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[OM] Re: Lenses required

Subject: [OM] Re: Lenses required
From: AG Schnozz <agschnozz@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2006 07:05:47 -0800 (PST)
Phil wrote:
> Thanks for the advice, for starters I am looking for a 28/2.8
> and or a 100/85/2.8 geeze the learning curve I am going 
> through at present is doing my head in

On my website, I've written various articles on different
aspects of photography and Olympusisms. :)  One particular
article has several photographs that illustrate the bokeh
characteristics very nicely.

www.image66media.com

Select the "Articles" link on the left, scroll down and click on
"Coyping Others and Breaking Free".

The photograph of the old Ford Comet was taken with the 35/2.8.
Even in the horrendous resize/JPEG compressed image you can see
how the bokeh (blur) has a very smooth gradient and OOF
highlights are "ring free".  Subjects in focus with this lens
tend to pop out from the background.

The next picture, of a red trillium, was taken with the 100/2.8.
 Again, note the smooth transition in the bokeh.  Both of these
pictures were taken on 35mm film, but you can see how the optics
of the lenses are a bit different than modern day glass.

Another article "A Camera Worthy, The Olympus E-1 Digital
Camera" is a good introduction to the E-1 from an user's point
of view.  The first photograph in the article was taken with the
100/2.8 and the baseball player photograph was taken with the
200/4.

Another article has images supplied by Bill Barber (NSURIT).
"Olympus E-1 with Zuiko Lenses - Sample Images".  These images
were what convinced me to buy an E-1 in the first place.

I did discover that my links in my older articles are kinda
wonky, so be sure to hit the "BACK" button on your brouser to
return to the Articles Menu.

As to portraiture, I've settled into two main lenses:  14-54
zoom for standard full-length shots, and the 100/2.8 for all
head or upper-body shots.  I target the eyes for my focus point
and give myself just enough DoF to get the nose and ears in
focus.

I did discover that Bokeh characteristics can be trashed by
using USM sharpening.  Smooth transitions will turn into
stair-step transitions.  When I apply sharpening to portraits, I
use a very tight USM setting that counteracts the AA filter and
that's it.  Anything more and the image starts to get odd
transitions in the "glow".  This doesn't happens so much with
modern lenses and the bokeh is already "bubble-like" with no
gentle fades to get artifacts in.  In otherwords, the aspherical
elements of today's lenses with a slightly deeper "zone of
in-focus" is more digital friendly.  In essence, it's more
digital friendly through the loss of the "organic look".

Last night I participated in a "lighted Christmas parade" in our
town.  I brought the E-1 with the 24/2.8 mounted. By cranking
the ISO up to 1600 (no gripes here), I was able to shoot
everything handheld.  The images turned out extremely well and
are perfect for the application (1/4 page newsletter).

The best part of these older lenses on the E-1 is the almost
total lack of barrel or pin-cushion distortion.  Horizontal and
Vertical lines stay perfectly straight throughout the entire
image.  Can't get that with zooms except at two or three key
focal lengths.

AG



 
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