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.

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

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

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

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]

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.

 

[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.

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.