Yes, I know the new kid on the block is the 90mm f/3.5 Macro from OM-System, but I’m a little behind the times. I picked up the older 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens for Micro Four-Thirds just a few hours ago, and headed immediately down to the local botanical garden to try it out.
My first impression: this thing is tiny and light.
I had the Olympus OM-1 on my hip with Peak Design straps, and it was wild just how light the setup is. That fact only drives home just how powerful the Micro 4/3 system is. To be able to include this small profile lens in any bag means I have a very powerful 1:1 macro lens with me at all times.
That’s wild.
In comparison, my Fujifilm X-H2 with the 80mm f/2.8 Macro feels totally different. It’s much heavier, and as you can see, the Fujifilm combination is much bigger than the OM-1/macro combo. (Just so you know, the Fuji 80mm Macro is an incredible lens as well!).
This is all great, but will it allow me to take photos like the master macro photographers out there?
The short answer: not really. Being a fantastic macro photographer takes time, effort and technique that can only be learned through a lot of trial and error, and I’m not that guy. Macro will likely never be something I put more than passing effort into.
BUT – will it get me some seriously cool shots?
Yes!
This was one of my first shots at the garden, and I’m impressed by the general image quality the combination of the OM-1 and 60mm macro provides:
I also tried using the hand-held 50-megapixel mode. I had some decent luck with the following photo. You can see the full 50 megapixel crop here:
And then the close-up crop here, which still has around 30 megapixels of resolution after the crop:
I found using the 60mm macro difficult with either of the high-resolution modes of the Om-1, but it was slightly windy out, and those modes aren’t meant for moving subjects.
You know what? I mostly don’t care. Twenty megapixels is fine for many types of uses.
The lens has a useful focus limiter on it with multiple distance ranges. For those of you who might not use macro lenses very often, this setting helps the camera autofocus faster by only zoning in on the range you set the dial to. It makes the focus acquisition much, much quicker.
Focus lock is fast, but not something to be impressed by. My 80mm from Fujifilm seems slightly faster and more confident than the 60mm macro… but don’t take my word for it right now. This is only the first time I was out, and I’m likely just getting used to the lens.
This is a shot that impressed me:
Just a beautiful scene here. The colors of the OM-1 really shine here.
Red colors in full sun can be tough for digital sensors, but this shot with the 60mm macro and the OM-System Om-1 works well:
I only shot with the lens for about an hour, but I had fun and got some decent shots.
More than anything though, I just like that I have a world-class lens and camera with this kind of size and weight ratio ready to go with me pretty much anywhere.
Too many people talk about the negatives of Micro Four-Thirds, which I understand. However, I don’t think enough people appreciate the benefits of the system.
Oh well, it’s their loss!
For now, check out a few more images from my quick little adventure, and be sure to purchase the 60mm Macro or the Olympus OM-1 from my affiliate links to help me keep this site running.
