> Can someone remind me of the variations of this lens produced over the
> production period and whether any were particularly sought after?
I WAS JUST JOKING!!!!
Well, to answer your question in a way that tears away from the common
wisdom that later is always better...
1. Early lenses had 2-point screws, later ones had 4-point screws
2. Early lenses had 2-color reflections, later ones had 4-color reflections
3. Early lenses had chromed noses, later ones had black noses
4. Early lenses rarely had black flecks floating inside the lenses,
later ones almost always do
5. Early lenses rarely have sticky blades, later ones almost always do.
Oh? Not the information asked for? OK, here we go:
1. Early lenses tended to be sharper in the center, but less sharp in
the corners; Later lenses tended not to be as sharp in the center, but
uniform across the entire image area.
2. Early lenses had a pronounced curved plane-of-focus; Later lenses
had a much flatter plane-of-focus, but still not as flat as the 50/3.5
and 50/2 lenses.
3. Early lenses had more corner distortion; Later lenses corrected
most of the corner distortion.
7. Early lenses flared a lot; Later lenses were much more flare resistant.
Generally speaking, the 50/1.8 lens, of almost any era or brand is
affectionately known as a "body cap". It's a shame, really, since
these are among the sharpest and most corrected lenses made. When the
magazines would do comparative tests, they would use the 50/1.8 or
50/1.4 lenses. In the days before "pixel-peeping", we had the lens and
film tests.
AG
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|