Olympus M.ZUIKO 30mm 3.5 Macro Lens Review

Olympus (now OM System), have long been one of the kings at producing high quality lenses. A lens that often gets overlooked for macro is the Olympus M. Zuiko 30mm 3.5 macro. This fantastic lens is capable of 1.25x magnification (2.5x full frame equivalent), with a maximum aperture of f3.5 and a minimum of f22. Granted, this is not the fastest macro lens on the market, however it is a really small and compact lens and it takes up little room in the camera bag. With a closest focusing distance of 9.95cm, this macro lens can get right into the action. There are seven aperture blades that create a circular diaphragm which is perfect for creating smooth background blur. The lens weighs only 128g. It's made from a strong plastic that creates the ultimate, lightweight setup when added with one of the Olympus or OM System bodies. This is one of the sharpest lenses that is available for micro four thirds and it really shows in the photographs that it captures.

GREEN BANDED SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY - OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II + OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO 30MM 3.5 MACRO - GODOX TT350O

Obviously, this lens is more targeted towards being a general purpose macro lens, What I mean by that is, it's not strictly for nature and wildlife photography. This lens would be well suited for commercial work, such as food or product photography. Does this mean that it cannot be strictly used for nature and wildlife work? Not at all. This lens presents itself as being fully capable as a wildlife and nature lens, much like the Olympus 60mm 2.8 macro and the new OM System 90mm 3.5 macro IS PRO. I've been using this lens extensively over the past year as my main macro lens for nature and wildlife work. This lens does present itself with challenges for the photographer, to get anywhere near the 1.25x magnification that this lens is capable of, you're going to have to get the subject matter as close as you can to the closest focusing distance of 9.95cm, which of course is not ideal when photographing insects and other creatures that are skittish.

WHITE -TAILED BUMBLEBEE - OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II + OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO 30MM 3.5 MACRO - GODOX TT350O

The lens comes supplied with a front and rear lens cap and that's it. There is no lens hood supplied , but frankly this lens does not need it, I've never experienced flare or ghosting with this lens during the whole time I've been using it. A lens hood would physically get in the way if you wanted to get as close as you can to the 1.25x magnification of this lens.

RED POSTMAN BUTTERFLY - OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II + OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO 30MM 3.5 MACRO - GODOX TT350O

Largely when I'm photographing with this lens, I use flash to provide my lighting. I'm currently using a Godox TT350O with a small soft box for my lighting setup, this provides a small and compact setup that fits perfectly with this lens and micro four thirds in general. I do use the lens without flash occasionally, the only downside to using natural light alone is the maximum aperture only being f3.5, however don't be afraid to bump up the ISO. When using the lens with flash, this doesn't matter at all as usually I'm shooting the lens at f8. The focusing speed of the lens is fast, which is important when photographing insects and other wildlife that is constantly moving. Occasionally the lens will focus hunt and this can be a pain when time is of the essence and you need to get the photograph there and then because the subject is moving around lots. This is quite rare, but when it does occur it is a hinderance to the shooting process and usually leads to a lost photograph. 99% of the time the focusing is fast and snappy, and that's one of the most important factors when photographing nature and wildlife. This lens is also compatible with focus bracketing and in camera stacking with select Olympus and OM System cameras. I use this feature all the time and it's fantastic for creating photographs that have a real sense of depth and space in the photograph.

SEVEN SPOT LADYBIRD- OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MARK II + OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO 30MM 3.5 MACRO - GODOX TT350O

This lens is fantastic value for the money as well. It can be picked up for as little as £170 brand new and even cheaper second hand on the used market. That's a great price for a macro lens, and being 30mm (60mm full frame equivalent), it's great as a general purpose lens as well, I use mine now and then for landscape photography if I require the 30mm focal length for the scene before me. If you're looking to get started in macro photography, this is a great lens to start with due to the price alone. This is one of those lenses that should be in everyone's camera bag. I can't stress enough how this lens makes you think and work outside the box, the end result is that you end up creating some amazing photographs that really tell a story to the viewer and that's what I'm always looking for in my nature and wildlife photography. I hope that you enjoy the photos in the gallery that show the capability of this lens.