Panny 30mm macro practical on GM1?

Al Bond wrote:

Hi,

I recently bought a second-hand GM1 and 12-32 lens. I really just wanted the lens (to use on my E-M10) but, as my wife's Canon Powershot G11 had become faulty, I suggested that she tried it out.

The outcome is that it is now officially her camera......

She is generally happy with its performance but she used to take a lot of macro shots with the G11. The 12-32 is a pretty good lens but it doesn't have close enough focus for her needs.

So, one option is to get the Panny 30mm macro lens. Obviously, despite being a relatively small lens, I suspect it will still looks huge on the GM1.

Has anyone used the 30mm on the GM1 or GM5? Is it manageable?

Thanks

How about a Kooka MFT extension rings kit, 10/16/21mm and then just take the 10mm extension ring in to use?

It will turn the 12-32mm to very good close-up objective with 0.44x magnification. If you would use a 16mm extension ring you can manage to get a 0.63x magnification.

I made quick search around web and couldn't find the Canon G11 magnification value in its "macro mode". But I only found that it has 1/1.7" (1.49cm diagonal) sensor and when mode is enabled the wide angle is used and the camera can focus to 1/4" of the front lens, getting approximately a post stamp size area. That means the magnification ratio isn't 1:1 (1.0x) so it doesn't have a macro function, but it is pseudo-macro or "just" a close-up mode.

That meaning, You should be able to apply the needs of the pseudo-macro feature with the extension ring.

So if it isn't really required to get the 1:1 ratio (17.3x13mm area) it shouldn't be a problem.

I had a few minutes time to test the 10mm extension ring with GM1 (before it was taken from me...) and it offered very nice possibilities.

Here is example of the GM1+12-32mm + 10mm Kooka extension.

It is captured in 16:9 ratio and this is widest possible image. The subject is by size about 4-5mm

Thanks.  Going by the simulation site, the 30mm is a similar size to another of my existing lenses, the Panny 45-150.  She has already used the 45-150 with the GM1 and didn't have any particular handling issues.

Fri13 wrote:

How about a Kooka MFT extension rings kit, 10/16/21mm and then just take the 10mm extension ring in to use?

It will turn the 12-32mm to very good close-up objective with 0.44x magnification. If you would use a 16mm extension ring you can manage to get a 0.63x magnification.

Interesting.  I haven't heard of this make of tubes before but they seem to be almost 1/2 the price of the Kenko ones.  What is the interior surface of the tubes like?  I know cheap tubes with a shiny surface can reduce contract and image quality.

I do have some cheap manual tubes but never use them because of the inability to change the aperture and, to a lesser degree, the lack of AF.  I could try them to with the 12-32 to get an idea of how the set up would work.

Thanks

windmillgolfer wrote:

Wildcard alternative, similar in price/cost, look the at the Panasonic LX7: focus down to 1cm, 24-90mm and f1.4. As a bonus, you might get your GM1 back

That is definitely a thought and was on my short list of possible replacements when her Powershot G11 started playing up.  However, there isn't anywhere local that seems to stock it and she wouldn't want to buy it without trying it first.

Looking ahead, she may decide to down size from her Canon 450D and 60mm macro lens to a smaller body lens combination - so the 30mm lens is likely to get used even if she didn't like the handling on the GM1.

Impulses wrote:

Fri13 wrote:

How about a Kooka MFT extension rings kit, 10/16/21mm and then just take the 10mm extension ring in to use?

It will turn the 12-32mm to very good close-up objective with 0.44x magnification. If you would use a 16mm extension ring you can manage to get a 0.63x magnification.

Interesting. I haven't heard of this make of tubes before but they seem to be almost 1/2 the price of the Kenko ones. What is the interior surface of the tubes like? I know cheap tubes with a shiny surface can reduce contract and image quality.

I do have some cheap manual tubes but never use them because of the inability to change the aperture and, to a lesser degree, the lack of AF. I could try them to with the 12-32 to get an idea of how the set up would work.

Thanks

My $30 Neewer tubes have ribbed insides and fully functioning electrical contacts...

Well, that got me looking on Ebay! Is that for the 10mm + 16mm twin tube set? I can't find the Neewer ones at that price but the Viltrox alternative looks ok:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361113942383

I've already got a Viltrox 4/3 to M4/3 adapter which is pretty good quality.

