Olympus 50mm f1.8 "Body Cap"

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

People here often refer to the inexpensive Zuiko 50mm f1.8 lens as a "Body Cap" because its so cheap and seen as a crappy lens because it is cheap and common. A mint condition one can often be found for $20.

I have a few of these, all from the last series of them that Olympus made, the ones that say "Made in Japan" on the front of the lens. I haven't used them in a while so the last couple weeks I used one of them quite a lot during a trip to Louisville, Kentucky and I also used it to photograph an old building in my hometown in Indiana.

The lens gave impressive performance, as always and I wanted to show that this is not a "Body Cap" but a capable professional level lens.

http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com/fine_art/portfolio/abandoned/images/pics/mirrorworks3.jpg

Fort Wayne, Indiana
OM-4T, Ilford Pan-F in D-76 1+1


http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com/fine_art/portfolio/abandoned/images/pics/mirrorworks2.jpg

Fort Wayne, Indiana
OM-4T, Ilford Pan-F in D-76 1+1


http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com/fine_art/portfolio/louisville/images/pics/loveyou.jpg

Louisville, Kentucky
OM-4T, Tri-X, D-76 1+1


http://www.chriscrawfordphoto.com/fine_art/portfolio/louisville/images/pics/madison2.jpg

Louisville, Kentucky
OM-4T, Tri-X, D-76 1+1

[Doug]

Works pretty well, doesn't it, Chris? :) Some nice shots there too. I have one of these lenses for my OM-G; you're right, cost me $20 off eBay! And well worth it...

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Doug,

Thanks for the compliments. Thats an interesting shot you posted, wonder what those women are looking at in the hands? That's cool you have an OM-G. My father bought one when I was maybe 7 or 8 and he ended up showing me how to use it then buying me one of my own when I was 11. The lens I used for these shots was the one that came with my OM-G. Sadly, I don't have my OM-G anymore, it was broken in a car accident when I was 16...when I totaled my first car. My dad gave me his OM-G last year because he hadn't used it in years...he shoots with a digital point n shoot now. His needs CLA'd, the wind sometimes overlaps frames. His 50/1.8 has a gummy aperture from not being used in years. Mine still works since I have used it pretty regularly the last 21 years. I'm 31 now. I have a couple more of these lenses I've picked up here and there and have always been impressed. Even wide open it is one of the few lenses i have seen that is really sharp at full aperture.

[payasam]

Much the same with the Canon FD 50/1.8.

[Doug]

Thanks... The gals are testing the scents of perfumed soaps or lotions at a stand at the farmers' market.

My OM-G was a hasty closing-time $50 purchase at a big annual camera swap meet (Puyallup WA) after I realized the nice OM-mount Tokina 500mm mirror lens I'd bought for my Pentax did not have interchangeable mounts! The OM-G "solved" the problem by compounding the error... I later picked up the 50mm f1.8 so the camera would be more generally usable. I understand some OM-G bodies drain batteries quickly, but mine doesn't. Nice little rig.

You have an extended family history with this model; neat that you have your Dad's camera now, full-circle to the start. I'd think worth a CLA. I have my Dad's Pen FT.

[kemal_mumcu]

An OM3 and it's little 50/1.8 is pretty much the whole of my photographic equipment. It's a remainder from my grandfather. It fun to add my own brassing and scratches to what he started. The camera may not be worth much, but it carries great sentimental value for me. As for the lens, i've had it for about 3 months and I can't really complain much about it as I have nothing to compare it with. It's a great little lens for me to start off with.

Is it just me or is this lens prone to flare? Anything pointed anywhere near direct sunlight tends to blow all detail away. Or maybe I still have lots to learn.

