GH3 Macro Lens?

J

J.F.R.

Carbonite Member
Looking for a good Macro lens for my GH3 that will not break the bank, also please no adapters as they simply do not perform to the quality I am looking for.

Thanks!
 
No adapters? To heck with that. Adapters are the key to macro photography.

Micro-Nikkor 55/2.8 or the slightly older 55/3.5. I do frequent professional scientific macro work with the latter. ~$400 for the 2.8, <$100 for the 3.5, +~30 for a dumb Nikon F adapter

Olympus 50/2, 4/3 mount. Reviews have said things like "nearly perfect optics." Also doubles as a damn nice portrait lens. ~$300 used

SMC Macro-Takumar 50/4 and 100/4. Slow, but incomprehensibly sharp. OK, well, maybe you can comprehend how sharp... but they're sharp. ~$150 or less each

Ultra cheap: any macro reversal mount and any manual wide lens.
http://m43photo.blogspot.com/2012/02/reverser-ring-for-macro.html

I've also used extension rings and macro bellows. No quality problems with any of those setups.

If you really really really don't want an adapter, then AFAIK there's only the Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45, which is fine but shares most of the Lumix foibles like infinite electronic focus wheel, etc., and runs ~$500
 
I've recently come across an old Tamron SP 90mm 2.5 macro and it's really nice.

I also have the nikkor 55 2.8 and that lens is amazing. My favorite 50mm ish lens
 
mcbob said:
No adapters? To heck with that. Adapters are the key to macro photography.

Micro-Nikkor 55/2.8 or the slightly older 55/3.5. I do frequent professional scientific macro work with the latter. ~$400 for the 2.8, <$100 for the 3.5, +~30 for a dumb Nikon F adapter

Olympus 50/2, 4/3 mount. Reviews have said things like "nearly perfect optics." Also doubles as a damn nice portrait lens. ~$300 used

SMC Macro-Takumar 50/4 and 100/4. Slow, but incomprehensibly sharp. OK, well, maybe you can comprehend how sharp... but they're sharp. ~$150 or less each

Ultra cheap: any macro reversal mount and any manual wide lens.
http://m43photo.blogspot.com/2012/02/reverser-ring-for-macro.html

I've also used extension rings and macro bellows. No quality problems with any of those setups.

If you really really really don't want an adapter, then AFAIK there's only the Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45, which is fine but shares most of the Lumix foibles like infinite electronic focus wheel, etc., and runs ~$500
Click to expand...


By adapters I ment lens reversals, they lose light and I do not like them at all. Going to look into the suggestions you posted, but yeah I'm looking for actual Macro lenses
thanks
 
J.F.R. said:
Looking for a good Macro lens for my GH3 that will not break the bank, also please no adapters as they simply do not perform to the quality I am looking for.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You might have to define "breaking the bank" , at the high end of the mf lens spectrum you have the Leica 100mm apo macro or 60mm macro elmar and the Zeiss 100 f2 macro planar (some would add the Voigtlander 125 apo lanthar if you could find one, good luck). The low end of the spectrum would probably be Olympus OM and the Canon 50mm f3.5 FD, this is not to say you could not achieve excellent results with either. I've read lots of glowing reviews on the current mft Olympus 60mm macro, that might be the most flexible option.
 
LyleGorch said:
You might have to define "breaking the bank" , at the high end of the mf lens spectrum you have the Leica 100mm apo macro or 60mm macro elmar and the Zeiss 100 f2 macro planar (some would add the Voigtlander 125 apo lanthar if you could find one, good luck). The low end of the spectrum would probably be Olympus OM and the Canon 50mm f3.5 FD, this is not to say you could not achieve excellent results with either. I've read lots of glowing reviews on the current mft Olympus 60mm macro, that might be the most flexible option.
Click to expand...

No more than $600. Would love to have an Zeiss lens which could be mounted on any camera. The Olympus 60mm looks great but only really for Micro 4/3. I would love to have a 50mm focal length Macro lens that can be adapted to almost any camera and be modern. I do not like the look of Vintage lenses for everyday work as old lenses give you an old look and I am into modern look/technology.
 
J.F.R. said:
I do not like the look of Vintage lenses for everyday work as old lenses give you an old look and I am into modern look/technology.
Click to expand...

"The look" may be old but I'd be more concerned about what and how they look at small things.... ;-)

https://vimeo.com/37890718

If you have the budget, try to get a used Zeiss 100 and then, later, combine it with the Metabone adaptor once it's out for the mount to mft combination it has. And you have a top notch 85mm f 1.8 or so. And a really good adaptor won't produce a problem.
 
The Micro-Nikkor 55/2.8 may be an old design, but it's a modern lens - they're still sold new (~$400). They go for much less used. It doesn't yield any of that smudgy, hazy "vintage" look, it's achingly sharp with great micro-contrast. I use it in concert with Lumix lenses and it joins in well. Look up some image samples from it... they're very easy to find. It should be useable well into the future on any camera system that can adapt to its F mount. Also, if the recently-highly-ballyhooed Metabones Speedbooster lives up to its hype, you can convert it to an even sharper, brighter 40mm macro.

Sure, it doesn't autofocus, but I do this stuff a lot and never autofocus for macro work anyway.

Take that recommendation for whatever it's worth to you.
 
mcbob said:
The Micro-Nikkor 55/2.8 may be an old design, but it's a modern lens - they're still sold new (~$400). They go for much less used. It doesn't yield any of that smudgy, hazy "vintage" look, it's achingly sharp with great micro-contrast. I use it in concert with Lumix lenses and it joins in well. Look up some image samples from it... they're very easy to find. It should be useable well into the future on any camera system that can adapt to its F mount. Also, if the recently-highly-ballyhooed Metabones Speedbooster lives up to its hype, you can convert it to an even sharper, brighter 40mm macro.

Sure, it doesn't autofocus, but I do this stuff a lot and never autofocus for macro work anyway.

Take that recommendation for whatever it's worth to you.
Click to expand...

Sounds good, I will look into it... Thanks.

Also that Zeiss lens looks beautiful, but as of now $1800 is too much for a single lens purchase.
peace

To answer this post under Me
Zxander34 said:
What about the olympus 60mm f2.8? Anyone have any opinions regarding that macro?
Click to expand...

This is the Main Macro lens I have decided to purchase unless something else comes along.
 
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