A Look A The Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro Lens for Micro Four Thirds Cameras
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- Опубліковано 29 кві 2014
- This is my take on the Olympus 60mm (120mm equiv) f2.8 M.Zuiko Macro lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
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See my M43 blog at m43blog.dthorpe.net/
I understand Mr Thorpe has now passed away. My sincere condolences go out to his friends and family. I loved his excellent videos, I loved his casual and informative style of presentation, I loved his sense of humour. Seems odd we will not see anymore new reviews. I will miss his expertise and bloke-next-door style. R.I.P.
I am interested in this objective, I just watched the video, very good, by the way, and the first comment I read announces the death of the author. Sad news, in any case I appreciate his work. RIP.
I miss this guy, he was one of the best reviewers , he is also the reason I bought this lens, and I am glad i did.
I love the way you keep varying the images as you talk. There is never a boring moment in your presentation. Thank you!
Thanks Ed. I think it is important to actually use a lens or camera extensively before reviewing it. It's a lot of work (mostly very enjoyable) and it is nice to know it is noticed.
Poignant and precise as always. Thanks David wherever you are. Thanks to the legacy team for keeping the channel online.
9:41 - legendary quips from the legend, once again
Your reviews are always spot on, and the tip at the end for ensuring the sensor and subject are parallel was fantastic.
Thanks Ron - and glad the tip was handy.
Thank you for helping me narrow down my arduous search for a proper lens for my photographic desires.
Well done clear and concise very high quality production.
Glad to help, David - and thank you!
Great review, as always, David. And credit to ePHOTOzine for recognising your prodigious skills. Good luck with the partnership ;)
You are much appreciated over here. Your help is much needed.
Globe Hackers Multimedia Thank you!
Seriously I could listen to your voice all day, informative, factual, open and honest, everything one needs from a review. I'm off to buy one, Thanks David!
That's great to hear, Martyn, thanks. I try to approach everything I review with an open mind and its nice to know it works!
Totally agree with that and I pulled the trigger today too. I was pondering about that lens for quite a while now, but now with a 100€ cashback, I couldn't resist anymore.
A pleasure, as always. And informative and useful!
What a well thought out and presented review, brilliant!
Thanks you very much!
I've watched several of your videos now David and I'm quickly becoming a fan. You might not be the jazziest of reviewers on UA-cam but you videos are always very informative, thorough and helpful. I shall continue to watch Digital Rev for shits and giggles but I'll stop by here to decide what I really want to spend my pocket money on 😀
lawrencejames1984 I like the Digital Rev stuff myself but my background as a photographer in the media leads me to view cameras as highly functional tools first and foremost. I just think 'what would you, what could you do with this? Secondly, though, I just love the damn things! However, I am going attempt to make my videos go viral by shooting them all on fish-eye lenses with the narrations in Klingon and to banjo accompaniment. You have been warned :-)
@@davidthorpe7732 LMAO
@@rudolfabelin383 I wish I could ask David some questions in 2023. What a great UA-camr he was.
@@davebellamy4867 I sorely miss him, his knowledge and humour (please notice the English spelling). We had a few small "private" chats on UA-cam. A pint with him in real life would have been an adventure.
Best Greetings from Sweden.
David, may I just say your work is exquisite and always well done.
You are the very embodiment of professionalism, my friend. I'll be a subscriber for life.
I am blushing :-) Thank you!
David Thorpe - keep blushing.
I've only found your videos in the last 6 months and I find them informative - and the delivery style entertaining and a refreshing change from the usual ultra fan boys.
beautiful review, one of the most thorough I've seen on this lens. It was nice to see the focus limits in action, that is a big help to have both macro focus limits and telephoto versions.
I got an old 35mm f3.5 4/3 macro with a recent eBay purchase and it is lovely but has that old barrel extension design and painfully slow AF, even just to get that barrel extended all the way takes a long time. It's fun but a modern lens would be so much more convenient.
Looks like Olympus has a holiday special on this right now, this is definitely on my list now.
I was considering the purchase of this particular lens and came to UA-cam to find a review. Yours popped up first, and I'm glad it did. This is the most informative review of a lens I have ever experienced. Well done. I have subscribed to your channel and will share it with my photography friends.
I'm glad you found it so useful, Toby. Thanks, and for the kind words.
Nicely done! I'm a full-time photographer. I am very impressed with the quality of your video review. Your information is presented very clearly and I even learned a few things. I've had my eye on this lens for a long time and finally picked one up today. I look forward to having some fun with this lens on my E-M1. Thanks!
Dave Burbank Thanks Dave. I work on making my thoughts as clear as possible and it is rewarding to know it is noticed.
As always, an excellent, informative and witty review David.
Thanks David!
Brilliant, concise and informative video. Many thanks. Your sense of humour is a bonus!
+Windchaser Thanks!
Congrats on the link up with ePHOTOzine.
Perfect review. Very honest and detailed. Thanks.
Nice to hear that - thanks!
Thanks for the very informative review David, especially the trick with the mirror at the end is very useful for when I copy slides. It looks like I got my hands on one of the last copies of this lens as the major retailers in the Netherlands have it on backorder for weeks now.
Backorder, that surprises me. Maybe factory closures due to Covid. The lens is a necessary part of any system that claims to be comprehensive.
