OM SYSTEM Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm F2.8 Macro for Micro Four Thirds System Camera, Weather Sealed Design, Focus Limit Switch Bright

PRICE, QUALITY, AND PERFORMANCE > PRICE: about$ 500 for the Zuiko vs $1000 for the Leica. > QUALITY: The fit and finish of both lenses in very good, maybe a little higher for the Leica. The Leica is "prettier", but on the camera the Zuiko is more impressively "techy". >> A number of reviewers report manufacturing flaws in the Zuiko. Quite a few Leica purchasers (including myself) report that the autofocus system fails and the first Lumix 14-42mm PZ lens I received had a heavy haze on internal lens elements. I suggest purchasing only from Amazon, because return postage is free on defective items, and they will ship a new item even before you return the defective one. > PERFORMANCE: Professional reviews based on exhaustive tests rate the Zuiko as sharp or sharper than the Leica. LENSHOODS > The optional Zuiko lenshood is exceptional--the best lenshood I've ever used. When you want to use it, you just slide it forward. When you want to stow the lens, you just slide the lenshood back, where it protects the lens. > The supplied Leica lenshood is totally inadequate, and as far as I can tell, there are no suitable lenshoods available which are specifically sold for this lens. SIZE AND SHAPE--(and in-camera flash) > The Zuiko does not get in the way of the in-camera flash (albeit you may have to retract the lenshood at the highest magnifications). Like all Panasonic Lumix/Lieca lenses, the Lieca is unnecessarily fat, as fat as a comparable 35mm film lens. It is so fat that it gets in the way of the in-camera flash (of my Lumix GX7). > The Zuiko is tall and skinny, and will probably rattle around in a compartment by itself. The Leica is short, and easy to store in a gadget bag, e.g., it can be stacked in a compartment with another short lens. FOCAL LENGTH AND WORKING DISTANCE > The Zuiko is 60mm (=120mm 35mm equivalent). The Leica has a focal length of 45mm (=90mm 35mm equivalent). So, the Zuiko is 1 1/2 times "longer" focal length, which basically means that your subject is 1 1/2 times farther away. --> The greater working distance is a benefit for true macrophotography; but often a hindrance for larger subjects. With the Zuiko a 12" high subject is ~6' away; with the the Leica is ~4' away --> When working with the Zuiko, when I want to photograph a cluster of flowers (say 12" in diameter), I often find myself wishing for a shorter focal length lens--indeed, I usually switch to my Lumix 14-42mm PZ. Other effects of the longer focal length of the Zuiko are: --> Increases the effect of shake--so tripods, flashes, etc. are more necessary with the Zuiko. --> Photographing objects larger than about 12" tall, the greater distance requires a more powerful flash, and it is harder to position the flash at 45 degrees to the subject (which is ideal for most subjects). --> You can waste a lot of time switching to a shorter focal length lens, and back to the Zuiko macro, etc. --> In a pinch, the Leica can be used as a copystand lens, say to copy a page from a book; practically speaking the Zuiko cannot. --> The relatively short working distance of the Leica means that arranging lighting at the best angle may often be impossible at high magnifications (say for subjects less than 1" tall) because the lens body is in the way. Indeed it is often difficult to properly light some subjects, say 1/2" tall, even with the Zuiko. > Neither lens is suitable for high magnification work (meaning magnification greater than 1:1 with bellows or extension tubes), because of their long focal lengths and therefore the large amount of extension needed to achieve greater magnifications. For example the Neewer® Automatic Macro Extension Tube DG 10MM+16MM FT1 for Micro Four Thirds M4/3 Camera, fits Olympus PEN E-P1 P2 P3 P5 E-PL1 PL1s PL2 PL3 PL5 PL6 E-PM1 PM2 OM-D E-M5 E-M1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 GH2 GH3 GX7 G1 G2 G10 G3 G5 G6 GF1 GF2 GF3 GF5 GF6 GX1 GM extension tube set provides 1" (total) of extension, which gets you from a minimum subject size (filling the frame) of 1/2" high only to 3/8" high---you'd probably need 1 1/2" of extension to get down to 1/4" high. I've tried and been unsuccessful in getting sharp images using extension tubes. > CONCLUSION: After several years and 10,000s of photos (really), I am glad that the Lieca failed and I replaced it with the Zuiko. The longer focal length and other features of the Zuiko are ideal for the true macro work I do---mostly on a tripod --- at least half the photos I take are of subjects less than 2" tall . The Lieca is ideal as a more general-purpose lens---i.e., for portraits and macro shots of subjects greater than 2" tall. LUMIX IN-LENS STABILIZATION > Lumix in-lens stabilization is impressive, and a major incentive to remain "all Lumix" (if you have a Lumix camera). However, it turns out that the stabilization is ineffective for closeup photography, and is not recommended if the camera is on a tripod, copystand, etc. Since