M.Zuiko 30mm 1.25x Macro Lens - Incredible Value for Money!

THE KIT USED IN THIS VIDEO:
📷 Camera: OM-1 mk1 amzn.to/3Mqizvy
🔎 M. Zuiko 30mm macro lens: amzn.to/4buWRki
🔎 Raynox DCR-250 closeup lens: amzn.to/4aSNivp
💥 Flash: amzn.to/4aTC49H
⚪️ Diffuser: Cygnustech (see my video about it)
🎗 This is my camera strap: amzn.to/3LJA2Ny
MICAEL's EVERYDAY OLYMPUS MACRO KIT
📷 Camera: OM-1 mk1 amzn.to/3Mqizvy
🔎 Main macro lens: amzn.to/4caHazG
🔎 Mini macro lens: amzn.to/3wMN75z
🔎 Extra magnification lens: amzn.to/4aSNivp
🔭 Wildlife lens: amzn.to/3VId54B
💥 Flash: amzn.to/4aTC49H
⚪️ Diffuser: bit.ly/mwakdiffuser
🎗 This is my camera strap: amzn.to/3LJA2Ny
MICAEL's SONY MACRO KIT
🔎 My favorite macro lens: bit.ly/mwlaowa85 (I always buy Laowa lenses from their website - best price, good service, and fast, free shipping worldwide)
🔭 My favorite wildlife lens: amzn.to/3DM2meZ
💥 Flash: amzn.to/3xhpc9E
🔋 Flash batteries: www.gpbatteries.com/products/...
📷 Sony A7 IV Camera: amzn.to/3BKQ1Ij
🎗 This is my camera strap: amzn.to/3LJA2Ny
⚪️ I use this diffuser: bit.ly/mwakdiffuser
HOW I MAKE MY VIDEOS
For my indoor KZbin videos I currently use these tools that I feel give excellent results and a very simple workflow.
📷 Camera: Sony ZV-E1 amzn.to/3oBzYsc and XLR-K3M handle amzn.to/3ONbTJH
🔭 Lens: Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art amzn.to/3owvJyh
🎤 Microphone: Sennheiser MKH-416 amzn.to/45FbQpu
💡 Light: Godox SL60W amzn.to/42gcNBq with a Godox SB-UE 80cm softbox amzn.to/3qmrxBu
📷 B-camera: Sony ZV-1 amzn.to/3MEO449
💻 Editing: Macbook Pro M2 with Final Cut Pro
🎶 Music: Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/mwepidemic
For outdoor filming I prefer a small and simple setup that makes filming myself very easy and fast.
📷 Camera: DJI Pocket 3 creator combo amzn.to/3GxPwm3
🦵 Monopod that I use as a tripod: Benro A38FD amzn.to/42ibbY1
UPDATES FROM ME HERE AS WELL:
💌 newsletter: mwroll.com
🌄 instagram: / mwroll
🎖 patreon: / micaelwidell
Many of the links above are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission if you buy something via the links - at no extra cost to you. I greatly appreciate when people use these links, as it is an important income stream to keep this channel alive. ❤️
Thank you for watching my videos. 🥰

[@Paul_anderson_creative]

Superb. The best macro channel on YT... Thanks 👍

[@paulcollingridge8387]

The metallic beetle is an Alder Beetle (the plant was Alnus glutinosa). The get very common in the UK during June. In the height of summer you should join a moth-trapping group one evening for when they release their catch at the end of the evening after recording, you will get some great opportunities. I record a moth cound every evening in the UK but I'm sure there are plenty of groups near you

[@stephenbarlow2493]

I've got this lens. I've always loved short focal length macro lenses. I had the 35mm macro, for the original Four Thirds system, and the Canon EF 35mm macro. I got the 30mm m4/3 macro lens, for a specific job, and got the shot with it. I got a focused stacked shot of a Raft Spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus), a large spider that walks on water. By mounting the camera on a polystyrene float, and floating the end of the lens, right up to the spider, for a water level shot. Using the focus stacking on my EM-5 mkIII. A quick tip with the Cygnustech diffuser. With a short focal length macro lens, you need a reflector, under the lens, to produce fill in from below. This can be quite short, less than 1cm. The simplest way is just to hold it under the lens. You could probably trap it under with the elastic that holds the reflector to the end of the lens. If you let it curve around with the lens a bit, it provides better fill in. You can use just white copier paper. But I use a type of stippled foil covered mylar sheet, used in hydroponics. The stippling prevents hotspots. It's great for lining diffusers.

