Showcase Olympus 90mm f2 Macro OM

[bredman]

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[bredman]

Here's some from a recent walk along the River Idle.

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[bredman]

Also

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[bredman]

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[bredman]

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OM Zuiko 90/2 Series -- Meadow Brown Original, on Flickr

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Essex Skipper Wing Scales -- OM 90/2 Macro, on Flickr

 

[bredman]

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OM Zuiko 90/2 -- Male Nymph, on Flickr

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OM Zuiko 90/2 -- Tea Time Conehead (conocephalus discolor), on Flickr

 

[Bytesmiths]

Male Darter.

I like that the stick it is on has a face… looks like the Darter is riding the back of some woodland apparition.

 

[Bytesmiths]

the Olympus 80mm f4, but it's a completely different lens. I just went out and took these using the 25 and 14 extension tubes

Olympus OM macro lens fans need to get the incredible Olympus Telescoping Extension Tube. It is wonderful with the 135/4.5 macro and the 80/4 macro.

One drawback is the minimum extension is 65mm, but I'm looking into adapting it to mount directly on the micro four thirds mount, which will make it some 30 mm shorter than using an OM —> MFT adapter.

I stick the OM Zuiko 90mm ƒ2 macro on it from time to time—works like a charm! But the 135/4.5 is smaller and lighter, and lives on it most of the time.

I posted a photo of it, with OM Zuiko 135/4.5 Macro and E-M1.2 on another thread.

I'll try to get some TET-90/2 shots from the greenhouse up today.

 

[barry]

FYIs, vivitar made some 1:1 macro telescoping adapters... I have one in FD or nFD mount.
If it's available in OM and comparable, it may be cheaper.

 

[Bytesmiths]

vivitar made some 1:1 macro telescoping adapters... I have one in FD or nFD mount.

Cool! How about some photos on the "show adapted lenses" thread?

Neither google nor evilBay seem to have heard of it.

 

[piggsy]

Cool! How about some photos on the "show adapted lenses" thread?

Neither google nor evilBay seem to have heard of it.

If it's the 2xmftc I have a photo of it here -

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on the OM-200/4.

It's not a terrible TC (not distinctly worse than cropping given an already good lens like the vivitar s1 90/2.5) and you could probably find one pretty cheap and just take the glass out of it to use it as a short helicoid. The extension on it is ~ 45mm at min and ~ 80mm max.

 

[barry]

Yeah, I think that's the one... I'll check later, but I don't have any good lenses to match it with.

 

[Bytesmiths]

It's not a terrible TC

Ah, it's a teleconverter. That explains why I wasn't finding it.

Yea, taking the glass out of it might turn it into a decent macro tool.

 

[barry]

Ah, it's a teleconverter. That explains why I wasn't finding it.

Yea, taking the glass out of it might turn it into a decent macro tool.

Yeah, it's a TC.
Mine seems to be similar to or the same as @piggsy's (except in FD mount), but I don't see a model #.
It says "Vivitar 2X MACRO FOCUSING TELECONVERTER MC C/FD JAPAN"

I had assumed this is the one that matches the Vivitar 90mm f/2.5, but now I see that there are (at least) two different adapters:
Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 Macro Adapter
Vivitar 2X Macro Focusing Teleconverter MC (the one I have presumably)
(from Making Not Taking: Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 VMC 1:2 "Bokina")
Anyways, they say the 'Adapter' is rare, so that may or may not be easier to find than your Olympus one.

It does seem like it may be possible to take the optics out of this one non-destructively.

Like I said, I don't have any good lenses to use with it; I've been focusing on SR/MD mount for adapted lenses.
I was thinking if keeping it in case I found a 90mm, but now that I see it's not really the right one, I'm not sure. Someone on eBay says it's '50mm' so I don't know if that means it was for a 50mm 1:2 macro?
Also, the prices vary wildly, from $15-120.

 

[barry]

If it's the 2xmftc I have a photo of it here -

on the OM-200/4.

It's not a terrible TC (not distinctly worse than cropping given an already good lens like the vivitar s1 90/2.5) and you could probably find one pretty cheap and just take the glass out of it to use it as a short helicoid. The extension on it is ~ 45mm at min and ~ 80mm max.

The one I have only goes to about 60mm max, and is marked 1:1 there.

 

[Bytesmiths]

Anyways, they say the 'Adapter' is rare, so that may or may not be easier to find than your Olympus one.

The Olympus OM-System Telescoping Extension Tube shows up regularly on evilBay, for $90 to $120+.

I find the "unlock, slide, lock" style of the TET to be easier to use and faster than a helicoid.

The OM macro lenses to go with it (there are four) are more rare, and tend to be pricey. I recommend the most versatile choice is the 135/4.5 Macro. There's one on evilBay right now for $149, but it often sells for around $100. It has a half-turn helicoid. So you set it to half-way, rough-focus with the TET, then fine-tune with the helicoid. Works wonderfully with the "focus peaking" effect on OMDs.

So the TET with the OM-System 135/4.5 used would still be only a fraction of the 90/2 used, which can fetch a kilobuck!

My next choice would be the OM 80/4 macro. Unlike the 135/4.5, it does not focus to infinity on the TET. It is specialized for 1:1 shooting (35mm terms).

Then there's the 38/2.8 and the 20/2 OM macros, which are specialized for greater-than-life-size, up to 16:1 on 35mm film. These are best on non-moving subjects, like stamps and coins. You'll want a tripod, as Olympus IBIS doesn't seem to understand that they need to be treated more like a telephoto than a wide-angle!

