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[OM] Re: Analog Zuiko Lens tests on the E-1

Subject: [OM] Re: Analog Zuiko Lens tests on the E-1
From: Earl Dunbar <edunbar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 18:25:36 -0400
Chuck Norcutt wrote:

We discussed this not long ago, and got off to the debate over 42mm vs. 
50mm as a "standard" lens, with me taking the lead (and beating) for the 
42mm focal length as more useful/pleasant to my way of 
seeing/composing.  SETTING THAT DEBATE ASIDE ;-)  ...

It's interesting that 75mm lenses are not uncommon in the rangefinder 
world, and they coexist quite nicely with 85s and 90s in the lineup.  
(Uncommon or even rare is 60 or 65 mm.)  So I'm wondering what happened 
between the RF and SLR world.  I have a hunch that's where the "break" 
is, but I have no clue as to why.

It's also interesting that CV has a 25mm lens for RFs, and Zeiss has 
released their new 25mm M mount.  In the case of the latter, I wonder if 
it's to accommodate the multiplier on the R-D1 and perhaps a Zeiss 
digital RF, should they develop one, making it a 38mm equivalent FOV.  I 
have a 38mm lens on a Konica C-35, which I find quite handy; it's close 
enough to 35mm for gumm'int work.

Earl

>I've always wondered why the 70mm prime seems to be missing from most 
>35mm camera systems.  The focal length of many primes seem to be based 
>on a system of doubling the area of coverage from one to the other. 
>This leads to ratios of the square root of 2 (1.4) between them.
>
> From 400mm on down we should have:
>
>400, 280, 200, 140, 100, 70, 50, 35, 25, 17.5,  but usually have:
>      300       135      85-90        24  17-18
>
>Percentage wise, the difference between 135 and 140 or even between 280 
>and 300 isn't too large but the gap from 50 to 85 or 90 is very large. 
>I suppose the rules say we should do portraits with 85mm lenses on 35mm 
>film so, having to provide an 85mm may just be too close to 70 to 
>properly complete the sequence.
>
>Anybody know what the historical accidents are that led the the 
>"standard" set of prime lens focal lengths?  And how did the Minolta and 
>other 58mm standard lenses get in the mix?  An attempt to bridge the gap 
>between 35 and 85?
>
>Chuck Norcutt
>
>  
>



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