Info Just Announced: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE M.ZUIKO ED 90MM F3.5 MACRO IS PRO

[BoltSnap]

Zuiko PRO lenses are more dust/weather resistant (might make a difference in a housing leak.)

PRO lenses are brighter (maybe important when trying for shallow DOF.)

PRO lenses are $$$$.

How much more image quality with a PRO lens remains to be seen.

In this particular lense, 90mm macro, the minimum focusing distance will be important to decide if the lens will usable/useful for underwater photo. For me, this is the most critical spec. to decide if I will buy it. Support from Nauticam will be next more important factor in the decision.

 

[tursiops]

PRO lenses are brighter (maybe important when trying for shallow DOF.)

What does "brighter" mean? Larger apertures?

 

[jlyle]

What does "brighter" mean? Larger apertures?

Yes.

 

[Ardy]

Zuiko PRO lenses are more dust/weather resistant (might make a difference in a housing leak.)

PRO lenses are brighter (maybe important when trying for shallow DOF.)

PRO lenses are $$$$.

How much more image quality with a PRO lens remains to be seen.

When I get it 'right' with the 60 the image quality strikes me as very good. The key word is 'when'.

 

[justinthedeeps]

I got in with the lens and am still mastering its strengths and weaknesses, but it is definitely a huge upgrade in features (and challenge!) compared to the TG6 that I was using before.

Even on land, it is very sporty to get things set up right for an amazing macro shot, which makes for some fun hunting. It also works fine as a longer range lens for birds etc. Focus stacking (including the onboard mode) works pretty well on small unmoving dry subjects, even handheld.

Underwater I have done one dive all on continuous autofocus, and another dive all on manual focus with high-speed focus bracketing. I am typically hovering in currents without touching the bottom or holding anything, so there are a lot of missed captures.

Both the field of view and the depth of field are very tight with this lens, it feels like using a microscope on a 3D sample in a moving vehicle. The benefits of a micro four-thirds 'crop' sensor are the compact and lightweight character, and a 'lower' price range. But it seems you need to be twice as good at aiming and framing. It reminds me of using a compact Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope (high magnification, but tight/sensitive field of view).

I think it is probably superior to putting some close-up wet lenses in front of the ED 60mm lens, but I don't have a direct head-to-head comparison. Presumably the features built into the 90mm IS Pro are giving advantages in performance, speed and acquisition here.

A few early examples:

Puget Sound King Crab (Echidnocerus cibarius)

Puget Sound King Crab from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin. We should be calling these 'Salish king crab.' They are certainly not limited to 'Puget Sound,' a...

www.inaturalist.org

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

Scalyhead Sculpin from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Puget Sound King Crab (Echidnocerus cibarius)

Puget Sound King Crab from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin. Noticeable layer of mucus outside of the exoskeleton? What is the story behind this?

www.inaturalist.org

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Subfamily Caprellinae

Caprellinae from Island County, WA, USA on May 25, 2023 at 07:51 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Mason Bees (Genus Osmia)

Mason Bees from Coupeville, WA 98239, USA on May 17, 2023 at 11:16 AM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus)

Zebra Jumping Spider from Coupeville, WA 98239, USA on May 17, 2023 at 10:53 AM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

 

[BoltSnap]

I got in with the lens and am still mastering its strengths and weaknesses, but it is definitely a huge upgrade in features (and challenge!) compared to the TG6 that I was using before.

Even on land, it is very sporty to get things set up right for an amazing macro shot, which makes for some fun hunting. It also works fine as a longer range lens for birds etc. Focus stacking (including the onboard mode) works pretty well on small unmoving dry subjects, even handheld.

Underwater I have done one dive all on continuous autofocus, and another dive all on manual focus with high-speed focus bracketing. I am typically hovering in currents without touching the bottom or holding anything, so there are a lot of missed captures.

Both the field of view and the depth of field are very tight with this lens, it feels like using a microscope on a 3D sample in a moving vehicle. The benefits of a micro four-thirds 'crop' sensor are the compact and lightweight character, and a 'lower' price range. But it seems you need to be twice as good at aiming and framing. It reminds me of using a compact Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope (high magnification, but tight/sensitive field of view).

I think it is probably superior to putting some close-up wet lenses in front of the ED 60mm lens, but I don't have a direct head-to-head comparison. Presumably the features built into the 90mm IS Pro are giving advantages in performance, speed and acquisition here.

A few early examples:

Puget Sound King Crab (Echidnocerus cibarius)

Puget Sound King Crab from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin. We should be calling these 'Salish king crab.' They are certainly not limited to 'Puget Sound,' a...

www.inaturalist.org

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Scalyhead Sculpin (Artedius harringtoni)

Scalyhead Sculpin from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Puget Sound King Crab (Echidnocerus cibarius)

Puget Sound King Crab from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin. Noticeable layer of mucus outside of the exoskeleton? What is the story behind this?

www.inaturalist.org

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker from Island County, WA, USA on May 29, 2023 at 09:19 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Subfamily Caprellinae

Caprellinae from Island County, WA, USA on May 25, 2023 at 07:51 PM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Mason Bees (Genus Osmia)

Mason Bees from Coupeville, WA 98239, USA on May 17, 2023 at 11:16 AM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus)

Zebra Jumping Spider from Coupeville, WA 98239, USA on May 17, 2023 at 10:53 AM by Justin

www.inaturalist.org

Thank you for sharing.

I looked at the port chart for this lens from Nauticam and it shows that you can use the 2X and 1.4X teleconverters from OM S for added magnification in addition to using the CMC 1 & 2. It appears to me that using the teleconv. is better in terms of focusing distance range and magnification.


What camera are you using BTW?

 

[justinthedeeps]

I have the OM1 in the spendy but hopefully very durable Nauticam housing. For me the idea of this 90mm lens is that you can use it alone, without needing close-up lenses, and have that be superior to the 60mm with them. The Nauticam port for the 90 also includes external knobs for the range selector switch and for manual focusing.

It already seems pretty magnified to me, aiming and framing are already quite challenging in my environment.

If I were laying down in the sand in completely still tropical water, I guess I could imagine even more magnification (teleconverters), but that would mean some very, very small stuff. 360mm of full-frame equivalent focal length? That sounds pretty crazy!

 

[BoltSnap]

I have the OM1 in the spendy but hopefully very durable Nauticam housing.

It is worth it for me. I used to be a S&S guy but I switched few years ago and never looked back.

The Nauticam port for the 90 also includes external knobs for the range selector switch and for manual focusing.

Yes, this is what is great also about it. Did you try to set it to super macro yourself?

I guess I could imagine even more magnification (teleconverters), but that would mean some very, very small stuff. 360mm of full-frame equivalent focal length? That sounds pretty crazy!

I am getting the teleconverters for use with topside lenses anyways, it won't cost too much to buy the port ring extenders to try it.