturally be more specialized. From all I can read, this is the most advanced macro lens - period - and yet there are those who think it is priced too high. None other than Chris from DPReview said that considering its feachers the price is totally justified.
It is a lot of money, but I also think it is a good value for that money.
@@ForsgardPeter most m43 lenses are overpriced in my opinion.
I like my old top Macro Olympus OM lenses of the 80s. 50mm f2.0 and 90mm f2.0. You can't get more light and smoother bokeh.
Both of those lenses are very good.
I put this lens on back order yesterday. I do a lot of insect photography in the warmer months. My biggest criticism of the 60mm macro that it just is not that sharp (this is compared to the full frame Nikon Z105mm macro, the problem with that lens is magnification). I hope the 90mm will resolve more detail and I look forward the the extra magnification, especially because I already have the 1.4 teleconverter, a Raynox and extention tubes.
Thanks Peter! Wonderful and complete review! This Lens is amazing! I will not buy it for this price. For 999€ I would buy immediately! But for 1499€, is very difficult to justify the investment. Macro is a hobby for me and I already own the 30mm and 60mm.
Glad you liked it. I also have those two lenses and I am happy with them.
For the professionals this looks like a very nice lens, and compared to the prices of other brands pro lenses is reasonably priced. For those who are occasional photographers the 40 - 150 kit lens combined with aftermarket extension tubes (with electrical contacts@$22) can make some nice "macro" photos.
Micro 4/3rds cameras are an affordable way to get into the hobby and later add professional quality gear if so desired.
Well said.
On travels and hikes I even use the 14-150 zoom plus a screw-on-macro-lens. Covers virtually all "small wildlife" situations I might get into. And is light and small, ideal for the small daypack together with maybe spare clothings, food and beverages. And the screw-on-macro-lens is quicker to put on and off compared to the mounting of extension tubes, and less risky to drop the zoom lens or get dust / dirt into your camera.
Hmm, I'm really intrigued by the "secret feature" that is similar to the 40 - 150 mm lens. Anyone guessed what it is yet?
It doesn't come with a tripod adapter, but accepts the one for the 40-150/2.8 zoom.
@@charlesmingo3459 Thanks for this info. Good to know ;)
It is not officially supported. The lens does not have the small "spikes" that keeps secure. I tested the collar and it works well. You just have to be careful so that the lens does not drop.
40-150mm Len’s hood by any chance ?
No it is not the lens hood.
@@ForsgardPeter 40-150mm 2x teleconverter deal ? 😂 I’m really not sure 🤔 any clues
The tripod foot ! 😮
I have the 30 and the 60 but I do not use them often enough to warrant purchasing this lens… I will wait for my dad to buy one and just barrow it.
Certainly an interesting lens. I do a great deal of photography with the 30mm and 60mm macros, recording plantlife and other relatively still subjects. In 3 or 4 weeks the violets will be coming into flower so I will be on my knees in the wet grass. Alas there is still no prefect lens for my other love, flying insects. The local northern brown argus butterfly is less than 30mm wingspan so 1:1 is not needed, but butterflies are off and away as soon as they detect you. Tripods, reflectors and flash also frighten them off. So a longer lens is needed. I use the Olympus 40-150 f2.8 with a teleconverter. I think something like a 300mm able to focus as closer than 1 metre would be prefect. The Oly 300 f4 might do the job, but the weight and the price...
Have you tried close-up filters? Losing infinity focus might be a killer for some cases.
@@oneeyedphotographer I have tried in the past. They are fine for subjects that won't fly away, but with flying insects such as damselflies and butterflies you need to keep your distance to avoid them flying off. It's possible with a long lens with extension tubes but can be very difficult to find the subject and focus, as the focus range is quite small. Easier in a 'studio' but hard outside. Zooms are quite useful as you can zoom out to find the subject, then zoom in.
With these subjects the IQ over the whole field is less important as most of the photo will be out of focus anyway, although chromatic effects are still undesirable!
Do I want it? YES!!
Do I need it? Not really.
Can I afford it? No.
It's that simple. Everyone should ask themselves these three questions when a new piece of tech comes on the market.
I totally agree.
