M43 Macro Lens

Messages
9,066
Name
David
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi guys,

I'm thinking of getting a M43 Macro Lens. Two questions really ....

> What are the options and what's recommended?

> I know there's a LUMIX G Macro 30mm f/2.8 ... inexpensive, small, light, can double as a general purpose/portrait lens, but I already have the LUMIX G 25mm f/1.7 that does the general purpose bit very nicely.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Hi guys,

I'm thinking of getting a M43 Macro Lens. Two questions really ....

> What are the options and what's recommended?

> I know there's a LUMIX G Macro 30mm f/2.8 ... inexpensive, small, light, can double as a general purpose/portrait lens, but I already have the LUMIX G 25mm f/1.7 that does the general purpose bit very nicely.

Cheers
The Oly 60mm seems to be pretty well regarded, although some on the OMD thread complain about difficulties in manual focusing. The Sigma 105mm 2.8 also seems a popular choice. I think that if you're photoing insects then a longer focal length is preferred so anything less than 60mm may be restrictive, if its just flowers then 30mm is probably fine.
 
Last edited:
I have only tried and subsequently bought the Olympus 60mm
Pleased with the photos from it, focusing is ok if you use the limiter switch
 
Thanks all .... so Oly 60mm for M43, it looks like, OR shall I think about using my Nikon D5300 for macro .... in future? :thinking: Hmmmm ...

For quite casual walkabouts: GX80 + 25mm is a combo I'm happy with. ... Pic
 
I fancied a dabble in Macro so I bought a set of extension tubes before I got a proper lens.
It basically confirmed that I don't want to be fiddling around at that tiny scale :)

I got FOTGA ones for M43 which worked fine with my Olympus bodies and existing lenses.
https://flic.kr/s/aHskypyDQ2

There is some discussion in the Olympus owners thread about the O60mm and manual focusing I would read before you put your hand in your wallet.
 
Thanks all .... so Oly 60mm for M43, it looks like, OR shall I think about using my Nikon D5300 for macro .... in future? :thinking: Hmmmm ...

For quite casual walkabouts: GX80 + 25mm is a combo I'm happy with. ... Pic
The only problem being that you will need a big chunky ,heavy macro lens .. where as the 60mm weighs a couple Of ounces and imho it’s sharper than any canon/Nikon/ sigma I have used previously
 
Why not try a raynox 150/250?
Because they don't work well on short focal length lenses. The DCR250 is 8 dioptres so has a focal length of 125mm. Divide that into the focal length of the lens you're using to get the magnification of the combo. With the OP's standard 25mm this gives a magnification of 0.20x - hardly worth bothering with given that the 25mm can get to 0.14x unaided.
 
Last edited:
The only problem being that you will need a big chunky ,heavy macro lens .. where as the 60mm weighs a couple Of ounces and imho it’s sharper than any canon/Nikon/ sigma I have used previously


.... interesting, thanks Jeff.
 
Why not try a raynox 150/250?


Because they don't work well on short focal length lenses. The DCR250 is 8 dioptres so has a focal length of 125mm. Divide that into the focal length of the lens you're using to get the magnification of the combo. With the OP's standard 25mm this gives a magnification of 0.20x - hardly worth bothering with given that the 25mm can get to 0.14x unaided.

I have got a raynox 250, I play with it from time to time, different cameras different lenses, but never had much luck with it.
 
Last edited:
FWIW My best results with the tubes were using the 14-42mm RII kit lens that came with my Olympus PL5 but even then - for me - I found it frustrating and wasn't that pleased with the end result. If I were more of a fan of beetles and flowers perhaps I'd persevere but it's not for me :)

I've had a play with the tubes 16mm+10mm together on the Panasonic 25mm and in my inexperienced hands it's more or less useless :)
You need the front element practically touching the subject and wide open you get a couple of mm depth of field.
I appreciate that's not how you should use it in real life I was just trying the extreme case :)

Again based on a moment playing the P25 seems to be able to focus at about 15cm from the front element with a frame 8cm top to bottom which is close enough for me - though not really macro territory.
 
FWIW My best results with the tubes were using the 14-42mm RII kit lens that came with my Olympus PL5 but even then - for me - I found it frustrating and wasn't that pleased with the end result. If I were more of a fan of beetles and flowers perhaps I'd persevere but it's not for me :)

I've had a play with the tubes 16mm+10mm together on the Panasonic 25mm and in my inexperienced hands it's more or less useless :)
You need the front element practically touching the subject and wide open you get a couple of mm depth of field.
I appreciate that's not how you should use it in real life I was just trying the extreme case :)

Again based on a moment playing the P25 seems to be able to focus at about 15cm from the front element with a frame 8cm top to bottom which is close enough for me - though not really macro territory.
Thank you. :)
 
t.b.h I have now sold my 60mm macro ,it was fun to use fast and accurate , but for what I do a overkill the in body focus stacking was its main advantage . l’m not a counter of the hairs on a spiders legs and I find the close focus ability on my PL 100-400 is more than adequate for my needs
 
t.b.h I have now sold my 60mm macro ,it was fun to use fast and accurate , but for what I do a overkill the in body focus stacking was its main advantage . l’m not a counter of the hairs on a spiders legs and I find the close focus ability on my PL 100-400 is more than adequate for my needs

The PL 100-400 is an excellent lens, the best for birding, but big & heavy. I just want a small walkabout prime that's good for close-ups, portraits, general stuff. It seems this Leica 45mm f/2.8 will get spiders hairy legs, but perhaps not OTT detail that some macro enthusiasts are after.
 
