Olympus OM system close-up and macro equipment

Macro lenses

The 50mm f/3.5 Auto-Macro Zuiko is a member of the first series of OM lenses, which were designed with an emphasis on small size without compromising performance, and was the first macro lens for a 35mm camera to incorporate floating elements. The lens was designed for optimum performance at a magnification of ×0.1, and the floating elements minimise the aberrations that would normally be expected at higher and lower magnifications.

The 50mm f/2 and 90mm f/2 Auto-Macro Zuiko lenses are members of the second series of OM lenses, which were designed with an emphasis on large maximum aperture and high performance, without the concern for small size that characterised the first series. Like the 50mm f/3.5, they were designed for optimum performance at a magnification of ×0.1, with floating elements to minimise the aberrations that would normally be expected at higher and lower magnifications.

The non-macro Zuiko lenses have 2 focusing scales, one in feet with orange markings and the other in metres with white markings. These three Auto-Macro Zuiko lenses do not follow this pattern, and have a magnification scale with yellow markings plus one focusing scale in either feet (orange) or metres (white).

See also: Close-up and macro photography – Macro lenses

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Created 18th May 2001   —   Updated 11th November 2002
Copyright © 2001–2002 Alan Wood

Olympus OM system close-up and macro equipment