Automatic focus bracketing range of Olympus 60mm macro

[zzffnn]

I am wondering if the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro lens has any advantage in automatic focus bracketing range, compared to a m4/3 telephoto lens + Raynox DCR-150 or 250, at the same magnification (1x-3x on sensor), wide open (or stopped down 0.5-1 stop), with focus differential of 2.

I don't have the Oly 60mm macro but have used Raynox 150 or 250 over Oly kit zoom 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 and Panasonic 100-300 f/4.0-5.6 with auto focus bracketing. They usually stopped before my entire subject was included in focus range. I don't like manually raising the subject to the right focus plane and run auto bracketing again (in that case, I would rather manually rack through focus range of a microscope stage and run a burst in electronic shutter mode, which won't stop prematurely).

I heard Olympus' auto focus bracketing runs from closest focus to infinity. So in theory, the Oly 60mm macro at 1x should have longer focus range than Raynox 150 or 250 on a telephoto lens, correct? That is because Oly 60mm macro can run from about 100mm to infinity, while Raynox over telephoto lens won't get to infinity?

However, once we go over 1x on sensor and put Raynox 150 or 250 on Oly 60mm macro, it will lose infinity focus and won't have advantage in focus bracketing range, I am guessing? Please correct me, if I am mistaken.

I am aware that the Oly 60mm has better optical quality than Oly kit zoom 40-150mm or Panasonic 100-300mm. I may get it later anyway, but I won't rush the purchase unless it has significantly longer focus bracketing range.

Thank you for your advice.

[TheDocAUS]

Not directly answering your question but this may/may not help.

Using the Olympus 60mm on a Panasonic G9, the Post Focus feature works from minimum focus distance to infinity. I suspect the same applies with the focus bracketing feature, but I have not tested that.

The lens is fast and sharp.

Using a Raynox 150 or 250 on the Olympus 60mm lens does restrict its focal range, it works close up but I have only used that combination to do close in work. So I am unsure at exactly what point it will no longer focus, it could be as short as a metre or two.

I am getting so much detail out of the Olympus 30mm and 60mm macros using Post Focus I rarely feel the need to add a Raynox.

[Lou Jost]

I have the same problem as you, getting to the end of the lens' focus range before the tack is done. Yes, the Oly 60 does have a much wider focal range, even when an objective is on it. The problem with it is that the focal length is so low that it can cause vignetting on most objectives. But it does well with some closeup lenses.

[zzffnn]

........Yes, the Oly 60 does have a much wider focal range, even when an objective is on it.......

"Wider range" compared to your Oly 75mm or which lens?

But does the Oly 60 mm offer wider bracketing range, when Raynox 150 or 250 is on it? I don't know if the optical math of Raynox 150 or 250 is the same as an infinity corrected microscope objective.

I have a LOMO 3.7x and 9x 160TL objectives (manual focus racking though), so I only need up to about 2x on sensor.

Thank you!

[Lou Jost]

I was comparing it to non-macro MFT lenses generally. Yes, no matter what you put on it, it will have a wider range. Not necessarily as wide as you might need, but wider than the alternatives.

[Lou Jost]

By the way, since you are only concerned with low m, you might consider focus bracketing the reversed Oly 60mm lens. Working distance is very low though.

[zzffnn]

Thank you very much, Lou. Your answer is very helpful for me.

So does that wider range make a difference in actual use (bearing in mind that it still may not be wide enough to focus everything in one run), are we talking about around 30% wider or 10% wider? Just that I have a rough idea (30% more may make a difference for me, but 10% more probably won't).

I have seen your reversed Oly 60mm rig for focus bracketing. But that seems too much electronic modification for my use.

Thank you, TheDocAUS, as well.

[SteveB]

Having put a reversed lens in front of the 40-150, one definitely does have to start at the minimum focusing distance to avoid running out of focus travel with the combination I tried. I don't have the adapters, but holding the same lens in front of the 60 mm macro does seem to have less of an issue (it also has less magnification). Looking at the beautiful pictures of live, wild bugs you have posted, both here and on flickr, I really think you will be extremely happy with the 60 mm macro lens anyway.

[zzffnn]

Thank you very much, SteveB. I remember you as the freehand stacking guy, which reminds me to try it one day, if I can find an immobile subject in the field.

For studio macro, shallow range of focus bracketing may require micro adjusting subject AND camera lens (bring focus from infinity back to minimum focus after one bracket)?

Does Oly 60mm macro on E-M1 mk1 allow focus distance adjustment through computer or smartphone tethering? I remember Oly 40-150mm pro + E-M1 mk2 allows that.

I don't know if my E-M1 mk1 + Oly kit zoom 40-150mm allow computer focus adjustment; I am guessing not.

[SteveB]

The freehand stacking was rocking backwards in burst mode when I had the EM5 i. I now have an Em1 i just like you I think, so my stacks are still handheld, but I am now holding the camera still and the camera is changing the focus. It certainly helps in the sense that I don't cut off feet or antennae so much anymore, but the aligning feature of Zerene compensates very well for problems of hand holding, but much less for wind or movement of the subject.

I am hoping to make stacks of butterfly wings, feathers and seashells etc and made rings to attach a Panasonic 20 mm f 1.7 and an old Pentax 55 m f 1.8 reversed to a 40-150 f 2.8. On the back screen I was superficially happy with the sharpness, but I think that my tripod is just not steady enough. The cellphone app also didn't seem to allow bracketing and no matter how smoothly I tried to press the shutter I couldn't seem to come right. I hope to try again this winter when there is not so much to chase outside.

You should be able to use the touch screen of your smartphone to focus on any part of the picture via the wifi, but I haven't been able to make it do any bracketing yet. I also haven't tried tethering as there is no good light near our computer, but my local salesman thought it should be possible.

As far as I know,it is only the in camera focus stacking that the Em1 needs Pro or macro lenses for. It should be able to focus bracket on any micro four thirds lens even Panasonic or Sigma (but not four thirds lenses).