I think the Cosina 70-210 is actually a bit better optically than its
reputation would imply. According to Gary's test data, it's a solid B
lens with a few A's at the short end and no C's at all. I'm not
saying it's a great lens, since there is some pretty noticable
pincushion distortion in the middle focal lengths, but it's not as bad
of a lens as the Cosina 35-70. Its advantages are that it is
lightweight, one-touch, and inexpensive. Its disadvantages are that
it is plasticky, has zoom creep, and is cheap-feeling. It also has a
rotating front element, and takes oddball (for Oly) 52mm filters. I
sometimes take it backpacking, where the light weight is a big
advantage.
Mark
On 4/15/05, John A. Lind <jalind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> One particular Zuiko zoom in the focal length class you mention, the
> 70-210/4.5~5.6, was made by Cosina with an Olympus badge to be marketed
> with the short-lived OM-2000. It falls into the same "leaves very much to
> be desired optically" class and is a most definite step down from the older
> "S" Zuiko.
>
> -- John Lind
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