[nobbylon]

Here's one I took with a 50mm 1.8 that I got for free on my 15 quid OM1 ! The rear element has quite a lot of fungus which I tried unsuccessfully to remove and as can be seen has zero effect on the image quality!
I have since bought a 50mm 1.4 which was 32 quid! and really like the pictures from that too. Zuiko lenses are pro lenses at great prices IMHO! happy xmas all J
ps I'm only on here as i'm having a rest from the instruction manual for a Nikon D40x we gave to my 14yr old daughter. :bang:

[gavinlg]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/1052020456_34e5295b38_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1161/1051979398_81a965158a_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1263/1051928510_0a6a47cc67_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/1050819281_b6d0c6dc55_o.jpg


Fantastic lens.

[David Murphy]

This lens is insanely good lens for what it costs. I think the reason it's so cheap is that they just made so many.

[gavinlg]

This lens is insanely good lens for what it costs. I think the reason it's so cheap is that they just made so many.


For certain probably one of the best value for money lenses money can buy. The latest ones, I've found, (the ones with "made in japan" on the front ring) are indeed as everyone says the best of the bunch. Never tried a silver nose one though - would love to.

The sample of the lens I posted the above pics with was beautiful - sharpness/bokeh/handling/flare/resistance etc. Unfortunately it had a mishap and the front element and holding ring came unscrewed. I tried to put it back together but over-tightened the front ring and messed it up.

Now I use a slightly older version that says "japan" on the front ring, and although I've only used it for a roll or two, I get the feeling it isn't as good as the last one. Something that bugs me a bit with the 50 1.8s is that they have a plastic aperture ring. Most other OM lenses have all metal parts.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1162/1050829211_40b84e4f25_o.jpg

[Peter_Jones]

I concur, excellent lenses for peanuts, this is why I ditched my film EOS and went "back" to OMs for my SLR setup. Plenty of these lenses about and as mentioned above dust/fungus etc has negligible effect as long as it's not loadad with dust or mega-fungus. I may even get one of my "made in japan" lenses CLA'd just so I have a pristine one ;)

[Steve Bellayr]

Patrick LIchfield used the OM camera and lenses. It is more so that the 50mm has gone out of favor to the 35mm but they have always been good performers.

[ClaremontPhoto]

I'm only on here as i'm having a rest from the instruction manual for a Nikon D40x we gave to my 14yr old daughter.


She'll understand it better than you will.

[nobbylon]

The 50 that I used for that photo which has fungus is a silver nose and I also have the made in japan version and I can't see any difference in the pics,
Jon,
I think I've just got too used to a camera with a shutter dial and aperture ring lately. There are so many variables on these digi slr's and it's one of the reasons I went back to a fully manual mechanical cam. For me it makes it so much more involving. It's great this D70x though. I gave her an old srt101 but she couldn't get on with it. So now she's got an auto digi body and i've stuck an old AF 50 Nikkor I had lying about on the front and because there's no AF coupling in the body she has to manually focus. A nice compromise for her to learn and enjoy taking pictures.
When some bright spark releases a fully manual rangefinder for the price of these I'm done!

[nobbylon]

I just had a look at my zuiko 50's and to me they all have alloy aperture rings as I can see the metal where the paint's come off.

[Uncle Bill]

I have both a silver nosed 50 f1.4 and a MC 50 f1.8 lens and both are on the same plane of performance in my eyes. I think the "body Cap" designation is way off the mark.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I just had a look at my zuiko 50's and to me they all have alloy aperture rings as I can see the metal where the paint's come off.

The 50/1.4 lenses all had metal aperture rings, but the latest of the 1.8's had plastic. All four of my 50/1.8 lenses are the last version, the one that says "Made in Japan" on the front ring, and they've all got plastic aperture rings. Two of them have ,echanical problems with the aperture though. Never had such problems with any other Zuiko lens I have owned, so maybe the cheaper materials did affect this one?

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

For certain probably one of the best value for money lenses money can buy. The latest ones, I've found, (the ones with "made in japan" on the front ring) are indeed as everyone says the best of the bunch. Never tried a silver nose one though - would love to.

