on 4/11/03 9:37 AM, Albert at olympus@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> I walked by a camera repair shop, my 50mmf1.8 has seen cleaner days; and
> so I asked how much it would cost to clean it, as I see a bit of lint in
> the lens; she said that it was alright; didn't really need cleaning
> (yet) but if I wanted it cleaned, it was cheap, only $12!! So as I
> walked out, I spot in the corner.. an Om-10 with a 35-70mmf2.8!! I was
> trying really hard to remember which OM zoom was the one that was said
> to be one of the best zooms in the world... But looking hard, it was
> some no-name brand.. And also, I don't think Olympus made an f2.8 for a
> 35-70mm.. arrg...
>
> Which brings me to my question, WHICH 35-70mm ZOOM WAS the fabled
> "performed better than most primes"?
>
> I remember reading on the list, but don't remember which one it was..
>
> Albert
>
Olympus made three 35-70 zooms, and one was made by Cosina with Olympus'
name on it. The Olympus zoom considered the equal of many primes is the
35-80/2.8. This lens costs too much but may be worth it, if you understand
my meaning. In order of the 'general feeling' of quality, the Olympus and
Cosina-OIympus 35-70 zooms are:
Worst -- Cosina-Olympus 35-70/3.5-4.8 -- this lens has a lot of plastic in
the construction, and list reports are that it is not as optically good nor
as physically well made as the 'true' Olympus lenses. I've not used on, but
OTOH Cosina makes some very well regarded rangefinder LTM and a few good SLR
lenses, so this lens may be acceptable if the price is right. This lens was
often sold as a package with the Cosina-made OM-2000 body.
Next -- close spacing and maybe even a tie between the Zuiko 35-70/4.0 and
the 35-70/3.5-4.5. Some may rank the 35-70/4.0 as slightly weaker than the
variable-aperture lens. The construction of the 4.0 lens is mostly metal,
with a larger physical size and more weight. My one example yields good
images, though I've not used it extensively. This is a one-touch zoom, some
prefer that and others perfer the two-ring zoom approach. The 35-70/3.5-4.5
lens is much more compact, and lighter due to more plastic in its
construction. Despite the plastic, the optical performance of this lens is
very good. My several examples all yield good images. Due to its small size
and light weight this lens is a good 'go-everywhere' lens if you can only
carry a body and one lens. I don't have much problem with the slow aperture
using 400-speed film, and I like the two-ring zoom configuration.
Best -- Generally the consensus is that the 35-70/3.6 is the best of the
Zuiko 35-70 focal length zooms, and I fully agree. My several examples are
all sharp and solid performers. This lens is large and uses all metal
construction, so it is heavier as well. The unique zoom design works with
the specific lens hood to give good flare protection at all focal lengths
(many zoom lens hoods only work well at the wide end of the zoom range).
This is a two-ring zoom, which is my personal preference. Some listers have
reported that from 35-70mm this lens equals the 35-80 in performance... so
you need to decide if 1/2-stop of aperture and 10mm of focal length are
worth 4x as much money.
If you want one great zoom lens with a pretty versatile camera attached you
might consider also the IS-3 or IS-3000 as well, the lens is outstanding.
Its a real shame that Olympus didn't release that lens as an OM-mount...
perhaps they will come up with something along those lines for the 4/3
system.
IMO zooms are good for situations where you are limited in approaching or
surrounding the subject. They are also good for when you want to carry only
a few lenses, although often larger size and weight of a zoom cancel out
some of their packaging benefits versus a larger quantity of primes. I find
that I mostly use zooms when on vacation, where I can only pack a few bits
of camera equipment in among the shirts and socks.
--
Jim Brokaw
OM-'s of all sorts, and no OM-oney...
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