Another excellent review, thanks
Very informative and enjoyable review. Loved the dry sense of humour too!
Thanks, Michael!
Thank you very much indeed for your suggestions on the possible ring flash solutions. Kind regards.
You are welcome, Giorgio!
David, An exceptional review! I have this lens and agree completely with what you have to say. My most recent experience with it was to photograph honey bees working in my wife's flowering crabapple tree. I had no trouble keeping up with them; the focus was quite quick for a macro lens, and the resultant shots were quite nice. You are accurate, you are no blinded fanboy, and everyone can trust this piece. Please do some more with this sponsor.
Thanks very much Joel. If enough people get this lens, bees will come to consider us photographers as a form of paparazzi!
oh, that's a great tip about using a mirror to get the "film" plane parallel, Thanks!
Yes, I was shown it by my first chief photographer on a newspaper when I was starting out. We had to do some commercial work and he was a real expert on it.
@@DavidThorpeMFT 10:20 - I actually missed this both times watching this video, but a quick scan through the timeline with the mouse revealed the location - RIP great man, another good tip shared.
What an insightful and in depth review! Thank you!
What a lovely comment - thank you!
Thanks for this great review. I’m considering buying the Olympus 60mm macro lens now.
Thanks! For dedicated macro it's about the best in Micro Four Thirds. Actually is a nice portrait lens, too.
I've just rewatched this video. It's a good job that I did b/c I had forgotten that mirror tip!
Useful, isn't it? The chief photographer on my local paper used to do commercial work on his MPP plate camera and showed me that - longer ago than I care to remember!
Brilliant, thank you, explanation is crystal .
Good to hear, Roy, thanks!
Great review David.
+Victor McAuley Thanks Victor - glad you liked it.
Fine work, as usual.
I loved the bug shots. That black one with the red eyes! And the Katydid with the goofy face. Yes, don't bump that Wasp!
You've given me some new things to try with my GX8. I've been tempted to trade it and try a GH5 or TX2. Instead, I'll wait & try more things with the GX8.
Apart from the video the GH5 doesn't offer a great deal of advantage over the GX8 for general photography. Maybe the better stabilization is useful but the GX8's is good enough. A lot of photographers prefer the rangefinder layout, too. The bugs, all around us yet very strange in their way. Certainly stranger than fictionalized creatures as in Star Wars.
love your review dave brought my m43 work on no end well done
+Ray Geary It's music to my ears to hear that Ray - and thanks for telling me.
What old Minolta Md lens could you recommend. For macro 1to 1 mag I have a old 50 mm f1.4 which I'll try when adapter comes for my gx7?
+Ray Geary I'm afraid I've never used Minolta lenses but they were fine cameras and lenses in their day. There's a Minolta macro 50mm going for £15 on eBay at the moment so you can't go wrong, really.
cheers, David: this beer is for you
ordered, thxs David :-)
Thanks for all of your reviews they are always great and I love the way that you have fully embraced the M43 format much the same as I have and ditched the DSLR. However, have you though of extending your reviews to suitable accessories for the format i.e. Bags/Camera straps etc.. They can be endless but your opinion on this as an adopter of the format would really help.
Thanks Jackie. I'll keep that in mind. There's an endles supply of material there.
Have just stumbled across your blog, David, and found this great review about a lens I was considering buying anyway. Thanks for you work and dedication to MFT.
Will Snow It's a lovely lens, well thought out and a pretty good price for what it is. Thanks for the nice comments.
David Thorpe could I ask about the ring flash, are they needed for great macro shots? The Olympus one specifically for the this lens is quite expensive, and I've done a quick online search of other ones but not sure if they'll fit. Do you have any tips? Ta!
A ring flash is very handy for macro and gives rather nice even and shadow free lighting but not necessary. Daylight is good and if the subject is static, room light or even a torch through a diffuser will do nicely. I have a review of a Metz 15 on this channel which I find handy, though it is not really a ring flash. The main reason for ring flash is that when you are working so close to a subject, it's the only place there is room for flash lighting. There are some handy LED ring lights on eBay which are good for static subjects. With regards to fittings, there are any number of step up rings available for the 46mm thread of the Olympus macro lens, so even if a flash does not come with a suitable one, it is cheap and easy to adapt.
Thanks for the great info David Thorpe, much appreciated!
again, great review! I'm not a m43 user (yet) and I find this lens sweet
Thanks!
I Was and still very interested in macro photography but never brave enough to buy a macro lens. Thank you David
It's a pleasure - lots of fun, macro.
Excellent write up! Thanks for posting. Mine's in the mail. I purchased the dual antenna style lights for use on the EM-1. I'm looking forward to focus stacking with the camera/lens combo.
Thanks John - I find the stacking in camera works very well. I used to do it in Photoshop but now I find 99% is just as good in camera.
How did you find the lights?
Hi- which lights?
David Thorpe
Hi David, I was just asking John his thoughts on his antenna style lights.
Here's the light I was talking about: Macro Arm Light (MAL-1). It requires an accessory port, found the on PEN series cameras and in my case, the OMD E-M1.
Nice review. thanks
Excellent review. It seems the smaller format does have advantage in terms of lens size compared to a full frame and its lenses like these that benifit the most.
Yes, I agree. Oympus have done all they can to maximize the advantages of the format with this lens.
