I love the intoxicating scent of lemon blossoms. And I certainly got my fix photographing this beautiful flower with the Olympus Digital ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens ($224) on an OM-D E-M1 Mark II.

"Lemon Blossom" - Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II with 30mm f/3.5 macro lens. ISO 200, f/5.6, 1/50th, handheld. Photo by Derrick Story.

In the world of macro lenses, the Olympus 30mm is very compact and quite affordable. I had read good reviews of it. So I thought I would take it for a spin in my patio garden. The reviewers were right. This is a excellent-value optic.

On the E-M1 Mark II, the focusing was fast and accurate. There aren't any controls on the lens itself except for a nice manual focusing ring. I didn't need it, but it's nice to know that it's there.

Other than the excellent images, what I really like about the lens is that I can have macro capability with me without taking up too much space in the camera bag. And it's very light as well.

If you're looking for a compact prime lens that works great for both macro and general purpose photography, I can easily recommend the Olympus Digital ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens. Who knows? It could open up a whole new world for you.

The Olympus 30mm f/3.5 Macro lens has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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