Olympus 60mm macro lens is out!

[PHIL RUDIN]

I shot the 60mm macro today with the focus limiting switch set on 1:1 to infinity and shot in a range of about four inches to twenty inches. The lens did not seem to hunt much at all. I used the E-M5 in the Nauticam NA-EM5 housing with the with the flat port 72. This is not the ideal port for the lens but will work well until custom ports are released for the lens. Like all macro lenses with a 20 degree angle of view shooting beyond about twenty inches is better saved for a lens with a wider AOV. Next time I will set the focus limiting switch at the 1:1 to .4m and see if AF speed changes much.

Phil Rudin

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

Todays set of images were taken with the same set of equipment as above with the focus limiting switch set to 1:1 to 0.4m (15.7 inches). At this setting you are locked into a range and the lens will hunt if you are to close or to far away so it is about the same as not using it unless you are within the range. Once in range the AF locks on quite well if the subject is not moving to fast. This setting would be a great teaching tool for macro students who don't understand how close you need to be for many macro suubjects.

The Lionfish was shot at F/2.8 from about six inxhes to give you an idea of DOF and sharpness wide open, very good I would say.

Phil Rudin

 

[Scubanomad]

Thanks guys, placed my oder now. Looking forward taking macro shots with my E-M5.

Scubanomad, it does work in the wide angle port 36317. I'll continue to update the review with further port tests. - Scott

Scott

 

[calicant]

Nice shots. I ordered mine already. I hope Nauticam did too.

 

[dna77054]

Received mine Monday, played with it yesterday on my PL2. I noticed that when moving the selector to 1:1 (not just limiting it to 0.4M), it would still hunt in autofocus. Depending on the light and shooting conditions, I often had more success selecting 1:1 and switching to manual focus. I could often focus faster on that "locked" 1:1 by adjusting the position the camera than by using autofocus. This was all topside. This is my first macro lens and was I surprised how little DOF one gets at 1:1 even with F22. Still hoping to get my first good pigmy shot.

 

[unclebob]

Note that 1:1 only occurs at exactly one distance, and so focus for 1:1 must be at that one distance. This occurs with all macro lenses. With the 60mm you have to lock the focus when selecting 1:1 (either by switching to MF before selecting 1:1 or by holding down the shutter half way before selecting 1:1 and not releasing it until after taking the photo), otherwise if you autofocus after selecting 1:1, you are almost certainly no longer at 1:1.

The only way to focus at 1:1 is by moving the camera closer to / further from the subject.

With the OM-D, i have a button assigned to switch between S-AF and MF (actually it's the video record button). If i want to shoot video, i switch the mode dial to video, which now defaults to MF, and pressing the same MF button (old record button) then forces an autofocus.

 

[rmorgan]

Has anyone tried the Flat Port 72/60mm combination with a magnifying diopter yet?