[@MicaelWidell]

That's a great idea!

[@icaadanne1]

Started doing photography last summer, mostly landscape, just got this lens, to try out macro, and its so much fun😁 learning alot on this channel😁

[@MicaelWidell]

Great to hear!

[@danixsc]

I've bought one for 150€ brand new from Olympus, and for that price it's almost a gift. However, at its usual price, I don't quite see it competing against the 60mm. I'm using it with the Raynox DCR-250 and looking for a diffuser, however I'm not sure if i prefer the Cygnustech or the AK

[@Ushishir1]

I like this lens for photographing fungi. You can get great close-ups of smaller species and the wider angle works well for larger species and groups of mushrooms. Particularly when you also want to show the surrounding habitat.

[@motivatedoutdoors]

I absolutely loved this lens when I had it. The only thing I struggled with was getting enough light on the subject. Definitely requires a good diffuser. The minimum focusing distance could be a challenge for beginners, but nothing practice won't fix. Another great video! 😎👍

[@LukesMushrooms]

Great to see a shorter focal length in macro photography. I think such lenses are a bit overlooked, but they exist on several systems. For example 50mm on Nikon or Sony fullframe or lenses around 30mm on APS-C for Sony, Fuji or Canon M. In my opinion it gives a bit more natural look as it is closer to to focal length of human eye, but working distance might be an issue for certain types of photography. Also great so hear this lens is very sharp! Thanks for another great video :)

[@amodernsaga]

Always lovely to see the magnificent pictures you take of insects. Have to get a diffuser like that.

[@MicaelWidell]

Thank you :) Yes, a good diffuser is key to get beautiful results.

[@xinqiwang3301]

Thanks for the review, very insightful, I have this lens, no complaints at all, only problem is myself, should work diligently 😂

[@kochirajin8004]

Fun fact: With extension tubes the 30mm it can focus on a filter screwed on the front of the lens.

[@arnejensenable]

Thank you for this nice video and your tips. Sometimes I use the Raynox DCR 150 instead of the DCR 250 to get a bit higher focus distance to my objects 😊

[@NebuchadnezzarDoingStuff]

After watching your videos. You've inspired me to order my first dedicated macro lens. Laowa 65mm f/2.8 2x Ultra Macro APO. I'll be using it on the R10. I followed your referral link. Thanks.

[@MicaelWidell]

thanks for using my links! You have just ordered what I consider the best macro lens that exists for APS-C. Enjoy!

[@r1chm]

What is crazy about this lens, is it was on sale one Christmas for 100usd. A lot of Oly owners picked one up. I did not have an Oly camera so I wasn't looking for one, but some people still made money when they sold these lenses used to get something better. If you look on some of the forums, you will see how many people bought these at that super low price.

[@dukeofurl999]

I was wondering if you ever printed images at the max for your sensor and compared same images with extension tubes, lens reversals, screw on lens and a real macro to see the results?

[@bashamstra9894]

Micael, long term follower here: if you ever do another diffuser test, can you than compare them at 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4? I am convinced more differences will then show up. Have the PS and AK myself.

[@MicaelWidell]

I think that the only difference would come from a different working distance which might affect where the light from the diffuser lands. But I don't think most people would see that difference. Other than that a higher magnification is basically just like cropping out the center of the photo - does not affect the look created by the diffuser. But sure, next time I compare diffusers I will try this as well for fun, to verify if I am right about this (which I think I am ;)

[@w0lfyovi294]

I've wanted this lens for a while but I kept postponing getting it because I already have the Oly 60mm and Oly 12-40mm for wider perspectives. But I do want a wider perspective for tiny mushrooms for the mushroom season this autumn. Seeing your video makes me want to try the lens even more. (Luckly I have the Cynustech diffuser and the Godox V350 so thank you so much for confirming that they both work well with the Oly 30mm lens)

[@Jaszczur123]

How do you like a Oly 12-40 for this type of shots you mentioned?

