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Studio Tests
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If it does not load, please ensure you have flash player version 9 (or later) installed. We've long praised the Olympus 50mm macro in our camera reviews as one of the sharpest lenses we've ever used, and true to form it turns in an exceptional performance in our studio tests. Even wide open it's an impressive performer in all regards, and things just get better on stopping down; there's simply very little to fault. Compared to the Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM which will also be available in Four Thirds mount, it's distinctly sharper especially when stopped down a little (note that we tested the Sigma on the APS-C Canon EOS 450D, and the MTF50s on the more demanding Four Thirds sensor are expected to be approximately 13% lower).
Macro Focus
Specific image quality issuesAs always, our studio tests are backed up by taking hundreds of photographs with the lens across a range of subjects, and examining them in detail. This allows us to confirm our studio observations, and identify any other issues which don't show up in the tests. The 50mm F2.0 macro generally performs as well in the field as the studio tests would suggest, delivering exceptional image quality time after time except for a few specific circumstances. FlarePossibly the biggest weakness of this lens, the 50mm macro is distinctly unhappy with a strong light source in or near the frame. Place the sun in the frame, and it becomes surrounded by a broad and diffuse disk of halation, with an array of multicoloured flare patterns which become more clearly defined on stopping down. Move the sun slightly out of the frame and the lens becomes afflicted by high levels of veiling flare. To be fair this kind of behaviour isn't particularly unusual for telephoto lenses with relatively complex optical designs, but it does mean the 50mm F2 may not necessarily be the ideal choice for photographing sunsets.
Background blur ('bokeh')One genuinely desirable, but difficult to measure aspect of a lens's performance is the ability to deliver smoothly blurred out-of-focus regions when trying to isolate a subject from the background, generally when using a long focal length and large aperture. And for Four Thirds users looking to attain a degree of subject isolation from the background (not usually a strong point of the format), the 50mm F2 Macro is one of the best options available, although some users may still find its selective focus capabilities somewhat limiting when compared to fast primes used on larger formats. The lens generally delivers smooth and attractive bokeh across the full range of subject distances, with none of the harsh edging to out-of-focus highlights often seen with distant backgrounds. The only real issue is with bokeh chromatic aberration, which is covered in more detail below.
Chromatic aberrationLateral chromatic aberration is essentially negligible with this lens, however as is common with fast primes, 'bokeh' CAs (coloured fringing around high-contrast regions outside of the field of focus) can be quite noticeable when viewing the image files at the pixel level. With this lens, it takes the form of fairly intense magenta fringing in front of the field of focus, and green fringing behind, which persists across all focus distances, but disappears progressively on stopping down. However unlike lateral CA it can be difficult if not impossible to remove completely in software, although a regionally-applied colour-specific desaturation command in Photoshop will often do the trick.
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