Although there are a few other macro lenses available for Micro Four Thirds shooters both from Panasonic and OM System, none of them are true competitors to the 90mm f/3.5 Macro. After all, none of them focus to 2x magnification, and the 90mm focal length is also unique. This lens is clearly the flagship macro lens for Micro Four Thirds today.

I paired the OM 90mm macro lens with the OM System OM-1 camera and excitedly headed to the garden in search of tiny subjects of interest, like fungi and insects. It’s a camera and lens pairing that I’ve had a decent length of time with and got a good feel for what’s possible, and the pleasure hasn’t worn off. Here are my test shots from 1:1 magnification, plus extensive crops to show the sharpness. When you look at these crops, keep in mind that the ultra-thin depth of field makes the wider apertures “seem” blurrier than they are. In terms of sharpness, only pay attention to the in-focus regions.One of the most important, stand-out features of the OM System 90mm f/3.5 Macro is the extreme 2:1 reproduction ratio. Almost all other macro lenses on the market, from OM System and otherwise, stop at 1:1 magnification at the highest. The handful of exceptions are nearly always manual focus lenses. I spent much of my time with this lens saying, “I can’t believe that just focused on something so tiny.” The other reason this lens is exciting is the Pro designation in the name. This usually indicates that the lens is among the company’s best optics. On the flip side, this also indicates that the lens might be expensive. The company hasn’t shared pricing details yet. Lots of you are probably wondering if this lens focuses internally or not. And yes, indeed. It doesn’t elongate when focusing.

When thinking about using this new lens a few things come to mind regarding the focal length and the working distance. The image stabilisation mechanism in the lens and the camera body work together to achieve 5-axis sync IS, which delivers up to 7 steps of shutter speed compensation. Furthermore, the90mm F3.5 Macro features an acceleration sensor on the lens that precisely detects motion blur for correction of shift, which has a significant impact on macro shooting. No need to bring a tripod, the powerful image stabilization functionality allows the user the flexibility, even for handheld high-resolution photos.

Specifications & Features

Two very useful features are the familiar, customizable L-Fn function button and a slide switch that optionally limits focusing range to Super Macro, 0.25-.50 meters or 0.25 meters to infinity to make the very capable AF focus even faster. An ideal telephoto lens for stress-free outdoor shooting of any kind, from nature to landscapes to macro, with IP534 dustproof and splashproof performance, and freezeproof protection down to 14°F/-10°C. And at just 453 grams this lens offers a compact, lightweight, versatile design, for worry-free photography in any environment. OM System ED 90mm F3.5 Macro Lens In Detail The 90mm lens has the equivalent of a 180mm focal length and a 4x macro reproduction ratio on a full-frame camera. Like the flagship OM-1 camera from OM SYSTEM, the ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO offers excellent IP53 splash & dust proof performance, as well as freezeproof protection to -10°C, allowing the user to continue their adventures without worrying about their equipment, even in the harshest of outdoor environments. Smooth, scratch-and dirt-resistant fluorine coating is used on the front-most lens for easy removal of dust and dirt using a blower or cloth. Pair the M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO with an OM SYSTEM weather-sealed body (sold separately) for the greatest field macro photography system ever made. Other features

This lens provides double the magnification of the Olympus 60mm Macro Lens (2X vs. 1X). This should let you get really close macro shots without needing to use extension tubes. Compatibility with Teleconverters

The most versatile macro lens money can buy

I have not tested it as a tube lens yet, but my impression is that it would be overkill, besides probably costing more than a new Mitutoyo M Plan Apo. As a tube lens it would only cover Micro 4/3 (and perhaps cause a Mitutoyo objective to vignette), but a Mitutoyo M Plan Apo on a good 200 mm tube lens already matches the resolution of a 20 Mpixel Micro 4/3 sensor. So I cannot avoid wondering what practical use there would be for the added lp/mm resolution of pushing the objective down to less than half its nominal magnification with this 90 mm as tube lens. Besides the autofocus capability, the 90mm also makes Super Macro more accessible with a stabilization of six stops on its own or seven stops with compatible Sync IS bodies. That’s a huge help as camera shake tends to be exaggerated the closer the subject is to the lens. OM System’s weather-sealing is intact too, with the lens given an IP53 rating against dust and moisture.