Then there's the two ring lights, twin lights, microscope adapters, focusing stage, bellows…

The existence of this extensive macro system (together with small size and light weight) is what got me started with Olympus.

 

[piggsy]

Yeah, it's a TC.
Mine seems to be similar to or the same as @piggsy's (except in FD mount), but I don't see a model #.
It says "Vivitar 2X MACRO FOCUSING TELECONVERTER MC C/FD JAPAN"

I had assumed this is the one that matches the Vivitar 90mm f/2.5, but now I see that there are (at least) two different adapters:
Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 Macro Adapter
Vivitar 2X Macro Focusing Teleconverter MC (the one I have presumably)
(from Making Not Taking: Vivitar Series 1 90mm f/2.5 VMC 1:2 "Bokina")
Anyways, they say the 'Adapter' is rare, so that may or may not be easier to find than your Olympus one.

It does seem like it may be possible to take the optics out of this one non-destructively.

Like I said, I don't have any good lenses to use with it; I've been focusing on SR/MD mount for adapted lenses.
I was thinking if keeping it in case I found a 90mm, but now that I see it's not really the right one, I'm not sure. Someone on eBay says it's '50mm' so I don't know if that means it was for a 50mm 1:2 macro?
Also, the prices vary wildly, from $15-120.

In spite of the similar names they're quite different items. The adapter thing can be pricey to find alone, or it was when I got essentially the same item for my tokina 90/2.5. It's an adapter with glass in it, designed for close correction of the 90/2.5 specifically, and it doesn't telescope. I don't know what it would really do to a lens not designed for it, or whether it would be better or worse than an empty air tube of the same length with any given lens. The closest other thing to compare it to for that might be something like the PN-11 for nikon.

 

[Deleted member 29285]

The Olympus OM-System Telescoping Extension Tube shows up regularly on evilBay, for $90 to $120+.

I find the "unlock, slide, lock" style of the TET to be easier to use and faster than a helicoid.

The OM macro lenses to go with it (there are four) are more rare, and tend to be pricey. I recommend the most versatile choice is the 135/4.5 Macro. There's one on evilBay right now for $149, but it often sells for around $100. It has a half-turn helicoid. So you set it to half-way, rough-focus with the TET, then fine-tune with the helicoid. Works wonderfully with the "focus peaking" effect on OMDs.

So the TET with the OM-System 135/4.5 used would still be only a fraction of the 90/2 used, which can fetch a kilobuck!

My next choice would be the OM 80/4 macro. Unlike the 135/4.5, it does not focus to infinity on the TET. It is specialized for 1:1 shooting (35mm terms).

Then there's the 38/2.8 and the 20/2 OM macros, which are specialized for greater-than-life-size, up to 16:1 on 35mm film. These are best on non-moving subjects, like stamps and coins. You'll want a tripod, as Olympus IBIS doesn't seem to understand that they need to be treated more like a telephoto than a wide-angle!

Then there's the two ring lights, twin lights, microscope adapters, focusing stage, bellows…

The existence of this extensive macro system (together with small size and light weight) is what got me started with Olympus.

I'm interested in your thoughts on the OM 90mm f/2.0, not only for macro but also for infinity focus, landscapes, & similar.
I realise they're very expensive on eBay, but are they really worth that much ?
Cheers,

 

[gnarlydog australia]

If it's the 2xmftc I have a photo of it here -

View attachment 538193

on the OM-200/4.

It's not a terrible TC (not distinctly worse than cropping given an already good lens like the vivitar s1 90/2.5) and you could probably find one pretty cheap and just take the glass out of it to use it as a short helicoid. The extension on it is ~ 45mm at min and ~ 80mm max.

oh I see: it can be used like thattoo?
I have purchased a couple of those helicoid converters and... de-glassed them
I now use them as a simple helicoid for refitting lenses that don't have one, like projector lenses.
The wide barrel allows me to mount some smaller bodies deeper inside for correct back focus and then I have a very smooth focus adjustment
On the rear of the adapter I have glued a thin C-mount adapter to interface with the camera

 

[Bytesmiths]

I'm interested in your thoughts on the OM 90mm f/2.0, not only for macro but also for infinity focus, landscapes, & similar.

It's just about my favourite lens. (Well, besides the 7-14.) It is incredibly sharp and contrasty at macro, infinity, and in-between. It has an extra mechanism for a moving element group that is engaged in the macro range, which might be how they achieve such a feat. It focuses to half-life-size (1:2) without any extension. I find it also works great with an extension of 116mm, which is the Olympus Telescoping Extension Tube, fully extended. (Some macro examples, both at 1:2 and with 116mm of extension, are here.)

I realise they're very expensive on eBay, but are they really worth that much ?

The kilobuck ones are typically mint. Sometimes you can find "brassy" ones with perfect optics for half of that. But because of their collectable status, they seem to go nuts on evilBay. If you're looking for an inexpensive copy, you might do better with KEH, or periodic queries with the New York camera merchants that carry a good selection of used gear. My notes say I paid $650 for mine (not mint), nearly 20 years ago. So they have held their value!

Whether or not they are "worth that much" is a personal value judgement. If I didn't already have one, I'm not sure I would spend that much on one today, but since then, I've left high-paying high-tech work and taken up farming, and watch my money much more closely. If I had a good paying "real job," I might feel different about this lens.

I would say it is certainly one of the world's great lenses, so the market price is really a bargain, compared to some Zeiss or Leica glass.