Stuck in the woods with a macro lens

60mm 1/125sec f/5.6 ISO 1600

While I prefer to take something with a few focal options, like the amazing Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 or the under-rated Olympus 14-150mm f/4-5.6 ii, I recently purchased the Olympus 60mm f2.8 macro lens during the stay in place orders.  This being the first hike post lock down, I thought I would take it through its places and see what it was capable of.

Immediately I found that the lens is quite sharp and may be my new most favorite outdoor portrait lens.  I prefer the compression of a long lens, and previously the 75mm f1.8 is hard to beat.  But it is not weather sealed, and taking a hike among waterfalls would  mean that the 75mm stays at home. 

Since the 60mm macro is weather sealed, I feel free to leave the camera in my hand, even in very humid conditions with the spray of the waterfalls getting blown around by the wind.

60mm 1/250sec f/2.8 ISO 200

One of the obvious disadvantages of taking such a fixed focal length is that you sometimes can not get back far enough for a wide vista. Since the camera has a great close focusing distance, I used this to take an over the shoulder shot of my lovely wife, of the falls while she composed a picture on her phone.  

60mm 1/125sec f/2.8 ISO 200

Overall, I have been happy with the image quality this lens can generate and it will likely be joining me on many more hikes in the near future.

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Images were taken on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 II and the Olympus 60mm f2.8 Macro lens