I plan to use the Zuiko exclusively for true macro work--the lack of in-lens stabilization is unimportant to me. The Lumix (or Olympus) in-camera stabilization still works for both lenses (in ordinary photography, not macro work). AUTO-FOCUS > I have had no problem with autofocus with the Zuiko, albeit you have to use the limiting switch in many circumstances. The autofocus on my Lieca did not work, so I can't make comparisons. The Zuiko has three settings (easily selectable on the lens): >> "0.19--0.4m" which means you can fill the frame with a subject ½" to 4" tall >> "0.19--infinity" which means you can fill the frame with a subject ½" tall to infinity; i.e., no limits. >> "0.4--infinity" which means you can fill the frame with a subject 4" tall to infinity. > Autofocus in any camera cannot reach maximum magnification: To get to maximum magnification (1:1, i.e., subject is ~1/2" high) you have to switch to manual focus, then manually focus to maximum (which is not so simple to find since the focusing ring does not stop at either infinity nor maximum magnification on either lens---it just keeps rotating). With the Zuiko you can push the "1:1 switch" to go straight to maximum magnification. You still have to switch to manual focus (to prevent the camera from trying to re-focus when you press the shutter button). The Lieca has no "go to 1:1" switch. > Focus "peaking" on my Lumix GX7 (and probably other Lumix cameras) makes manual focusing easy, and is very valuable in double checking the autofocus. Enable "AF+MF" and "Peaking". I assigned "Peaking" to Function Key 3, so that I can easily switch between "Hi" and "Low" peaking. I also recommend enabling "focus assist" with the option that it is activated by the left < (#) button, in which case the "menu" button toggles the magnification. FOCUSING SCALE ON THE ZUIKO > The Zuiko also has a focusing scale, so you can manually pre-set the lens to your desired magnification: >> "1:1 0.19/0.62" which = a subject ½" tall at a distance of 19cm = 2 1/2" from end of lens. >> "1:1.3 0.20/0.66" which = a subject 2½" tall at a distance of 20cm = 2 3/4" from end of lens. >> "1:2 0.23/0.76" which = a subject 1" tall at a distance of 23cm = 4" from end of lens. >> "1:4 0.34/1.11" which = a subject 2" tall at a distance of 24cm = 4 1/2" from end of lens. DEFINITION: When I say "a subject x tall" above, I mean the image of a subject filling the height of the frame of a still photo with the camera set at 3/4 image ratio (the native, highest pixel setting). NOTE: the metric distances quoted are from the focal plane, to get the distance from the end of the lens (with lenshood retracted), 5" was subtracted. RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES > LENS HOOD: Olympus LH-49 Sliding Lens Hood or less expensive copy JJC LH-J49 Professional Lens Hood for Olympus 60mm F 2.8 Lens , Replaces Olympus LH-49 > MAIN FLASH UNIT: I use a Neewer TT560 Flash Speedlite for Canon Nikon Sony Panasonic Olympus Fujifilm Pentax Sigma Minolta Leica and Other SLR Digital SLR Film SLR Cameras and Digital Cameras with single-contact Hot Shoe . It is only $30 but is powerful enough to take 1:1 photos at f22 and ISO200. It is manual, which is best for macrophotography. Remarkably, max power at f22 perfectly lights most subjects between 1" and 4" tall---so the Neewer flash is perfect for macro photography. > FILL FLASH: I use a $13 PLR Studio Series Pro Slave Flash Includes Mounting Bracket For The Canon Digital EOS Rebel SL1 (100D), T5i (700D), T5, T4i (650D), T3 (1100D), T3i (600D), T1i (500D), T2i (550D), XSI (450D), XS (1000D), XTI (400D), XT (350D), 1D C, 70D, 60D, 60Da, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 10D, 5D, 1D X, 1D, 5D Mark 2, 5D Mark 3, 7D, 7D Mark 2, 6D Digital SLR Cameras for fill flash. It can work as a main flash,, but doesn't have the power of the TT560. > Using either or both of the above flash units, you need a sync cord or a wireless trigger. I use a Neewer 4 Channels Wireless/ Radio Flash Trigger Set With 2 Receivers > CASE: Pearstone Onyx 30 Lens Case The Pearstone case works especially well for me, because my Lumix 45-150mm lens is the same length as the Zuiko. I use the Pearstone case for my Lumix 45-150mm when I'm shooting macro, or when the macro is stowed in my main case; and visa-versa. > TRIPOD: Dolica TX570DS Ultra Compact Tripod with Professional Ball Head and Built-In Monopod (Black) The Dolica is extraordinarily versatile. The minimum working height is about 3" (to the bottom of the camera), and it can fit into tight or irregular places---which are common when shooting forests, etc. The quality is very impressive at the price. > REMOTE RELEASE: FotoTech Wired Remote Shutter Release Control DMW-RS1 Replacement for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150, DMC-FZ200, DMC-G1, DMC-G10, DMC-G2, DMC-G3, DMC-G5, DMC-G6, DMC-GF1, DMC-GF6, DMC-GH1, DMC-GH2, DMC-GH3, DMC-GH4, DMC-GX1, DMC-GX7, DMC-L1, DMC-L10 with Fot... > Click on “Stoney” just below the product title to see my other reviews, or leave a comment to ask a question.

