Olympus OM: Preferred lenses

I have a late (black nose) 55mm f1.2. A really excellent lens:

5496120003_3f2ba25711_o.jpg
 
Ade-oh said:
The only poor OM Zuiko lenses I've used have been the zooms (which were probably not bad in their day anyway).
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Generally agree, I have a 75-150mm Zuiko zoom that specializes in fuzzy portraits :)

One exception is the 35-70mm f/3.6 (odd max. aperture) which is sharp enough to compete with primes. I'm looking for a cheap OM-2000 to pair it with.
 
I recommend you save some money to have your OM 1-n overhauled by John Hermanson of CamTech Photo. He's done my OM 1-n and 2-n. Worth every penny and the wait to have them serviced; both work as new.
 
I had one once but i sold it :bang: now i have an OM again i need to find another one which i will never sell
 
Ade-oh said:
It's worth buying now because my perception is that Olympus OM prices are starting to creep upwards.
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I am not sure if I would agree with creep. They jumped at KEH in the last couple of days. I was looking at picking up a 100/2.8 a few days ago before I nabbed a 85/2, it went from $145 for an EX, to now they have a BGN for $159. Same with 35/2, $256 to $364..

However, they did just list a 50/1.2 for a good price.. $525 for an EX, cheaper than their 55/1.2(!)
 
So I was thinking about picking up and M and than found this thread. The 3ti and 4ti seem like all the upgrades I want and remind me how silly Leica prices are. I really, really, really like the way the light meter in them works, it seems like it can tell me everything I would ever want to know and set in manual could use some really fast film with it.

I can pick up a 4ti 28/2 and 50/2 for the price of a m6 and 50mm. The only question I have is how is the distortion on the 28/2? Everything about it seems fantastic, but this isn't really mentioned. Can you safely place people at the edges of the 28? Or do they get silly? How about if you place them at about 1/3 of the image. (Use rule of thirds) how would that turn out?

Oh and I assume the 50/2 is essentially distortion free?

Thanks,
Chris
 
shadowfox said:
Generally agree, I have a 75-150mm Zuiko zoom that specializes in fuzzy portraits :)
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A bit of lens variability here. My 75-150 takes quite sharp images based on some 8 x 12 prints I have. It was professionally serviced just before I bought it. Alot of Zuiko 75-150 lenses have some element separation issues that affect focusing and performance. This may be fixable.
 
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Now that really is a difficult choice to make.
I'd go so far as to say that my kit is only composed of favourites! :D

24/2.8 - tiny, light, sharp; a classic Zuiko and a lot of fun shooting street, landscape or indoors; affordable
40/2.0 pancake - miniscule, featherweight, focusses down to 30cm, favourite focal length (40mm <3); the do-it-all Zuiko; hefty price tag, not recommended for filter use
50/1.2 - not tiny, not light, but compact and portable for its specs; the nightowl, wonderful viewfinder experience during daytime too; well worth the money for its unique capabilities (alternative: 55/1.2; cheaper, larger, heavier, 55mm filters)
85/2.0 - very compact, relatively light, sharp; great for portrait work and candids

Admittedly, these are not at the lower end of the price range of OM gear. But there's plenty of bargains:

28/2.8 - affordable, fast and surprisingly it's (marginally) shorter than the 3.5, sharp, a little more distortion than the 3.5
28/3.5 - very affordable, i felt it performed better than the 2.8, but differences are very small, probably the best wide-angle bargain for OM
50/1.8 - cheap, small, sharp, fast; there's a reason why everyone seems to have one 'a those ;), imo "a poor man's pancake" as the size difference is merely the height of the aperture ring, however, the 50 doesn't focus as close and well, is not a 40mm. :)
135/3.5 - don't be put off by the seemingly slow aperture, this is a very good performer, and a cheap and small one at that!
135/2.8 - quite a bit more "bulky" (for a Zuiko) than the 3.5, affordable, does use the larger 55mm filter diameter, though

If you don't want to spend much but like good performance, pair an OM-1(n) or OM-2(n/sp) with a 28/3.5, 50/1.8, and 135/3.5 and you will be very well equipped for the money. :)
 
ChrisP said:
So I was thinking about picking up and M and than found this thread. The 3ti and 4ti seem like all the upgrades I want and remind me how silly Leica prices are. I really, really, really like the way the light meter in them works, it seems like it can tell me everything I would ever want to know and set in manual could use some really fast film with it.

I can pick up a 4ti 28/2 and 50/2 for the price of a m6 and 50mm. The only question I have is how is the distortion on the 28/2? Everything about it seems fantastic, but this isn't really mentioned. Can you safely place people at the edges of the 28? Or do they get silly? How about if you place them at about 1/3 of the image. (Use rule of thirds) how would that turn out?

Oh and I assume the 50/2 is essentially distortion free?

Thanks,
Chris
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Distortion for both lenses is very well controlled.
Here's an example shot with the 28/2 with the subjects toward the edge of the frame (please forgive the bluriness, it's due to camera shake):
4602691741_256c38f3cc_b.jpg



Of course this topic has evolved into a discussion of "which is your favorite Zuiko?" but the real answer is they are all good. The fastest versions are generally the best.
 
I shoot lots of portraits and find the 100mm/f2 is indispensible.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ade-oh View Post
It's worth buying now because my perception is that Olympus OM prices are starting to creep upwards.
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I am not sure if I would agree with creep. They jumped at KEH in the last couple of days. I was looking at picking up a 100/2.8 a few days ago before I nabbed a 85/2, it went from $145 for an EX, to now they have a BGN for $159. Same with 35/2, $256 to $364..

However, they did just list a 50/1.2 for a good price.. $525 for an EX, cheaper than their 55/1.2(!)
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Any time any camera or lens starts getting good mentions on an active forum, the lurkers begin buying and driving the price up. I watched it happen twice over on PopPhoto when it was an active site several years ago. Prices on a certain Yashica model doubled then tripled in two weeks. I only hope it was for personal use, not speculation.
 
I have a late 50mm f1.2 that spends more time on the body than the other lenses. The 85mm f2 is a wonderful lens - rendition equal to or better than the famous Nikkor P.C in a smaller and lighter package, and the equal of the Hexanon 90mm f2.8 (M-mount): all Ernostar designs IIRC. I have a 100mm f2.8 that makes perfectly lovely images, but the 85mm is my go-to for portraits.

I'm not really a wides guy; I have a 35mm f2 and a 40mm f2 that I use less frequently than the 50mm or 85mm. The 40mm makes a fantastically tiny package on the OM and produces images that remind me of those from the 40mm Summicron C. The 35mm f2 is a very capable lens - sharper than the 40 - but like I say I just don't shoot 35-40 all that much.

If I had a 21mm f2 I would probably shoot it more - I miss the 21's I had for my RF bodies more than I thought I would when I sold them. I'd love to try the 100mm f2 and the 50mm macro, but these days I don't feel like I have the time, the money or the old level of GAS needed to pursue these rare lenses.
 
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