60mm with raynox 250 is still better value for the money. You can even get 3 of that setup for the same price as the slow 90mm.
As a Macro lens - how it was designed and how I'll primarily use this, I don't consider it 'slow'. It will almost always be stopped down to F8 or thereabouts.
It is slower than F2.8, but as John said we stop down most of time anyway.
@@ForsgardPeter depends on the subject. For me, I love to keep eyes only in focus on the tiny jumping spiders. But if you focus stack in lower light, then 2.8 is brighter
What is that thing "that you cannot say" and that we can try at our own risk? Why? Can you give us a tip?
Now I can, it is the tripod collar from the 40-150mm F2.8 Pro lens. It is not officially supported. 90mm does not have the little nobs that keeps the collar tightly . There is a possibility that the lens slips out.
It is surely a very good objective but very expensive and for a very specific use. As an extension of Olympus, OMDS clearly neglects a less budgeted and often younger public who could make the future of the brand, hiking, street, travel, for its compactness, its lightness, its versatility... but the cost and the almost exclusive focus on fauna/flora unfortunately keeps it away. And we are forced to wonder about the future of the brand (which is disappearing from stores in France).
Did OMDS stop selling the 30 and 60 mil that are very good and much cheaper? No. They are just extending the range to match different needs and budgets. So then why to complain?
The 30mm and the 60mm are still available, and they have not stopped offering the 30mm and the 60mm. There are products for different photographers. OMDS is concentrating on high-end and a bit pricey equipment at the moment. As I said, they still concentrate on high-end products.
@@ForsgardPeter This is the problem. I'm French too and it's true that OMDS products leave the major brands and specialist stores. High-end lenses for a very targeted practice, that's fine. But non-tropicalized 1.8 lenses and an OM5 in 2022 with the same body as that of 2019 and the same defects which were already a problem at the time (menu, usb-c, etc.), all of this is for me a strategic error longer term. Soon, OMDS will only be available in Japan and on websites. The year 2023 will be decisive for forming an opinion on this.
We have to see how they do with the strategy they have. It is possible to have a successful business concentrating on high end products.
@@ForsgardPeter Maybe. But then it will be without me. I will wait until I am older and richer to turn to birds, small flowers and insects...😅
Great. We just got a product that none of us asked. We wanted a Macro 60 mkII with a focus clutch and perhaps a less plastic feel or better build. Nobody asked for a large, slow and 3-times the price 90mm macro with IS (when the IBIS in most Olympus cameras are exceptional performers). Plus at this focus magnification, as you well point out, you need to focus stack and use a lot of light that makes by definition this lens not the best choice for going out in the wild. Unless you have very patient bugs that will wait for you to setup a tripod, a set of flashes and you setting the focus staking option on...
"the IBIS in most Olympus cameras are exceptional performers"
The problem is that at macro distances, the field of view is much smaller than IBIS is designed for. It's well-known that IBIS is less effective as telephoto "reach" goes up, but what's REALLY happening is that IBIS is less effective as field of view decreases - which is exactly what happens at macro reproduction ratios! So OIS is actually a huge benefit to hand-held macro shooters.
Jan is right. The longer the lens the better it is to have a stabiliser in the lens. It works better than just the IBIS.
@@Bytesmiths And so is a tripod, and more light to close down the aperture and a home studio... Hand held in the field I have doubts this 90mm will outperform the 60mm in practicality and probably results.
@@franciscoscaramanga2342 Perhaps you're right. I've always been a tripod macro shooter.
But it appears OMDS went to great lengths to satisfy the hand-held shooter with this one. It could have been a totally different lens without OIS - smaller, lighter, brighter… I'm trusting they had their reasons for their design decisions. Just wish I could check it out myself… without selling a kidney!
I think you are right Jan. OMDS is all about hand held.
What about focus breathing? The 60 macro was very bad
It has some, but I need to get back to this if I can get a hold of one.
Focus breathing is a problem for video. How many macro lens are designed with video in mind?
@@evenhandedcommentor6102 focus breathing causes issues with focus stacking. Severe focus breathing = severe cropping.
