Panasonic 30mm or 45mm macro?

Hi all. 

I have read the content on here regarding these two lenses and need help making a decision and what to get. I have the 60mm macro and want a macro lens that I can get closer to the subject in unclean water. I have read that the 45mm has issues focusing and the 30mm you have to get close to focus at 1-1. Also looking at a wet lens for the 60mm. I was thinking the CMC1 or CMC2? Camera is an Olympus M1 mk3. Thanks

I've got the Panasonic 30mm macro, while in theory it gets to 1:1 this is achieved about 15mm from the front element, so really pretty much impractical underwater as you lose 5-10mm from the port glass.  It achieves half life size about 50mm from the lens which is about the practical limit UW for lighting.  I use it when I'm expecting a mix of subjects between maybe 20mm and 200mm.  It's a nice little lens and AF is pretty snappy.

The 45mm gives you a touch more working space, I've not used it but the AF is reported to be a little slow.

As for the macro lens for the 60mm I would think the CMC-2 might be a better bet the magnification and working distance are listed on the port chart:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DATAJ3Jr3krBugY7jcncdvCyKJMuueY1/view

The CMC-2 achieves almost as much magnification with better working distance and I think would be a better bet.  You might also consider the INON lenses this video reviews them on the 14-42 lens along with the CMC lenses.

https://interceptor121.com/2019/02/01/how-to-choose-the-best-close-up-lens-for-your-underwater-mft-rig/

Thanks so much Chris. Great recommendations.

Any particular reason why you're not considering the Olympus 30mm?  The wider aperture with the Panasonic is irrelevant underwater (and really, with macro in general), it's cheaper, and you can use focus stacking topside with the M1mkIII.  The Olympus is my default night dive lens anywhere, and I often use it during daytime dives here in the murky PNW.  It accounts for a surprisingly amount of my pics topside as well, primarily because it focuses a lot faster than the 60 (easily on par with other Oly primes).  According to Olympus, it's a 2:1 but I don't think there's a port that will get you there underwater.  One possible negative is that supposedly it doesn't play nice with add-on wet lenses (I haven't tried), but I'm guessing that's more a factor of the working distance than any optical properties.

The issue with wet lenses is purely down to minimum focus distance - you can add one and it will form an image but you'll get no greater magnification and limit your max focal distance.  The issue is because you physically can't get any closer.  At 1:1  it's almost on the port. 

The Oly 30mm does 1.25:1 again really close to the front element.  You can easily compare the performance of the Oly by viewing a ruler and adjusting distance to get to 36mm filling the frame across the horizontal axis then measure distance to the lens.  The Pany is 55mm from the filter thread at this point (1:2 magnification).  I expect the better lens would be the one that gives you more working room - though I expect them to be quite similar in performance.

9 hours ago, Wapiti said:

Any particular reason why you're not considering the Olympus 30mm?  The wider aperture with the Panasonic is irrelevant underwater (and really, with macro in general), it's cheaper, and you can use focus stacking topside with the M1mkIII.  The Olympus is my default night dive lens anywhere, and I often use it during daytime dives here in the murky PNW.  It accounts for a surprisingly amount of my pics topside as well, primarily because it focuses a lot faster than the 60 (easily on par with other Oly primes).  According to Olympus, it's a 2:1 but I don't think there's a port that will get you there underwater.  One possible negative is that supposedly it doesn't play nice with add-on wet lenses (I haven't tried), but I'm guessing that's more a factor of the working distance than any optical properties.

I had considered the Olympus 30 but in most of the reviews I read, the Panasonic 30mm seemed a better choice. Mainly because the Olympus  has a shorter working distance than the Panasonic and is a shorter lens that further magnifies this inside the port. According to Nauticams ports chart, neither the Olympus or Panasonic play well with wet lenses.  Good points about the lens topside, I had not considered the focus stacking benefits and also it would be an Olympus lens on an Olympus body.