He's only gone and bought *another* camera

In the year since I've had my Olympus OM5 camera I've become increasingly impressed with it. It's smaller and lighter than my previous Sony setup and the results are great. I was so impressed that I invested in the OM 90mm macro lens, selling the 60mm lens I originally bought with the OM5. I've developed a workflow for focus stacking which produces results I'm delighted with. However, there is one problem. As my system (and the quality of the results) has grown, so has the weight. The (absolutely brilliant) Cygnustech flying nun diffuser does the business, but it is cumbersome and a bit fragile, and I'm not keen on bashing the expensive 90mm lens around in the field. So I took the plunge and have invested in two complementary systems. 

Studio macro setup:

• OM System OM-1
• OM System M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f3.5 Macro IS PRO lens
• +/- Olympus M.Zuiko 1.4x Teleconverter MC-14
• +/- Raynox DCR-250/DCR150
• Godox V860IIIO flash
• Cygnustech flying nun diffuser

Fantastic, but here's the problem - this setup is a bit fragile, and weighs 1,830g. I don't want to drag that around with me outdoors, so...

Outdoor macro setup:

• OM System OM-5
• Olympus M. Zuiko 60 mm f/2.8 MSC ED Macro lens
• Olympus FL-LM3 Flash
• bit of packaging foam for a diffuser

This setup weighs 730g - 60% lighter and much more compact that the OM1 setup. In addition I have the option of adding a Raynox DCR-250/DCR150 if needed (I can't see me using this much outdoors), plus the lightweight Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 (if I need reach). I suspect the convenience of this means it will also get used for quite a lot of quick snaps indoors! The teeny tiny FL-LM3 flash is great - no batteries as it works off the camera battery - although the recycle time is slow (2-3 seconds), which catches me out occasionally. 

And if even the OM5 is too much, I'll still be using my Olympus TG-6  for record shots and my iPhone (for landscapes). As ever, all this kit was bought used from trusted resellers (and guaranteed). Was the step up to the OM1 worth it? I'm still dialling in optimum settings and getting used to the camera, but first indications are favourable - focus stacks seem to be a step up from the OM5. 

 

 

In Praise of the Flying Nun

Macro photography has been hugely improved by the development of "flying nun" flash diffusers (such as Cygnustech diffuser, AK, MK, etc - good comparison here: https://wildmacro.de/the-best-flash-diffusers-for-macro-photography/). The closeness of the flash to the subject causes hot spots and burnt out highlights, and shiny subjects such as beetles are particularly difficult. The curved diffusion surface helps to solve these issues. 

 

Photography Equipment

I get asked this question, so for the record, my photos are currently taken using:

• Macro photos taken using OM System OM-5, OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f3.5 Macro IS PRO lens, +/- Raynox DCR-250/DCR150, Godox V860IIIO flash, Cygnustech diffuser.
• Field Photographs (2023 on) taken using an Olympus TG-6 with the Olympus TG Light Guide. 

More details here. 

Previously:

• Sony a6500, Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS +/- Raynox DCR-250, Godox V860IIIS flash, Cygnustech diffuser.

Microscopy:

• Microscope photos taken using a Sony a7Rii on a GXM UltraZoom-3 trinocular stereo zoom microscope. (Prior to 2022, I used a GXM XTL3T101 microscope.)
• Higher magnifications using a Sony a6500 on a Brunel SP300 compound microscope. (Prior to December 2025 I used an Apex Practitioner compound microscope.)
• Images stacked where necessary with Helicon Focus.

One very important caveat:

 

If you went to a Michelin-starred restaurant and ate the most delicious meal of your life, would you ask the chef ,"What oven do you use"?

 

Olympus TG-6 Update

The Olympus TG-6 is my goto camera, the one I pick up first. I'm amazed how good this camera is for macro photography, and how such a powerful package can slip into a shirt pocket. (Having said which, an iPhone beats it for landscape and portraits). I've already made a few tweaks to improve the quality of images this camera delivers but today I made a few more.

Photography is all about the lighting, macro photography even more so. I've previously written about how important the Olympus Light Guide is for macro photography, and made one tweak to improve this further. This simple (and cheap) macro diffuser for Olympus TG cameras is useful in avoiding the burnt out highlights which result from having the light source so close to the image. This is a particular problem with shiny objects such as beetles and water drops. It's cheap and it works but it's a bit limited in how it can be applied, so today I made Mark II - a circle of packaging foam crudely taped to the front of the Olympus Light Guide! This further level of diffusion on top of the Light Guide is much more flexible in how it can be used, producing less harsh images with more detail. 

The other thing I have explored today is the in-camera focus bracketing versus in-camera stacking. The TG-6 focus stacking has been my goto macro setting for any subject that's not moving. In contrast, in-camera focus bracketing produces a series of images which can be assembled into an image using third party software (in my case, Helicon Focus).  Producing such an image sequence manually with a camera as small as the TG-6 is not practical. Focus bracketing still requires a static subject, but the advantage is that you can pick and choose which images are included in the stack, plus which software such as Helicon is more sophisticated and allows more adjustments then the built in program. Stacking the images manually is an extra step but assuming you can brace the camera to avoid movement during the capture (or use a tripod and a remote shutter release, which seems a bit crazy for a camera this small), the improvement in the result is usually worthwhile. Put the diffuser and focus bracketing together and the output is great for such a small pocket camera. 

