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Re: [OM] Plastic lenses, was TAMRON 28-80 SP

Subject: Re: [OM] Plastic lenses, was TAMRON 28-80 SP
From: dreammoose <dreammoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2002 15:55:14 -0700
The aperture ring on the 50/1.8 MC lenses is plastic (as is the complex piece that holds the aperture blades). You abslolutely can't tell by looking at it. Once you know, tapping it and the filter ring with a fingernail shows the difference. Seems like a good idea as the first place wear from use often shows up is on the sharp corners of the aperture ring. Since the plastic is black all the way through, it won't show 'brassing' there. I wouldn't be surprised if other Zuiko lenses from the same era used plastic selectively where it was a better material choice. Plastic can be superior to metal for many uses with proper design. I certainly appreciate its effect in making lenses lighter.

Proper engineering design is crucial, possibly more with plastic than metal. The complex molded plastic piece that handles lens movement in my C*non S110 broke from simple whiplash. I slipped on some wet wood while taking pics, used my free hand to catch myself on the ground and flung the hand with the camera in it up in the air. When I saw that the image in the LCD was fuzzy for the next picture, I looked closer and saw that the lens stuck out crooked and couldn't retract. I thought it might have just slipped out of posiiton, but when I opened up the camera (very dense and complex in there!), I found the broken part. C*non replaced the lens assembly promptly under warranty, but I was left thinking how a thin band of steel around the outside front part of this central, crucial part would weigh and cost virtually nothing and interfere with nothing while making the camera a lot more rugged.

Moose

Winsor Crosby wrote:

I am shocked. None of my Oly lenses are plastic. I did not know that kind of construction was used by Olympus for the OM line. Which lenses made by Oly(not Cosina) are of plastic construction?




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