M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro Review

Olympus M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro

The M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro is the only Olympus macro lens for Micro Four-Thirds. Panasonic offers two more with complementary focal-lengths of 30mm and 45mm, all with the same F/2.8 maximum aperture, so it comes down mostly to working distance. Magnification remains at 1X for all three.

This is a prime macro lens with a 60mm focal-length which is equivalent to a 120mm macro on full-frame. This normally reduces chances of disturbing or cast a shadow on subjects. Given that the minimum focus distance is 19cm though, this leaves a fraction less than 9cm of working distance since the M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro is unusually long.

This Olympus lens is part of their Premium lineup and is nicely built. The body and lens mount are both made of metal. It has a nice smooth finish and the front is threaded for 46mm screw-on filters.

There are two controls on the M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro. The first is a rather wide fly-by-wire focus-ring which turns very smoothly with moderate resistance. There are not stops, so it rotates freely but will not change focus unless the camera expects it. The second is a spring-loaded rotating switch. Its default position allows the camera to autofocus across any focus-distance. One position limits it to 40cm or more, the other 40cm or less. Finally, the switch can be pushed to the 1:1 position so that the lens focuses at its minimal distance. After doing so, the switch bounces back to the 40cm or less position.

The 60mm F/2.8 Macro is probably the only Olympus lens with a fly-by-wire ring which also features a focus scale. Autofocus moves the distance indicator as expected and manual focus takes it from there. As a macro lens, this one is designed for precise focusing. It takes quite a few complete rotations of the focus-ring to traverse the possible focus range.

Photographs taken with the M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro show excellent center sharpness starting at F/3.5. Wide open at F/2.8, the center shows a little softness, but not much. Extreme corners though are quite soft wide open. They progressively sharpen until their reach peak at F/11, just before the diffraction limit kicks in. Still, anything from F/6.7 is fairly usable edge-to-edge.

The 60mm F/2.8 Macro does an excellent job at controlling shading. There is barely visible vignetting in RAW files at F/2.8. Stopped down though, images come out with perfectly even brightness. JPEG images are corrected for this and always come out looking uniform. Impressively, this lens does not show any visible or even measurable optical distortion. Chromatic aberrations appear quite minimal with this lens.

Panasonic Lumix GH7
Panasonic GH7
Buy From Amazon.com
Olympus OMS OM-1 Mark II
Olympus OM-1 Mark II
Buy From Amazon.com
Panasonic Lumix G9 II
Panasonic G9 II
Buy From Amazon.com

What is shown below are 5 crops taken from a photograph, repeatedly captured for each combination of focal-length and aperture. The smaller pieces are cropped from the extreme corners of the image, while the middle wide crop comes from the center of the image. Select an aperture in a row for a desired focal-length to see the crops from the corresponding image. When judging quality, keep in mind that these crops come from a 16 MP image which is normally used to print an image up to 20x16". On a computer display, these may appear much larger which magnifies image defects.

M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro Sharpness


Upper Left
Upper Right
Center
Lower Left
Lower Right

The M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro produces quality images with only some softness at extreme corners. Vignetting and distortion are inexistent which makes it a great candidate for capturing tiny subjects. Its slightly longer focal-length than usual requires higher shutter-speeds yet provides a little extra working distance. The fly-by-wire focus-ring is optimized for macro photography, making MF precise but slow.

M.Zuiko 60mm F/2.8 Macro

Buy from these sellers: Buy From Amazon.com
By on 2020-07-02

Please Support Neocamera

All information on Neocamera is provided free of charge yet running this website is a huge endeavor. Purchases made via affiliate links found throughout the site help keep it running and up-to-date. There is no additional cost to you, so please consider buying via these links to our affilates:

  • Essential Photo Banner
  • Photography Store Banner
  • BH Photo Banner
  • Best Buy Banner

If you found any information on this site valuable and did not purchase via our affiliate links, please considering donating via PayPal:

Any amount will be greatly appreaciated. Thank you for your support!

Updates

    2024.11.18

  • 2024.11.18

    Best 2024 Photography Gifts for Every Budget Update Poster

    Best 2024 Photography Gifts for Every Budget

    Great gifts for photographers and photo enthusiasts selected for every budget among the best products of 2024.

  • 2024.08.07

  • 2024.08.07

    Eye Protection Tips for Professional Photographers Update Poster

    Eye Protection Tips for Professional Photographers

    The four main considerations for professional photographers regarding eyewear.

  • 2024.07.14

  • 2024.07.14

    Fujifilm X100VI Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm X100VI Review

    Flagship fixed-lens compact digital camera with a 40 MP sensor and Image-Stabilization, a first for the series. Retro design featuring dual control-dials, plus direct ISO, Shutter-Speed and EC dials. Its hybrid viewfinder can switch between EVF and OVF mode.

  • 2024.05.09

  • 2024.05.09

    Fujifilm GFX100 II Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm GFX100 II Review

    Flagship 102 Megapixels Medium-Format Mirrorless Digital Camera with 8-Stop 5-Axis IBIS, 8 FPS Drive, 8K Video and 400 MP Super-Resolution capture in a weatherproof and freezeproof body with dual control-dials and dual memory-card slots.

  • 2024.04.03

  • 2024.04.03

    Fujifilm X-T5 Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm X-T5 Review

    Newest Fujifilm flagship boasting a 40 MP APS-C sensor, 5-axis IBIS with 7-stop efficiency, 15 FPS continuous drive, 6.2K Video capture, dual control-dials and dual SDXC UHS-II slots in a sturdy weatherproof and freezeproof body.

  • 2023.11.20

  • 2023.11.20

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2023

    Find out which are the Best Digital Cameras of 2023. All the new Mirrorless Digital Cameras from entry-level to high-end professional.

  • 2023.07.10

  • 2023.07.10

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review Update Poster

    Fujifilm X-H2 Review

    40 Megapixels APS-C Hybrid Mirrorless Digital Camera with 7-stop IBIS. Fastest shutter ever and 8K video capture. Large builtin EVF with 0.8X magnification and 5.8 MP, plus an Eye-Start Sensor. Packed with features and large number of controls in a weatherproof and freezeproof body.

  • 2023.05.07

  • 2023.05.07

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review Update Poster

    Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G Review

    Review of the unique Sony FE 20-70mm F/4G lens. The optical zoom of this lens spans ultra-wide-angle and medium focal-length coverage, making it one of the most versatile Full-Frame lenses on the market.

  • 2023.01.15

  • 2023.01.15

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review Update Poster

    Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 Review

    Review of the Huion Inspiroy Dial 2 tablet, a medium sized drawing surface with dual dials and customizable buttons. Connects via USB-C or Bluetooth 5.0 with Windows, Linux and Android support.

  • 2022.12.08

  • 2022.12.08

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip Update Poster

    How to Pack for a Photo Trip

    Find out how to pack for a travel photography trip, carry your gear safely while meeting airline regulations.

  • 2022.11.13

  • 2022.11.13

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022 Update Poster

    Best Digital Cameras of 2022

    The best digital cameras of 2022. A short list of the most outstanding models in their respective categories. Choose one for yourself or as a gift.

  • 2022.09.21

  • 2022.09.21

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review Update Poster

    Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM Review

    Review of the Pentax DA* 60-250mm F/4 SDM, the constant-aperture telephoto zoom with the highest zoom-ratio on the market.

Camera Bag

Clear

Your camera bag is empty. To add a camera or lens click on the star next to its name.

Your camera bag is empty.

Add cameras or lenses by clicking on the star next to their name.

NEWS