On this post, I will be reviewing the Olympus 35mm Macro lens. You can get this lens from Amazon
This lens is considered one of the most affordable macro lenses in the Olympus Zuiko lens lineup. It gives great optical performance at a very affordable price.
However, there is a catch. The maximum aperture is f/3.5 and the build quality is plastic.
You can use it for portrait photography as well, but the limitation is again the f/3.5 aperture which will not make superb bokeh (out of focus blur).
This is a true macro lens that provides 1:1 magnification. It is surprising that the more expensive alternative, the Olympus 50mm f/2 macro only offer 1:2 magnification ratio.
If you are not a professional photographer, enjoy occasional macro and want to get the best bang for your bucks, then this is the lens to get.
Read my complete Olympus 35mm Macro lens below if you think this lens is for you.
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Olympus 35mm Macro Specs
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Official Name:
Olympus Zuiko Digital 35mm F3.5 Macro
Focal Length Markings:
35mm
Features:
Macro – Allows you to focus closer to your subject giving 1:1 magnification macro ratio
Full Technical Specs (from Olympus’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 6 / 6 |
| Angle of View | 34 |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/22 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 0.146m |
| Filter Thread | 52mm |
| Weight | 165g |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | 71 x 53mm |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1:1 |
| Available at | Amazon, B&H Photo Video or Adorama |
Optical Performance
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Olympus 35mm Macro Sharpness
Center sharpness of this lens is great and f/4.5 seem to be the point of maximum sharpness.
Because this is a macro lens, border sharpness is also very sharp at every aperture.
Note that since this is a micro four thirds lens, diffraction will start to kick in at f/11 or even lower.
Therefore, the decrease in sharpness is not an optical problem, but rather a common phenomenon for a four thirds sensor.
Below are the complete sharpness table for your reference.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Olympus Zuiko Digital 35mm f/3.5 Macro Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 |
| 35mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Great | Good | Fair |
Olympus Zuiko Digital 35mm f/3.5 Macro Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 |
| 35mm | Great | Excellent | Great | Great | Good | Fair |
Distortion
Barrel distortion is only slightly visible with this lens.
In most cases, it can be safely ignored.
See the distortion test result below.
Olympus 35mm Macro Distortion
Vignetting
Surprisingly, the vignetting is very well controlled in this lens, even at the maximum aperture.
See the full vignetting test result below.
Olympus 35mm Macro Vignetting
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is very well controlled in this lens as well.
You can safely ignore it at any aperture. See the test result below.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Olympus Zuiko Digital 35mm f/3.5 Macro Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/3.5 | f/4.5 | f/5.6 | f/8 | f/11 | f/16 |
| 35mm | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
Plastic. Solid, but do not expect professional quality.
Focusing
Olympus uses a conservative micro motor on this lens. It is fairly fast but I am a bit disappointed by the absence of a focus limiter on this lens.
This will make the focus a bit slower when you are shooting non-macro pictures.
Image Stabilization
For Olympus, the Image Stabilization mechanism is installed inside the camera body’s sensor, not on the lens.
Compatibility
This lens is compatible with Four Thirds DSLR camera. It can also be used with Micro Four Thirds camera via a special adapter.
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample images taken with this lens. Click on any thumbnail to enlarge the images.
Get the best price online from these sites: Amazon
Conclusion
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are the conclusion for this Olympus 35mm Macro lens.
This macro lens is very good optically. In terms of build quality, there are only few concerns.
The first is that it does not feature a focus limiter, which will make the autofocus go to the through cycle when you are not shooting macro pictures.
The second minor concern is the plastic build quality. This lens is solid enough, but it should not be abused or used in extreme environment.
If you are not an extreme macro shooter, this lens will do you fine.
Below are my conclusion summary for this lens.
Drawbacks
- Plastic build quality
- No focus limiter
Positives
- Sharp on the center and borders
- Good distortion control
- Surprisingly well vignetting control
- Great chromatic aberration control
- Autofocus motor is quick and accurate
- Great value for money
Good For
- General Macro photography
- Portrait photography
Not So Good For
- Serious macro photography in extreme conditions
What Others Are Saying…
by “Gary Carpineta”
If you want macro on a budget for your Oly SLR this is the lens to get. There are other options that give you better working distance like the Sigma 105mm and 150mm but you are going to pay…
Click here to read the full review
by “J. Lyons”
Lenses get expensive, and I wanted something to extend my capabilities beyond the initial offerings with my Olympus E-500. The 35mm f/3.5 is a very nice addition not only for its macro capability, but also as a general purpose, or portrait lens…
Click here to read the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Olympus 35mm Macro lens from these sites (best price online):
You can also visit the following related post if you want to browse for more lenses.
Thanks for checking out this Olympus 35mm Macro review and I will catch you in the next one!
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
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