Dear Mark Langer / John Hudson,
<< I opened up the Olympus 4cm f2.8 lens to clean out some schmutz between
the elements and it is a classic Tessar-type configuration -- two front
elements, diaphragm and a cemented doublet behind. So the "C" cannot
stand for three lens elements. I suspect it stands for "Coated" given
the age of the lens. The lens does couple properly to the rangefinder
of a Leica.
I've been trying to glean information about this on the internet, but
there is little to be found. The best I can figure is that 4 cm f2.8
was made between 1949 and 1952 -- the dates between when the company
took the name on the lens, and when Japanese equipment was still being
labelled "Made in Occupied Japan." >>
Olympus Vision Age magazines 1-5 has "The Zuiko Story, a short history of
Olympus lenses and cameras from 1936 onwards. A bit about their larger format
lens, the 75/2.8 6 element Zuiko with respect to Rollei's 75/3.5 and80/2.8
Zeiss Tessar lenses.
In issue no.3 it talks of the 1st 35mm Olympus cameras, the Olympus 35,
picture size 24x32mm, lens Zuiko 40/3.5, 4 elements in 3 groups, marketed as
an early 'point and shoot' it says! Before or by 1948.
1948: the Olympus 35 I : 24x32 again.
Soon after, the Olympus 35 II with Zuiko 40/2.8 (5 elements in 4 groups), an
experimental camera but not marketed it says.
Model III had a Seiko shutter with synchronisation mechanism built-in(?) and
Model IV with Copal No.00 shutter.
No mention of whether these lenses were interchangeable though!
I'll read these articles properly soon and send you an update!
Dave Bellamy.
http://members.aol.com/synthchap/
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|