This review is for the 60mm macro as it might be used in a fairly narrow and specific manner: To shoot insects, amphibs, reptiles, fungus and other small things handheld in the field. For this purpose I feel the lens is a great choice and a deal at the price. Shooting macro in the field is very different from bringing critters into the house and shooting them in a light box. I don’t bother too much with specs — results are what count — and I have no idea how this lens compares to competitors. I’m also not an especially skilled or “ technical” photographer although I often have to shoot very quickly or risk the shot completely since bugs, well, fly. All the insect, amphibians, herp, and fungus shots posted on IG at jeremy.nature.photos are taken with this lens (unless you go back a long way when I was using the lovely nikkor 105mm — but that’s noted in the hashtags). Today, with this lens, I always use flash, I typically shoot bugs at f14 or wider and make only minimal corrections in LR (typically shadows, blacks, whites). Coupled with a micro four thirds Olympus this lens makes it easy to shoot one handed and, for the type of critters I’m shooting in the field, that’s critical since I often need to hold a branch to one side, gently pull down a leaf or brace a stem. You will not get attractive bokeh with this baby (unless there is a trick I don’t know) but you will get nice crisp images. Sometimes I open it up (meaning that I shot at f 2.8) in order to shoot a snake or larger reptile which might spook (or kill me) if I get too close — I’ve no complaints. I’ve observed that this is an extremely popular lens for macro use in the field (handheld). I LOVE the 1:1 wheel on the side of the lens. A flick of the finger and boom — all you have to do is move your body to focus. I don’t use the autofocus much but it is excellent. I’ve travelled a lot with this lens so it has been bounced around a lot. No problems. Overall, for the macro photography style I described, it is perfect. Check the IG address above — one pic is worth a ton of words. UPDATE: After a couple of years, many trips to jungles and forests, almost daily use, and 25,000+ photos I still love this lens! I attached focus lights to it with Velcro, modified the 1:1 control with superglue, never use a lens cap and generally abuse the heck out of it. The little beggar keeps on working!

Bought this for use with first gen O-MD EM-5 and now have an O-MD EM-1 Mark II. Takes beautiful, sharp photos with a nice bokeh. 60mm (120 equiv) allows you to stay a bit further back from subject, and fast 2.8 f stop gathers lots of light. Though at that f the shallow depth of field can be challenging, giving just a slice of focus on some subjects. The EM-1 Mark II has built in focus stacking, but I've not tried it yet (just got that camera body a week ago). Used it for portraits a couple of times with great results. I'm strictly an amateur, but took photos of couples for my son's HS prom, and everyone thought they came out great. Can stay back from the subjects with the 60mm focal length, and again, great subject isolation and bokeh at wider f's. Construction is plastic but, if you're familiar with Olympus, it's high quality and solid. And the lack of bulk and weight is a major reason to get a Micro 4/3rds anyway. Nice weapon to have in the camera bag, and its double-duty as both macro and portrait makes it more versatile than I initially thought it would be, since I was mainly looking for the macro capabilities.

Works beautifully. Clear. Easy to use.

I bought this lens for my OMD-10 five months ago but only recently started using it. This lens has made me a Macro photography lover, though I am still learning. In fact, I haven't taken it off my camera, and the only other lens I will eventually get is the 75-300 for telephoto shooting. The criticisms I have are that Olympus does not provide a user manual, although you can buy one. And there is no lens hood included, so again you have to buy it. My other frustration is that I bought the camera, two kit lenses and later this lens on Amazon and a day or two after I bought them the price dropped by $50-100 on each item.. That is pretty upsetting, and I wish they'd get the pricing more consistent. I waited to buy the 75-300 because of this and the lens just went UP in price by $90. So it has made me a little leery about future purchases of Olympus equipment. Having said that, let me reiterate that this camera is a joy to carry and use and thanks to YouTube videos, I learned how to operate all of the equipment. If you have an Olympus or Panasonic MFT camera, definitely get a good macro lens and this one is great. Macro photography is a lot of fun and you can do it anywhere, even at home. In the sample pictures, you can see a closeup of a strawberry and then at maximum macro closeup. The same with the lavender, at three different distances to give you and idea of how close you can get and the depth of field. It was breezy when these pictures were taken, but I managed to get some pretty clear shots. However, a tripod and no wind would have been better. This lens is very light weight and fits nicely on the camera in a compact carrying case. I highly recommend the 60mm.

