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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Tell me about macro lenses
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 06/24/2023 03:46:38 PM · #1
I have never had a true macro lens (at least not for my current Micro 4/3 gear) and was thinking of getting one. My Olympus 12-45 and 12-100 Pro lenses have a very short close focus distance, but I can only use that at the wide end, so it still doesn't get me as close as I'd like for some things.

As an example, I spotted this ladybug on my front porch the other day and this was the closest view I could get.


So what does a Macro newbie need to know about these lenses?
 06/24/2023 04:14:09 PM · #2
I have been using the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm 1:2.8 Macro since going mirrorless ..

they have recently brought out another macro lens which has great reviews .. the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90MM F3.5 MACRO IS PRO Lens ..
there are heaps of utube videos out now where ppl talk about this new 90mm macro lens ..

the 12-100 will not give you a true macro result .. but not sure about the 12-45 as I've never used it ..

the beauty of the 60mm is it's so tiny ..

I'll link you to a photo i took of my Canon with 100mm macro lens and Olympus with the 60mm to show you the difference in size ..
I'll do that in a little while .. :)



Message edited by author 2023-06-26 18:54:24.
 06/24/2023 04:20:41 PM · #3
Thanks Roz, you are a person I was hoping to hear from on this!
 06/24/2023 04:22:28 PM · #4
One thing that confuses me is the Olympus 60mm is labeled as a 1:1 lens, while the Laowa 50mm is listed as greater magnification at 2:1. With a shorter focal length.
 06/24/2023 04:25:27 PM · #5
I edited a lot of my reply after I posted because I made some assumptions .. !! ..

Message edited by author 2023-06-24 16:25:41.
 06/24/2023 04:26:59 PM · #6
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
One thing that confuses me is the Olympus 60mm is labeled as a 1:1 lens, while the Laowa 50mm is listed as greater magnification at 2:1. With a shorter focal length.


that would confuse me too ..
I'm not great on the technical side of things ..
I'm sure there would be ppl here who could explain the 1:1 and 2:1 for you ..
 06/24/2023 04:30:52 PM · #7

with the 60mm if I want to get as close as I can to an insect for example .. then the end of the lens would be about approx 5" distance from the insect .. this is really approx because I've never actually measured it ..

Message edited by author 2023-06-24 16:31:46.
 06/24/2023 04:34:54 PM · #8
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
One thing that confuses me is the Olympus 60mm is labeled as a 1:1 lens, while the Laowa 50mm is listed as greater magnification at 2:1. With a shorter focal length.

I wonder if this is based on comparing to different-size sensors?
 06/24/2023 04:37:06 PM · #9
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I wonder if this is based on comparing to different-size sensors?

They are both for micro 4/3. But perhaps Laowa IS using FF equivalent. More research is needed.

Message edited by author 2023-06-24 16:37:17.
 06/24/2023 04:48:08 PM · #10
Yep, it is a FF comparison. Here is the description of the 60 mm from OM systems:
Featuring a 2x* magnification and minimum focusing distance of about 7-and-a-half inches...

*35mm equivalent.

So both are similar in that way, it just depends on what description one is reading.
 06/24/2023 06:02:46 PM · #11
hey Steve ..
in case you were interested in the actual size difference .. visually .. between the canon FF with 100mm macro lens .. and olympus mirrorless with 60mm macro lens .. :)


06/24/2023 06:23:14 PM · #12
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
One thing that confuses me is the Olympus 60mm is labeled as a 1:1 lens, while the Laowa 50mm is listed as greater magnification at 2:1. With a shorter focal length.

It's got something to do with the way the Laowa is constructed. Sorry, don't know the technical reason at the moment. I have the Laowa 100 2X Macro and it focuses MUCH closer than my Minolta 100 Macro lens.
 06/24/2023 06:31:36 PM · #13
I've never used an Olympus macro lens, but there's another option: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 30mm F3.5 Macro.

It's quite a bit smaller than the 60mm lens Roz uses, but because of the focal length you need to get a lot closer to your subject. But it's 1:1.25, while their other macro lenses are only 1:1.

Edit to add a link to an image of the size comparison of Olympus's 3 macro lenses.



Message edited by author 2023-06-24 18:37:55.
 06/24/2023 07:25:06 PM · #14
thanks so much for that info Gina .. I didn't know about the 30mm f3.5 ..
although I hadn't been looking ..

here's a review about the lens in dpreview and a more detailed review .. in photoreview in case anyone is interested .. :)

Message edited by author 2023-06-24 19:29:45.
 06/24/2023 07:42:59 PM · #15
If you want shorter, Laowa also has a 65 2X Macro.
dpreview (100 2X)
dpreview (65 2X)

I have no vested interest in Laowa FWIW. Just found them to be pretty good for the price. Olympus certainly makes high quality glass and is a fine choice too.
 06/24/2023 07:53:08 PM · #16
re the Olympus 30mm f3.5 .. something to be aware of that I just read the review ..

"The minimum focusing distance of 95 mm from the image plane to the subject equates to a minimum working distance of 14 mm (0.551 inches) between the subject and the front of the lens. This is likely to present difficulties when photographing easily-spooked subjects, such as insects. It is best suited to subject that are stationary."
 06/24/2023 08:03:54 PM · #17
Originally posted by roz:
a minimum working distance of 14 mm (0.551 inches) between the subject and the front of the lens. This is likely to present difficulties when photographing easily-spooked subjects, such as insects. It is best suited to subject that are stationary."

Good info. Thanks. So if I want to do insects, short is not worth the cost savings.

06/25/2023 02:01:14 AM · #18
Thinking the Olympus 60mm is the one to go for. Thanks for all the input, folks.
 06/25/2023 02:43:51 PM · #19
LOL, careful Steve, macro is a rabbit hole!
Evidence: I currently have four macro lenses, and I still have lust for a couple others!

About magnification ratio, e.g. "1:1":
what 1:1 means, literally, is that the image of the subject on the sensor is physically the same size as the actual subject so at 1:1 the image of a 36mm long object will span the width of a full frame sensor.
There is *no difference* between 1:1 on FF and 1:1 on APS-C or M 4/3... though it does seem the marketeers would like to make us believe otherwise :-P It will *appear* that the magnification is higher on the smaller sensor, because a smaller object fills the frame.
 06/25/2023 09:52:48 PM · #20
Originally posted by kirbic:
There is *no difference* between 1:1 on FF and 1:1 on APS-C or M 4/3... though it does seem the marketeers would like to make us believe otherwise :-P It will *appear* that the magnification is higher on the smaller sensor, because a smaller object fills the frame.

Sort of the same then as "effective zoom". My 12-100 mm zoom has the effective reach of a 200mm on a full frame. So a 60mm 1:1 would appear closer because of the crop factor. Thanks for the good explanation.
 06/26/2023 10:34:49 AM · #21
Yep, pretty much the same thing as "effective zoom.' Back in the days when almost all of us were using point-and-shoots with really small sensors, true 1:1 magnification meant you more than filled the frame with a 1 cm bug, LOL. Of course, we had all of 3 or 4 Mpx, so our resolution still wasn't all that high...

FWIW I think that your choice of 60mm is a good all-around focal length that should give you reasonable subject distance to be able to light your shots, while not being so long as to incur too much of the penalty of narrower DoF. Getting adequate DoF is one of the biggest challenges for most macro subjects. Of course there are those times when we want narrow DoF for artistic purposes, but in high-magnification macro work the DoF can be in measured in microns. One of the most challenging lenses I've worked with is the Canon MP-E 65mm, which *starts* at 1:1 magnification and goes to 5x.
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