Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60 mm F2.8 Lens, Standard Zoom, Suitable for All MFT Cameras (Olympus OM-D & PEN Models, Panasonic G-Series), Black

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Lateral chromatic aberrations, typically seen as blue or purple fringes along contrasty edges, are essentially a non-issue with this lens. The crops below give you an idea of what you should expect in a worst-case scenario. The lens is outfitted with a very smooth, wired focusing ring. There are no external parts of the lens that move when you change focus (not a given among macro lenses). I prefer to use the excellent autofocus whenever possible, but the focus ring is easy to use and has a guiding measurement on the top of the lens that shows the focus distance. For autofocus, there is a really useful focus limiter switch that tells the camera what focusing range to search for the subject. Resolution performance at f/2.8 for the Olympus M. Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro and Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm F2.8 ASPH OIS (from left to right). In short, the high magnification and large working distance of the 90mm f/3.5 Macro are two of its biggest strengths. I was able to use these features to capture images that would have been impossible with almost anything else on the market. Handling and Build The Olympus 60mm ƒ/2.8 Macro is a solid little lens which does not add much weight to the camera. The lens has 13 elements in 10 groups: of these, one is an ED lens, two are HR lenses and one is an E-HR lens element. The lens features a seven-bladed circular aperture which stops down to ƒ/22, and as previously mentioned, takes 46mm filters. The lens is marked as splashproof, providing some level of weather resistance.

I also appreciate the simplicity of the lens: it has no shake reduction, no autofocus, and no electronic coupling. These things are nice, but just add weight and cost, and are not necessary to take nice macro photos. Optical Quality – Through the lens E-M1, 1/5, f/8, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 30mm E-P5, 1/60, f/7.1, ISO 400 – M.Zuiko 60mm The focusing ring is about 7/8'' wide, made of plastic with thin ribs. It uses an electrical system for adjusting focus, so there are no stops of any kind to indicate that the lens has arrived at its closest point of focus or infinity focus. There is no lens extension during focus: the actual focusing action is silky smooth, and works very well. One can even buy a microscope with a camera adapter and multiple objectives of strength you seek. True. I have seen photos. Some made in China seem pretty good, not out of reach. All shots you see here are done with the Panasonic G5 handheld, so the camera is the same for all, but it does mean no stabilization for the Olympus lens.With the appropriate adapter, one can mount regular four-thirds lenses on a micro four-thirds camera, making this an attractive option for macro shooters. It doesn't offer quite the same reproduction ratio (only 1:2 instead of full 1:1) but its performance, even wide open at ƒ/2, was extremely sharp.

We tested this lens with the Olympus PEN E-PL5, and found that it balanced pretty well on that camera, even if the combination was a bit front heavy. Build quality is solid, but not outstanding, with the outer parts being mostly plastic. That said, the lens does offer a dust- and splashproof construction, which is great news if you happen to own a similarly ruggedised camera body. The focus ring is wide and ribbed, with no hard or soft stops at either end of the focus range. Focusing is fully internal, meaning the lens barrel does not extend on focus.

Imatest was only able to detect 0.253% barrel distortion during testing, which is an incredibly low level indeed. This level of distortion is so low that lines parallel to the edges of the image area appear dead straight. What’s more, it can even double up as a casual portrait lens thanks to its focal length, excellent sharpness and 2.8 aperture. E-M1, 1/1250, f/2.8, ISO 200 – M.Zuiko 60mm