Hi George:
> And, Gary, can you expound on what it is you
> think makes the Zuiko 80 so unique? (And do you mean old, new or both?)
Few lenses for 35 mm photography have ever been made that are optimized for
1:1 reproduction. (Gary S. might even be able to give us a list). Same size
reproduction requires a symmetrical formula for optimum results. For example
the "process" lenses in LF photography and graphics arts. The 80 mm Zuiko's
are nearly symmetrical and are optimized for 1:1 with a prime range between
1:2 and 2:1
I know of no optical difference between the two Zuiko models, except the newer
goes to a non utilizable f/32. It appears that both were MC lenses, despite
the "sometimes" in:
http://www.datasync.com/~farrar/zuiko.html
(anyone ever see the earlier preset design without an MC on the barrel?)
I've never used the preset (early) version.
As C.H. Ling pointed out, the 80 mm Zuiko performs better at infinity than a
90 mm macro that focus to infinity, but goes to 1:1 with adapter. Maybe the
only one that could ever be in the same class as the Zuiko was a Vivitar
Series 1 with a matching 1:1 adapter utilizing a specialized optical formula
within the adapter. But that combo has a zillion elements!
The 80 mm Auto Zuiko Macro clearly offers lens resolution that exceeds the
films used with it. In practice, you can't really tell how sharp it is
because of exceedingly narrow depth of field with 3-D subjects. This lens
would be great for slide copying, although I haven't tried it yet since the
bellows never get high enough on my priority acquisition list.
I've followed in the footsteps of photographers who have tried to shoot some
exceeding small plants or flowers. The biologists who need the shots have
NEVER been satisfied with the 1:1 work done by those with lesser lenses. When
they see a shot using the 80 mm Zuiko, they are typically dumbfounded. The
combination of resolution and contrast, along with MANUAL flash metering based
on tests is probably the difference.
Gary Reese
Las Vegas, NV
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