Beginner Settings advice for Olympus (M4/3) 60mm f2.8 macro lens

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Joe
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Hello,

I'm planning on using the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens, for macro & close-up photography, with a OMD-EM5 Mark III.

The macro will hopefully be indoor (tabletop studio setup / Focus Stacking) & outdoor free hand (bugs ect) & the close up work will be for indoor, tabletop studio setup (creative photography, hopfuly get into post editing, of inanimate objects).

I was hoping based on this, your may be happy to offer some hints & tips of the best camera setting I should be looking to use as a starting point?

Many thanks in advance
 
I'd recommend using manual focus rather than AF for close up/macro as although AF will focus on something it might not be what you want it to focus on.

Other than that, depth of filed is very narrow at close distance so be prepared to stop the aperture down and if shooting handheld watch the shutter speed as any camera or subject movement may well be visible in the picture.

If there's plenty of light to keep the shutter speed up I leave the camera in aperture priority but if there's less light and the shutter speed drops too low I switch to manual mode with appropriate aperture and shutter speed settings and a higher ISO. Using image stabilisation or a tripod may well stop camera movement but wont stop subject movement so again watch the shutter speed if the subject is likely to crawl about or move in the breeze.
 
Why not heck out some of the various facebook live and bookable Zoom webinars that are being offered through Olympus Image Space by a number of Olympus tech experts, they have also been offering free 1-2-1 advice sessions. Having recently switched to Olympus I've found some excellent advice available
 
I'd recommend using manual focus rather than AF for close up/macro as although AF will focus on something it might not be what you want it to focus on.

Other than that, depth of filed is very narrow at close distance so be prepared to stop the aperture down and if shooting handheld watch the shutter speed as any camera or subject movement may well be visible in the picture.

If there's plenty of light to keep the shutter speed up I leave the camera in aperture priority but if there's less light and the shutter speed drops too low I switch to manual mode with appropriate aperture and shutter speed settings and a higher ISO. Using image stabilisation or a tripod may well stop camera movement but wont stop subject movement so again watch the shutter speed if the subject is likely to crawl about or move in the breeze.
Why not heck out some of the various facebook live and bookable Zoom webinars that are being offered through Olympus Image Space by a number of Olympus tech experts, they have also been offering free 1-2-1 advice sessions. Having recently switched to Olympus I've found some excellent advice available

Thankyou very much, both for your advice. Much appreciated
 
I'd recommend using manual focus rather than AF for close up/macro as although AF will focus on something it might not be what you want it to focus on.

Other than that, depth of filed is very narrow at close distance so be prepared to stop the aperture down and if shooting handheld watch the shutter speed as any camera or subject movement may well be visible in the picture.

If there's plenty of light to keep the shutter speed up I leave the camera in aperture priority but if there's less light and the shutter speed drops too low I switch to manual mode with appropriate aperture and shutter speed settings and a higher ISO. Using image stabilisation or a tripod may well stop camera movement but wont stop subject movement so again watch the shutter speed if the subject is likely to crawl about or move in the breeze.

Thanks Alan, Looking at things from non macro (outside), how would the settings change if I was using the lens for more close up work of object in a tabletop studio type setting, to then try create more close up creative shots of object?

Cheers, Joe :)
 
I would suggest manual focus - tripod and a TTL flash for any Macro work

The flash can bring out detail and freeze any movement

Les :)
 
Thank you Les, much appreciated.

I do a lot of Macro work and find using a TTL flash an absolute must

Like this - part of a series of 12 images for a customer who owns a deli & wanted to decorate with mono prints depicting her passion for food etc

fONQLhI.jpg


Les :)
 
Thanks Alan, Looking at things from non macro (outside), how would the settings change if I was using the lens for more close up work of object in a tabletop studio type setting, to then try create more close up creative shots of object?

Cheers, Joe :)

I don't tend to take table top type shots but on the creative side of things different angles and perspectives are often fun. You will notice that the distance from the subject makes a difference to the perspective you see in the final picture. Perspective is a function not of focal length but of distance to the subject and things that can give the same subject a different look relative to other things in the frame (if there are any) or even from one point on the subject to another are the angle you shoot from and the distance the shot is taken from. What you can do is either take the shot from close distance or from a greater distance and crop post capture. The two pictures, focusing from near and further away, can have quite different perspectives.

With some subjects the background can be a significant part of the final look. You may want to include background elements or you may wish to exclude them, you may wish to throw them out of the depth of field or not. Changing the angle and the distance the shot is taken from may achieve quite different results.

PS.
I've just remembered something that's important...
Macro/close up photography can show up every little mark and piece of contamination so make sure that whatever you're taking a picture of is in the condition you want it to be in. If you want to take a picture of something as it is, fine, but if you want a contamination or teeny tiny creature free shot you may be cloning them out or retaking the picture. So make sure things are clean and blast away tiny creatures with a rocket blower if you want a picture free of these things.
 
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I do a lot of Macro work and find using a TTL flash an absolute must

Like this - part of a series of 12 images for a customer who owns a deli & wanted to decorate with mono prints depicting her passion for food etc

fONQLhI.jpg


Les :)

Les, that is a fab image! May I ask what you used as the black base to get the reflection?

Thanks, Joe :)
 
If you use AF make sure you adjust the focus limiter switch accordingly for your focusing distance
 
If you use AF make sure you adjust the focus limiter switch accordingly for your focusing distance

Doing this may make focusing a bit faster as you're shortening the focus range the kit has to go through but I don't normally bother as it's just something else to remember to do and probably undo again at some point. It can be useful though when shooting through something such as when shooting birds in the garden through glass or squirrels or birds in trees etc through foliage or fencing or whatever when limiting the focus to a further distance may prevent the kit focusing on something too close like something on the window or foliage close to the camera. Conversely when shooting something close up limiting the focus to close distance could prevent the kit focusing on something further away which is more attractive to the AF. Like when shooting a spider in a web etc. with a high contrast thing further away.
 
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