OM Zuiko 90mm f/2.0 Macro (Long-term Impressions)

[Vonder]

"Konica Autoreflex T3 and an 85mm f1.8 Hexanon lens for far less than this lens goes for, and having used the Konica, I'd wager the image quality is identical. "

Well, no - it's likely not identical. Not to say the Konica is bad, but the OM 90/2 is well regarded for a reason, not just scarcity and OM-crowd worship. Plus it's usable on modern cameras (EOS), unlike the Konica.

-Ed

I don't know. To me, this image is pretty much as good as it gets in the medium telephoto category:

85mm Hexanon lens, 1/60 at f4

How exactly would the Zuiko 90mm have improved this image? I'm curious.

As to what can or can't be mounted on digicams I believe there is a 4/3 mount adapter for everything now. Maybe Konica is an exception, I don't know.

 

[philosomatographer]

How exactly would the Zuiko 90mm have improved this image? I'm curious.

You're asking a question that would be very difficult to answer, since

a.) Your lens usually doens't matter, it's all about the light, composition, accurate focus
b.) One would need to construct a controlled test, with the same subject, to "see" differences, otherwise comparison would be meaningless.

I am pretty sure that your 85mm is a fantastic lens. Really. Just note that the Zuiko - as far as lenses go - is quite abnormally "special" in it's rendering. But these are subtle aspects. Also, I guarantee you that the Zuiko, with its floating optical system that continuously corrects abberrations at all focus distances (unlike your Hex 85mm, which is optimised for infinity) would produce technically higher resolution that whatever you could have produced with that portrait, but this is not visible in normal viewing sizes, so it doesn't really "matter".

In my photograph of the cat that I posted earlier (can't believe I just said that! But it's hopefully a "different" cat photo to what people typically post) the Zuiko actually resolves to the limits of what Fomapan 100 can resolve, right in the bottom-left corner, and this at f/2.0 and f/2.8.

There are few lenses that can do that at any aperture, and fewer still that can do it at such a close distance, and fewer still that can do it at f/2.0. This image, also, in a 12x16in optical print, is sharp to grain level (taken at f/2.0). This photo was a nightmare test for smooth bokeh, and most other lenses (well, ones that are capable of so clearly resolving the micro-details on the leaf, in anyway) would have produced sharp, bright edges to the out-of-focus highlights.

There are many, many excellent lenses in this world. The Zuiko 90 Macro is just pretty high up on that list... With slow film, it blurs the visible distinction between 35mm and medium format, at medium print sizes. And it's supremely versatile.

 

[Vonder]

Ah, I think my inquiry has been answered. The Zuiko is also a macro lens. This escaped me for some reason, mainly because I don't shoot macro and became focussed on the lens as a portrait lens. No, my Hexanon isn't a macro lens and thus has no advanced mechanism for closer focusing. It focuses down to about 1 meter. As a portrait lens the razor sharp Hexanon compares favorably with the Zuiko.

I'm not simplifying it either by saying "oh yes the Zuiko is also a macro lens" because macro lenses aren't always very good portrait lenses. This Zuiko seems to be a rare breed that can do both equally well and that tends to justify higher prices.

 

[philosomatographer]

I'm glad that's settled, Wolfeye.

Off-topic: I know "more elements isn't always better" (look at the Leica Summicron 90 Apo ASPH, with its 5 elements) but the Zuiko has a very different optical design in its rear cell, which also incorporates the floating-system elements:

(9 elements, 9 groups)​

compared to the Hexanon 85mm 1.8 under comparative discussion:

(6 elements, 5 groups)​

Many of these are of quite exotic glass. This must contribute to the different rendering we see compared to most other short teles. The same reason probably applies to the Zuiko 50/2.0 which has a couple more elements than other manufacturers' 50mm lenses also, and has an equally distinctly special rendering.

 

[philosomatographer]

I adore shooting this lens wide-open. The combination of being super-highly-corrected, and having fantastically smooth out-of-focus rendering, is quite rare indeed:

All taken on Ilford Pan F at ISO50 with an OM-4Ti body. Unfortunately had to be directly scanned on an Epson V700, as I am temporarily without a darkroom.