@@earlteigrob9211 My 60mm Macro focus stacks just fine. Yes, there's a crop, but you can position your lens to account for it. Not a problem. To be fair, I'm generally not attempting 1:1 true macro much which may be where the focus beathing is the worst.
This lens is way too expensive for me.
1499€ is too much for a hobbyist
Is certainly a good lens but is also a lens that will not be used on a regular basis
Compared to the 60mm macro more than double in price?
Has the mysterious benefit that you couldn't talk about materialized yet?
Yes, it is the ability to use the tripod collar from 40-150mm F2.8 Pro. It is not officially supported by OM SYSTEM but it works.
Great product, but for this price is not worth it. I would perefer to keep my 60mm + Raynox250 glass for extra magnification (despite minor quality distrupution) and invest that money for like F4 300mm lens to widen my photo range.
That's a heavy beast. It is pin sharp but I left it at home when we went away and that's b/c of the weight limit when I wanted to take heaps of lenses b/c we were going remote.
Jessus mikä diffuuseri
Juu se on aika erikoinen, mutta myös hyvin toimiva eikä ole edes kallis.
Oh well, now we need insect AI subject recognition 🦋
OM Systems Australia knows that. It recently sponsored some macro photographers to go hunting peacock spiders. The video is on Look Closer.
@@oneeyedphotographer great! My comment was actually meant as a joke! Insect and spider eyes are easy to see, problem is, there are too many of them on the same subject...
@@Vincenzo-bm1up I'm autistic. Jokes like that tend to go over my head.
The video is on Look Closer.
@@oneeyedphotographer I am deeply sorry, not the faintest intention to target you personally or otherwise. It was just a lighthearted comment on the proliferation of AI subject recognition functions.
My apologies if I caused you any distress in any way.
In my opinion, OM-System really needs to focus on its pricing and product portfolio strategy soon. Having only 1 recent tech camera body in the portfolio (OM-1) which is becoming more and more apparently overpriced as opposed to the products the competitors are releasing is one thing. But overpricing the supporting system of lenses as well is just suicide.
The price is always something we need to consider. I agree that this is a bit on the pricey side, but it also is good value for money. It is for me too expensive since I already have the 30mm and the 60mm macros. If I did not have them I would most likely buy this lens. Also if I was a macro photographer i would sell the 30 and the 60mm and buy this.
You missed the OM 5?
@@oneeyedphotographer the OM-5 is based on a 6+ year old sensor and is at best just a re-publishing of the E-M1 Mk3 from 2020
@@ForsgardPeter wise advice I think I’ll take it! I’m going to order one through my local store.
It's a specialised Pro lens with a lot of tech in it. Yes, it's expensive. Have you looked at the prices of Canon's premium RF lenses? OM System have also released a revised 12-40 f/2.8, the 20mm f/1.4, and the 40-150mm f/4, which are all reasonably priced.
great. but, i dont really need her. i have the 50mm f2. she is still great
Check out the lenstip review. they rake OM Systems over the coals for going with f3.5 instead of f2.8 or even, f2. The reason...diffraction limits when using the teleconverters. Don't forget, this lens reduces to f5 at the 2x magnification level. Add a teleconverter and stop it down? Not so good. I own the 60mm which is f2.8. I was also hoping for more working distance with this lens, but because the lens is so long, the increased working distance is minimal. This new lens is not 3x better, so I won't be paying 3x more for it. Sorry OM Systems, try again.
When doing macro the focal plane is so narrow, so curious what the benefit of 2.8 would be when many time probably going with f8+?
@@BMadPhoto Bright image...is good for composing. Would not generally use f2.8 for taking a single shot of the actual image unless I didn't want much depth of field, but there is something called focus stacking/bracketing. That is what everyone does now. So, you can use a wider f-stop and not worry about depth of field. On top of that, use of extenders is improved when they start from a wider f-stop. Diffraction starts to become an issue beyond f/8 for m4/3. Using the 2x MC-20 with this new lens at f/5 which is the best it can do at 2x magnification puts you at f/10. If this lens was f/2.8. then the 2x would be at f/4 and the teleconverter addition would be at f/8.
