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Re: [OM] Stylus Epic vs. XA vs. Y*sh*c* T-4 Super

Subject: Re: [OM] Stylus Epic vs. XA vs. Y*sh*c* T-4 Super
From: "Brian O'Connor" <boc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 16:22:35 +1000 (EST)
Jim Houha said;
>I have em all; an Olympus Stylus, an Olympus Stylus Epic, a Nikon 35ti, a
>Ricoh GR-1, a Konica Hexar, and a Yashica T2 (but not the T4). They all

<warning, this is a long rave>

Whew,
      well I can't match that experience, but I've used an XA, XA2, the
original Yashica T(zeiss 35/3.5) and I have recently bought a second hand
Konica Hexar. My other 35mm is Oly{OM/2 50mm macro, 200/4} and Nikon{60mm/2.8
50mm/1.8 24/2.8 and 180/2.8}. I also use MF(1950's rollei), and LF (a graflex
with sironar and angulon glass). 

I find it interesting to think of photography as a journey, equipment 
comes and goes, and after a while you get to trust certain equipment, even
though others don't. Your own experiences become much more important than 
other peoples. In the end it doesn't really matter who said what about
which lens(and that includes me:). 

The reason I say this is because I find that we don't all look for the same 
things in a picture, we don't all have the same viewing priorities. 

15 years ago now I became dissappointed with the Nikon glass that I was using,
and changed to contax gear. I really like the Zeiss lenses. The 85/1.4 planar
is still the best lens I've ever used, more than just sharp. Perhaps
because I use the larger formats I look for a texture, or richness in my
pictures, the planar had it, it's very hard to explain. 

This all but inexplicable quality is what I look for these days, and mostly
only find it with the bigger negs.

I was very sad to have to sell the contax equipment, I needed the money, and
the cameras and lenses were my only really worth-while asset.

Later when I had the money I found that I needed AF, and chose nikon.

I find that I think of the character of a lens; ie I see a photograph, or
think of one, and then think about the character of the lens that would be
good for that shot. 

The Nikon glass is nice and sharp, but it is cold, clinical, and "hard".
(and you have to be picky with nikon, some of their lenses are coke bottles)

Zuiko glass seems to feel more "rounded", more intimate. The 50mm macro has
beautiful tones but (no flames now) I don't think its as sharp as the 60mm
nikon. Despite this most of the time I prefer it.

The XA had character, had a sharp lens, and was fun to use. That fun showed
up in the pictures, I have some great party, and holiday shots that were taken
with this camera. However I lost lots of pictures because of the zone focusing.

The T was excellent. VERY good lens stopped down ,although the shots don't
feel really "zeiss". Wide open the lens is soft(typical of tessars), the flash
was bad, and I got sick of not being able to control exposure so that the lens
was using its best apetures, except through the ASA. I was suprised at hearing
that the T4 has exposed glass. The T has a cover that opened for the shot, and
then closed. This is a great hiking camera, in daylight the lens is stopped
down, and very good(I like it better than the XAs, or my friends stylus)
I still have the T.

I have found the Hexar simply superb, the 35/2 lens goes way beyond simple
sharpness. I don't know what its line pairs per mm, or how its mtf compares,
but the texture, and richness are all there. This camera is almost enough to
make me want to sell that MF/LF equipment, and if they made a 90mm version, I
would sell everything else(except perhaps the oly 50 macro) and buy film to put
in it. Not because its sharper or mtf's better or because some one in a
mailing list said so, but just because the photographs from the Hexar are just
beautiful to my eye. 

<end of bandwidth hogging rave>


Brian
-- 

                   Brian O'Connor, Unix Systems Consultant
      La Trobe University,Bendigo,Australia; b.oconnor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
           http://ironbark.bendigo.latrobe.edu.au/~boc/resume.html

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