Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 ED Macro Lens

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Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 ED Macro Lens The Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro is the company’s first dedicated macro lens for the Micro Four Thirds mount. Earlier, Micro Four Thirds users who enjoyed close-up and macro photography had only one option they could use—the Panasonic 45mm f/2.8 Aspherical Macro. Olympus has added variety by introducing a 6Omm f/2.8 Macro lens, which gives a 35mm equivalent of 120mm.

Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm Features The longer focal length of the M. Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro lens allows a more comfortable working distance, which is quite advantageous. One can light the subject better with an artificial source such as a ring flash. Also, if you are shooting any live creature such as butterflies or spiders, the lens allows you to stand a little further away, and thus, not disturb their presence. According to the company, the lens construction has been optimised for improving light transmission and colour consistency with reduced flare. The focusing action takes place by moving the internal lens elements. This keeps the overall length of the lens constant throughout its entire focusing range.

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When used with a camera like the Olympus OM-D E-M5, one would expect to make use of the camera’s excellent IS system. However, while shooting macros at close-up distances, we observed that the stabilisation is not as effective as usual. Of course, Panasonic users do not have this option in the first place, as their cameras do not have in-body IS. While that may be a deterrent, it is worthwhile to remember that stabilisation is not a necessity in macro photography. The genre often demands the use of narrow apertures and caref ul framing and so, every serious macro photographer should carry a tripod anyway.

Olympus M.Zuiko Handling The lens on the Olympus OM-D offers good balance, especial ly when used with the vertical grip. I also tried this lens on smaller bodies like the PEN E-PL5, but the overall feel was not to the level of the OM-D combination. The lens is made up of strong polycarbonate and its lens mount is all stainless steel. Macro photography often takes you to some demanding environments, for which the lens is dustproof and splashproof. However, the build quality is not as great as some of the recent launches from the company, like the 12mm and the 75mm. The focusing ring rotates with ease and offers the right amount of resistance. One important control on the lens barrel is the focus limiter switch, which offers four options to choose from. If you know the working distance from the subject, simply turn the dial to the desired range. This makes the shooting process faster and also saves battery life. However, there was one thing I found quite odd while using AF. To shoot true macro, you have to turn and hold the switch to the 1:1 setting. But there is no lock for this, which makes shooting a bit of guesswork. One can overcome this quirk simply by using manual focus.

Olympus M.Zuiko Handling Performance Autofocus is not the fastest I have seen, but it is silent, which is a big plus while shooting in the wild. The MSC tag which implies silent AF for video shooting is a bit of a misnomer. We did say that the focusing is quiet, but in video shooting, it often hunts, especially in low light. If video is one of your intended uses, you may want to stick with the kit lens of the OM-D or one of the other MFT lenses. The images captured at f/2.8 exhibit good contrast and are sharp in the centre, but when shooting at the widest aperture, the bokeh is not so pleasing and looks unnatural. The sweep spot for this lens is around f/8. After f/11, however, there is a steep fall in sharpness. Distortion is well controlled and fringing is kept under control. There is slight light falloff while

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shooting at f/2.8, but it is not too much. Olympus 60mm F/2.8 Specifications Focal Length 60mm (35mm equivalent focal length 120mm) Lens construction 13 elements in 10 Groups – ED lens, 2 HR lenses, E-HR lens Dust & Splash Proof Yes Angle of View 20 Degree AF System High-speed Imager AF (MSC) Closest Focusing Distance 0.19m Maximum Image Magnification 1.0x (35mm equivalent Maximum Image Magnification 2.0x) Minimum Field Size 13 x 17mm Number of Blades 7 (Circular Aperture Diaphragm) Maximum Aperture F2.8 Minimum Aperture F22 Filter Size Diameter 46mm Dimension Diameter 56 x 82mm Weight 185g Box Contents Lens Cap (LC-46), Lens Rear Cap (LR-2), Instruction Manual, Olympus Worldwide Warranty Card

Our Conclusion For MFT users, the 60mm is good value for money, considering its price of Rs. 35,190. Its only competitor, the Panasonic Macro- Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH OIS offers lesser working distance and lesser magnification for higher price. The sharpness may not match the macro optics of Nikon or Canon, but in the

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