Grade my Oly OM lens knowledge?

Canuck Bob · Feb 9, 2011

Prime 50 mm f1:8, late mc lens will say Made in Japan, good choice?

50 mm f1:4, some confusion, some say >1 million others say greater than 1.1 million serial number.

It seems the higher grade f1:8 can be found cheap on an OM-10 camera package?

I read somewhere that MC lenses have a distintive tint compared to SC lenses, can't find the thread and forgot the colours.

The 90 mm f:2 macro looks interesting, is it common and reasonable in price?

Looking to build a simple handheld OM-1n kit, no zooms, 2 or 3 fast lenses for bright viewfinder. Research suggests the 50 mm f:1.4 is a fine lens and sharp stopped down a bit. The later mc 50 mm 1:8 seems to be very well regarded as well. Will I notice a big difference in the Vfinder between the 2? I've been using an Oly e-410 and the horrid viewfinder is a sad joke thus my focus on the viewfinder.

The 90mm f:2 would make a good macro and portrait/people lens. Anyone disagree? Someday I might pickup a 28mm WA but I'm really a 50 mm prime shooter.

The only other lens that interests me now is the 40 mm pancake.

Konical · Feb 9, 2011

Good Afternoon, Bob,

I don't think you'll have any complaint with just about any version of the 50mm lenses; I have both the ƒ1.8 and the ƒ1.4 and find the results from then essentially equal--and excellent. As to the 90mm ƒ2 Macro: good luck finding one at less than an exorbitant price. The lens sold for around $1000 in the 1990's and has retained much of that value today. Consider the 100mm ƒ2. It is one razor-sharp lens and is relatively close-focusing, although it's not a macro, of course. If you can find one of those, it will still be expensive, but probably several hundred dollars less than the 90mm.

Konical

Rick A · Feb 9, 2011

I prefer the 100/2.8 for portraits with my OM-1. Wouldn't mind finding a reasonably priced (cheap)Zuiko 21mm, but am happy with my 35mm. If you buy a WA lens, make sure you buy oversize filters to avoid vignetting with it. You can always buy a step-up rings to mate them with other lenses, then you only need one set of filters. It wouldn't hurt to procure a copy of "How to Select and Use Olympus Cameras" by Carl Shipman.

lilserenity · Feb 9, 2011

Very happy with my OM2n, 50mm f/1.8 MIJ, 28mm f/3.5 and 100mm f/2.8 -- whole lot cost me only £160, although I spent £65 recently on a service but it's served me well for 2 years now.

The 100mm f/2.8 is an excellent lens and probably of your moderate telephoto lens choices (85mm f/2, 90mm f/2 Macro, 100mm f/2 and 100mm f/2.8) the most affordable and compact,

Vicky

MattKing · Feb 9, 2011

Bob:

The 90mm f/2 macro and 40mm pancake lenses tend to be quite pricey.

I have used the 85mm f/2 for a long time, and really like it. It isn't inexpensive, but certainly less expensive than the 90mm f/2.

The 50mm f/1.8 was the standard lens on all the OM (manual focus) bodies. They only varied over time - not with body.

I had and used one of the earliest 50mm f/1.8 for a long time. I now have a reasonably late model 50mm f/1.4. They are/were both very good. The viewfinder brightness does differ, but the 50mm f/1.8 lens really does give a bright image.

I wouldn't have bothered with the 50mm f/1.4 except I like using it with a 2x macro tele-converter - thus giving me a 100mm f/2.8 close focusing lens.

For the purposes of context, I would mention again that the 35mm f/2 is my favourite OM lens, followed closely by the 85mm f/2.

Hope this helps.

Ulrich Drolshagen · Feb 9, 2011

I suspect, you would have to enlarge really large to take advantage of quality increases in the different iterations of Zuiko 50mm lenses. I do not use the OMs much any more but I have enlargements of 24x30cm² from 1.8/50 Silvernose, 1.8/50 MIJ and 1.4/50 from a serial no <1Mio. I can not tell them apart at this size. The next longer lens I own is a 2.8/100 Silvernose and I never did miss something. It is a very small lens, not much larger than the 1.4/50.

Ulrich

Ulrich

Les Sarile · Feb 9, 2011

There are also exceptional third party lenses with OM mounts like the Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm and the Kiron 105mm f2.8 1:1 macro.

They do kinda defeat the purpose of the tiny body though so you need the mototr drive for better balance . . . ;-)

Some Olympus lens info at http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/index.htm if you haven't seen this site.