[@w0lfyovi294]

@@Jaszczur123 Excellent, it has well controlled field curvature at minimum focus distance so you can get relatively same sharpness as the centre, it has excellent sharpness at the centre wide open to f 8 ( f 11 can work but it needs extra sharpening in post to overcome the effects of diffraction). You can get 1:4 magnification from 12 to 40mm and the subject will have the same size in the image but what changes is how drastic the perspective will be as you go wider angle of view. It is an excellent lens for wide (semi) macro shots and second only to Olympus 30mm Macro (at 30mm). Also the lens works with Focus Stacking so you can get as close as possible and get more DoF on your subject.

[@andrewwilliams5462]

I'd love to see a vid of this lens with the extension tubes :)

[@rallibe2934]

Hi. I have a Tamron SP AF 90mm 1:2.8 Di MACRO 1:1 272EN II with m43 system adapter. Please tell me, will there be a big increase in quality if I buy a 7artisasns 60mm 2.8 macro? Thank you.

[@Dan-C-71]

You would be loving being in the US right now with the big cicada emergence.

[@mariusm2402]

A really nice tiny lens for macro. Have it with me when going hiking. It fits in the smallest pocket. For the price it's definitely a real good choice. Wondering about your trials with extension tubes and Raynox. The minimum working distance is around 1.5 cm. Extension tubes are effectively reducing the minimum working distance as the raynox does. 🤔 Or do i get it wrong?

[@MicaelWidell]

I found that you get more magnification AND working distance with extension tubes. The Raynox is barely worth using with this lens as it hardly increases the max magnification and brings down the working distance to zero. With extension tubes you can easily get more than 2x magnification and 1-2 cm of working distance.

[@mariusm2402]

@@MicaelWidell cool. Didn't expect this from a 30mm lens. Thinking twice it makes perfect sense and I was perfectly wrong. Extension tubes increasing the focal length without changing the minimum working distance. (As it's still possible to focus to infinity with extension tubes but not with an additional lens like the raynox). For 2 times and beyond I will stay with my 90mm though 🫣 Only problem with all of the lenses. 90% quality coming from the photographer and not from the lens ( especially comparing your extraordinary results with mine)

[@Lon1an]

Hej Michael. Jag önskar att du kunde göra en video där du testar olika brännvidder inom macro och förklarar vad skillnaderna gör på bildkvalitén. Jag förstår att avståndet skiljer mellan ett 200mm och 15mm objektiv. Men det torde väl bli lättare att få större skärpedjup med lägre brännvidder eller gör det inte någon skillnad vid 1:1?

[@MicaelWidell]

Väldigt bra idé till video, då brännvidder fungerar annorlunda ju större förstoringen är. Ska definitivt göra den. Generellt kan man säga att skärpedjup blir mer och mer lika ju närmare du fokuserar. Vid 1:1 och större förstoring spelar brännvidden väldigt liten roll för hur bilden ser ut.

[@sampodhorsky4872]

Have you ever tried Pro Capture to capture flying insects? I wonder if it would be interesting to capture, for example, wings - rather than trying to do it with a single shot, but with the possibility of a flash 🤔

[@MicaelWidell]

Haven't tried it yet. Would be fun to try one day!

[@EolicoJM]

you can use a 1.4 or 2x teleconverter and a extension tube to get a extra distance to focus zuiko 30mm + 10mm tube + 1.4 teleconverter or zuiko 30mm+16mm tube + 2.0 teleconverter or replace the 30mm with the 60mm a example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGnGenaHnqd3eck

[@MicaelWidell]

Interesting. I think the teleconverters are not officially supported, but I am not surprised they work :)

[@ericlundquist3466]

Heh, the glass on that lens is the size of a smartphone camera

[@Kutkis]

Hi, I have Oly em5 III and Oly 30mm macro. I get dark top part of the image with flash when shooting faster than 1/50. Is there way to shoot faster and still get focus stack?

[@MicaelWidell]

The only way is to purchase a OM-1 which has an upper limit of 1/100 s. It probably wouldn't make much of a difference in how your photos look though, 1/50 should be enough in most situations.

[@Kutkis]

@@MicaelWidell Thanks for reply!