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Re: [OM] differences in color/ b&w for zuikos.

Subject: Re: [OM] differences in color/ b&w for zuikos.
From: frieder.faig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 16:30:52 +0200
On Sun, Sep 24, 2000 at 05:49:35PM +0000, james olson wrote:

> on a similar note, while the 50/3.5 doesn't test as well on lens test sites, 

Ahmm... Which ones? 

> i've always felt it produces photographs that are the most pleasing to me.  
> they have a certain color blending, softness, sharpness, etc. that works so 
> well together. (wouldn't want to use the "b" word....) while looking at 
> slides, the 50/3.5 slides always seem to pop on the screen.

When you`re pleased with the photo results don`tconsider about lens tests...
When I sumarize the test`s, I know about this lens, then I don`t worry about it.
50mm lenses are among the highest standarts and the Macros on the top of them.

I know a test of standard-macros done in 1978. They tested the Zuiko MC as the 
only lens
inferrior to the opponents. But emphasized that it is still very good!
They used shots from a test board to evaluate and not physical meassurments 
like today.
The photos`s shows that at F/3.5 the Zuiko isn`t as sharp in the corner like 
the opponents.
At F/5.6 there is no difference in sharpness visible. 
 But the test shots also show that the Zuiko has absolutly no vingetting wide 
open like the
 compettiors do. Stopped down the opponents edges are still darker, but then 
the Zuiko is
 also sharp and this without vingetting = stopping down the corner for better 
sharpness..)   

I also have MTF-curves which indicates that the Zuiko is not as good wide open 
( But still pretty
 good!), but at F/8 it has the best results of all lenses. So it seems Olympus 
designed this lens 
for best performance stopped down, with a litte drawback at F/3.5. 
I guess any bad opinion about this lens is because the edge drawback at F 3.5 
is 
easier to evaluate than a tad a petter peak at F8.
> 
> and finally, I'm hunting for a 40/2 for travel photography purposes... i 
> know it's been talked about.  but can anyone with the lens comment on what 
> they think of it?  (not the data from lens test sites.)  is it worth hunting 
> for, based on the $$$ if you own it?

Well, it depends on how much $$$ to pay. The Zuiko 50mm F/1.8   achieves a
unbeatable price/performance ratio. It is among the best corrected lenses 
available.

 I payed the same price for the 40 mm F/2 as for my 35mm F/2. 
And I think this is correct. They are also head to head performance wise.
And  I remember I was often positivly surprised about the 35mm/F2 sildes. 
I haven`t done any expressive testing. Altough in a set of angel comparing 
shots does 
the 50mm/F1.8 slide seems to be somwhat more contrasty. But the different scale 
ratio may be deceiving. 
Since I own the 40mm I prefer it over the two others simply because it fills 
the gap between
 my 24 and 85mm lens better than the others. 



My observations are mainly based upon a series of MTF-Test done in the erarly 
1980`s.
PHOTOGRPHIE a suiss magazine tested most of  the availabe lenses these day's.
( Common used primes from 21-200mm, up to 2 lenses from each manufacturer).

Wenn the MTF-score off the Olympus lenses are ranked, then they are sorted 
according to the
focal length ( 50 - 100 mm at the top) and the speed. This indicates that all 
Zuiko`s reach
 the same quality in their field. Altough they achieve not the best results 
most are in the upper 
class of their field.

This is the main difference to the lens lines of most other manufacturers. In a 
lot of lens lines
there are some outstanding lenses but also some very poor ones. 
So the performancewise selection among the Zuiko´s is not that necessary as in 
other lines.
Exceptions: No data about the newer lenses 40/2, 50/2M, 90/2M, 100/2, 180/2.8, 
180/2 ...
 and the Macro System.  :-(
And the SC Zuiko 1.4/50 had some trouble because they only stopped down to 
F/2.8. 
( This was the first test I saw, and made me concerned about my lenses, the 
reason why
I collected all this test results. Today I see the reason for testing 
different: to find out how, and in
which situation a lens is used in its best way. 
-> e.g. avoid the chomatic aberations with the 180/2.8; stop down the 50/3.5 
for best results.)


Frieder Faig

 

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