Night macro with Olympus + (mostly) M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

I am very tired from neverending debates about Olympus - it is capable to deliver good pictures / is it better than FF / it is finally dying? Who cares? Instead of wasting time by writing more and more words, I would like to share some recent night close-up/macro photographs. Believe or not I love my nightwalks in tropical forest as well as locked in my country these days with my OMD. There is my three-step workflow

Step One: Practice at home

I think the most essential for good results is home based training. I try different lighting, diffusers and light direction to get the most interesting results. I have few mantids or artifical frogs and lizards for my personal training purposes.

Ghost Mantis, Captive bred specimen, Living room of my flat, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

Step Two: Enjoy in field

Walking outside one can enjoy the setting from home practicing.

Spider hunting fly, Czech republic 2020, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

Spider hunting fly, Czech republic 2020, Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

Planthopper nymph (5mm), Borneo 2019, Olympus E-M1 II, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, Raynox 250

Rough River Toad, Borneo 2019, Olympus E-M1 II, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

Spider's Web, Borneo 2019, Olympus E-M1 II, M.Zuiko 12-100mm/4 IS

Millipedes mating, Borneo 2019, Olympus E-M1 II, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8

Step Three: Fine tune camera presets

Once setting is tuned up, I save it to my phone via Olympus OI Share App. I created several camera settings for different purposes easy to upload to camera if necessary. Currently I have about 15 camera settings ready for perching/flying birds, day/night macro, day/night landscape with one touch access to special functions related to the topics. I must say - I love my E-M1 III so much

Example of my settings in Olympus App

Have a nice time and keep shooting whatever camera system you have

Petr

Super shots as always, Petr.  I particularly like the spider and fly images, and the millipede.  The latter is almost an abstract.

Mike

PS  For me, the Olympus system works very well, and I too get fed-up with all the negativity displayed here.  Just go out and shoot.

Your images are beautiful! Thank you for sharing your techniques and ideas about how to use the Olympus app. I am going to try that out!

Wow just wow! Thanks for the tip on saving camera settings via O.I-Share. I am going to dig into this for my E-M1 II.

MEDISN wrote:

Excellent images Petr - I guess we've come to expect that from you

This last bit about swapping "C" settings via phone is brilliant. I have "backed-up" my settings there just in case I need to restore on the fly. But this allows me to swap in and out completely customized sets in seconds! I never thought of this. This might be the most helpful piece of advice I've come across on this forum in a long while.

Sincerely, thank you for this. Keep up the great work.

Thank you. One more advice:  I use 2 types of setting stored to my phone:

1) the whole setting (camera + C1 - C4) and
2) every setting separately

This allows me to use complete (let say Macro) setting or add particular setting (let say Focus Stacking) to the current e.g. landscape setting.

joeletx wrote:

Wow just wow! Thanks for the tip on saving camera settings via O.I-Share. I am going to dig into this for my E-M1 II.

I am not sure but this will work with E-M1 III at this time. Also possible with E-M1X but not with E-M1 II - it is not supported camera for direct sownload the setting to mobile phone app. Hopefully in near future will be added as this is amazing feature for me.

I spent few hours in the rain on my favorite meadow today. I learn In-situ Focus Stacking. Well, flies cooperates very well just rainy and windyweather is a bit challenging

Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, ISO 1000, f/6.3, 1/50s, focus stacking 15 exposure, Olympus FC-WR, flash FL-700WR, Peak Design Travel Tripod

Backstage pictures:

Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, focus stacking, Olympus FC-WR, Peak Design Travel Tripod

Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, focus stacking, Olympus FC-WR, Peak Design Travel Tripod

Fantastic pictures Petr, as always!

But come on Petr! Photography by night? By rainy day?! You must really have something to hide! I’m starting to wonder if you just don’t want to be seen switching to your big FF sensor camera to take those great shots!! You’re going to have to do better than that to convince us!

Joke aside, I’m a huge fan of yours. Thanks for keeping sharing your beautiful inspiring work with us.

The Olympus OI share tip is really interesting. One more convenient feature to explore!

I myself also like to use Olympus gear for macro photography. And I must say that I’m more than pleased with it! I think “convenience” is the keyword defining the system.

Now I’m eagerly awaiting for the new Pro macro lens to come out! Not that I really need it, the 60mm F2.8 is already awesome, but I definitely want it!

A 100/150mm would be great to increase the working distance a bit. Also, my fingers are crossed for a native 2x macro that can accept the telecconverters to reach 4x (8x FF Eq.). I’m probably dreaming there, but how cool would that be, right?!
Laowa can manage to make excellent 2x macro lenses for FF, so I guess my hopes are not out of reach.

Looking forward to your next pictures!

Cheers,

Julien

junmoe62 wrote:

Fantastic pictures Petr, as always!

But come on Petr! Photography by night? By rainy day?! You must really have something to hide! I’m starting to wonder if you just don’t want to be seen switching to your big FF sensor camera to take those great shots!! You’re going to have to do better than that to convince us!

Joke aside, I’m a huge fan of yours. Thanks for keeping sharing your beautiful inspiring work with us.

The Olympus OI share tip is really interesting. One more convenient feature to explore!

I myself also like to use Olympus gear for macro photography. And I must say that I’m more than pleased with it! I think “convenience” is the keyword defining the system.

Now I’m eagerly awaiting for the new Pro macro lens to come out! Not that I really need it, the 60mm F2.8 is already awesome, but I definitely want it!

A 100/150mm would be great to increase the working distance a bit. Also, my fingers are crossed for a native 2x macro that can accept the telecconverters to reach 4x (8x FF Eq.). I’m probably dreaming there, but how cool would that be, right?!
Laowa can manage to make excellent 2x macro lenses for FF, so I guess my hopes are not out of reach.