The sample of the lens I posted the above pics with was beautiful - sharpness/bokeh/handling/flare/resistance etc. Unfortunately it had a mishap and the front element and holding ring came unscrewed. I tried to put it back together but over-tightened the front ring and messed it up.

Now I use a slightly older version that says "japan" on the front ring, and although I've only used it for a roll or two, I get the feeling it isn't as good as the last one. Something that bugs me a bit with the 50 1.8s is that they have a plastic aperture ring. Most other OM lenses have all metal parts.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1162/1050829211_40b84e4f25_o.jpg

Gavin,

I like this shot a lot. The others you posted earlier are cool too, but this is really nice.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

An OM3 and it's little 50/1.8 is pretty much the whole of my photographic equipment. It's a remainder from my grandfather. It fun to add my own brassing and scratches to what he started. The camera may not be worth much, but it carries great sentimental value for me. As for the lens, i've had it for about 3 months and I can't really complain much about it as I have nothing to compare it with. It's a great little lens for me to start off with.

Is it just me or is this lens prone to flare? Anything pointed anywhere near direct sunlight tends to blow all detail away. Or maybe I still have lots to learn.


Your om-3 is actually probably worth a lot of money...even beat up ones seem to sell for silly amounts these days. The earlier versions of the 50/1.8 Zuiko wasn't multicoated and was a lot more prone to flare than the last 2 versions which are both multicoated. The one that says "MC" on the front ring and the one that says "Made in Japan" are the last two versions.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks... The gals are testing the scents of perfumed soaps or lotions at a stand at the farmers' market.

My OM-G was a hasty closing-time $50 purchase at a big annual camera swap meet (Puyallup WA) after I realized the nice OM-mount Tokina 500mm mirror lens I'd bought for my Pentax did not have interchangeable mounts! The OM-G "solved" the problem by compounding the error... I later picked up the 50mm f1.8 so the camera would be more generally usable. I understand some OM-G bodies drain batteries quickly, but mine doesn't. Nice little rig.

You have an extended family history with this model; neat that you have your Dad's camera now, full-circle to the start. I'd think worth a CLA. I have my Dad's Pen FT.

Oh ok, I thought they looked like they were smelling something.

I always liked the OM-G, being it was my first good camera. I'm gonna get dad's repaired someday when i have a little extra money.

[gavinlg]

Chris - thankyou for the compliment, I sure enjoyed flicking through the stuff on your website.

Any one got any 1.4 samples to post?

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Chris - thankyou for the compliment, I sure enjoyed flicking through the stuff on your website.

Any one got any 1.4 samples to post?

I wish I did. Years ago I bought a 50/1.4 Zuiko. I remember thinking it wasn't quite as good as the Nikon AF-50/1.4 that I also have. The zuiko 1.4 I had didn't last long, I dropped it accidently and damaged the rear element :( I later learned that the last series of Zuiko 1.4's made were supposed to be a lot better than the one I had. The best are the ones with a serial number higher than 1,100,000. Mine had a serial around 600,000, which is a very common serial range in the black-front Zuiko 50/1.4 The high serial number ones are somewhat rare, but fortunately most ebay sellers don't know the difference, so they sell for the same price as the lower-number ones. I have wanted one for a long time but money has been real short the last couple years. I still want to buy one someday.

[nobbylon]

A few with a 50 1.4 serial no. 102xxxx

[nobbylon]

A couple more

[nobbylon]

a japan 50 for sale at 5 euro on a site at mo!!!!

[hans voralberg]

More 50/1.4 examples :p

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/1505426259_ce1a3f0d8d.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2315/1506284716_045993117e.jpg

I love the f1.8 as well, though mine is an early version

[Trius]

The miJs are sharper than the F.Zuiko silvernose, but you may not be able to tell except under controlled tests. My silvernose (which has a fair amount of fungus and will get a good cleaning one of these days) served me very well. But I think the main difference is in the contrast and colour. The earliest silvernose 50s were single coated and had a bit lower contrast and, IIRC, maybe slightly warmer colour cast. It was a very pleasant balance for Kodachrome, especially. Later silvernose 50s had multicoating, I think, then there was the MC versions with black nose, the version just labelled "Japan" and no coating designation (though they were MC) and the miJ, all of which were multicoated. This is from memory, but I think it's reasonably correct. So there you have 5 versions of the Zuiko 50/1.8.