I read it. They make lab tests. Those are important, but can you see a problem in the images that has been made in real life? I think the IQ is quite good. Yes F2.8 would have been better. The lens would have been a lot bigger and that would have been most likely an issue for many. Lenstip is right about the aperture. The IQ would have been even better if the aperture was F2.8 and the F4 and F8. I have tested the diffraktion and it starts to affect the images quality in real life photos around F11-F16. With real life images I mean when it is visible. In lab tests, yes after F8.
@@ForsgardPeter Okay. If anyone primarily does macro photography, or at least that is a large portion of their photography...then the new 90mm lens is the most convenient way to do it. I do some macro, but I certainly do not concentrate on even life size (which is 1:1), as opposed to even greater magnifications. I've played with the MC-14 teleconverter and the 60mm macro lens. I've played with the Raynox lens on top of that. But in general, I shoot larger insects...butterflies and the like. I make much more use of my 300mm f4 pro, with the MC-20. I recently bought the 100-400mm lens. I did so because there is a nearby field of wildflowers where sometimes the butterflies are too close for the 300mm and sometimes I want more than 300mm. Obviously, the 150-400mm pro with TC would be the best solution...but that lens is expensive. 😅 Maybe someday.
Later in the wildflower season, I set up remote cameras next to specific flowers that attract butterflies and rarely, hummingbirds. I watch with binoculars and shoot when something is on the specific flower. For that purpose, 40-70mm (80-140mm full frame) works best for me. The 60mm macro is perfect in this case. The 12-40mm and the 40-150mm pro also work well. The 75-300mm is a bit too long. I also have the 12-50mm kit lens and it's just fine for this purpose. I have several cameras! I still have my original EM5. However, the hummingbirds do not like the sound of the mechanical shutter so I can't use it in this application!!!
300mm F4 is surprisingly good for close-ups, and 40-150mm F2.8. 60mm with extension tubes + extenders works well regarding image quality. It is just quite hard to photograph with that combo.
Best macro ever? I think my Nikon 70-180mm zoom is the most versatile macro lens I know about. But okay, it is not Olympus, it is not weather-shielded, and has no IS. Which is what attracts me to this one. IS will make it easier for handheld macro in the woods. But I need to think about it more, and save up. I do have the Panasonic 45mm (with OIS) and the Olympus 60mm.
Nice video but I will not be buying the new lens I am happy with my 60 mm
The best macro ever. But he's not buying it. And the cost of weather sealed extension tubes ?
True, I am not. I do not need it. I do not buy everything I like. I have not found any weather-sealed extension tubes. Not sure they exist.
@@ForsgardPeter thanks for getting back to me Olympus used to make a weather sealed tube. But not any more. I was suggesting that the 60mm with extension tubes might be as good a macro system at much less cost. The kenko works together with the in camera stacking. The weakness would be weather sealing. And the restriction to a narrow macro field of view. I am waiting to see how the 90mm compares for insects and spiders.
I do have the 60mm F2.8 lens and extension tubes. That combo works for me for those rare occasions I need a macro lens.
The best macro lens ever? What did you compare the lenses to, well, I find the title very lurid.
It is a bold statement, I know. I explained it in the video. The specs are pretty impressive. I do not think there is another macro lens with those specs? IS (7 stops with SyncIS), IP53, 4X (FF eqv.) magnification, 8X (FF eqv.) magnification with a 2X teleconverter, MF Clutch, full-time working AF on all distances, including S-Macro. etc. There might be some macro lenses that some features that are better, but is there a lens that has all this?
"The Best Macro Lens Ever Made" says the guy who totally was not sponsored by OM Systems. /s
I know it is a bold statement. I explained it in the video what I meant. No I am not sponsored. I am an OM SYSTEM Ambassador. We do not get payed, or at least I am not. We have other benefits, like access to gear that we can borrow etc.
the lack of self-awareness is strong on this one.
with all the euphoria Peter for this lens, but I don't think it's the best on the market, you would have to compare it with Sigma and Sony in the corresponding 90 mm category. In addition, I think the price of 1500 € is completely exaggerated. At least for private users. Olympus says goodbye for me and obviously focuses on the professional photographer. In addition, you always have to see the quality of a lens in combination with the camera, and unfortunately Olympus lags behind Nikon, Canon and Sony. I also don't understand Olympus that you can get the 30 mm under 60 mm at a ridiculous price and then put the 90 mm in such a price segment
I am sure both of those lenses are good. The Sony is up to 1:1. Sigma 105 macro is also 1:1, but with that you can also use extenders if you have the L-mount version of the lens. Sigma does not have a stabiliser. The new 90mm from OMDS is great package. I agree that it is a bit on the pricey side, but as I said in the video it is a good value for money.