Looking forward to your next pictures!

Cheers,

Julien

Well, my switch back to FF is hidden dirty work 🤭😂😂 Please don't tell anybody, I will say it officially on a very special rainy night press release 🤣🤣

Regarding to 2x macro. I have no idea what Olympus deliver with announced "100mm" macro. Laowa will reveal its MFT 50mm 2x macro soon 😉

https://photorumors.com/2020/08/01/leaked-venus-optics-to-release-a-new-laowa-50mm-f-2-8-ca-dreamer-macro-2x-mft-lens/

Petr Bambousek Wildlife Photography
http://www.sulasula.com/en/oly | http://500px.com/sulasulacom | http://instagram.com/sulasulacom | http://facebook.com/sulasulacom

MEDISN wrote:

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Step Three: Fine tune camera presets

Once setting is tuned up, I save it to my phone via Olympus OI Share App. I created several camera settings for different purposes easy to upload to camera if necessary. Currently I have about 15 camera settings ready for perching/flying birds, day/night macro, day/night landscape with one touch access to special functions related to the topics. I must say - I love my E-M1 III so much

Example of my settings in Olympus App

Have a nice time and keep shooting whatever camera system you have

Petr

Excellent images Petr - I guess we've come to expect that from you

This last bit about swapping "C" settings via phone is brilliant. I have "backed-up" my settings there just in case I need to restore on the fly. But this allows me to swap in and out completely customized sets in seconds! I never thought of this. This might be the most helpful piece of advice I've come across on this forum in a long while.

Sincerely, thank you for this. Keep up the great work.

Yes - I also didn't know this was possible.

I don't shoot with an Olympus camera anymore, but will see if I can set up something similar on my G85 and/or Sony RX100 VII.

S

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, focus stacking, Olympus FC-WR, Peak Design Travel Tripod

How did the 60/2.8 handle the water?

Are you confident about letting it get wet?

I own the same lens but don't like exposing it to moisture (even thought it's weather-sealed).

S

NZ Scott wrote:

Petr Bambousek wrote:

Olympus E-M1 III, M.Zuiko 60mm/2.8, focus stacking, Olympus FC-WR, Peak Design Travel Tripod

How did the 60/2.8 handle the water?

Are you confident about letting it get wet?

I own the same lens but don't like exposing it to moisture (even thought it's weather-sealed).

S

I am pretty confident about it's water resistancy. Based on my repeated trips to Borneo. Check this video (walk starts at time 16:00) where you can see conditions of my night walks. Raining daily and nothing happens.

https://youtu.be/Y7-FBZJ8-qg

Its not a PRO lens but weather sealed. 👍

Petr Bambousek wrote:

junmoe62 wrote:

Fantastic pictures Petr, as always!

But come on Petr! Photography by night? By rainy day?! You must really have something to hide! I’m starting to wonder if you just don’t want to be seen switching to your big FF sensor camera to take those great shots!! You’re going to have to do better than that to convince us!

Joke aside, I’m a huge fan of yours. Thanks for keeping sharing your beautiful inspiring work with us.

The Olympus OI share tip is really interesting. One more convenient feature to explore!

I myself also like to use Olympus gear for macro photography. And I must say that I’m more than pleased with it! I think “convenience” is the keyword defining the system.

Now I’m eagerly awaiting for the new Pro macro lens to come out! Not that I really need it, the 60mm F2.8 is already awesome, but I definitely want it!

A 100/150mm would be great to increase the working distance a bit. Also, my fingers are crossed for a native 2x macro that can accept the telecconverters to reach 4x (8x FF Eq.). I’m probably dreaming there, but how cool would that be, right?!
Laowa can manage to make excellent 2x macro lenses for FF, so I guess my hopes are not out of reach.

Looking forward to your next pictures!

Cheers,

Julien

Well, my switch back to FF is hidden dirty work 🤭😂😂 Please don't tell anybody, I will say it officially on a very special rainy night press release 🤣🤣

I knew it!! You see, we can’t be fooled that easily!! 😆

But don’t worry, as you know, your secret will be perfectly safe on this forum! 😜

Regarding to 2x macro. I have no idea what Olympus deliver with announced "100mm" macro. Laowa will reveal its MFT 50mm 2x macro soon 😉

https://photorumors.com/2020/08/01/leaked-venus-optics-to-release-a-new-laowa-50mm-f-2-8-ca-dreamer-macro-2x-mft-lens/

About the Laowa, thanks for the info. I have no doubt it will be a great lens, they really make great products. The downside though compared to my dream rainbow unicorn Oly 100mm 2x macro lens is that you would lose AF, weather sealing, natif TC adapter, focus bracketing & stacking, procapture (can be very useful in some circumstances, when natural light is sufficient), 2x shorter focusing distance for the same magnification, no DXO optical correction (providing that you use DXO softwares, I do, I know you use Capture ONE) which is quite a big deal for me, and I probably forget things. All of that to say I would highly prefer the Oly lens, even though the price would probably be 2,3 or even 4 times the price of the Laowa.

Laowa though deserves a lot of credit for pushing this kind of product to the market, especially for m43.

I really love their twin and triple head macro flash! It would be neat if Olympus could make a weather sealed TTL version. A kind of mix between this design and the Adaptalux one.

Petr Bambousek Wildlife Photography
http://www.sulasula.com/en/oly | http://500px.com/sulasulacom | http://instagram.com/sulasulacom | http://facebook.com/sulasulacom

Stunning as always Petr. Hope you can add English subtitles to your YouTube videos and maybe release a few more English subtitled tutorials. Always appreciate and enjoy your advice.