There were at least two versions of the 50/1.4, perhaps 3, with the "best" being SN => 660,000. There were two macro 50s, the 50/3.5 & 50/2, plus the 55/1.2 (with Lanthanar glass that is typically pretty yellowed by now) and the 50/1.2. The 50/2 Macro and 50/1.2 are probably the sharpest Zuiko 50s made, with the 50/3.5 & 50/1.8 a close second. Again, most of this is from a memory I admit to be no longer as infallible as I remember it to be ( ;) ) ... I do think I need to have at least one sample of each. :D

[hans voralberg]

I have the 50/2 and yes the thing is tack sharp. Still lusting for a 50/1.2. Btw my 1.8 is black nose but with no Japan nor coating designation, which version is it ?

[kemal_mumcu]

Reading this thread is causing me depression.

When I first got my camera gifted to me by my grandpa at the age of 15 it came with the 55mm 1.2. Of course I didn't know what I had then and just used the thing for whatever I wanted to shoot. When I bought a digital P&S I gave away my lenses thinking that I would never use them again. :bang: I wasn't able to give away my OM3 body.

Since then I'm back to film and the Olympus gets a 1.8 to grace the front. It's a nice lens but I can only dream of the different shots I could be taking with the 1.2. Lesson learned.

[shadowfox]

Chris, thanks for starting this nostalgic thread.

Those who call the 50/1.8 "body cap" are probably the same people who call OM-1 a "rear lens cap" :p

This one from another cool 50mm Zuiko, the macro f3.5:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/87/266681865_46f4753163.jpg

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Chris, thanks for starting this nostalgic thread.

Those who call the 50/1.8 "body cap" are probably the same people who call OM-1 a "rear lens cap" :p

This one from another cool 50mm Zuiko, the macro f3.5:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/87/266681865_46f4753163.jpg

That's a cool flower photo. I have never tried the 3.5 macro. I have had a 50/2 macro for a long time but stragely enough have never used it for macro work (The little macro work I do is commercial stuff and I shoot Digital for that using Nikon). The f2 macro is ultra sharp but I prefer the 50/1.8 for general use since the Zuiko f2 macro is so huge and heavy. The 3.5 is nice and small!

About nostalgia, The lens I used for the photos in this thread are the last version of the Zuiko 50mm f1.8, and its still 21 years old. I got it new when i was 11 yrs old and i'm now 32. Its an antique; most of our Zuiko OM lenses are antiques now, and they still equal and sometimes outperform modern lenses for systems like Nikon AF and Canon EOS that are still in production.

[Dektol Dan]

The body cap Zuikos are better than the often highly touted comparable and new VC lenses on this site.

[Igor.Burshteyn]

OM 50mm f1.8 - I have earlier one silver nose, very sharp.
OM 50mm f1.4 - I have the later one, post-1xxx, and still f1.8 is sharper.
50mm f1.4 samples

[Trius]

I have the 50/2 and yes the thing is tack sharp. Still lusting for a 50/1.2. Btw my 1.8 is black nose but with no Japan nor coating designation, which version is it ?
Does it say "F.ZUIKO" on the front? If so, it is likely the multi-coated but without the designation printed on the trim ring. Somewhere there's a guide, I think, to the various iterations of Zuiko 50s, but I don't have it bookmarked.

[Trius]

Chris - thankyou for the compliment, I sure enjoyed flicking through the stuff on your website.

Any one got any 1.4 samples to post?

