Micro 4/3s, my next step Macro strategy.

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Trevor Carpenter
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Micro 4/3s, my next step Macro strategy.
4 months ago

Well after a few months with my G5, I’m committed and the next step is to think about replacing the macro functionality of my DSLR.

The most favoured route would appear to be the Oly 60mm macro which gets great reviews.  £450 seems quite a lot of money but not if it is good as its reviewers and users are saying.  Two issues:

1.  Obvious concern is whether I will miss the IS that putting an Oly lens on a Panny body invariably involves.

2.  Far more concerning is that many 60mm pictures have been posted on these forums that I feel don’t live up to the hype.  Sharp, no doubt at the main focus point but so limited in the DOF that the overall picture IMO falls short of what I am used to being able to achieve with much less expensive gear.  Even on these two review sites where the praise for the lens is overflowing I am not blown away by the examples.

http://robinwong.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/olympus-mzuiko-60mm-f28-macro-review.html

http://zuikoholics.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/review-m-zuiko-digital-60mm-f2-8-macro-episode-1-2/

I still have my E620 and was planning to keep it as my second camera for a short time and then buy a second micro4/3s body..  The results with the 620 and my Oly 35mm are very pleasing to me.  I could just carry on with this combination although my long (medium) term plan is to become all micro4/3s.

examples from the E620 and 35mm

Before I had my DSLRs I was using an FZ50 with the Raynox 150 and 250 and my results with these were also IMO very good.

examples from the FZ50

Some of us  were first pulled into macro shooting by the wonderful work of Bob Frank with an FZ50 (If you have never seen these 7 year old shots, take a look).

http://www.bugmacros.com/

and I still have my doubts that A DSLR or a micro 4/3s camera is capable of producing pictures this good, even with an expensive lens hanging on the end.

If you’re an Oly 60mm shooter, perhaps you can post some shots that you think are better than my own examples or even as good as the Bob Frank shots. I'm not a great fan of reviews preferring to see the work of my peers but everybody says the 60mm is fantastic so it must be true. I'm just not seeing the pictures that juistify that

I have another dilemma in that in pursuit of an all encompassing micro 4/3s system, I have just sold my 70-300 which was first choice for larger butterflies and dragonflies.  I’m hoping my 100-300 will be able to handle them even though it hasn’t got the 70-300 macro capability.

Too many decisions to make in this photography lark.  All thoughts appreciated especially great examples of the 60mm’s output.

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