What comes to cameras form OM SYSTEM and other brands. Yes there are some great alternatives to OM SYSTEM. On macro photography m4/3 has an advantage. You get more DOF. To get the same angle of view you need a 180mm on a FF body. The DOF is minimum. Then you most likely need bracketing and stacking. OM SYSTEM cameras are most likely the best cameras what comes to stacking. As I said there are a lot of cameras that are better at some things than OM SYSTEM, but macro is not the one that many cameras are better.
Thank you Peter for your awnser. I believe you are right about it being the best Macro lens over all. I cant see how all these who talks the system down, some with mathematics that reality shows not true, some with other "feelings".
I wish they could stop being so thretened by OM System, but at the same time it shows OM System is a great competitor.
It seems to me that many Olympus/OM1 detractors haven’t actually owned or used their equipment. My OM1 certainly outperforms my old full frame Nikon and is much easier to carry a full range of lenses for travel and wildlife photography. The 60mm macro is superb and I expect this lens is much better.
In what way does it lag behind Canon, Nikon and Sony. Have you tried OM-1?
Hi Peter and thanks for your review. Some interesting facts but like most others I am not convinced that such an expensive lens could be considered ‘good value for money’. Wake up om systems you are turning your back on the amateur market if you think we can afford it. The 60mm macro still looks the best value for money in my book.
Sorry, but presenting a new lens as the best ever made sounds like advertising and not a review. It's a pity that OM System is drifting more and more only into the nature photography corner and is getting more and more expensive. That's no longer interesting for me.
I think it is a wise move from OMDS to go that path. There is more room for them as the gear they are making is great for that genre. It is not the path my photography is going. OM SYSTEM cameras and lenses are good for many other genres too.
I see it the same way, You always have to compare a lens together with the camera, otherwise you won't get an objective opinion
@@ForsgardPeterTheir material is also ideal for the street and travelling, for a young audience, and that's completely left out. What's new in OMDS apart from releasing products designed under Olympus? They lose the spirit of the micro 4/3 and make it a niche for wealthy seniors lovers of flowers and birds...
That niche might quite good. When selling something there is a strategy to sell everything for everyone or selling a niche product to a fewer amount of people. Both strategies can be successful. It remains to be seen how OMDS strategy works in the long run. Of course the products are quite similar to Olympus products. The R&D team is basically the same.
Their focussing on nature and wildlife photography is just part of their current marketing strategy, which started with the 150-400mm Pro zoom. About a decade ago Olympus were sponsoring rock music photography exhibitions. I'm a music photographer, which is considered strictly the preserve of 35mm sensor cameras. I recently switched back to Olympus and I'm still able to get great shots of bands in some terrible lighting, using the very affordable f/1.8 Zuiko primes. M4/3 will do over 90% of photographic jobs, and some of them better than other formats. They are ideal for photojournalism and documentary work, sports and many other genres beyond nature. And remember, "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." Marcus Aurelius
I really do thing a huge portion of society has lost their minds. Someone please explain to me in real, understandable terms, exactly what an 'Eco-friendly' box is -- other than it's uglier and cheaper to produce than the older very attractive black boxes with photos of the gear. Either box can be shredded and repurposed. Either one will turn into a pile of ash if incinerated.
If the idea is that there is less printing ink used, then we are talking about a hair-splitting joke.
The cardboard is sourced from sustainable new growth forest not old growth or even possibly hemp or bamboo
@@agylub And you know this, how? This is all nothing but marketing jargon. Do you seriously think the old boxes were made by companies going out and looking for 'old growth' to cut down. 😂
P.S. My apologies to Peter for injecting this into his comment section.
