Olympus V312040BU000
A 1.25x greater-than-life-size magnification and a 0.6-inch minimum working distance let this 128g lens capture extreme close-up detail that standard macros miss. Its optical design uses one aspherical, one Dual Super Aspherical, and one ED aspherical element to suppress aberrations for sharp clarity at a very accessible price. This lens is best for Micro Four Thirds shooters who need a dedicated, ultra-light tool for detailed macro work like insects and product photography.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong macro (96th percentile) 96th
- Strong build (91st percentile) 91st
- Strong social proof (88th percentile) 88th
- Strong aperture (80th percentile) 80th
Cons
- Below average versatility (34th percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
- Q4 2024100/100
Buyers praise this lens for excellent macro capability, affordable entry, and seamless auto focus stacking on OM-5. Highly recommended.
- Excellent macro performance with fantastic magnification and value.
- Auto focus stacking works seamlessly with OM-5, producing stunning results.
- Affordable entry into macro photography without feeling like a beginner lens.
- Versatile as a walk-around lens thanks to normal focal length and macro capability.
- Q2 202095/100
Buyers praise sharpness, light weight, and portability. One notes no weather sealing but considers it professional quality.
- Excellent sharpness and image quality
- Lightweight and compact design for portability
- Good value and quality for macro photography
- Not weather sealed; a noted drawback
- Q4 201895/100
Buyers found this lens sharp, lightweight, and great value for macro and landscape photography on Micro Four Thirds cameras.
- Sharp image quality for landscape and macro shots.
- Excellent value for the price.
- Lightweight and fun to use.
- Pairs well with Olympus Pen F for walk-around shots.
- Q1 201885/100
Buyers praise the lens as sharp, lightweight, and travel-friendly, though some note difficulty with close focusing and hunting in low light.
- Sharp image quality and thin depth of field for macro shots.
- Lightweight, compact design ideal for travel and everyday carry.
- Close focusing distance makes lighting subjects challenging.
- Some copies hunt for focus, even in good light, suggesting possible defects.
- Q4 2017100/100
Buyers praised the lens for its professional image quality, versatility, and value. It is recommended for macro, studio, and everyday photography.
- Excellent image quality with sharp, detailed results.
- Versatile for macro, product, food, nature, and street photography.
- Small, lightweight design praised for portability and ease of use.
- High value for its price, described as inexpensive and a 'little giant'.
- Q3 201790/100
Buyers praised this macro lens for its value, fast focus, and quality photos. Some noted it produces nice but not exceptional images.
- Great value and affordability for a macro lens
- Fast autofocus and clear, quality shots
- Works well as a standard 60mm lens for micro 4/3
- Produces nice photos but not exceptional quality
- Q2 201795/100
Buyers praised excellent image quality, sharpness, and value for macro and street shooting, noting minor limitations like slow aperture and close focusing distance.
- Excellent image quality and sharpness for macro and street photography.
- Great value for the price, considered best among budget macro lenses.
- Slow aperture is acceptable for macro due to need for stopped-down shots.
- Close focusing distance can make shooting living subjects challenging.
Based on 48 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Macro |
| Focal Length Min | 30 |
| Focal Length Max | 30 |
| Elements | 7 |
| Groups | 6 |
| Aspherical Elements | 2 |
| ED Elements | 1 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 |
| Min Aperture | f/3.5 |
| Constant | No |
| Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
Build
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds |
| Format | micro-four-thirds |
| Weather Sealed | No |
| Weight | 0.1 kg / 0.3 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 46 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | MSC High-Speed Imager AF System |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 95 |
| Max Magnification | 1.25x |
vs Competition
| Spec | Olympus V312040BU000 | Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR | Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 VXD G2 | Sigma Contemporary 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 | Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 30mm | 18-140mm | 28-75mm | 10-18mm | 12-60mm | 18mm |
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 | f/3.5 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/16 |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Nikon Z | Sony E | Sony E | Micro Four Thirds | Fujifilm X |
| Stabilization | false | true | false | false | true | false |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weight (g) | 136 | 315 | 540 | 260 | 320 | 370 |
| AF Type | MSC High-Speed Imager AF System | stepping motor | VXD | Autofocus | linear motor | Linear motor |
| Lens Type | macro | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | prime |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | User Sentiment | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympus V312040BU000 | 54.6 | 77.7 | 91.4 | 95.9 | 45.7 | 79.7 | 63.3 | 33.6 | 88 | 37.9 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR Compare | 86.9 | 77.7 | 83.8 | 82.6 | 88.5 | 79.7 | 0 | 96.2 | 32.2 | 96.6 |
| Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 VXD G2 Compare | 54.6 | 88 | 67.2 | 87.3 | 87.8 | 85.6 | 80.4 | 78.2 | 83.3 | 37.9 |
| Sigma Contemporary 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Compare | 54.6 | 83.4 | 87.1 | 93.3 | 81.5 | 85.6 | 80.4 | 69 | 69.2 | 37.9 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 Compare | 98 | 88 | 83 | 50.2 | 90.2 | 85.6 | 44.2 | 93.1 | 63.9 | 83.2 |
| Fujifilm XF 18mm f/1.4 R LM WR Compare | 98 | 41.2 | 79.3 | 84.1 | 83.4 | 45.8 | 90.8 | 33.6 | 88 | 37.9 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Adorama 1 offer From $300
Amazon 1 offer From $300
B&H Photo 1 offer From $300
Newegg 1 offer From $334
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
