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[OM] Re: Advice on favorite mod range zoom to backpack

Subject: [OM] Re: Advice on favorite mod range zoom to backpack
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 14:57:01 -0800
Johnny Johnson wrote:

>At 08:58 AM 1/5/2006, NSURIT@xxxxxxx wrote:
>
>>If we go back to the original question of what would make a good  backpacking
>>kit lens, I might drop the lens question and just look at kit in  which case
>>it might be an OMPC with Zuiko 35-70mm 3.5-4.5 and maybe something  like the
>>200mm f5 Zuiko and an extension tube or two.
>>    
>>
>Thinking along those lines another consideration might be a Kiron 
>28-85mm, f2.8-f3.8 instead of the 35-70mm.  You gain some reach on 
>either end compared to the 35-70mm, some speed for low light 
>conditions and, I think, quite a bit in image quality.  Another plus 
>is that it close focuses to 1:4.  The Kiron does weigh more though 
>than the 35-70mm since it looks to have the build quality of a tank.
>  
>
Well, I suppose that what is considered a mod range zoom will vary with 
photographer. :-)

Althought I am one of the most tele oriented folks who post here, I've 
always thought of mid range as 28-35 to 70-135 mm ranges. All those 
60-80 to ~200 mm sooms I would call tele zooms.

Anyway, nomenclature aside, I certainly wouldn't go backpacking without 
something in the 28-35 mm range. There are so many trade-offs of 
capability vs. weight and so many different preferences in fl range that 
recommendations are really personal preferences.

If I were to go backingpacking again, and assuming I were in condition 
to take something bigger than a tiny P&S, there are several 
combinatinons I would be considering.

- 50/1.4 and Tamron 28-200/3.8-5.6, probably with Viv Macro 
Teleconverter. You don't hear much about the Tamron, but it's about as 
close to the perfect do everything range as exists for OM mount. It's a 
bit slow at the long end, but is a good and amazingly small and light 
lens. It's greatest failings are linear distortion at the ends of the fl 
range, which doesn't matter much for backpacking scenery, and modest 
close focus (6 ft, 2.1 m). I haven't been backpacking since the days 
when I only had a couple of primes, but my experience with dayhiking is 
that fewer lens changes is a very good thing. This would be the lightest 
and easiest to use kit.

- Viv et.al. 19-35/3.5-4.5, Tamron 35-105/2.8, 200/5 with C-U lenses or 
extention tubes. A really good and fast lens for the heart of the fl 
range. The Viv 2x macro-tele and 50/1.4 are a possible replacement for 
other macro options.

- 19-35, 50/1.4 and Tamron 60-300. Not as much speed as the last option, 
but oh, that tele. Probably doesn't weigh more than option two with 
50/1.4 and 2xM.

- 28/2 or 24/2.8, 35-70/3.5-4.5, 135/2.8 and 2xA.

I think I'd take whatever kit(s) appealed to me off on a day hike to see 
how I liked working with them before final choice.

Moose


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