Ty David, trying to purchase the Gx8 and the lens 60mm nice video.
Thanks Edwin. They'll work nicely together, the big bright swivelling EVF with the 60mm makes macro highly enjoyable to do .
Again.... a great review of mft system
Thanks!
I hope that your association with ePHOTOzine continues. It would be great to see you compare your Micro Four Thirds equipment with say the new Fujifilm X-T1 and Fuji X series lenses ?
Yes, me too. Those Fujis do look nice.
Thank you for this video, it is simply perfect.
Fabien Berdah Gld you liked it!
10:30
Never occurred to me; very helpful tip!
Cheers!
For those interested in macro who don't mind manual focus, you can't beat range-specific macro lenses. Olympus made four for the OM System: 20mm ƒ2, 38mm ƒ2.8, 80mm ƒ4, and 135mm ƒ4.5. None of these were intended to mount directly onto a body; they all need some extension of some sort. The incomparable Olympus OM System Telescoping Macro Tube is what I call my "field-hardened bellows." With a simple twist-slide-twist motion, you can QUICKLY go from 1:1 to infinity focus (with the 135/4.5), without the "twist, twist, twist, twist…" that you do with a general macro lens, like the M.Zuiko 60.
Then there's the OM System macro lighting. It doesn't directly work with the OM-D System, but you can add a cable and a trigger coil, and get E System and OM-D System TTL macro flash with the FC-1 Macro Flash Controller. (www.mu-43.com/threads/converted-olympus-t-10-and-t-8-ring-flashes.92166/#post-1026296)
Interesting post, Jan, thank you. Yes, manually focusing from 1:1 to infinity takes forever.
I bought one of these from Harrison's recently - the guy tried to sell me the Panasonic Macro, but like yourself I already have the 45mm Olympus and I also thought that 60mm [120 equ] would be more useful for both Macro and as a short telephoto prime. Haven't used it extensively yet, but it's my first 'true' macro and so far I'm quite impressed by it. Have yet to get the little critter shots I'd like and I expect there's going to be a bit of a learning curve there, but I'm certainly looking forward to it.
Intrigued by the ePhotozine tie-up although I have become a little disillusioned with them through recent circumstances.
I reckon that with the critters, even with a lot of practise (which I don't have) there's about a 1 in 30 hit rate. The professionals put them in the fridge to slow them down, apparently!
I'm trying to come to an arrangement with ePhotozine because I can't keep buying, selling and trading gear to review and I have pretty much an ideal outfit for my needs now. The arrangement would be simply that they lend me stuff to review and I return the favour with a mention in my reviews. What I would like about the arangement is that it still leaves me full freedom to say what I want. Having said that, it is becoming hard to find anything to criticize these days, the MFT gear is so well designed and made.
5:10 I was almost shocked how sharp the 60mm f/2.8 was at closest focusing distance.
I use the metz ring flash too. Superb ring flash that works on most cameras.
Yes, the Metz takes the hassle out of macro work and gives you the power to stop down a bit.
Thank you.
1:20 😂😅🤣👍This less than pretty, long, narrow lens has the advantage in its narrowness of not casting shadows on the subject when you're close and good for allowing a range of ring flashes or the Olympus macro flash setup.
Cracking video David. I've just bought a mint E-PL5 body for £140 because of you!
Glad you liked the video - this lens gets so much use in my line-up, for all the product shots and close-ups but it's also a very good short telephoto. Not that I ever want to pay more than I have to but £140 for such a camera is such a bargain it almost seems under-priced..
I know you are a busy man & can't get dragged into lengthy conversations with with every youtube viewer, so no reply required.
I've missed the who micro 4/3 thing up til now. I couldn't believe it when I realised just recently that I could get an MFT compact with a sensor 5 times the size of my Coolpix P7700 so cheaply. A shop was trying to sell me an original Canon g1x for £225, so I thought I'd better do some research before going ahead. I sold the coolpix for £150, but needless to say, I did not get the Canon. I got this Olympus body only and I've ordered a used Panasonic 12-32 pancake (in preference to the 14-42) also on your reccommendation. It hasn't arrived yet - but I'm excited. I fancied the Olympus 17mm F1.8 (as I like 35mm prime on FX) but it is seriously pricey used. I may get there yet LOL. Thanks for all the excellent calm, clear-headed reviews - such a breath of fresh air after all the U.S. and Aussie "Hey What's Up Guys!" stuff. Tim
Hi Tim - the 12-32mm is a little gem - restricted zoom range but enough to be useful. What surprised me about it originally was the sharpness. It seems not just as good as but a cut above the other kit zooms. The Olympus 14-42 is a nice lens to use but the sharpness is just not up to scratch. When you can, you might consider the 35-100 mini Panasonic zoom, again tiny in form but giving nothing away in IQ.
Noted - thank you.
i just got the olympus 45mm 1.8. I was thinking of putting macro tubes + raynox magnifier and start working some super macro right away. but i'm also interested in this 60mm dedicated macro lens. i think i will wait for some sale and buy it then!
A dedicated macro lens will always be better than a general purpose one for close up and all forms of macro because it will have a flatter field and be designed for edge to edge sharpness. I've seen some fairly keen prices on the 60mm lately, It's very enjoyable searching around and keeping an eye out for a bargain.