(click for larger image) 

 

A simple (and cheap) macro diffuser for Olympus TG cameras

Photography - it's all about the lighting (the clue is in the name). 

Olympus TG cameras are great for macro photography. Working at very close range can be difficult, often blocking the light needed to illuminate the subject. The Olympus TG Light Guide is a very helpful (if over-priced) accessory which directs light from the front LED in a circular ring light-fashion onto the subject. This is useful but can be a problem when taking macro photos of shiny subjects. The clear plastic at the front of the TG Light Guide does not provide much in the way of diffusion, causing a bright ring-shaped hot spot on images:

The diffuser consists of a white plastic pudding cup. I bought mine online but you could probably find something which would do the job in the dessert section of the supermarket (note: eat pudding before use).  Turn the cup upside down and place the Light Guide on the top of the cup, draw around the inside of the lens hole in the Light Guide and cut out a hole (you can do it less crudely than I did, but mine still works fine). 

To use, place the subject under the cup, put the camera (with the Light Guide) on top, compose and take your photos. The remaining rim of the cup covers the clear ring of the Light Guide and diffuses the LED further, reducing hot spots on the subject. The cup also acts as a copy stand which reduces camera movement when using the focus stacking functions of the camera. 

It's cheap, it works, and you get to eat pudding. What's not to like?

 

What *another* camera? Olympus TG-6 review

 

Christmas came early this year when Santa brought me a new camera. Surprisingly, it is a *new* camera rather than a used one which is how I buy most of my photographic equipment. As I have gradually accumulated more entomological clobber which I carry with me on field visits, it simply hasn't been been possible to drag expensive mirrorless cameras plus the lenses plus the lighting equipment along as well. For years I have been using a small Sony compact camera for field photos (bought used for under £100), and this has worked well, though with some limitations. As it aged, it became creakier and less easy to use and eventually needed replacing (so long old friend, you've been a faithful servant). 

My new camera is an Olympus TG-6 - so why did I buy it? The Olympus "Tough" cameras have been around for years and been through many iterations. Reading the experiences of many people it's clear that the TG cameras are the industry standard for pocket-sized field macro photography, but why not just use my mobile phone? I have used my phone for macro recently as the Sony compact became less reliable, but it's often a frustrating business. Mobile phones are great for two things. One of these is selfies, which I don't do (except for fingertips with bugs on), the other is big things like buildings. They simply weren't designed for macro photography and are very hit and miss. 

Olympus recently brought out the TG-7 so this was an opportunity to dive in and grab a used TG-5 or TG-6, but I simply couldn't find one. This in itself is a recommendation - people hang on to these cameras. The upgrades to the TG-7 are minor and mostly relating to video which I don't use much, but discounts were available as retailers sold off TG-6 stock and I found one at a reduced price (and rather less than the TG-7 sells for). So what do I think of it? 

On unpacking the camera I immediately turned off all the impressive but massively battery-draining stuff like the GPS and the Wi-Fi. The TG-6 has a small battery but I've been impressed with the battery life. Having such a small battery means that the TG-6 is smaller and lighter than my mobile phone, so this is a genuine pocket camera. Overall, I have found exactly what I was looking for in this camera, but there are a couple of caveats. Although the TG-6 is half the cost of my mobile phone it's not what I would regard as "cheap" (note: I am decidedly tight-fisted). For the price, the image quality is slightly disappointing, but I am comparing it to my Sony mirrorless cameras and I need to be realistic about this. The TG-6 is a complex camera and if you just use it on the Auto setting you'd be wasting your money. To get the best images you need to use all the features such as exposure compensation, "microscope" (macro) mode, and the in-camera focus stacking and focus bracketing - which is impressive for such a small camera. It's not the simplest camera to use but it is "easy" once you've figured out how to use it. There is one definite weakness - the TG-6 is crap at landscapes - for this I use my mobile phone which I carry with me anyway for things like ... phone calls. There is no real telephoto capacity - but I'm not an ornithologist. If you are, I would recommend one of the long telephoto bridge cameras over the TG cameras as a field solution, but the price of telephoto lenses is that you can't put them in your pocket and this is a limitation we're stuck with until someone comes up with a pocket black hole as a better way of bending light than heavy and expensive glass. 

I bought two essential extras for the camera, the most important of which is a spare battery - so light that it doesn't add noticeably to size or weight. The second thing I bought is the Olympus TG Light Guide, which attaches to the lens as a macro diffuser for the LED on the front of the camera. This is an essential for macro work. Many people have complained that the Light Guide is overpriced for a flimsy bit of plastic and this is true, but it succeeds in opening up the macro capacity of the camera without adding any significant bulk. The design means that it's not the best macro diffuser but you can work around the harshness of the lighting at close range by dialling down the exposure compensation. Photography with a camera this size is always going to be about compromises. 

Overall, the TG-6 does exactly what I bought it for. If you'd like to see sample images from this camera please see my social media accounts.