I hate to merely parrot what others have already said here, but it's really all I can do. In my experience the lens is sharp right from 2.8, with stopping down grabbing you a bit more. But the reality is it's sharp right from jump. I've not noticed any particularly glaring defects or aberrations of any kind. The bokeh is good. The build quality is good, though it is a plastic lens (and I'm so glad, as metal would have been $300 more), and the weather sealing merely adds to an already fantastic presentation. I will echo one reviewer here by saying that the af is not the best. It's not terrible by any means, but I've definitely experienced hunting in situations I wouldn't expect it. The focus limiter absolutely helps with this and is an invaluable inclusion, but it doesn't fix it. Often we're manual focusing with macro anyway, so it's not a big problem. I love the 1:1 option on the dial, but I wish you could simply click it and have it stay there. The fact that it doesn't include a lens hood is simply inexcusable. I think this is an unfortunate move by Olympus. That and the sometimes odd af issues would have forced me to give the lens 4 stars, were it not for the price. You could buy a lens hood for this lens and still (imo) be making out like a bandit, with a fabulous piece of glass for far less than the cost of a macro lens in a similar range for any larger dslr. I used the Sigma 150mm macro, and that thing is twice the price. Not only that, it weighs 1150 grams; this lens weighs less than 200. Ridiculous. All things considered I have to, without reservation, provide this lens with its 5-star rating. ***UPDATE*** This lens continues to impress. Frankly at this point I'm shocked at the pricing vs quality equation regarding the lens. I firmly believe that this is a perfect example of the type of lenses both Olympus and Panasonic should be focusing on for this system. Who cares about metal lenses? You can make a lens plenty sturdy out of plastic while keeping cost and weight down. I think it's obvious from all the pro reviews and the growing base of user reviews that this lens is one of the most exceptional pieces of glass ever produced in its category, for any system, including the big guys. Absolutely stellar image quality, and in a package that is, when compared to the much larger and heavier competition, simply astounding. Keep making lenses like this, and m43 is here to stay. With regards to the AF; while it can be slow at times, and I stand by my original statement, it should be noted that macro lenses generally focus slower than normal lenses, due to the increased focus range. In the category of macro lenses this lens is plenty fast. I merely think this is an area where there is still room for improvement. That said, I am obviously exceedingly happy with the lens; it is the best lens in my bag, without question.

First time I ever picked up a camera and I shot this so I'd say it's good

The images this lens produces are so sharp that it's really amazing. It's a great lens for street shooting, although the 60mm (120mm cropped) focal length can be a handful at times. I got the lens for macro work, but I've found myself using it for portraits and product shots quite often. It feels well made, but you never forget that it's made of plastic, and that they used only as much as they needed to; likely to keep the size and weight low. The focus ring is smooth, and this lens is a dream to use in the "focus zoom" manual focus mode that Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras have. Adjustments are tiny and feel deliberate. In comparison to the Panasonic 20mm f1.7 (first version), manual focusing is a much more pleasant, fine-tuned experience. To describe the damping and feel of the focus ring, consider this; you could turn it using only a single pinky finger while cradling the camera and lens with that hand. Another aspect of this lens that's nice is that there's zero physical movement on the outside. All focusing is done internally. I'd recommend this lens, but only if you're comfortable with the longer focal length. The Panasonic 20mm f1.7 that I've got feels like a nice focal length for almost everything, but this can feel cramped at times. If you fear you might have issues with this, then check out the 12-50mm kit lens instead.

This review is for: Olympus M. Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Lens This is a great lens. Handling is weird. I have both this lens as well as the Panasonic 30mm macro lens. Optically, they are both absolute jewels. The 30mm get the nod from me for copy work where the shorter working distance doesn't matter but (slightly) sharper corners matter. For nature and non-flat objects, the 60mm gives more room for lighting and is blisteringly sharp. I wish the 60mm handled like the 30mm (simple) but it doesn't. This is where it gets weird. It has a focus limiter switch (pictured) with 3 ranges. Beyond those, the limit switch is spring loaded. It took me awhile to figure out what it was doing: It takes the lens to 1:1. Okay, 'weird' all of a sudden becomes 'genius'! lol Optically, the lens is superb, sharp already at f/2.8. For single-image capture of skittish objects, the greater working distance wins out over the 30mm macro lens. Combined with pixel shifting and the m4/3 sensor, I can obtain crisp images of small objects. With focus stacking, the results are equally satisfactory for small objects (although I still rely on bigger format cameras for larger subjects). This lens and micro four thirds are meant for macro photography. Great lens. Worth considering. Recommended without -- okay, maybe with one! -- reservation!

Such an easy lens to use and fab quality pics!

This is a great little. I’ve used it successfully with macro bracketing.

Als Hobby Marco Fotograf mein lieblings objektiv