A good old video of David, just as good today as it was then. The Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro is better for macro than Pana/Leica 45/2.8 macro, which I have. But, it has stabilization and I use both Pana GM1 and GM5 for portrait photo and there I need it. Great to take a portrait photo like that. No one sees the camera with the lens as it is inside the palm. But I consider this Oly for Macro.
Those GMs really work for you, don't they? I agree with you about the 45mm (and the 30mm) macros. They are more versatile whereas the 60mm is too long for indoor portraits. For macro, though, it does give you that bit extra room between subject and lens.
@@DavidThorpeMFT Yes, I like those small cameraes
camerasize.com/compact/#491,812,491,824,824,ha,f
I'm like you, an old Nikon guy with loads of good old Nikkor optics, and macros, and speedbooster to m43. But optics I have, and ment for GM1 and GM5 is the fantastic 15/1.7 and the Pana/Leica 45/2.8 and both zooms. The Oly 75/1.8 is a little to big.
Keep on the good work. I like all your reviews.
Very informative review. Sounds to be an interesting lens. Actually I use the 12-40 f2.8 pro if I want to do some "macro". It's not able to achieve 1:1 but 1:1.6. That's enough for me (for now).
Fred Px Yes, it's remarkable how close the zoom will go and that'll be enough 99% of the time. Apart from going to 1:1 the macro is optimized for low image distortion and so on for technical work. Doesn't matter mostly but if you do a lot of close-up stuff probably worthwhile.
1 to 1.6? That's pretty close. I just got one and photographed a fly on a Blackberry and could see a lot of detail using 40mm.
THANK you👍
:-)
Thx for reply
Very useful indeed and very well expalined. I ask for a suggestion about a a ring flash to use with the Olympus Macro f2.8 on my Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 camera and compatible with its hot shoe contacts.
Depending on what you are going to do, the LED ring unit are good, though they do not have the power of proper rings flash, of course. I use a Mecablitz 15MS which isn't strictly a ring flash but works well. It needs triggering from a flash inserted in the hot shoe, though. There's not that much available, actually. I also have a little Centon unit that works from the sync socket of the G9, You can get them under various names on eBay. They aren't automatic but it's easy enough to get correct exposure with them.
For some reason I can not reply to you directly; Bob. Yes, odd and effectively puts the price up by 50 pounds in the UK. The flash is a Metz 15 MS1. I have a review of it elsewhere on my channel.
I've been watching your videos looking for lenses to round out my own micro4/3 kit, and have been drooling over this Olympus 60mm macro ever since it was introduced. But it also has me thinking of the "ultimate" small, light, high quality prime kit for micro43 users. The idea would be to have each prime be exactly 2x focal length greater than the one after it. It would look like this:
1. Loawa 7.5mm f/2 ultra-wide
2. Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7 wide-angle
3. Olympus 30mm f/3.5 macro "normal"
4. Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro telephoto
-- And for anything above 60mm, the Olympus 75-300mm zoom.
So the progression would be: 7.5 - 15 - 30 - 60 - 75-300; an effective range of 40x from 7.5 to the 300mm.
All the primes are top notch, no slouches in anyway. They are all extremely light, and fast enough for most lighting. And having TWO superb macro lenses would cover just about any situation from portraits and copywork to bugs & blooms. Unfortunately, only the 30mm macro is a bargain here, the other lenses are all $500 USD or more, and if you were to get all five recommendations, the price tag would be about $2400 USD. For that same price you could easily get the Olympus 12-40 PRO zoom, and the Olympus 40-150mm PRO zoom, but you would be missing an ultra-wide capability, 150mm worth of extra telephoto reach, and the macro. For someone who is more journalistic in style, the two PRO zooms would be a far better choice, but for someone more artistically minded, that set of primes would allow you to be creative in ways that would be quite enjoyable, and the 75-300 can easily take care of all your super telephoto needs.
For an even lighter, and less costly solution, you could also have something a bit more Panasonic friendly:
1. Loawa 7.5mm f/2 ultra-wide
2. Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 wide-angle
3. Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 "normal"
4. Panasonic 42.5 mm f/1.7 telephoto
-- And, once again, for anything above 42.5mm, the Olympus 75-300mm zoom.
The math isn't as neat, but that would be quite the lightweight, high quality kit as long as you don't mind missing out on the macro. If you do, perhaps sub in the Panasonic/Leica 45mm f/2.8macro for the 42.5mm, but at quite a significant increase in cost, and a few more grams in weight. But it would still be an amazing little kit.
For what it's worth.....
Interesting thoughts, Ron. Your logic on both prime kits works for me. What's amazing is the sheer number of permutations possible when you have a camera system that uses the same mount for very different bodies. I also like the fact that even with the lighter and less costly selection, you'd still retain top image quality.
@@DavidThorpeMFT -- While I originally came to micro 4/3 for the small size and light weight, I've stay for the outstanding lenses. You literally cannot have a prime collection like these with Canon or Nikons APS-C offerings, and doing something like that with a full-frame camera would cost a small fortune, and the size and weight would be far greater. I'm close to realizing option 2 with mostly Panasonic lenses, but will probably get a new EM-10 to use them with....eventually.
Should we need a long hood for the 60mm ? or just a normal short hood from ebay ?
Should we need a cheap LED flashlight ?
thank you my friend. I got the 60mm good bargain.