I work in package design. Almost all current packaging printing is done in CCP using quite toxic and poorly regulated inks. The new 'sustainable' cardboard is slightly more expensive to produce, but biodegrades with less chemical seepage. But of course is overall a bit cheaper to produce due to print cost savings. There are of course high quality sustainable inks available, but they cost more. So you are right to suspect a cheapskate :)
No worries, Greg. It is an important issue and should be talked about. There is a lot of misunderstanding about what is environmentally sustainable.
Cameras will die a slow death for the average consumer. The diference between a stupid smartphone and a camera is very little. Nobody on their right mind will spend thousands of euros for a camera, then thousands of euros for each lens and i'm not even counting tripods, triggers, lights, stabilizers etc when their smartphone takes nice enough pictures.
When smarphones were 48p, not so long ago, there were good reasons for everybody to get a camera but now a smartphone camera is good enough for 99,99% of us.
As an example, I decided to take photos of an event i was participating but not professionally. Do you think people cared about blurry photos, photography rules or straight up horrible photos? When i showed them the photos, they were interested in those where they had a funny smile or were hugging a friend, stuff like that, regardless of being out of focus or having too much noise. They just don't notice it or give a crap about it. Only photographers really worry about those issues, nobody else cares and that's the reason why cameras will become a device only for professionals or wealthy people.
I honestly gave up my photography hobby because the prices of everything related to photography are pure nonsense.
That is what has happened. Less people buy "real" cameras. In around 2010 the number of cameras that were sold was about 120 million. Now the same amount is around 20 million. Smartphones have taken over a huge part of camera sales.
Happily, not all of us relish being 'average consumer' - whoever that entity is. Thankfully, not every product and practice targets the world in terms of one size fits all.
@@ForsgardPeter Solidarity, my Finnish friend.
The average consumers is a bold statement to make. Most photographs were and are taken to catch and immortalize the moment. So what you have seen is the use of photography as 95% of people always sees photographs. Only profesional photographers talked as this is a art. Most people goes to museums to see paintings which is a real art. During the days of film SLR, point and shoot going into the digital age of DSLR, the majority bought a camera to make photos of a moment. During 60, 70,80, 90 and the first decade of new millennia is was the same. For taking pictures of birthdays, births and special moments or during holidays. The smartphone is providing a good solution for 95% of the use case. The professional photographers are also dying because there is less need for them in news, family photos and events. Right now, due of smartphones, the most amount of photos are taken every day but not with dedicated cameras. But don’t count out hobbyist market, as a lot of people are buying those expensive cameras, also old film cameras and old film lenses. I saw that old used Nikon FM3a was selling for around €1800. There is enough market for hobbyist, people who in their spare time will go outdoors and take the patience to take a photo simply for the sake of taking the photo.
@@angeloplayforone I cannot not see the 'real art' in the oeuvre of, for instance, Henri Cartier.
Have omds gone crazy? A 90mm slow macro at 1500 usd? When u can get same focal length faster Len’s at 1/3rd the price. Ridiculous
I do not think they have. Does the half prices lens have the features? SyncIS? Compatibilitu with extenders? Can you do in-camera Focus stacking? What about IP53 grade weather sealing? I agree that it is a lot of many, but you also get a lot with that money.
@@ForsgardPeter A few years ago, I was looking fr a long macro lens for my Canon camera. Most were F3.5 or F4 and unstabilised. Only the Sigma 180mm was stabilised, it's also F2.8. A huge lens.
This brand can not fool any longer and also with this lens. Other brands do much better and cheaper in APS-C and full frame than this foolish MFT product for over 1350 € .
Happy influencing with that crap ! 🤣🤣
So, you haven't used MFT for macro photography?
My 60mm macro lens gets a lot of use. So would this, this is a contender to replace my MP-E 55.
Give me an example of another 2:1 macro lens that has AF, IS and weather sealing. Oh, you can't? Thought so.
Also, Canon sells their 100mm f2.8 1:1 Macro for over $1300...
@@oneeyedphotographer Yah is use also MFT but not from this undergoing brand 🤣
@@te0pol159 If you are not so clever open your eyes and you find the brands . I dont give any example of brands here in this influencing hole.
It would be interesting to hear what macro lenses you mean?