Les Sarile · Feb 9, 2011

BTW, anyone else having problems with http://olympus.dementia.org/ or more specifically http://olympus.dementia.org/Hardware/olympus_hw.html? It's a must see and bookmark if it is working!

MattKing · Feb 9, 2011

Les Sarile said:
BTW, anyone else having problems with http://olympus.dementia.org/ or more specifically http://olympus.dementia.org/Hardware/olympus_hw.html? It's a must see and bookmark if it is working!

I have been having trouble with it for the last several days.

I just tried it, and it has got farther than it has in several days - it is about 75% loaded

EDIT: This appears to be a mirrored version of the site:

http://www.star.ucl.ac.uk/~rwesson/esif/om-sif.htm

RH Designs · Feb 10, 2011

Bob - MC lenses will show a greenish tint to the coating, single coated are orange. The 40mm pancake lens is rare and consequently expensive, I've never seen one in the flesh.

Ken N · Feb 10, 2011

You will find various Om related information, including the famous Gary Reese lens tests on my www.zone-10.com website.

My personal all-time favorite OM lens combination is the 35/2.8 and 100/2.8 lenses. But there really is no bad choice when it comes to Zuikos. Although, the later F2 lenses as well as the 35-80 zoom are spectacular. I think the 28/2 and 90/2 could be career lenses. You really don't ever need to buy another lens the rest of your life. If you can't be happy with those two lenses you need to take up model railroading.

Bateleur · Feb 11, 2011

With my myopic eye I could see differences in transparencies between the early SC (silver nose) 50mm f1.8 and the most recent 50mm f1.8 MC in terms of sharpness and contrast. In my experience the 85mmf2.0 is a superb lens equally at home with portraits and general landscape work, although if you need the macro feature the 90mm f:2 is the way to go. There is an earlier posting which discusses that lens.

Canuck Bob · Feb 11, 2011

I thought I posted this but must have forgot to submit. I've found a 50mm f1:4 > 1.1 million descibed as flawless, we'll see. He also has a 28mm f2:8 which I may buy if it is an outstanding example. A small tele prime can wait until a nice f:2 is found.

mr rusty · Feb 12, 2011

Just *use* whatever you have. The "ordinary" zuiko lenses are by far good enough for anything, including the zooms. Paying high prices for the fastest/most esoteric lenses over the mid range is just willy waving. Check out the portrait by Gandolfi in the gallery at the moment - full soft. Or "By the Water" by Thomas Bertilsson. Who needs ultimate sharpness?

EdSawyer · Feb 14, 2011

Look for the Lens$db online for a good price guide to Zuiko OM lenses. It was just updated to version 16.

nsurit · Feb 18, 2011

Let me see if I can give you my answer. My favorite "go to" lens is the 85mm f2. I also own the 90 and 100mm f2 lenses, both of which will seperate you from a chunk of change. If building a kit from scratch, take a look at the Tamron SP 90mm f2.5. Not cheap, but a lot less than any of the Zuikos. Sharp lens, worth a look. 40mm f2? I've owned 3 or 4 of them and always end up selling them as they cost too much in relationship to other choices, such as the 50s or 35s, The 40mm f2 id the only f2 lens at 100mm or less that I don't currently own and unless one just falls in my lap, I probably won't own another. Get a set of extension tubes, something in the 85-100mm range, a 50mm and something in the 24-35mm range. You can be happy for a long time with this kit. Bill Barber

Canuck Bob · Feb 18, 2011

Thanks that is great advice. I'm over the initial exuberance and actually laying out real cash for lenses. Wakes a guy up. The 40mm is not a well reviewed lens for its price. The 50mm f1:4 is like new and all I'll use for awhile. The guy isn't going to accept my bid for the pair of lenses. I need to use the camera and solve issues of style, film type, and developing before exploring more lenses. I was very surprised how the photography world has changed so fast! I never noticed all the scores of photolabs on every other corner are all gone. Serious camera shops don't process and print film! They sell program discs, computers, printers, memory devices and no chemicals. Of course exactly what a deluded anti-social Luddite like myself thrives on.

Reminds me of a true canoeing story. A group of highly skilled canoists attempted a descent on a river to the eastern Arctic that had never been attempted before. About half way they found an Eskimo village were they had a wonderful time. The day they left the village folk had taken up donations to buy the poor southerners an outboard motor.

Grade my Oly OM lens knowledge?

Canuck Bob

Konical

Rick A

lilserenity

MattKing

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Ulrich Drolshagen

Les Sarile

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MattKing

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RH Designs

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Ken N

Bateleur

Canuck Bob

mr rusty

EdSawyer

nsurit

Canuck Bob

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