Tri-X @ 1600, Rodinal

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/2026370207_01b4ad6839_o.jpg

100% crop

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2015/2036725088_17c23bf7db_o.jpg

[hans voralberg]

Does it say "F.ZUIKO" on the front? If so, it is likely the multi-coated but without the designation printed on the trim ring. Somewhere there's a guide, I think, to the various iterations of Zuiko 50s, but I don't have it bookmarked.

Yup it does, just curious, I dont care that much about variation :P

[ferider]

Taken with a 1.4 and 7mm extension:

http://ferider.smugmug.com/photos/6722580-O.jpg

and the 50/3.5:

http://ferider.smugmug.com/photos/20576139-L.jpg

The most phenomenal Zuiko "body cap" is the 28/3.5:

(two pics stiched together in PS)

http://ferider.smugmug.com/photos/6725435-O.jpg

[Trius]

I sold my 28/3.5 body cap to a member in the UK, so I now use my 28/2.8 when I need a 28mm body cap. :)

50/1.4 body cap, wide open

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1400274562_9ed9df4b18.jpg?v=0

50/1.4 body cap + Vivitar 2x Macro adapter

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/536489655_73e9a3ad23_o.jpg

Edit: And 28/2.8 body cap

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/1864985579_bec11627fd.jpg

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I sold my 28/3.5 body cap to a member in the UK, so I now use my 28/2.8 when I need a 28mm body cap. :)

50/1.4 body cap, wide open

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1400274562_9ed9df4b18.jpg?v=0

50/1.4 body cap + Vivitar 2x Macro adapter

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/536489655_73e9a3ad23_o.jpg

Edit: And 28/2.8 body cap

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/1864985579_bec11627fd.jpg

I don't know if I'd consider a 50/1.4 or a 28/2.8 to be body caps just cause they're more expensive than the under-$20 50/1.8

But, they're very sharp lenses too. I have a couple 28/2.8's and they're sharper in my opinion than the 28/2.8D Af-Nikkor I use on my digital cameras.

[gavinlg]

My 28 f3.5 is quite a bit sharper in the corners, and has less distortion than my 17-40 f4L when tested on a 5d. It's also about 1/8th the size. Pretty cool if you ask me!

[shadowfox]

Gavin, I actually tell one of my friends (Canon user) about your observation above.
He told me that it's not fair to compare a zoom with a prime :)

So my question is, why then would anyone buy that "L" zoom lens? it's expensive, and it can't beat a $20 "body cap" ??

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Gavin, I actually tell one of my friends (Canon user) about your observation above.
He told me that it's not fair to compare a zoom with a prime :)

So my question is, why then would anyone buy that "L" zoom lens? it's expensive, and it can't beat a $20 "body cap" ??

If you need a zoom, it does the job. The other thing is the sharper Olympus 28mm that Gavin used won't directly mount to a Canon camera. You have to use an adapter and you lose autofocus, metering, autoexposure, automatic aperture stop down, etc. That's no problem for landscapes like Gavin did but if you're a wedding photographer or journalist it won't work well for you.

Now, Canon does make a 28mm f2.8 lens that costs a heck of a lot less than the L zoom, and it is probably better. From what I've heard though, Canon's wideangle primes aren't as sharp in the corners as the old Olympus wideangles. That, combined with the fact the Olympus lenses are easier to adapt to EOS cameras is why old Olympus OM-system wides go for such high prices on Ebay compared to similar lenses from other discontinued 35mm systems like Minolta and Canon FD.

[shadowfox]

If you need a zoom, it does the job. The other thing is the sharper Olympus 28mm that Gavin used won't directly mount to a Canon camera. You have to use an adapter and you lose autofocus, metering, autoexposure, automatic aperture stop down, etc. That's no problem for landscapes like Gavin did but if you're a wedding photographer or journalist it won't work well for you.


Ironically, probably the best primes out there (new ones from Zeiss) are still manual focus, they even tell customers to install third party focusing screens on DSLRs.

