Question: Is there a “best” format for shooting macro close-ups? If you tell me “full-frame,” I won’t argue with you. I’ve taken many fine macro close-ups with 4 x 5" studio cameras, medium-format cameras, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, and even point-and-shoot cameras. And you know what? They’re all perfect in their own way.
Above image: Detail, old railroad tie (Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital 30 f/3.5 Macro ED MSC)
Do larger-format cameras take sharper photographs? Yes. Do larger-format cameras allow for finer control over selective focusing? Yes again. But then again, the infinite depth of field afforded by the shorter-focal-length lenses found on point-and-shoot cameras has enabled me to capture more than a few incredibly detailed macro photographs using cameras costing less than $200.
So, if you were to tell me Micro Four Thirds is an appropriate format for shooting quality macro photographs, resolution aside, I’d have little reason to argue with you.
A key advantage of shooting Micro Four Thirds macro photography is that you get the resolving power and exposure control of a (relatively) larger-format camera sensor wrapped in a smaller physical camera body with the extended DoF qualities of a smaller-format camera sensor.
Photographs © Allan Weitz
Another plus of taking macro photographs with a Micro Four Thirds camera involves weight. Many Micro Four Thirds camera bodies and their respective macro lenses feature polycarbonate components, which make them lighter compared to competitive camera formats.
How light is light? The total weight of the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II and three lenses was 2 lb 6 oz. The total weight of the smaller Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 and two lenses was a mere 1.83 lb, including a battery and memory card. Now, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t have trouble shouldering this sort of weight around all day.
From Olympus we road-tested two macro lenses: the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 60mm f/2.8and M.ZUIKO Digital 30 f/3.5 Macro ED MSC (120mm and 60mm equivalents respectively). The third lens from Olympus was an M.ZUIKO Digital 25mm f/1.8 (50mm equivalent) which, while not a macro lens, can be combined with an Olympus MCON-PO2 Macro Converter, which enables you to focus closer than the lens’s native minimum focusing distance of a mere 9.4". The fast (f/1.8) maximum aperture of the 25mm lens also allows for a fair degree of selective focusing, especially when focusing at closer ranges.
To go along with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX85 we tested a Lumix G Macro 30mm f/2.8 ASPH O.I.S. and a Panasonic Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH MEGA O.I.S. (60mm and 90mm equivalents, respectively).
It’s worth noting that virtually all macro lenses designed for use with APS-C and full-frame cameras are totally compatible with Micro Four Thirds format cameras.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 II
To check out the macro abilities of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system, I headed out to an inactive train trestle I had recently discovered, about a half-hour drive from my home. It’s an old bridge that’s been straddling a meandering river for decades and, in that time, has become host to an assortment of rusting hardware and ancient timbers begging to be photographed up close.
CAVEAT: Photography on and around active railroad tracks is extremely dangerous, due to rail traffic. The tracks photographed here are no longer active.
Both of the Olympus macros—the M.ZUIKO Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 and M.ZUIKO Digital 30 f/3.5 Macro ED MSC focus down to life size and, as a bonus, the 30mm can achieve a 1.25x magnification ratio, which is pretty cool for a sharp macro that sells for less than $250!
As mentioned earlier, even though the M.ZUIKO Digital 25mm f/1.8 can focus down to an impressively close 9.4." If you screw an Olympus MCON-PO2 Macro Converter onto the front filter threads, you can focus on your subject even closer, while retaining the ability to shoot shallow focus close-ups at f/1.8.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8
To illustrate the macro abilities of our Panasonic test camera and lenses, we focused Panasonic’s Lumix G Macro 30mm f/2.8 ASPH O.I.S. and Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH MEGA O.I.S. macro lenses on a collection of classic cameras.
As you can readily see, it’s possible to capture finely detailed macro photographs using any of the abovementioned camera-and-lens combinations. Gear aside, all you really need is an interesting destination and a pair of open eyes.
Have you captured any interesting macro photographs using Micro Four Thirds-format cameras and lenses? We’d love to hear about it—and send us some pix.
#MacroPhotoWeek
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Additional macro photographs using Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses
