OM System M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO Lens: Hands

A macro lens is your ticket into a hidden world of stunning photo opportunities. Whether shooting macro photography, portraits, events, or anything in between, a macro lens can provide a unique perspective to your portfolio. And, now, the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro Lens is the newest and arguably the best Micro Four Thirds macro lens around.

A true macro lens will give 1:1 reproduction. In other words, if something measured one inch in the real world, the image projected by the lens onto the camera's sensor would also measure one inch. This is 1x magnification and the M.Zuiko 90mm macro lens does exactly that. However, there's also a magic switch on the side of the lens marked "S.Macro." When used, the lens will focus just a tiny bit closer, but that's enough to reach a 2:1 macro ratio or 2x magnification. That might not sound like a big deal, but the differences are instantly visible in your images.

OM System cameras have been legendary in the field of in-body image stabilization. With extreme close ups, even tiny movements will result in massive amounts of camera shake. Luckily, the 90mm macro lens comes equipped with OM System's in-lens 5-axis Sync IS technology. This is an additional stabilization system to the one found in the camera body, and is turned on using the Sync IS switch on the lens barrel. The two IS systems then work together to create a stable viewing experience. This gives you the ability to take sharp images handheld at surprisingly long shutter speeds.

The full name of this lens is the "M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm Macro IS Pro Lens," and the term "Pro" is a clue to some of the unseen features of this lens. Like other M.Zuiko Pro lenses, the 90mm macro lens is weather-sealed. That means it's freeze-proof, splash-proof, and dust-proof — meeting the IP53 rating when attached to a camera. As many macro photographers love taking their kit into the field, this kind of extreme weather protection is something that's likely to be put to the test on a regular basis. Incidentally, IP53 is the same IP rating as the current flagship OM System camera, the OM-1.

Another feature that's commonly found on M.Zuiko Pro lenses is the manual focus clutch. Although the 90mm Macro has a fast and accurate autofocus system, the closer you get to a subject, the shallower the depth of field becomes. We’re talking a paper-thin depth of field at full macro distances.

Switching from AF to MF on the 90mm macro lens is as simple as pulling back the focus ring. Engaging manual focus reveals a handy focus distance scale and will activate any manual focus assists that you select on the camera. Magnify, Peaking, or Focus Indicator are all useful tools to get tack sharp images.

The focus limiter switch on the side of the 90mm macro lens has three options. The first is 0.25cm to infinity, which gives you access to the full range of focus distances. This is perfect for switching between macro and non-macro photography. The next option limits the focal range to between 25cm and 50cm. This is just the sort of distances macro photographers are likely to be using. Finally, there's the S Macro option. Push the focus limit switch to the S Macro position and you’ll hear a very faint sound as the internal optics change. You’ll be able to focus slightly closer to your subject and get the magic 2x magnification at the cost of a one-stop reduction in maximum aperture.

If you ignore the word "macro" in the lens name, what you have is a 90mm prime lens which has a reasonable fast f/3.5 wide open aperture. If you’re passionate about primes, this lens fills a big hole. The most obvious users would be wedding and portrait photographers. It's fast focusing, advanced weather-sealing, and compact size make it a great choice. With a focal length equivalent to a 180mm lens in 35mm (full frame) format, it's a prime lens length that's hard to find elsewhere.

The 90mm macro lens isn't just for photographers. Cameras like the OM System OM-1 are highly spec’d for videographers capturing 4K footage at up to 60fps. The M.Zuiko 90mm macro is the perfect lens to take your videography closer than ever before. It has fast, accurate AF, and a big tactile manual focus ring. The function button can even be programmed for video centric features, too. For example, do you want to toggle zebra stripes on and off? Just press the L-FN button.

Of course, the biggest users of this lens will be people who capture images of the smallest things. Macro photographers and videographers of all kinds are going to love this lens. The extra magnification that's available at the flick of a switch on this 90mm lens is irresistible.

The ever present issue of diffraction at smaller apertures is still here, but the M.Zuiko 90mm is fully compatible with both focus stacking and focus bracketing on OM System cameras. This gives increased depth of field when working at wider, sharper apertures. It's also another way to make use of the lens function button, which can be programmed as a focus bracketing on/off button.

OM System users now have a choice of three macro lenses. The M.Zuiko 30mm macro lens is the smallest, cheapest, and most basic macro lens in their line-up — and does a great job. Then there's the M.Zuiko 60mm macro lens, which has been the top OM System macro lens for many years. It has a fast f/2.8 aperture while being surprisingly small and light. The slow autofocus hints at the age of the design and the focus limiter switch takes some getting used to. The M.Zuiko 90mm Macro lens is easily the biggest and heaviest of the three, but its extra features put it in a class of its own.

In conclusion, the M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm Macro IS PRO Lens is a premium lens that's going to find its way into the camera bags of many photographers. OM System has listened to its users and designed a lens that improves on what's currently available.

Finally, check out these macro photography photos taken with the OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS Pro Lens:

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