Showcase Olympus 135mm f/4.5 Macro OM

[phigmov]

Not practically.

It has a short helicoid focus that is only intended to be used for "fine tuning."

You could stick it on an adaptor and them move back and forth to focus, but you aren't going to have much range at all.

In practical use, it needs the TET or bellows.

Do you get a longer working distance (I guess I should check Alan Woods site...) ?
If I use the 65mm end of the TET with the 135 will I get something like the Nikon 200mm Micro-Nikkor working distance or does that actually reduce the working distance? For example my Zuiko 80mm on the TET has a very small working distance - which I get, mostly when you add spacers to a lens it tends to do that... but on the other hand lenses like the 105 Kiron, 100 Pentax or 200 Nikon give you more breathing room.

 

[Bytesmiths]

Do you get a longer working distance (I guess I should check Alan Woods site...) ?
If I use the 65mm end of the TET with the 135 will I get something like the Nikon 200mm Micro-Nikkor working distance…

My understanding is that "working distance" is mathematically proportional to focal length.

So no, you won't get the working distance of a 200mm lens with a 135mm lens. But you will get 1.6875 times the working distance with the 135 as you had with the 80.

With the TET or bellows, you could mount one of the Olympus 200mm lenses for more working distance, but they are not optimized for macro reproduction ratios. And the limited extension of the TET means your maximum reproduction ratio would be farther than the 1:2 you get with the 135mm.

You could also use a tele-extender to lengthen your working distance, but they inevitably reduce image quality somewhat.

Bottom line: there's no free lunch. Anything you try is going to have advantages and disadvantages. That's part of the fun of macro!

 

[phigmov]

Mine arrived from Japan this morning

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_4080173 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

A couple of very quick test-shots hand-held - still getting the hang of the working distance. Can infinity focus AOK but the there is a gap between tele-macro distances and infinity that I need to figure out (I'll never shoot beyond macro distances but its nice to know where things are in focus at the long end in case I need to take an emergency bird shot or something).

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P4080002 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

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P4080023 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

 

[phigmov]

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P4110032 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

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P4110030 by Walter Kernow, on Flickr

Question - when the extension tubes are retracted is the Image Stabiliser set to 135 or 200 (eg 65+135) ?

 

[Bytesmiths]

Question - when the extension tubes are retracted is the Image Stabiliser set to 135 or 200 (eg 65+135) ?

It's always a 135mm lens, regardless of the extension.

BTW: love the strawberry!