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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,471 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Have been looking at, and trying to understand true macro lenses for my 4/3 Olympus. My understanding is that macro needs to be 1:1, and I think I have a pretty good handle on what that means. Then I find this lens labeled "Macro 1:3.5" Am I missing something obvious?  Edited by Jon K
01/28/2020 11:53 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7276 Posts |
1:1 is the size it just means that an object image can be taken at an image scale of 1 pixel to 1 pixel or the object will Be the comparative size of the camera chip. With digital zooms this lost a lot of meaning as you can get macro images using tiny chipped cameras. On a full frame dslr for example a 1 cent coin will take the same number of pixels as the cent will cover if placed on the chip. 1:x just means at closest focus the object will be 1/x the size of the chip. With some lens you can actually go 1-5x larger than the object.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
723 Posts |
Quote:
1:x just means at closest focus the object will be 1/x the size of the chip. With some lens you can actually go 1-5x larger than the object. Thank you hfjacinto, Yep, I have a pretty good handle on that. 1:1 is just what it says it is. Full size on the sensor. 2:1 would have the image twice the size on the sensor. I suppose 2:1 would be "super macro". But 1:3.5 just doesn't seem to fit that narrative of being a "Macro". So what is "wrong with this picture"? Edited by Jon K
01/28/2020 11:46 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Ah shoot, I didn't post the picture!! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
I'm guessing this lens is f/3.5, which is a common f ratio for macro lenses.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Ah.
I see it now.
It is a fixed aperture. F-3.5
Ack! They are trying to torment me!
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4593 Posts |
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Quote:
Manufacturer description: The Zuiko Digital 35mm 1:3.5 Macro lens offers an equivalent range of 70mm on a 35mm film camera. This is a special macro photography lens designed for use with the Macro flash system but also equally good in normal use. It is extreme compact and the worlds lightest macro lens. It offers a magnification of 1:1 life size which has an image magnification size equivalent to 2:1 in a 35mm film camera. Thank you BStrauss3 When I saw that it is fixed aperture, I had dismissed it as I seem to always be fiddling around with aperture. Was I premature in doing that? The review/specs would give me the impression that it could be quite satisfactory. Currently, I am using an old OM 50mm manual focus lense that stops from 1.8 to 16. I am using a couple of extender rings on it to get the image to fill the viewfinder. I just always felt that a true macro would be a better choice. And a fixed aperture would give me one less thing to worry about . . . . I usually land on or about f-8 So would I be taking a step forward? Or back? Or should I keep looking for the right lens? Or am I good with what I have?  My current lens below.   |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4038 Posts |
Because the lens has a very short focal length, the minimum focus distance is also pretty short. At 1:1 you are only 5.75" away from the coin. This is not unworkable but will still be tough to get light in at a high angle. A lens-mounted diffuser might do very well with this lens.
Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
723 Posts |
Well, this is where I landed. It is not perfect, I know, but I got it ridiculously cheap. Not much ventured. They are calling it macro, though seems it only goes to 1:2. There is some magic in the 4/3 format that I don't understand that changes that? Anyone want to chip in? It is an old "legacy" lens. Here is a photo and specs. If I am reading it right, it will have nine inches or so to get my lights situated.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
Maybe their reasoning goes like this:
If you take a picture of a 22mm coin with a full-frame 24x36mm camera, you'd need to shoot at about 1x, to get a 22mm diameter image, with 1mm at the top and bottom.
If you shoot the same coin with a 4/3 camera (12x18mm?), you could get an 11mm diameter image at just 0.5X. This would leave 0.5mm at the top and bottom.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,471 |
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Posted 01/28/2020 11:45 am