+celtic celtic (Celt) Can't seem to reply directly. You can get a cheaper lens hood than the Olympus one which fits and works the same way.It's LH-49 and costs about £12. The LED flashlights are OK, but I prefer a cheapo Centon MR 20 ring flash which sells under many different names including Vivitar. It's not TTL but I don't care!
Fantastic review! I was going to purchase the Panasonic macro lens, but after watching this I think I'll get the Olympus version instead. Thanks again.
Hi Marcus and thanks.
It's a tough choice but I'm quite clear about the Olympus for my purposes. Not to taken anything away from the Panasonic, though. What's good is to have the choice.
The Olly is cheaper too, which is handy. Panny lenses seen so damn pricey.
Yes, especially the ones wth Leica written on them! I suppose the lens stabilization adds a bit too.
Yeah, although I have a gx7 so I don't need it in the lens.
Hi, what ring flash do you use? I now have this lens having changed from Canon to m4/3. Your videos are well constructed and have been very helpful.
Thanks Jim - I mostly use a Metz 15 MS-1. I have a review of it at ua-cam.com/video/aUcqJ8hzUI0/v-deo.html
It's not strictly a ring flash since it doesn't have l flahs tube all the way round. I aslo have a (very) cheap manual ringflash from Centron. They also sell under the name Vivitar. Mostly on eBay.
Odd that in the UK you did not get the lens hood. In the US I got one.. Also can you tell us about the Metz ring flash you are using..?
I can't wait til the new STF-8 twin flash is released.
Yes, it looks a very neat outfit - pricey but something you only buy once.
David Thorpe
Has the retail price been revealed then?
I saw them on Olympus's American site at just short of $500 I think.
David Thorpe
Thanks David.
- What setting does your lens have to be for you to be able to turn the knob the "5 times" & adjust it manually? No matter how many times I turn the knob to the right, it does nothing. I stays just where it is in every one of the settings. I don't want the lens to do all the work for me every time.
Hi Marta - because the lens doesn't have a manual/ auto switch, you need to set the camera to MF. When you are very close, it's actually easier to move the camera backwards and forwards rather than use the lens focusing ring.
Good evening, David. I've watched several of your videos and this one, in particular, several times.
Just last evening, I purchased this lens and took it on my walk today. I am thrilled.
I have a rather simple question that perhaps you might answer. When I switch my lens to 1:1, the red metre line automatically moves to the 1:! as well. As I take my photos at 1:1, it's not necessary to hold
the switch up at the 1:1 mark with my thumb, is it? It seems rather awkward. Today I shot what are some fine shots without holding the switch. Am I making myself clear? Thanks for this video, David .
Perfectly clear, Jann. If you push the switch to 1:1 all it does is move the focus to its nearest position. If you are on autofocus it will shift focus from there to wherever it should be. In other words, all you have done is give it a starting point. If you actually specifically want a 1:1 shot, you can hold it in position and it won't move. I'd prefer not to do that, since I don't like the idea of the electric motor pushing against so much resistance, so in that case it's best to shift the lens to 1:1 on AF and then switch to MF. If you make sure you don't turn the focusing ring it will stay at 1:1 without holding and then you focus by moving the camera back and forth. You can just as easily get the 1:1 position by using the on screen focusing guide, the pushing forward on the switch just being a quick way of doing it.
The other positions are there simply to limit the focusing range of the lens. If the lens' full focusing range is available to it, it takes several seconds to sweep through the range to get focus. If it is in low light it can hunt around through that wide range for ages. So setting it to an intermediate position just limits that to manageable proportions. It's very rare to actually need 1:1 magnification, so in general for extreme close-ups just set the lens to 1:1.3. If the subject is closer, at a position where it will be reproduced at 1:1, the lens will focus there anyway without intervention from you. I hope that makes sense!
Hi David, really good video, I don't do much macro photography but this lens looks tempting. One question I have is I noticed in your video your Lumix GX7 appears to have a chunkier looking outer EVF cover than mine does. Just wondered if that was an add-on you got for the EVF.
K Feeney Yes, it's an add-on from Panasonic. I found that in bright sunlight I was having to shield the finder with one hand while shooting with the other. It's mainly a problem if you wear glasses, as I do.
I can now hear the audio. Thanks for fixing it. Very well done and useful video as always. Thank you.
Excellent!
Great video. However, you neglected to mention that with the E-M1 camera, this 60mm lens is one a very few lenses that performs Focus Stacking in-camera -- combining the shots and providing a result!
Focus stacking on the E-M1 came long after this video was made. Well, long by digital camera standards, anyway ;-)'
Useful you pointed it out, though because it gives a heads-up to others watching this review.
GH5 also does incamera stacking.
Very useful review David, thanks. Can you use the Mecablitz 15 MS-1 directly with Olympus 60mm on a GH4/GX8 via cable or do you have to use a master flash to initiate it? The Olympus 60mm is on the shopping list now!
+Mike Coleridge Glad it was useful, Mike. You can use it directly with the GH4, the GX8 has no sync socket so you must fit an accessory one in the flash hot shoe. They're very cheap. Note that the flash uses a screw in lead, so you need to buy it from Metz. I prefer to use the flash with a master flash mounted on the camera. It's very straightforward with the little mask supplied for the camera flash. Any flash will do as a master.