It's hard for me to believe that wedding photographers/journalists won't use those lenses just because it's manual focus. :)

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Ironically, probably the best primes out there (new ones from Zeiss) are still manual focus, they even tell customers to install third party focusing screens on DSLRs.

It's hard for me to believe that wedding photographers/journalists won't use those lenses just because it's manual focus. :)

Manual focus isn't the problem. I use Olympus OM cameras and a Mamiya 645 constantly, and they're manual only focus. The problem is losing auto-aperture, metering, etc. Those things really slow you down when you don't have them.

[Trius]

Yeah, using a handheld meter, setting aperture & shutter speed is just too tiring. Makes you wonder how weddings were ever done before auto/digital/etc. How did the photographer at my wedding get any decent shots with a Hasselblad 500C?

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Yeah, using a handheld meter, setting aperture & shutter speed is just too tiring. Makes you wonder how weddings were ever done before auto/digital/etc. How did the photographer at my wedding get any decent shots with a Hasselblad 500C?

When photographers still shot weddings with Hasselblads, they didn't do much candid work. Traditional wedding photography was based on posed formals, catching a few important moments (eg. Cutting the Cake, Throwing the flowers, etc). Todays weddings are usually done in the "photojournalist" style that emphasizes fast action and candid work. For that you need a camera that operates quickly, has a built in meter, and whose aperture closes down automatically when you press the shutter release. A hasselblad's aperture is automatic, but I don't believe that's the case with a Canon digital using an old Zuiko lens on an adapter.

[gavinlg]

Yeah even the 5d with the great VF is very difficult to use with manual focus lenses. You'd pretty much need a split prism focussing screen to be able to do it, only thing is that the 3rd party ones can effect metering. The 17-40 f4L is a great lens - I have a feeling not much at all would beat my zuiko 28 3.5, including stuff like leica glass. The olympus flares like hell though, and the 17-40 basically doesn't flare at all.

To use manual focus primes in a wedding for an eos photographer isn't really worth it - not when you have such beautiful lenses as the 24 2.4L, 35 1.4L, 50 1.2L, 85 1.2L and the 135 f2L.
All of the above are pretty much the best lenses in their field or at least at the top of the list, and much faster to use in a quick paced atmosphere then an adapted other brand MF lens. These lenses are pretty much the reason why I stay with canon. I like the d3, but nikons primes are lacking.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Yeah even the 5d with the great VF is very difficult to use with manual focus lenses. You'd pretty much need a split prism focussing screen to be able to do it, only thing is that the 3rd party ones can effect metering. The 17-40 f4L is a great lens - I have a feeling not much at all would beat my zuiko 28 3.5, including stuff like leica glass. The olympus flares like hell though, and the 17-40 basically doesn't flare at all.

To use manual focus primes in a wedding for an eos photographer isn't really worth it - not when you have such beautiful lenses as the 24 2.4L, 35 1.4L, 50 1.2L, 85 1.2L and the 135 f2L.
All of the above are pretty much the best lenses in their field or at least at the top of the list, and much faster to use in a quick paced atmosphere then an adapted other brand MF lens. These lenses are pretty much the reason why I stay with canon. I like the d3, but nikons primes are lacking.

I think most autofocus SLRs, digital or film, are hard to manually focus with the standard screens. I replaced the standard screen in my F4s with a Nikon K screen, which is the split image with microprism ring. Much easier to focus manually. I wish I could do the same for my D70, it's a pain to manually focus so i often just use auto since I mainly use the camera for snapshots of my son, and the D70's autofocus is a lot faster and more accurate than my old F4's autofocus.

