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In comparison with the new OM System ED 90/3.5 IS PRO Macro lens, the small Olympus ED 30/3.5 Macro feels like a toy. it was introduced in 2016, making it 7 years old.
You can tell, that the focus is slow in lower light, and you may even come to a point in which the AF doesn't work anymore. In good light the AF is OK. Nothing more, nothing less. There is no manual AF; you have to enable it though the camera.
The sharpness is very good even wide open.
But the overall feeling isn't PRO. A part of me feels like that the lens is more "toy-like". Albeit even the larger ED 60/2.8 Macro feels a bit "toy-like", in similar fashion with plastic, handling and a rather small frame.
Playful, flexible lens !
Anyway - for 200 € it is a steal, even if the AF isn't the fastest. I could think of a little PRO version, with rapid AF, this would be splendid. Keep in mind - this is a very versatile lens - for almost anything. I would call it the "king of Close-ups" (i assume that would also be the Panasonic 30/2.8 Macro lens, even if it only covers 1:1 Macro). But these "normal" macro lenses (equivalent to 60mm) cover so many motives in the close range. And if you really have to, want to - get close - well you can do that. Even if you are VERY close to the object, down to only 1 cm from the front lens (at Macro 1.25x)
Olympus Focus bracketing and the including Focus Stacking - makes this lens extra interesting. you get splendid results from this technology, sharper than you otherwise would get, covering a deeper range of depth.
Below, the images are made with 7 images of focus stacking in Photoshop, wide open aperture ƒ3.5
Twice as much macro with Micro Four Thirds
Remember, if you go to 1.25x macro with the ED 30/3.5 lens, and you are working with a Micro Four Third camera - you are actually working up to 2.5x macro.
So, the new ED 90/3.5 IS PRO with it is an up to 2x macro, is in fact a 4x macro !
It is one of the traits which makes the smaller Olympus / OM System cameras so fun. Today with tools like Photoshop, Topaz Photo AI, Topaz Sharpen AI and Noise AI - you make images which do not distinguish themselves much from fullframe really.
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