The Pergear 60mm f/2.8 MK2 Ultra-Macro Full Frame Lens is being touted as an affordable ultra-macro lens with good sharpness.
This is actually the second iteration of this lens. Back in July 2021, Pergear announced the 60mm F2.8 Ultra Macro 2x Magnification Lens that was only made for APS-C sensors.
Key features
- Focal length：60mm
- Format： Full-Frame
- Mount： Nikon Z, Canon RF, Sony E, Fuji X, M4/3, L Mount
- Focus type: Manual focus
- Max aperture：f/2.8
- Min aperture：f/16
- Min focus distance: 19.1cm / 7.51″
- Max magnification: 2x
- Optics: 10 elements in 7 groups
- Aperture blades：10
- Filter diameter： 62mm
The macro lens features a 2X maximum magnification and a 19.1cm / 7.51″ minimum focusing distance.
So what is it?
Most of us have used macro lenses for video work at some point in time, but extreme macro lenses are an altogether different animal. The Pergear 60mm f/2.8 Ultra-Macro Full Frame Lens is a specialized macro lens for filming subjects at magnifications greater than life-size.
The majority of macro lenses feature a 1:1 reproduction ratio. In the case of the Pergear lens, it has a 2:1 range. This allows you to capture tiny objects at 2 times their actual size.
Size & Weight
The lens weighs in at approx. 600g / 21.16 ox and it has physical dimensions of 68mm x 118mm (ø x L). It utilizes a 62mm front filter thread.
Build Quality
For a lens at this price, it is solidly made and well-constructed.
The physical operation of the focus and iris rings is smooth and they have a nice amount of resistance.
Optical Design
The lens’s optical design consists of 11 elements in 8 groups, including three high refractive index elements that are claimed to help to control spherical aberrations and reduce distortion. The lens also features a 10-blade iris and a de-clicked aperture ring.
Sharpness
When shooting with extreme macro lenses you really want that lens to be nice and sharp. Above you can see how the lens performs when used at its closest focusing distance and a mid-focusing distance at a variety of f-stops.
I shot the tests in 8K UHD (7680 x 4329) on a Nikon Z9.
As a reference, above you can see the size of the object I was filming. In the sharpness tests, I am shooting a small section on the front. The robot is around 12cm high.
For a full-frame ultra-macro lens it is nice and sharp, even when used wide open. For such an affordable lens I was surprised with just how good the sharpness was. You will have to apologize for my close focus test at F/5.6 as I did slightly bump the camera so the image is a little softer than it should be. This is the biggest issue when shooting video with an ultra-macro lens, the slightest bit of movement can throw your focus out.
Above you can see a couple of still images of some tiny Amber Snails captured with the lens.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration can be a problem with macro lenses, especially when using them wide open. So how does the Pergear perform? I purposely overexposed fine metallic objects on the robot I was shooting to find out.
I was surprised to see that there weren’t any real visible signs of chromatic aberration when using the lens wide open at F/2.8.
Lens Flare
The lens flare isn’t particularly pretty, although personally, I am unlikely to use an ultra-macro as a normal 60mm lens.
There is quite a lot of veiling and the lens does not maintain particularly good contrast when a direct light source is aimed straight down the barrel.
Even Illumination?
I did find that the lens is noticeably brighter in the center of the image and that you do get slightly darker corners out toward the edge of the frame.
In saying that, it wasn’t anything that I found overly distracting.
Real World Use
I tried shooting a variety of things with the lens to see how it performed and to get a sense of how usable it was for video.
Above you can see a short test where I used the lens on an iFootage Shark Slider Mini. The trouble when you use an ultra macro with any small-sized slider moving at very slow speeds you are going to see some small movement and it isn’t going to be silky smooth. In saying that, this combination does allow you to get some interesting shots.
As a reference, above you can see what I was actually filming for that shot.
It is difficult to shoot with an ultra macro without a very stable platform. The slightest movement gets magnified and it is very easy to get very shaky shots. If you also try and change the focus by adjusting the magnification your whole image will shake. I found it was easiest to just pick your focus, lock off the tripod, and hit record. Trying to follow objects with this lens on a tripod is almost impossible.
Price & Availability
The Pergear 60mm F2.8 MK2 Ultra-Macro 2X is now available for $183.20 USD. This is bound to put it in direct competition with the Venus Optics Laowa 60mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro Len.
Competition
The closest competitor to the Pergear Ultra-Macro would be the Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro APO full-frame mirrorless macro lens. Like many other Laowa macro lenses, this lens can focus from 2:1 magnification to infinity which means you can use it as both a macro and portrait lens.
The Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO has a 40.9° angle of view on full frame sensors. It also features an apochromatic (APO) characteristic that is claimed to reduce chromatic aberration at both ‘in-focus’ & ‘out-of-focus’ areas.
The optical construction of the lens consists of 3 extra-low dispersion (ED) pieces of glass and 3 glass elements with an Ultra-High Refractive Index.
The lens has a close focus ability of 18.5cm / 7.28″. It also features an internal focusing design that avoids collision of the lens and your subject. It also reduces the chance of dust particles getting into the lens.
The lens weighs 595g / 20.98 oz and it is available in four mounts: Sony E / Canon R / Nikon Z / L mount.
The Laowa 58mm f/2.8 2X Ultra-Macro APO retails for $499 USD.
Conclusion
The Pergear 60mm f/2.8 MK2 Ultra-Macro Full Frame Lens is a good option if you are looking for an affordable full-frame ultra-macro lens. It is nice and sharp and it doesn’t exhibit any real-world signs of chromatic aberration.
Lenses like this are quite niche, especially for anyone shooting video, but they can be a nice addition to your kit as they allow you to get interesting and unique shots.
While it does suffer from some edge darkness and the flare isn’t particularly pleasing, all in all, it is a solid offering that provides good results for a very low price.
