One macro lens to rule them all?

What's it like to shoot with a lens that has up to 4x magnification? Andrew Fusek Peters reports on the new OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro

-  Andrew Fusek Peters

When OM Digital Solutions (formerly known as Olympus) announced the new OM System M.Zuiko ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO, I had been already been working with a loan copy for a few weeks and had been able to put this flagship lens through its paces. Since going from full frame to Micro Four Thirds five years ago, I have absolutely loved the sharpness of the tiny Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro. But I was keen for a lens with a longer working distance, not just for skittish subjects but also when using lighting set-ups from continuous lighting to diffused flash. The 60mm was not optically stabilised, so again this was a step up with the 90mm.

I also previously owned the famous Sigma 180mm f/2.8 Macro, with which I have seen other photographers get amazing results. But to call it a rocket launcher in weight (1.7kg) and size is no understatement, and it ended up gathering dust in my cupboard. For my style of shooting, I was looking for something more compact and lightweight, and it looks like the OM System 90mm f/3.5 has answered my expectations.

Build and handling

Measuring 136 x 69.8mm, this lens sits snugly on my OM-1 camera body, and won't o verbalance smaller bodies such as the OM-5. The construction is half-plastic and half-metal, but that reduces the weight to 453g.Its 90mm focal length is equivalent to 180mm in full-frame terms, giving a 14° field of view. Optically, it has 18 elements in three groups, with a fluorine front coating to resist dirt. The aperture range is f/3.5 to f/22.