Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens

Robert OToole ·

OSHIRO 60MM F/2.8 2:1 LD UNC ULTRA-MACRO LENS in Canon EOS mount

With an magnification range of 0.1X - 2X range, and a retail price that sounds like a mistake, the $169 Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 lens is really hard to ignore. Oshiro claims the lens is made with Japanese low-dispersion glass, ultra nano crystal multi-coating, and is assembled in China. The optical design using two floating groups in a 9 lens elements in 7 group layout with a 5 year warranty, sounds great, but what about the image quality? 

Other similar looking 60mm 2x lenses were also released at the same time, for a great in-depth report on the differences between the Laowa and Oshiro 60mm lenses, see this page on Enrico Savazzi's site: http://savazzi.net/photography/60mm2x_lenses.html

In the years since the release of this lens, I still have yet to see a single side-by-side comparison with the Oshiro 60 2x and another lens. So I bought one to find out how it performs compared to my Canon MP-E 65.

Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens Canon EOS mount

Comparing the Oshiro 60mm 2X lens to the Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5X lens

Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at 2x and the Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens in Canon EOS mount at the 2x setting

Since these two are so similar in focal length, aperture range, and magnification range, I couldn't resist not comparing image quality of the two. Even though these two lenses are targeted at opposite ends of the market, at over $1000 retail, the Canon MP-E is definitely targeted at the high-end of the market, where the Oshiro 60mm, at about $170, is targeted at users new to macro photography.  But what about the image quality?

2X magnification images compared at 1500 pixels

Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/4 and 2x magnification

Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/4 and 2x magnification

Closed one stop down to f/4, the Oshiro image is sharp, with good chromatic aberration control to the corners of an APS-C sensor. The Canon MP-E, as you expect, is also very sharp and very well corrected at f/4.

The above images made at f/4 were converted from RAW sony files, and resized down to 1500px. At this size it is interesting how close they look, almost identical at a glance. If you think these are close, when I compared the embedded Jpegs, that is Jpeg files generated by the camera body and attached to the RAW files, they were almost indistinguishable. So much so, that when I first looked at the embedded Jpegs, I thought I was confused and looking at the wrong lens, they were that close.

Resizing down to 1500 pixels will hide differences in sharpness and resolution, so the real test is to compare the two lenses at a 100% actual pixel view.

the Oshiro 60mm lens and Canon MP-E 65mm lens at 100% actual pixel view

100% actual pixel center crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/2.8 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/2.8, on the right

100% actual pixel corner crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/2.8 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/2.8, on the right.

At f/2.8 both lenses are not at their best at 2x. The Oshiro center is a little soft at f/2.8, and the corners are worse. The MP-E f/2.8 center crop is okay, but the corners are a little soft. Overall at f/2.8 the MP-E is easily better than the Oshiro.

100% actual pixel center crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/4 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/4, on the right.

100% actual pixel corner crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/4 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/4, on the right.

At f/4 both lenses improve, the Oshiro does surprisingly well. The MP-E wins with slightly better lateral CA control and slightly better resolution, but the results at f/4 are closer than I expected. 

100% actual pixel center crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/5.6 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/5.6, on the right.

100% actual pixel corner crop, Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens at f/5.6 on the left, and the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo Lens at f/5.6 on the right.

Closing down to f/5.6, the image quality drops slightly with both lenses, with the Canon being slightly sharper.

Recommendations

At 2x magnification, Canon MP-E 65 does perform better than the Ohsiro, it is sharper and has better chromatic aberration control, but they are closer than I expected.  The Oshiro image quality from f/3.5 - f/4, honestly, is better than I thought it would be.

I would recommend the Oshiro 60mm to someone just starting out in macro photography or for someone with a 0.5x or 1x macro lens that wants to move to 2x.

Compared to the cost of a new Canon MP-E 65, you will save enough money buying the Oshiro to buy a brand new Sony A6300 body, a Godox wireless flash system, including a X1 controller, and two TT350 flash units, and the Oshiro 60mm lens for the same price as a new Canon MP-E 65. 

Set-up Notes

Camera: Sony α6300, model # ILCE-6300, also known as: A6300
Sensor size: 23.5 × 15.6 mm. APS-C. 28.21 mm diagonal. 3.92 micron sensor pitch
Flash: Godox TT350s wireless flash x 2 with one Godox X1s 2.4G wireless flash transmitter
The Canon MP-E 65 lens and Oshiro 60mm lens were mounted on the Sony using the Sigma MC-11, E-mount to EOS adapter. 

All images were shot in Sony ARW file format and processed in Photoshop CC 2018 with all noise reduction and lens correction turned off, RAW camera calibration was set to standard, all settings were zeroed out (true zero) and the same identical settings were used on all of the images.

Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens in Canon EOS mount at the 2x setting

Oshiro Pros and Cons

Like

Retail price
Image quality at f/3.5 - f/5.6
Manual aperture control ring
5 year warranty

Don't like
Lack of auto-aperture control
Performance wide open at f/2.8
Lack of tripod mount 

Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 LD UNC Ultra-Macro Lens Specs

Type: Consumer macro lens

Focal length: 60mm

Magnification range: 0.1x - 2.0x

Aperture: f/2.8 - f/22 with a 14 blade iris.

Optical Design: 9 elements / 7 groups, 2 floating groups, low dispersion glass

Coverage: APS-C size sensor and smaller. I don't think this lens will cover a full frame sensor with sharp corners.

Lens mount: Canon EF, and Nikon F. This lens was sold as an E-mount, but I was shipped an EOS mount lens, with an E-mount to EOS adapter.

Filter thread: 62mm x 0.75

Cost: $169-179 USD new, on Amazon, with free shipping and free E-mount adapter.


 

Oshiro 60mm f/2.8 2:1 macro lens and the bold Mt. Fuji box graphics