@d00d Thinking of selling my Olympus 60mm, if you are interested let me know and we can sort something out via the classifieds
 
Thanks TT, I know I'm being terribly indecisive and slow to make up my mind ... I put it on hold for a couple of months.

I now know where I can pick up a used LL 45mm. The Oly 60, as far as I know, may be a slightly better lens for straight macro, studio environment, but I'm looking for a walkabout lens and I can't get the LL 45 out of my mind ... nice focal length, nice, erm ...

Still thinking :runaway:
 
Thanks TT, I know I'm being terribly indecisive and slow to make up my mind ... I put it on hold for a couple of months.

I now know where I can pick up a used LL 45mm. The Oly 60, as far as I know, may be a slightly better lens for straight macro, studio environment, but I'm looking for a walkabout lens and I can't get the LL 45 out of my mind ... nice focal length, nice, erm ...

Still thinking :runaway:

Not so sure about either as a walkabout lens, would you have used a FF equivalent of 90mm for that?,
I looked at all the options and decided on the 60mm thinking Macro would probably lose its appeal (again)
One other thing that helped me decide was the Oympus being weather sealed, PL45mm isn't.
Had a Canon 100/2.8 L Macro lens and didn't use that very often, also ended up being sold.
Have done the same with flash set ups, seems like a good idea, but never really get that much use.

I will put the 60mm on the classifieds soon anyway, so if you are interested its easy to put a wanted ad up.
Thinking around the £250 mark and that includes a 3rd party retractable hood
(didn't fancy the Oympus one at about 50 quid)
 
Last edited:
Not so sure about either as a walkabout lens, would you have used a FF equivalent of 90mm for that?,
I looked at all the options and decided on the 60mm thinking Macro would probably lose its appeal (again)
One other thing that helped me decide was the Oympus being weather sealed, PL45mm isn't.
Had a Canon 100/2.8 L Macro lens and didn't use that very often, also ended up being sold.
Have done the same with flash set ups, seems like a good idea, but never really get that much use.

I will put the 60mm on the classifieds soon anyway, so if you are interested its easy to put a wanted ad up.
Thinking around the £250 mark and that includes a 3rd party retractable hood
(didn't fancy the Oympus one at about 50 quid)


Hi TT, thanks for that.

I'm having second thoughts about macro (again). During lockdown, no demos, no buskers, public transport was risky, I took to walkabouts in parks. I would spot a daisy in the long grass and try to make a decent image out of it with my 25mm f/1.7. Now I love that lens but I was failing to make it work well in this situating. I'm now realising that the 12-60mm (my most recent acquisition) has a closer focusing distance and being a zoom is altogether more satisfactory. :D
 
This Leica lens from 2009 looks interesting, the kind of thing I'm looking for! Anyone familiar with this?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0q27W8YuvM
I have that PanaLeica 45 and it's very good. Shorter than the Oly 60mm (physically and focal length) and it has IS which is helpful on a camera that doesn't have it built-in. Makes a very good portrait lens as well.
 
Last edited:
Hi TT, thanks for that.

I'm having second thoughts about macro (again). During lockdown, no demos, no buskers, public transport was risky, I took to walkabouts in parks. I would spot a daisy in the long grass and try to make a decent image out of it with my 25mm f/1.7. Now I love that lens but I was failing to make it work well in this situating. I'm now realising that the 12-60mm (my most recent acquisition) has a closer focusing distance and being a zoom is altogether more satisfactory. :D

I'm mostly a 35/50mm (FF) prime user and I've started carrying a screw on close up filter to screw onto my lens when I want a close up shot of a flower, leaf or something.

This might be worth thinking about for your 25mm. I've had a set of close up filters for years and I think they're 67mm so I have a few step up rings which fit the lenses I'm likely to use the filters with, mostly 35 and 50mm lenses (FF.) The stepping ring stays on the lens, the lens cap still fits and I fit and remove the close up filter as required.

A No.4 close up filter allows me to focus close enough for flower shots and similar.

PS.
Another advantage of close up filters is that you often probably wont be at the lenses minimum focus distance and as some lenses aren't at their best at their minimum focus distance (maybe they don't have a floating element) you can get better image quality than you'd normally expect when doing a close up shot at about minimum focus distance.
 
This Leica lens from 2009 looks interesting, the kind of thing I'm looking for! Anyone familiar with this?


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0q27W8YuvM


When I shot M43 and was looking for similar to you I remember looking at a bunch of comparison reviews and the cheap Pany 30mm macro beat this in some tests. It's a lot faster, quieter and seemed sharper - it's as basic a macro as you can get and not ideal for very close in bug shots maybe, but for casual close ups and a decent walk-about/portrait lens that's where I would look. I think it was Gerald Undone did a 3-way M43 macro comparison, he is more a video guy though.

Simple old school review on the 30mm here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ToocXVv7Rg
 
Hey guys, thanks for the interest.

I'm still hooked on the Leica 45mm idea, but it's just gas. :naughty:
 
Back
Top