If you switched her to the Panasonic 14-42 PZ lens, then there is a dedicated macro adapter (DMW-GMC1) for it. I suspect that if she is coming from a G11, she may not miss the 12mm vs 14mm as much. I would not buy either brand new, though, as they are a bit overpriced full retail. here is also one for the Olympus 14-42 EZ (Which is very similar) but that lens does not have OIS stabilization so it may not be as good all around.

It's not a whole lot cheaper than the macro lens, but it is less to carry and maybe simpler for someone new to ILC.

Another thing to consider is that the GM1 can take a lot more cropping than a small sensor Canon and stay sharp and low noise. So maybe cropping or digital TC can assist with getting closer. Depends how far you want to go, though.

If you do go with a Macro lens, I might suggest the Olympus 60mm. Yes it is very long. But it is also very narrow, light, and gives a nice portrait telephoto option to her kit. She already has 30mm covered in the kit lens. The 60mm would give double the reach of the 12--32mm.

Here's how they look on camera. I used the 12-50 in place of the 60mm macro because they are identically sized.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#491.459,491.332,491.397,491.335,ha,t

tkbslc wrote:

If you switched her to the Panasonic 14-42 PZ lens, then there is a dedicated macro adapter (DMW-GMC1) for it. I suspect that if she is coming from a G11, she may not miss the 12mm vs 14mm as much. I would not buy either brand new, though, as they are a bit overpriced full retail. here is also one for the Olympus 14-42 EZ (Which is very similar) but that lens does not have OIS stabilization so it may not be as good all around.

It's not a whole lot cheaper than the macro lens, but it is less to carry and maybe simpler for someone new to ILC.

Another thing to consider is that the GM1 can take a lot more cropping than a small sensor Canon and stay sharp and low noise. So maybe cropping or digital TC can assist with getting closer. Depends how far you want to go, though.

If you do go with a Macro lens, I might suggest the Olympus 60mm. Yes it is very long. But it is also very narrow, light, and gives a nice portrait telephoto option to her kit. She already has 30mm covered in the kit lens. The 60mm would give double the reach of the 12--32mm.

Here's how they look on camera. I used the 12-50 in place of the 60mm macro because they are identically sized.

http://camerasize.com/compact/#491.459,491.332,491.397,491.335,ha,t

Thanks for the interesting suggestions.  She has already noticed the advantages of the larger (newer) sensor - images taken at ISO 800 on the GM1 are very usable whereas she never went much above ISO 200 on the G11.

Al Bond wrote:

Hi,

I recently bought a second-hand GM1 and 12-32 lens. I really just wanted the lens (to use on my E-M10) but, as my wife's Canon Powershot G11 had become faulty, I suggested that she tried it out.

The outcome is that it is now officially her camera......

She is generally happy with its performance but she used to take a lot of macro shots with the G11. The 12-32 is a pretty good lens but it doesn't have close enough focus for her needs.

So, one option is to get the Panny 30mm macro lens. Obviously, despite being a relatively small lens, I suspect it will still looks huge on the GM1.

Has anyone used the 30mm on the GM1 or GM5? Is it manageable?

Thanks

Probably my most favourite lens on the GM1 - works fine.

LMNCT wrote:

Hi. I use the GM5 with 14, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35-100 and 42.5. I have also mounted the 45-175 and it balances just fine. The largest lens that I have mounted on the GM5 is the 100-300 and that lens also worked fine, but it did look a bit strange. The 30 is not too large on the GM5 and it delivers excellent close up shots.

I think there is a lot of preconception of what is cool to use on a small camera body.  In fact the GM series bodies are just smaller bodied proper cameras and as such are perfectly capable of working with pretty well any M4/3 lens and most of the many other lenses that can be adpated to it.

Yet because it might not be thought to look cool does not mean that there is any problem in wearing socks with sandals - the socks can keep sandal wearing feet warm on colder days.

I have been using much larger lenses than the quite diminuative 30/2.8 macro for nearly two years now.  This includes the 35-100mm f2.8 and the 42.5mm f1.2 Nocticron.  I don't care if those that see me doing so think I am an insanely not-cool escapee from a mad-house.  The combinations work extremely well and lens size coolness is not a necessity of life.