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Re: [OM] On topic, well, could be ...

Subject: Re: [OM] On topic, well, could be ...
From: Rick Beckrich <rbeckrich@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2017 08:39:45 -0500
Most excellent lesson in optics, Prof Moose.

I'm saving it.

That PCH van has got to be pulling up in front any day now.

Rick, feeling lucky

On Mar 8, 2017 12:50 AM, "Moose" <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On 3/7/2017 1:18 PM, Philippe Amard wrote:
>
>> A friend of mine is planning a safari in Africa and owns a MFT Pana.
>> His daughter has an OM-D, is it 10?
>>
>> They would like to buy a long lens to match. A zoom should do.
>>
>
> I have a lot of experience, and, surprise, surprise, some opinions, But
> you have provided insufficient camera body information for a full answer.
>
> IS is a BIG deal with the long lenses. Most Panny bodies don't have IBIS.
> OTOH the GX8 and variants have IBIS that acts cooperatively with the IS in
> most of their OIS lenses.
>
> Oly bodies all have IBIS, but the quality varies with age, and the ability
> to sync with lens IS in the the 300/4 and 12-100/4 is limited to the E-M1,
> I & II and the E-M5 II.
>
> My choice would be simple, the (Panny)Leica 100-400. It's an amazingly
> good lens, with fabulous reach. Also very good at close-ups of nearer
> things with great working distance.
>
>    I also suggested an extender in support.
>
>
> For a safari, well for anyplace where there is blowing dust and/or lens
> changing is an awkward juggling act, I prefer an achromatic C-U lens on the
> front.
>
> I have used extension tubes on several Oly lenses, with good results. <
> http://zone-10.com/tope2/main.php?g2_itemId=4514>
>
> There are some caveats, though, especially with big, heavy, long lenses.
> The mounts are just like OM mounts, with springs behind the 'ears' that
> pull the lens back against the mount. I have µ4/3 extension tubes from
> three different makers. None have springs strong enough to completely hold
> the mounts together with the 75-300 when extended. There is a tiny gap at
> the top, through which I can see light. I didn't have any actual trouble,
> but I wouldn't use one of these with the much larger, heaver 100-400,
> unless perhaps carrying the weight in my left hand.
>
> There is also a connection problem. There are 11 electrical connections
> 'tween body and lens. I've very, very seldom had a problem with them using
> just body and lens, less than I had with Canon. Add a tube, though, and
> you've got two additional pieces of brass, not gold plated on mine, with a
> spring between them, to each current path. You've just added 22 contacts to
> the original 11. When using them, I did have to occasionally uncouple, wipe
> and remount. Stack them, as the makers suggest, and, at least in my case,
> it gets annoyingly troublesome.
>
> Third is logistics. In a bouncing vehicle, in blowing dust conditions
> and/or in places where there is no safe, clean place to put lenses down for
> a moment, and the whole enterprise gets ugly.
>
> As an alternative, I tried using achromatic Close-Up lenses. This is hands
> down my solution to closer focus. With a Xume magnetic filter adapter set,
> I can have the C-U lens on the camera, take the shot(s) and back in a belt
> case in seconds. The Xumes seem expensive, until you use them, then they
> seem only indispensable. A good C-U lens and the magnetic, quick change
> adapters eliminate all the above problems with extension tubes.*
>
> My choice for a single one to use with the 100-400 would be the Nikon 5T.
> It has been discontinued, but isn't hard to find used. As it happens, I
> already had one.
>
> John Shaw used to use the Nikons, too. In his latest book he switches to
> the Canon 500Ds, saying they are as good and still available new.
> So I bought one, and carefully tested it against the Nikon. I don't know
> about other lenses, but on the PLeica 100-400, it was no contest. The 500D
> magnifies more (which is not necessarily good, anyway.) Even when I
> upsample the Nikon, or downsample the Canon, so the subject is the same
> size, the Nikon 5T simply captures more, cleaner detail. The Canon went
> promptly back to B&H.
>
> The thing with C-U lenses is that the more powerful they are, the shorter
> the maximum focusing distance, not unlike extension tubes. The 1.5 diopters
> of the Nikon 5T is a pretty good compromise. If I were focused primarily on
> flutterbys, like Mike, I would probably prefer a weaker lens. The 0.76
> diopter Pentax T132 also works very well for me with the PLeica 100-400,
> giving longer close focus and smaller magnification, to fit larger things
> in the frame. Mike has acquired one, but I've heard no reports as yet. The
> problem is that they are MUCH scarcer than the 5T.
>
> I have lots and lots of really first class IQ images with Pleica 100-400
> and 5T.
>
> I also recently found the even rarer 0.44 d. Pentax T226, but haven't
> tested it yet. I have also tried other C-U lenses, including a Minolta No 0
> and a single element B&W, and they are not good with this primary lens.
> I've had the Oly IS/L C-U lenses for many years; the B-Macro works
> beautifully on the Panny 14-140 zoom.
>
> But again, there's a rub; it seems it is not possible to predict which C-U
> lens will work best with which primary lens Thus, the contemporary Oly
> MCON-P02 works beautifully on the small, shortish primes it was designed
> for, and on the Panny 12-32, but poorly on the 14-140, which is happiest
> with the ancient B-Macro.
>
> As a result, I seem to have slipped into C-U lens slut status, with 14
> different ones in residence. Yowsa! It does make finding the right one
> easier, though. ;-)
>
> Has any of you first hand experience of the current Pana/Oly offerings?
>> And which brand/lens would you recommend?
>>
>
> OH, yes. I've taken over 11,000 shots with the old long champion, the Oly
> 75-300, many each on E-M5, E-M5 II and GX7. This is a good lens, smaller,
> lighter and less $ than the new 100-400. It is somewhat soft at the long
> end. As it happens, it's a sort of softness that is easily corrected using
> NeatImage deconvolution software. I have many, many excellent images I love
> taken with it. Useless with Panny bodies without IBIS.
>
> My shot count on the 100-400 is 4,500, but that's is misleading. Every
> time I take a focus bracket, that's at least 12 exposures, of slightly
> different focal planes of the same subject. So the 'real' count is less
> than that. Still, we are talking a lot of shots. In addition to the longer
> range, it's optically better than the 75-300. The build quality is also far
> superior. Not that I ever had any trouble with the 75-300, but the PLeica
> is a real cut above in build. It has a nice, removable tripod mount, both
> built-in, sliding hood and larger, bayonet hood, and a zoom lock. On the
> 75-300, I have one of those rubber wrist things across where back and zoom
> ring connect, to control zoom creep. So far, the PLeica has none, and has a
> lock if it ever needs one.
>
> I have no experience of the Oly 300/4 PRO, which is supposed to be
> fabulous, but for me, a range of focal lengths is not negotiable.
>
> Price doesn't really matter, just first hand experience of AF long focals
>> on MFT.
>>
>
> That, I've got.
>
> If I were going on safari, I'd break down and buy an E-M1 II, PLeica
> 10-400, Oly 12-100/4.0 or Pleica 12-60/2.8-4.0 and 2-3 fast primes, wide,
> normal and long. I'll bet I'd find lots of dawn, dusk and night shots where
> super IBIS, fast lens and great high ISO make it happen, but now I've
> really strayed off topic.
>
> Un Extended Moose
>
> * It seems that the position of the exit pupil relative to the sensor
> stack, which is quite thick on µ4/3, is quite important to lens/body
> performance. So there is theoretical reason to believe that extension tubes
> may not be the best choice to adapt these lens/body combinations for closer
> focus.
>
> --
> What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
> --
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>
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