+David Thorpe Excellent, many thanks for your prompt reply David. Keep up with the good work!
Hi David, great video like usual. What would you recommend me buy if I'm shooting a restaurant promo video (food, close up, slow mo, etc..), the panny 30, or this oly 60? Your input is greatly appreciated, big fan here
For one lens for everything, I'd use the 30mm. It works better as a general purpose lens than the short telephoto of the 60mm lens, so you could use it for people eating at a table, for example. The 60mm would be a bit long for that indoors. In general, food photography won't involve macro - a plate of food can be photographed using a 25mm standard lens. For actual macro the 60mm is better because it gives you a bit more working space between lens front element and subject. At 1:1 on a pea, you are likely to get oil from the chips on the front element of the lens!
Thank you so much for the response David, I think I'm leaning towards the 30mm. Mainly because of OIS, I'm only using video with the G85, and also inspired by this video:
ua-cam.com/video/J9283cLf4e0/v-deo.html
You're welcome.I wouldn't worry too much about stabilization in the lens whatever lens you buy since the G85's is more than good enough on its own. The 30mm would be more versatile than the 60mm though less useful, ultimately, for video for the reasons I outlined.
Can I put this lens on my ef DSLR camera? I have a Canon 1500d
I've had my lens for 1 week now - after 5 mins of horror shriek - I love it flowers and bees so far but it is fantastic
It takes a bit of getting used to with those focus range settings but flowers and insects make such interesting subjects. A great lens.
David can you suggest a macro ring flash that works alongside this lens and a OM-D camera body please?
atyl1972 I use a Metz MS15-1 - I have a review of it here ua-cam.com/video/aUcqJ8hzUI0/v-deo.html
It works TTL on MFT so is very easy to use.
I also have a very cheap Centon MR20 which cost me around £30. It's not auto but works OK if you don't want too much power. The camera needs a PC sync socket for it, though.
David the new Olympus cameras can be very sharp even at F22. Olympus found away around the problem when they process the file. This Olympus rep talked about it in this video. As far as I know Olympus is the only company that can take sharp photos at F22.
An In-Depth Look at the Olympus Pen Camera System with Wireless Flash
When you stop a lens down, it causes a phenomenon called diffraction. It is noticeable in lenses when light passes through a very small aperture and is nothing to do with the lens or the camera body.
You can process an image to _look_sharper but since diffraction involves loss of resolution you cannot recreate what you don't have.
David Olympus is claiming they fix the problem with small apertures.
mp4podcastDOTcom If Olympus have found a way of chnaging the behaviour of light itself, hats off the them. It would be big, big news.
Meantime, this lens suffers from diffraction in the same way that any other lens from any other maker does. The shorter the focal length, the worse the problem. That's why compact cameras don't stop down beyond f8 and you are advised to use MFT lenses at f4 to f5.6 for best results.
does the Olympus 60 mm work great with the GX8? or would you recommend the Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH for closeup videos? Not sure about the image stabilization of the GX8 and if it is fully compatible with Olympus lenses.
I much prefer the 60mm for macro because it keeps you further from your subject. Both lenses are optically superb so no problems there. Sadly, while image stabilization works the same with both these unstabilized lenses, using the body stabilization, there is no stabilization at all available at all for them in video.
Thank you for the information.
Was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the lumix 30mm macro lens? I can't seem to find much information or reviews about it, but from what I can tell, it shares a few similarities with this lens, such as price (about £300), max. aperture of f2.8 and 1:1 macro. Are there any major differences I have missed (except for focal length)? Which would you buy out of the two for general macro photography and video (i.e. flowers and insects)? Thanks :)
Moose0Juice I'd buy the Olympus purely on the grounds that 60mm keeps you a nice distance away from your subject, far enough to get a light on it and hopefully not upset bugs, for example. With a 30mm, you'd have the subject very close to the lens. The Olympus doesn't have stabilization, of course. In terms of sharpness, no-one seems to produce anything but super sharp lenses thesed days so no differences there!
Hi David, great review, it convinced me to buy the lens for my Oly. I wonder what is the ring flash you are using? Thank you.
Thanks! It's a Metz Mecablitz 15 MS-1 - I've reviewed it at ua-cam.com/video/aUcqJ8hzUI0/v-deo.html
Thank you!
I remember watching this video when you published it. I had no use for a macro lens but I still enjoyed the video (as I enjoy most of your videos). Now I might be in the market for a micro 4/3 macro lens and here's why. My father-in-law has asked if I could digitize his old 35mm slides. I know using a full-frame dslr would probably be the best choice but I shoot micro 4/3. The only lenses I own are the Oly 25mm 1.8, the Oly 45mm 1.8, and the 12-42mm kit lens. Using an extension tube with the 45 comes close to getting full coverage but not close enough. I realize I cannot shoot at 1:1 due to the sensor size. It appears this 60mm lens can focus at 1:2 which should allow me to capture the full slide image.
Do you know if this lens will fulfill my needs?
Thanks for your time... -Craig
P.S. I recently acquired a copy stand so all I need now is the right lens a proper light source.
It'll fulfill your needs perfectly. You'll be able to frame the 35mm slide to include its image in its entirety or even crop in quite a bit if you so wish. At f/8 the lens reaches _completely_ even sharpness across the frame so that's the ideal aperture for your task. What is often forgotten with macro lenses is that they are formulated for macro and so have a very flat, distortion free field at close distances for retaining detail edge to edge, corner to corner. A close focusing ordinary lens will show notably inferior results across the field by comparison.
