Joseph,
Thanks for your info on the Spiratone 21/2.
I too must confess am a 24mm junkie. Its my favorite 35mm focal length. I
own the analog of its coverage in all the other formats I shoot.
You may be interested to know, in my own Kodachrome 25 tests the Zuiko 24/2
out performs the Nikkor 24/2 AIS wide open and at f/8, especially at far
edges and corners. The Zuiko 24mm/2.8 (late model MC) outperformed the
24mm/2.8 AIS Nikkor at f/2.8 and tied at f/8. The f/2.8 advantage of the
Zuiko 24/2.8 was again especially at the edges and corners. At f/8 both
Zuikos and the Nikon 24/2.8 AIS are very close to the f/8 performance of
the Leica M Elmarit Aspherical 24mm, especially the Zuiko 24/2. But you
are right....... both Zuiko 24's have pronounces barrel distortion....
>=============================
>Joseph,
>
>How do you like the Spiratone 20/2.8?
>
>I like the Zuiko 21/2
>=============================
>
>I'm sure the 21/2 Zuiko is better, though I haven't used it myself.
>In fact, the 21/3.5 Zuiko is an amazingly sharp lens by f/5.6 or so.
>I used to own it and was pleased with it except for two things: price,
>and difficulty focusing on account of the DOF at f/3.5 of a 21mm lens.
>I also wanted something that was at least f/2.8 to shoot night scenes
>handheld. A professional photographer I know had used the Spiratone 20/2.8
>with Nikon mount and recommended it to me, so I gave it a try. It wasn't
>easy to find in OM mount, but cost was $150, about half of what I got from
>selling the 21/3.5 I once had.
>
>My take on it is that it is comparable to the 28/2.8 Zuiko in quality,
>probably no less sharp, but a little bit more distortion. It vignettes
>a little bit wide open (most 20mm lenses do) but has excellent sharpness
>and contrast stopped down, and is usable at every aperture. Overall, a
>lens worth using at the price. I'd rate the Spiratone 20mm slightly better
>than the 24/2.8 Zuiko, but not in the same class as the 21/3.5 (or
>presumably, the 21/2). Although Spiratone didn't make the lenses they sold,
>they were well known for their fisheyes and ultra wides, all of which were
>made to high standards of optical quality. I've never seen
>their 24-40/3.5 zoom, but it is supposed to be a worthy lens also.
>
>I prefer the 24mm focal length, as I'm not a "wide-angle junkie". I was
>never fully satisfied with the 24/2.8 (contrast not as snappy as I'd want
>for shooting slides) and I once tried the 24/2, and felt it had more
distortion
>than I'd consider acceptable for such an expensive lens.
>
>I eventually came to find out that the Sigma 24/2.8 might be an excellent
>lens, based on its photodo ranking. At only $169 new, I figured I'd just
>buy one and see how it was, and I've been pleased with it. It is at least
>as sharp as the 24/2.8 Zuiko, focuses more closely (to 1:4 in fact) and
>is noticeably more contrasty than the 24/2.8 Zuiko when comparing slides
side
>by side on a light table. (I shoot a Macbeth color checker on slide film
>at night with a flash to have reproducibility in my tests for color and
>contrast). Moreover, I discovered that Sigma has a 2-tier product line even
>though they don't necessarily advertise as such, and the top tier lenses are
>more rugged in build quality. I had a bad impression of sigma from
>a 75-300 APO Sigma zoom I once bought and found unacceptable in both build
>quality and optical quality.
>
>=============================================
>However, mildly curious, is that the latest new Zuiko's lenses have many
>more green colored layers in the total compliment of multicoated glass
>surfaces. Said another way, losing a little green in the transmitted light
>(since its all that's reflected), leaves the overall color bias of the
>light getting to the film very slightly magenta.
>=============================================
>
>Multicoating is very complex and involves taking advantage of the
>interference between layers. Modern multicoatings are designed
>with the aid of computers and are very accurate in color balance of
>transmitted light. Zuikos have a very uniform color rendition across
>the product line, so this isn't somethign I'd worry about.
>
>Joseph
>
>
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Kurt Hurley IDS 2000 Product Marketing Manager
Schlumberger T&T - Diagnostic Systems
1601 Technology Drive San Jose CA 95110
email khurley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
PH 408-437-5156 FAX 408-437-9031 PG 408-699-4587
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