Using your MC-20 Teleconverter with your OLY 60mm Macro lens
Sep 10, 2020

I have posted a few different posts specifying how I do this (especially with the MC-14), but I wanted a single post about the process that makes it possible for the MC-20.

First off, the way this is made possible is through the PIXCO extension tubes that are found here:

https://www.roxsen.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1779

they can be found at other locations, but this brand PIXCO specifically are the ones you must have to make this work.  It can be done in 3 different ways:

1.  First way, and easiest is to buy one set of the tubes, and hook up the 10mm first to the protruding lens side of the MC-20, then the 16mm that will connect to the Olympus 60mm macro lens.  It will look like this (ignore the brand name of the 10mm one - I could not find my Pixco brand 10mm tube)

This setup works fine, but there is a tad more space between the teleconverter lens and the 60mm macro lens than I would prefer.  So I initially did the following in #2:

2.  Buy two sets of the Pixco extension tubes since they are inexpensive, and use two 10mm extension tubes to attach to the MC-20 teleconverter.  Do not use the 16mm one.  You will reduce the void space between the teleconverter lens and the 60mm macro lens, providing more light and sharper images.

3.  Now, you are wondering why not use the 16mm extension tube with the teleconverter on it's own.....the reason is that the 16mm extension tube has an opening that is too narrow to fit all the way down the shaft of the teleconvter lens.  This is why this option can be best....use a sharp knife and just scrape out some of the plastic around the inside of the 16mm extension tube, which will allow the teleconverter to fit inside it all on it's own, providing the tightest fit for your teleconverter to be as close as possible to your 60 macro lens rear glass,

The electronic connections work perfectly, allowing autofocus to work - but more importantly, the focus bracketing setup to work.

With the third setup, you are right at 3x magnification when the camera is set at 1:1.  Your distance to subject at 1:1 is at around 77 millimeters - very sufficient for lighting a subject.