[chambrenoire]

The 50/1.8 is a tad better than the 1.4 I reckon. Here are some 50/1.8:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1103/1205961466_099cd16e91.jpg?v=0


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1341/1249404756_3e99f86b48.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2059/1498968510_5d16abd82a.jpg?v=0

50/1.4 (the DOF is amazing though):
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2076/1571669546_b9e9cb8491.jpg?v=0

[Trius]

chambrenoire: Yes, it's hard to beat the 50/1.8. That said, I may do a comparison of the 1.8 & 1.4 side by side (same subject, lighting, film, camera, etc.) and see what happens. My 1.4 isn't the latest version, I'm still looking for one at a reasonable price. Or maybe just get the 50/1.2. :D

[SCOTFORTHLAD]

I sold my 28/3.5 body cap to a member in the UK, so I now use my 28/2.8 when I need a 28mm body cap. :)



50/1.4 body cap, wide open

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1400274562_9ed9df4b18.jpg?v=0

50/1.4 body cap + Vivitar 2x Macro adapter

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1286/536489655_73e9a3ad23_o.jpg

Edit: And 28/2.8 body cap

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/1864985579_bec11627fd.jpg

And very nice the lens is too!!

The intial roll of XP2 is being processed at the moment--- I hope the results do justice to your 28.

I recently traded for a 100/2.8 to try to catch the grandkids unawares:) The days will be lengthening here soon as well,so much to look forward to.

Brian.

[Peter_Jones]

I have a few 50/1.8 , various editions of this lens. Oddly my 2 "made in Japan" lenses' coatings reflect different colours :confused: One of them seems exactly the same as my "MC" version, the other is still multi-coated but different coatings (?)

The later lenses seem more prone to slow aperture blades and internal dust. I may do tests with these lenses on E-6 film to see if any difference can be seen, when time and decent light levels allow.

I also have the 1.4 single-coated, which I like, I will have to test this with the 1.8s :)

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I have a few 50/1.8 , various editions of this lens. Oddly my 2 "made in Japan" lenses' coatings reflect different colours :confused: One of them seems exactly the same as my "MC" version, the other is still multi-coated but different coatings (?)

The later lenses seem more prone to slow aperture blades and internal dust. I may do tests with these lenses on E-6 film to see if any difference can be seen, when time and decent light levels allow.

I also have the 1.4 single-coated, which I like, I will have to test this with the 1.8s :)


I have a couple of MIJ lenses that have aperture problems, which I thought funny because no other Zuiko has done that to me, not even real old ones.

[cmedin]

Lowly 50/1.8 body cap here:

http://www.beyondthematrix.com/om2_2.jpg

[BillBingham2]

Interesting, I look at the Bessa L as a great rear lens cap for a 15/4.5 or 25/4 LTM lens!

B2 (;->

[gandalfk7]

with the "body cap" i shoot in a cave where the only light was the one of our head lamps.
(OM1 + bodycap50mmf/1.8 + tmax 3200)

and the photos are great!

[Trius]

I have a couple of MIJ lenses that have aperture problems, which I thought funny because no other Zuiko has done that to me, not even real old ones.
That's very interesting. I haven't had enough miJs (well, a total sample size of one!) to comment, but so far no problems. Keeping my fingers crossed. I did have one 50/1.8 with slow aperture, but right now I can't remember which iteration.

[Spyderman]

A little comment aboud identifying various versions of OM lenses.

Silver nose are the oldest, and are single coated.
F.Zuiko (or whatever letter before the "Zuiko") means it's single coated.
Zuiko + MC obviously multi coated
Zuiko + Japan also multicoated
Zuiko + Made in Japan the latest which is said to be the best.

I'm not sure but there might also exist a version Zuiko (i.e. w/o letter before and w/o any other designation)

When I did a comparisson of one "silver nose" and one "Japan" the silver nose was cooler with lower contrast and the Japan was warmer with higher contrast. I found the resolution to be very similar.

[Trius]

Not all silver nose are single coated, AFAIK. And I believe there were some black trim (non- silver nose) lenses that were not multi-coated.

[plummerl]

You can also check these two databases for OM lens coatings:

http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/mc-sc.survey
http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/LensXCoatings.txt