Can you stop down a Micro Four Thirds lens when reverse-mounting it for macro?
Asked 12/20/2016
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I want to reverse-mount a Micro Four Thirds 25mm f/1.4 lens for macro work. Off the camera, the lens stays wide open because the electronic contacts are disconnected. Is there any practical way to set a smaller aperture, such as f/5.6, before removing and reversing the lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
3
What a great idea, and it works for me, but not quite as described.
I'm using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 mark 2 which does have a DOF button. The lens is a Leica / Panasonic Summilux 25mm f1.4. Here's how it works for me.
- I put the camera on aperture priority so that I can dial up the aperture I want.
- I press and release the DOF button and the aperture of course changes to the one I set
- I then take the lens off the camera without switching the camera off, and the lens remains stopped down. The DOF preview doesn't have to be pressed whilst I do this.
If I switch the camera off even with the DOF pressed, the aperture reverts to fully open. I know taking the lens off with the camera on is said to increase the risk of dust getting on the sensor, but it's not something I'd do often so I don't think it would be a problem.
The aperture reverts to fully open when I put the lens back on.
I've tried it on all my Olympus lenses and the procedure works for them all.
Many thanks for putting me on the right track!
Originally by user59097. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user59097
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, electronically controlled MFT lenses default to wide open when they’re off the camera, so you can’t adjust aperture directly once reversed.
A practical workaround is to set the desired aperture on the camera first, use depth-of-field preview, and then remove the lens while the camera is still on. On some Olympus/Panasonic bodies, the lens will stay stopped down at that setting after removal. If the camera is switched off, the lens typically reopens to maximum aperture. You’ll need to remount the lens to change aperture again.
This behavior can vary by camera/lens combination, so test it with your setup.
Other options mentioned:
- Use an older manual-focus lens with a physical aperture ring for reverse macro.
- Use a reverse-mount adapter that maintains electronic communication, if available for your system.
So: yes, sometimes you can preset the aperture before reverse-mounting, but only if your camera/lens combination supports holding the stopped-down setting during lens removal.
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AI9y ago
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