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Re: [OM] Looking for Zuiko 50mm f1.8 / 28mm f2.8 MTF

Subject: Re: [OM] Looking for Zuiko 50mm f1.8 / 28mm f2.8 MTF
From: Albert <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:04:11 +0800
Actually, it probably is a problem with your browser MIME setup..

Thanks for the page.

I found a few charts for the 50mm as well.. What I found impressed me quite a bit.. Compariable to the Leica's..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi,

As a result of some of the questions regarding the performance of the
various  Zuiko standards, multi-coated(MC) and single coated(SC), I
dug around in mymagazine collection and came up with an issue of
Photography(March 1983) that tested out all six Zuiko 50s. I shall
summarise the results below :

Key : C=Centre, E=Edge, Hi=High contrast target, Lo=Low contrast
target Results are cycles per mm

55/1.2(SC)    C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (7 elements/6 Groups)

1.2        36    21    24    18
2        54    33    27    27
2.8        60    42    30    30
4        66    42    36    36
8        66    48    36    33
Tester's comment: Distortion low, flare not as good as 50/1.2

50/1.2(MC)        C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (7/6)

1.2            42    36    42    30
2            60    42    48    36
2.8            66    54    54    48
4            72    60    66    54
8            66    60    72    60

Tester's comment: great performance regardless of speed, distortion,
flare low

50/1.4(SC)    C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (7/6)

1.4        42    33    42    33
2        42    33    42    33
2.8        60    48    42    42
4        66    54    48    48
8        60    60    54    54
Tester's comment: Beautiful even performance, lacks bite,
mild barrel distortion, flare performance poor.

50/1.4(MC)    C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (7/6)

1.4        54    42    48    33
2        60    48    48    33
2.8        72    60    60    48
4        72    54    54    54
8        72    66    54    54
Tester's comment: Very good overall performance, good flare
resistance, mild barrel distortion.

50/1.8(SC)    C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (6/5) Chrome front

1.8        42    36    42    30
2.8        54    42    42    30
4        72    60    48    42
8        72    60    72    54
Tester's comment: Close in performance to new MC design,
very low distortion, flare resistance good.

50/1.8(MC)            C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo    (6/4)

1.8                48    42    48    36
2.8                66    54    48    42
4                72    66    60    48
8                72    66    66    54

Tester's comment: Good performance, in difficult conditions
slightly better than SC design, very low distortion,
flare resistance slightly better than SC design.

For refernce, I add from the same issue the test of an M series
Leica 50/1.4, widely acknowledged to be amongst the best 50mm
designs.

Sum'lux 50/1.4    C/Hi    C/Lo    E/Hi    E/Lo

1.4        48    42    30    27
2        60    54    30    27
2.8        72    66    33    30
4        72    72    48    36
5.6        72    72    48    36
8        72    72    54    48

Numbers are not always = the quality you want
---------------------------------------------
Hard figures give some indication of the quality of the final image,
but cannot describe adequately the "flavour" of the final image which
is manufactured by the mix of all kinds of optical attributes and
distortions. To this end, some of the lovliest images I have seen,
taken with a 50mm lens have been with the 50/1.2MC, which if you like
that sort of thing, has an exquisite soft look to the final image,
despite having resolved image details well. I guess it takes us back
to the Astro-debate, where some lens characteristics will simply not
do, whereas the lens may be perfectly matched to other uses.

Modern Photography Tests
------------------------
A note of caution when referring back to Modern Photography tests. The
testing technique was altered slightly in about 1982. Lens tests
before this date are not directly comparable to later ones.

Be warned also that magazines are often quite fickle when it comes to
their tests and comments. For instance, the British magazine "Buying
Cameras", recently gave a list of recommended lenses, giving modest
ratings to Zuiko lenses they had raved about in previous issues and
inexplicably boosting lenses from other manufacturers that had tested
poorly in earlier editions. Be wary of numbers.

Regards,
Shaun Weber,


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