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Re: [OM] zuiko 35mm 2.0 and 25-105 questions

Subject: Re: [OM] zuiko 35mm 2.0 and 25-105 questions
From: "Shawn Wright" <swright@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 21:24:54 -0700
> I have a 35mm 2.0 on layaway at the local camera store.  When I first saw
> it there was no pric/e tag on it, but the sales person put one for 169
> dollars on it.  Foolishly I di not put it on laway right then.  When I went
> back the greedy owner had upped the price to 289 dollars, I got him to come
> back down but only to 200 dollars.  It seems like a good lens, any
> experiences?  There is a 35-105 zuiko as well for 150 dollars.  My question
> is: is this a genuine olympus lens, or is it manufactured by a third party
> and tagged as an olympus?  And is the zoom lens any good?  If so, I may get
> it.  Plus I would like an OM4T, but a friend who fixes cameras says that
> the little black deal on the lens mount invariably breaks and costs big
> bucks to fix.  Any comments?  Then I have an 85mm 2.0 which has flecks of
> black coating inside the barrel, does this affect the picture taking
> capabilities?  Also I have an old 135mm singlecoated zuiko with oil on the
> diaphragm blades, is it worth fixing for 60 bucks, or should I look for a
> replacement?
> 
> Thanks all, this is my first posting here.
> 

Welcome to the list! I understand the 35/2.0 to be a great lens, 
although at $200 it seems a bit steep (maybe - others would know 
better). I have an early single coated 35/2.8 which is very sharp, 
and can often be found for $75 -125 CDN. Rumour has it the 35-105 
was made for Oly by Tokina, but this is by no means a bad point 
from the reports I've heard. And the price sounds quite good - I've 
seen this lens selling for well over $200 US in mint condition. My 
85/2 (which I just bought) also has flecks of paint just inside the 
rear element, but they don't seem to affect the quality at all. It is a 
great lens; when I bought, I could have had it cleaned/repaired at 
no cost, but chose to leave it intact, rather than risk a poor repair 
job. If I ever feel it needs doing, I'll send to a reputable place like 
Camtech.

About the 4-T and the black thing on the lens mount: this is a reset 
button, and my 4-T, which is an '87 or '88 model, and has had very 
heavy use, seems just fine. I think this is only a problem with 
certain 3rd party lenses which have screw holes in the wrong 
place, so they tear off the tip of the button when the lens is 
mounted. Be very cautious of mounting any non-Zuiko lens/TC on 
your 4-T body if you find one.

The 135/3.5 I also have from the mid 70s - it is a cheap lens easily 
found on the used market for $75-100 CDN, I'd buy another one and 
keep yours as a spare if you like this lens. I find it great for sunny 
day outdoor portraits, where it can produce very nice results. If this 
is a length you like, it might be worth finding a 135/2.8, but they 
are a lot more $$$. I would class the 135/3.5 in the bargain Zuiko 
group, where you get a very good lens for your dollar (along with 
the (28/3.5, 35/2.8, 50/1.8 and 75-150 zoom)



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