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[OM] Re: Initials before Zuiko?

Subject: [OM] Re: Initials before Zuiko?
From: "Darin Rhein" <d.rhein@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 04:43:49 -0700
Moose,

Very informative, thanks for your help.

Darin.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Moose" <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <olympus@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 9:52 PM
Subject: [OM] Re: Initials before Zuiko?


> Darin Rhein wrote:
>
>>What color would the reflections be on a single coat lens? Mine has a
>>purplish reflection, but I don't see any green in it. It obviously isn't
>>marker MC, and says nothink about Japan on the front ring. Am I correct to
>>assume this is one of the two earlier versions?
>>
>>
> Reflection gazing is the direction of madness. Oly changed coatings as
> the technology improved without any notice or indication. I've sat and
> gazed deeply into a SC and MC version of the same wide angle lens. They
> both had about the same colors of reflections in the same assortment.
> The big difference was that those on the MC lens were much less bright.
>
> Leaving aside the very rare instance of a lens with the wrong front ring
> after repair or some odd factory variation, it is very simple for single
> focal length lenses tht mount directly to the camera.. If the word
> "ZUIKO" is preceded with another letter followed by a period, it is
> single coated. If not, it is multi-coated. There may be the odd
> 18mm/F3.5, 21mm/F2, 24mm/F2, 28mm/F2 and 35mm/F2 lens lurking out there
> with the letter before the ZUIKO, but also the marking MC. Such a lens
> would indeed be Multi-coated.
>
> Zooms and the special mcro lenses designed for use with bellows didn't
> use his terminology. Zooms are simple too. The 75-150/4 was SC. There
> have been rumors of MC ones, but if so, they are exceedingly rare and
> would by marked MC. All other zooms are MC.
>
> Youu will see posts about "Silver Nose" and "Black Nose" lenses. As a
> matter of design cosmetics, early Zuikos had a shiny silver front edge
> to the lens and the aperture ring. Perhaps unfortunately, a conmetic
> change to balck noses occurred at about the same time the change to MC
> was occuring, so it is not uncommon to see silver nose and single coated
> equated. It is not a reliable indicator, see above.
>
> The 50/1.8 went through five significant design changes. The very early
> ones aren't particularly good and they got better sometime during the SC
> era, but I have no idea the serial number range. The very last ones are
> just excellent. They are commonly called "miJ", not because the earlier
> ones didn't say that, but because the placement of the origin notice and
> the serial number were switched, with the words "made in JAPAN" on the
> front ring and the serial number near the back of the mount. The ones
> marked MC (this only applies to the 50/1.8!!) commonly developed a
> problem where the grease in the focusing mechanism broke down and
> released oil that migrated into the aperture mechanism, causing the
> aperture to be slow to stuck in stopped down position.
>
> There is a similar story of several versions over the years for the
> 50/1.4. Most other lenses didn't go through such changes. The 85/2 is
> the only one that comes immediately to mind.
>
> For more info on Oly stuff in general, look at the eSIF
> <http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif.htm>. In particular, much about
> lens nomenclature and a pic of the front coating reflections from LOTS
> of Zuikos, look here
> <http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/lensgroup/lensterms.htm>.
>
> As to your other post asking bout the importance of multi coating, it
> depends. For most purposes, you may asssume that, all other things being
> equal, MC is better. That said, the SC lenses generally have a slightly
> warmer color cast, which is highly valued by some slide shooters. For
> any shots without bright lights within or near the field of view, you
> would probably be hard pressed to see any practical difference in
> resolution and contrst between SC and MC. In the opposite situation, MC
> will generally give better results with less direct signs of flare
> and/or loss of contrast.
>
> This is an arer of subtle differences and mixed opinions other than in
> obvious flare situations. One specialty manufacturer of lenses mostly
> for other cameras has introduced some designs with both SC and MC
> versions and some B&W photographers, in particular, say the SCs are 
> better.
>
> Moose
>
>
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