A flash or any lamp underneath should work as a light source. provided it will cover the small area of the slide evenly. The correct colour temperature to use should be easy enough to ascertain by trial and error.
Wow, awesome video; not just from the standpoint of product eval, but mft/macro theory in general. But did I hear you say that in some circumstances you might be letter off using your legacy dslr (or in my case, old Canon slr) lens with a macro adapter? I have used my old Canon 50mm with a macro adapter, and it doesn't produce results like the 60mm Oly.
I had a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens which was superb on my Micro Four Thirds cameras. It was inconvenient, though, too long focus and rather clumsy but on a tripod none of those things mattered. I was talking about film _macro_ lenses, not standard lenses which are quite different animals and don't offer the flat field and low distortion and aberrations that a macro lens must. Any purpose built macro lens for any format from FF upwards should perform well on Micro Four Thirds. Obviously, a lens built for the format will tend to be better, as is the case with the Olympus.
I'm sure there's a good reason, but I don't know what it is. Wouldn't it be neat to have a fast f1.8 (or better) portrait lens that can also do 1:1 macro, or vice versa? Obviously you wouldn't want too fast an aperture most of the time for macro, but a lens that does double duty would be ideal.
Personally, my 12-40mm f2.8 and 40-150mm f2.8 PRO zoom lenses do just fine for my macro needs.
Hi Daniel - the two zooms you mention are close focusing rather than macro. A macro lens should be able to produce a 1:1 lifesize image on the sensor and have a even illumination across the imaging circle. It should also be aberration and distortion free. None of those things can be done properly with an f/1.8 aperture, f/2.8 is really the max with technology to date. In reality, an f/4 would be better but the extra stop does make the lens a little more versatile. Close focusing is all most photographers really need - macro is quite specialised.
David, other than near object shooting with this lens, is it suitable to take landscape and portrait.?i just new bough this lens and not very sure how to use it. Because it only can take near object
+Kelvin Lau Hi Kelvin - yes, it makes a good portrait lens and I like this sort of focal length for landscapes particularly. Maybe you have fallen foul of the little dial on the side of the lens? At 2 o'clock it allows the lens to focus from .4m (15 inches) to infinity, next position .19m (7 inches) to infinity and then .4 to .19 metres. The 11 0' clock position 1:1 sets the lens to closest focus. At this setting, you would move the camera back and forth to get focus.
Macro lenses have a very long focusing range so could be quite slow to rack to the focus point. By limiting the focusing distance it avoid needless lens focusing movement. For landscape and portrait, set it to .4m to infinity and it will behave like a normal non-macro lens.
+David Thorpe ok now I get what you mean. Thanks, I will try it
As a G80/GX80 owner would you recommend this or the Lumix 30mm macro for insects and general nature type macro shots? The Panasonic is a bit more affordable for a first stab at macro?
I'd say the 60mm is well worth the extra money, Joe. The 30mm focal length means you are very, very close to an insect at 1:1 and the lens itself will impede the light on the subject. 60mm means you can use a flash if necessary as well as not impeding the light. Worth it in the long run.
@@DavidThorpeMFT I was hoping you wouldn't say that haha. Is it an issue that the Olympus is only body stabilised or not really?
@@JoeMaranophotography If you wanted an all round general purpose lens, 30mm is better, does that help :-). The in body stabilization on the Panasonics is well up to the job, I wouldn't let it affect any decision. I'd reiterate, the 60mm is better for macro simply because it allows a bit of space between lens and subject. It works well as a short tele too but the 30mm is more all round useful.
@@DavidThorpeMFT I think the 60mm sounds like the right choice. Thanks David :)
Hi David, like you, I've fallen in love with the micro 4/3 system and enjoying my olympus omd-em10. I got my camera with 2 lenses: M.Zuiko Digital ed 14‑42mm 1:3.5‑5.6 EZ Pancake lens and the M.Zuiko Digital ed 40‑150mm 1:4.0‑5.6 R lens. I do enjoy these lenses and they cover a lot of my needs, I do feel that my kit misses something. I don't shoot portrait, I'm more of a nature/macro photographer. I would like to invest in another lens, but now the question is, which one first. Should I go for this macro lens first, or go for a wide-angle lens instead like the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:1.8? I also don't do video at all. Thanks for the time reading this long question :)
+YiuriV Difficult but given your interests, I'd buy the 60 mm Olympus macro. It does something that you cannot now do whereas the 17mm does not. It's faster than your zoom, of course but it doesn't add to what you can do. It's not only macro, actually, the ability to focus really closely brings a whole lot of different picture possibilities into play and into your vision.
+David Thorpe thank you for your reaction. I did follow your advice and I must say, this macro lens is just a gem to work with :) very sharp, nice colours, and because its my only fixed focal length (for now :p), it really makes me think about the pictures I take. Next lens will most likely be a wide-angle lens, perhaps the 12mm olympus instead of the 17mm
+YiuriV Glad you like the 60mm. I'm sure you would the 12mm too. Actually all Olympus primes are little gems, really.
from reviews the 12mm is very nice, only downside for me is the price :p it's bloody expensive :p I've also found a rokinon lens with the same specs at half the price of the olympus lens but it's a fully manual lens, kinda scares me, but I still have a few months to think about those
How well does this lens work on a Lumix body? Does it focus fast enough?
