HU: Oly 40mm pancake

ChrisN

ChrisN

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On ebay #160179496180. No connection with seller. I have heard some members speak highly of this lens.
 
Perspective on value may be off in some eyes, but $450 is not out of line at all for what the market has been paying for the 40 pancake. IIRC, they've gone for significantly more on epray.
 
Just to add to this thread, the price on this lens, if you can find one in good condition seems to be going up. It has excellent optics and the price you pay is for the size/pancake aspects of the lens.

The last one on ebay sold for $625 a couple weeks ago. Can 2 months make that much of an increase in price.
 
Kevin Cameras has been listing one forever at $725. At the rate these are appreciating it may finally sell. I'm happy enough with my admittedly much larger Zuiko 35mm/2 that I have been able to resist GAS for the 40mm.

That said, I wake up at night sometimes thinking about one or the other of the Zuiko 21mm/f2 lenses at KEH for $1,000 - what to sell to finance this?
 
The 40/2 is a great lens. But Leicas with 40s are just nicer.

Like John, I have been lusting for the 21/2, though ... One day ...

Then the 50/2, 90/2 and 100/2 are on the list as well. I should have grabbed the 100/2
that sold on craigslist for US 150 last year !
 
sitemistic said:
I'm sure its a good lens. But $450 is just plain silly. We've lost all perspective on value, it seems. Interesting.
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Well if it was a buy it now price...

However they're bids so if someone is willing to pay only that much then thats what the demands are.
 
What I want is modern Zeiss glasses in OM mount.

Can you guys imagine a T* Distagon 2/35 ZO... (drool)
 
ferider said:
You are right. Imagine an 85/1.4 : DROOL:
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Yes but, BIG. ::lugs around his Oly with that big fat piece of glass and wishes he had not left that nice compact 85/2 on the shelf:: :D

That's the one attraction of the pancake 40mm for me - TINY.
 
The price of 40/2 is so high only because collectors drive the prices up. I doubt it's a better lens than say the 50/2.

And what about CV 40 ? Mr. Kobayashi used to make these in OM mount... OK, it's got oposite focussing, but still...
SL_40_b.jpg
 
Ondrej, I was just about to mention this one. I actually saw one (OM mount) for sale on the 'bay last year. IIRC, it sold for about $400 also. Anybody remember?

What I can't fathom is why can't Olympus create a pancake that is as thin as Pentax'?

That's partly why I lost interest in the 40/2 zuiko, I'd rather have the 35/2 or 28/2 :)
 
shadowfox said:
Ondrej, I was just about to mention this one. I actually saw one (OM mount) for sale on the 'bay last year. IIRC, it sold for about $400 also. Anybody remember?

What I can't fathom is why can't Olympus create a pancake that is as thin as Pentax'?

That's partly why I lost interest in the 40/2 zuiko, I'd rather have the 35/2 or 28/2 :)
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Well Olympus probably does not see the market for it (when the last time you seen a Canon-made pancake EF lens? Or Nikon recently making one for their digital bodies?). Also they would probably have go to wider to get the same type of perspective since they have a 2.0x crop factor on their chips (it wouldn't be a 40mm or even 60mm pancake but rather a 80mm if they did make one).

Right now I'm using a Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 pancake on my K10D, but it fits rather nicely on the Pentax MZ-6 I also have, though the thinest combination would be a Pentax MX, however the MX would have no way of controlling the aperture on the DA40 lens where as the MZ-6 and similar models can. Also the Pentax-M 40/2.8 pancake from back in the day is no where near as sharp as the new DA40 IMO.
 
The 40mm f2 Zuiko is overpriced by collectors, but I don't regret buying one; it has considerably smoother Bokeh than Olympus's 50mm lenses, thoough its not nearly as sharp wide open as the last version of the 50mm f1.8 Zuiko. I like the focal length for candid work. Sometimes 35mm is too wide and 50 too tight, and the Bokeh is nicer than with any of the Zuiko 50s or 35s. Especially the 50's, they all have extremely harsh Bokeh except the 50mm f2 Macro, which is less harsh than the others but not as good as the 40. The 50 f2 macro is incredibly sharp but is hard to use for non-macro work because its focus ring is too touchy (small turn makes big change in focus compared to non-macro lenses) and the lens is huge and heavy and doesn't balance well on the OM-4T that I use.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
The 40mm f2 Zuiko is overpriced by collectors, but I don't regret buying one; it has considerably smoother Bokeh than Olympus's 50mm lenses, thoough its not nearly as sharp wide open as the last version of the 50mm f1.8 Zuiko. I like the focal length for candid work. Sometimes 35mm is too wide and 50 too tight, and the Bokeh is nicer than with any of the Zuiko 50s or 35s. Especially the 50's, they all have extremely harsh Bokeh except the 50mm f2 Macro, which is less harsh than the others but not as good as the 40. The 50 f2 macro is incredibly sharp but is hard to use for non-macro work because its focus ring is too touchy (small turn makes big change in focus compared to non-macro lenses) and the lens is huge and heavy and doesn't balance well on the OM-4T that I use.
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Chris - I'd love to test this sometime - may have to pop for the 40 after all :rolleyes:. I've kept three Zuiko lenses from the many I've owned: the 35/2, the 50/1.2 and the 85/2 - all late MC versions. I don't find the bokeh from any of them particularly harsh or distracting. Completely agree about the touchy focus of the 50/2 Macro, which is why I sold it, and why I never bought a 90/2 Macro (aside from the 90mm being pretty large).
 
I think I need to do a 50/1.4 vs. 50/1.8 bokeh shootout. :D Hell, I might even drive to Ft. Wayne and conspire with Chris to add the 40/2 pancake.
 
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