Hi all:
Here is Part 2, as promised. Part 3 is dependent on what folks loan me and
what lenses I acquire for resale or brokering. The sleepers this round: the
21mm f/3.5 Zuiko and the 50mm f/1.8 multi-coated!
Gary Reese
Las Vegas, NV
********
Olympus Zuiko Lens Tests: Part 2
Gary Reese
November 17, 1998
Note: Set display to non-proportional font (ex. Courier) to view with columns
aligned.
* All tests photographed at 1:40 magnification ratio, on Fujichrome 64T film.
* Test subject: Grand Canyon National Park USGS topographic map.
* Subjective quality factor grades are relative with A+ = best, then B, C, D,
and F (worst); differences are significant across full letter grades only.
Corner grades are less rigorous than center grades, with A+ set to the
performance of a 50mm f/2.0 Zuiko Macro at f/8.
* Evaluations at 24X projection through a Rollei-Vario-Projar 70-120mm lens at
ca. 100 mm focal length
* Vignetting grades determined at full aperture: A = none apparent, tending
towards D = more and more pronounced, with D = unacceptable.
21mm f/3.5 Zuiko (single-coated)
Vignetting = B
Distortion = moderate barrel
Aperture Center Corner
f/3.5 B- C+
f/5.6 A- B
f/8 A A-
f/11 A- A-
f/16 A+ A-
Note: Contrasty with high resolution.
24mm f/2.8 Zuiko (single-coated)
Vignetting = B
Distortion = slight pincushion (none?)
Aperture Center Corner
f/2.8 C+ C+
f/4 B- B-
f/5.6 B+ B+
f/8 B+ B+
f/11 A A-
f/16 A- B
Note: Slightly soft contrast.
28mm f/2.8 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = C
Distortion =
Aperture Center Corner
f/2.8 B- C+
f/4 B B
f/5.6 B B
f/8 B+ B+
f/11 A- B+
f/16 A- A-
f/22 A- B+
Note: Contrasty.
35-70mm f/3.6 Zuiko @ 50mm setting
Vignetting = B+
Distortion = pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/3.6 C+ B-
f/5.6 B- B
f/8 B+ A-
f/11 A- A-
f/16 B+ B+
f/22 B+ B+
Note: Apparent high resolution at the expense of contrast.
35-70mm f/4 Zuiko Auto Focus @ 35mm setting
Vignetting = B-
Distortion = barrel
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 B- B-
f/5.6 B- B-
f/8 B B
f/11 B B+
f/16 B+ B+
f/22 B B
35-70mm f/4 Zuiko Auto Focus @ 50mm setting
Vignetting = B-
Distortion = slight pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 C- C+
f/5.6 B- B
f/8 B- B+
f/11 B B+
f/16 B+ A-
f/22 B+ A-
Note: moderately low contrast.
35-70mm f/4 Zuiko Auto Focus @ 70mm setting
Vignetting = B
Distortion = slight pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 C+ B
f/5.6 B- B
f/8 B- B
f/11 B B+
f/16 B B+
f/22 B B+
35-105mm f/3.5~4.5 Zuiko @ 50mm setting
Vignetting = B-
Distortion = pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 B- B
f/5.6 B B
f/8 B+ A-
f/11 B+ A-
f/16 A- A-
f/22 A- A-
50mm f/1.4 Zuiko (single-coated)
Vignetting = C
Distortion = slight pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/1.4 D C-
f/2 C- C
f/2.8 C B-
f/4 B- B
f/5.6 B B
f/8 B+ B
f/11 A- B
f/16 A- B+
50mm f/1.8 Zuiko (single-coated)
Vignetting = B
Distortion = slight barrel
Aperture Center Corner
f/1.8 D+ B-
f/2.8 C+ B-
f/4 B B
f/5.6 B B
f/8 B B+
f/11 B+ A-
f/16 B+ A-
Note: slightly soft contrast.
50mm f/1.8 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = B
Distortion = moderate barrel
Aperture Center Corner
f/1.8 C- C
f/2.8 B- B
f/4 B B+
f/5.6 A- A
f/8 A- A
f/11 A+ A
f/16 A A
Note: Moderately high contrast (although less than the 50mm f/2 Macro)
65-200mm f/4 Zuiko @ 65mm setting
Vignetting = B-
Distortion = slight barrel
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 C C+
f/5.6 B B
f/8 B B
f/11 B+ B+
f/16 B+ B+
f/22 B B
f/32 B B
65-200mm f/4 Zuiko @ 135mm setting
Vignetting = B
Distortion = moderate pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 C C+
f/5.6 B- B
f/8 B B
f/11 B B+
f/16 B B
f/22 B+ B
f/32 B+ B
65-200mm f/4 Zuiko @ 200mm setting
Vignetting = B
Distortion = moderate pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 B- B-
f/5.6 B B-
f/8 B B
f/11 B B
f/16 B B-
f/22 B B-
f/32 B B-
135mm f/3.5 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = A-
Distortion = slight pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/3.5 C+ C
f/5.6 C C
f/8 B- B-
f/11 B B
f/16 B+ B+
f/22 B+ B
Note: Contrasty, but at the expense of resolution.
135mm f/4.5 Zuiko Macro (multi-coated)
Vignetting = A
Distortion = None
Aperture Center Corner
f/4.5 B C
f/5.6 B+ B
f/8 B B-
f/11 A- B+
f/16 A- B+
f/22 B B+
f/32 B B
f/45 B- B-
Note: Contrasty.
200mm f/4 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = A
Distortion = None
Aperture Center Corner
f/4 C C
f/5.6 D+ C-
f/8 C- C
f/11 C B-
f/16 C+ B-
f/22 B- B-
f/32 B- B-
Note: Apparent focus shift from f/5.6 to f/32, needs retesting. However, the
drop in lens performance when stopped down mimics this lens behavior in actual
shooting.
200mm f/5 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = A
Distortion = slight pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/5 C- C-
f/8 C C
f/11 C+ C
f/16 B- C+
f/22 B- B-
f/32 B B-
Note: Lens shows high contrast at the expense of lower resolution.
300mm f/4.5 Zuiko (multi-coated)
Vignetting = A
Distortion = moderate pincushion
Aperture Center Corner
f/4.5 B- B-
f/5.6 B+ B
f/8 B B-
f/11 B+ B-
f/16 B B
f/22 B B
f/32 B B
Note: slightly soft contrast.
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