It's an Micro Four Thirds native lens and will work on Panasonic just as well as on Olympus. In general focus will be a bit faster with the latest Panasonic cameras but not enough to make a material difference.
Which adapter do you use for Metz ring flash?The lens is 46 mm and the metz has only 52,55 e 58 adaptors....
I just use a stepping ring from 46 to 58mm. They're a few pound and very useful. I buy filters in the biggest lens size I have and can then use them on all my lenses via stepping rings.
@@DavidThorpeMFT thanks so much for your kind answer
Great review in David's inimitable style. David, did you ever get that call from the Tate Modern or Louvre....? Now just keep away from insect spiracles....
😀
Is there anyone out there who has tried both Canon and Olympus 60mm 100mmL? How the results are to each other. To date I have Canon 100mmL which I love, but it is great and so is not used as much as I wanted in advance. I just bought me an EM10 and could thought me a 60mm to replace 100mmL! Any advice?
I think you'd find the 60mm Olympus ideal with your E-M10. Perfect focal length, small and handy. And with auto-focus and all MFT facilities. But I haven't tried the Canon.
What are your thoughts David, versus this and the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50mm 1:2.0 Macro?
I haven't tried the 50mm so I can only talk about the 60mm. For macro, I don't see any value in the extra stop of speed. You're nearly always stopping down to get more depth of field. In terms of sharpness, the 60mm is very, very sharp it is unlikely the 50mm would be sharer. Even if it was, it would be superfluous. Focusing with the 60mm would be slicker since it is native.
If the lenses were to be used for general purposes other than macro, then the extra stop would be worth having and the 50mm might make more sense. I'd put it this way, if I already had the 50mm, I wouldn't bother to upgrade to the 60mm. If I didn't already have, I'd buy the 50mm only if it saved me a lot of money over the 60mm, say half the price. But long term, the 60mm is a better bet.
David Thorpe many thanks for your response! Much appreciated
Watched this and I did go buy this lense.
Bokeh like a Pro for Portait type shots... over all if someone is looking to a do a vlog with that cinematic look this lens works really well for video get a nice blurry background a sharp Focus on the subject... some people are using wide-angle lenses for vlogging especially Beauty bloggers and honestly think it makes them all look weird this is going to be very different you're not going to have that forced perspective of the long gangly arms waving around but you're actually going to look a lot better
Instead of looking like a cartoon character people will look like Glamour magazine*
Glad you like it! I am with you on what you say except that it will take more than a lens to make me look glamorous :-)
may I ask what is the ring light called?
Mine goes under the name of Centon but they also sold as Vivitar and a few others. eBay might have them.
what macro lite is attached to the lens
+James Tepedino It's a Mecablitz 15 MS-1.
I know this video is ages old but does this lens work with Lumix Post Focus function?
Yes, it does. I just put the Olympus lens on my Panasonic body and it functions exactly as you'd expect. I knew it would but there's always a nagging doubt!
@@davidthorpe7732 thanks I'm a few months on and find your videos helpful along with many others. Just purchased a 90-99% condition GX8 and looking forward to using the post focus feature for stacking in photoshop. I mostly shoot wildlife so the sealed body of the gx8 along with the sealed Olympus 60mm I think will work well together
I think this lens doesn't properly line up with the gx85 sensor. When I put this lens on. a small part of the left corner of the image is always completely black
Hi Yoko - there's no such general fault with this camera/ lens combo. If it was the camera, it would occur with all lenses. If it the lens design there would be many thousands noticing it, including me. If the fault is with your particular lens, the area around the black patch would be very blurred. Does it happen with no lens hood or filters on the lens? Does the lens bayonet on and off smoothly, as it should? If not, it might imply that the mount is damaged. Let me know.
@@DavidThorpeMFT I've returned it and got a new one. But I still have the same problem. I'm not using a hood or any filters. It comes on and off smoothly. What do you mean when you said the "black patch"?
@@Yoko.Kurama I meant the black patch in the left corner that you mention. It occurs only with the 60mm lens?
@@DavidThorpeMFT yes only with the 60mm lens this problem happens.
@@Yoko.Kurama It is truly bizarre, Yoko. Can you get another Micro Four Thirds user to try the lens and see if they have the same problem? Have you tried the vignetting correction?
what legacy film Camera lenses would you suggest?
C mount variety?
Overall, probably Nikon or Canon. Nice wide choice. I use a Nikon 300mm with adaptor and that works very well. Leica too but still expensive.
You use the NIkon 300mm you talked about in the metabones review as a macro lens as well?
Sorry, I didn't clock that you meant for macro. I used to use a Sigma 105mm macro which was very, very good but bulky and inconvenient compared to the dedicated Olympus. I'd look at any quality lens makers products. Nikon and Canon always come to mind but Tamron did some nice macros too, as I recall.
I know this is an old video, but recent firmware updates have given some Olympus cameras focus-stacking. cameras.olympus.com/stack/en/
+MrSonicAdvance I covered that in a separate video when the firmware update was introduced. See ua-cam.com/video/qxor4qCTkJY/v-deo.html