(Extracted from the February 1991 issue of the UK photo magazine "Practical
Photography".)
This small, sweet, standard optic boasts good f1.8 speed for crisp
viewfinder brightness, zippy focusing, and low-light handiness. The layout
follows familiar OM fashion, so its 31mm are crammed with figures and
controls. A useful depth of field indicator, marked for f4, f8, and f16, is
placed alongside the diamond grip focusing barrel. The latter requires a
full 180 degree turn to reach the closest focus point.
Though the aperture ring has precise full stop detents, again its proximity
to the focusing grip makes handling awkward for anyone with chubby fingers.
Curiously the fine serrations on this control, designed to improve grip,
also seem a tad shallower than those on the wide-angles. None of this
improves handling ease. Naturally the lens accepts the regular dinky 49mm
filters.
Any question marks about handling, however, are quickly outweighed by the
optical quality of the 50mm. In the central range from f4 to f11 definition
is excellent. Performance rates "good" at the extreme apertures, which is
important as the lens is often used wide open or fully stopped down.
Edge performance is also of a high order, and not that far behind the
centre's quality. Again the middle apertures reveal some impressive and
consistent sharpness, with f1.8, f2.8, and f16 also establishing good
ratings. In short, this Zuiko 50mm delivers quality images across the frame
at virtually any setting you care to select.
Lens number: not available ("Made in Japan" variant)
MTF % values for centre and edge (edge in parenthesis)
(the spatial frequency measured was not specified):
f1.8: 54% (46%)
f2.8: 57% (52%)
f4: 82% (69%)
f5.6: 85% (75%)
f8: 84% (77%)
f11: 72% (71%)
f16: 51% (52%)
Concluding Summary:
A star performer in this group of Zuiko lenses is the 50mm f1.8. This
conventional standard lens enjoys some really biting sharpness across the
entire frame.
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