John A. Lind wrote:
>Regarding the OM 75-150 and 70-210, my benchmark "comparator" for their
>optics (and other mid-tele zooms) is the Tamron Adaptall 80-200/2.8
>ED........ Nevertheless, it provides
>an example of what is possible in a mid-tele zoom without being an
>"elephant tusk" and a standard against which the compromises made for
>smaller size, lower weight and less cost can be measured.
>
>
Seems a little unfair. The Tamron SP 80-200/2.8 was designed at least 10
years later then the Zuiko 75-140/4 during a period of rapid advancement
in zoom lens design. The Tamron uses ED glass, which simply didn't exist
when the 75-150 was designed. I agreee that the Tamron is one of the
great lenses, but don't find it as hand-holdable as you do. It is also 3
1/2 times the weight of the 75-150 and feels about 3 times as big. The
comparison seems to me to be apples to guavas.
The 75-150 could not have been an 'S' type for the simple reason that it
was the first zoom Oly ever made for OM mount, so there were no other
Zuiko zooms for it to be less 'pro' than. It is also built to exactly
the same standards as the other Zuikos of the time. I think it was the
best they could do with the technology of the time, which is probably
why it is still a decent lens so much later. Great, no. Fully usable,
certainly. Not fast enough when separation from background by DOF is
needed, it is otherwise a great portrait lens. The slight softness and
moderate contrast wide open are quite flattering without looking oof and
the focal range is perfect.
As to front element rotation, did anybody make zooms without that in the
early days? Of the too many OM mount zooms I have, the only one I can
think of is a Tamron 28-200 IF lens that is really a design derived from
AF. Non rotating front element zooms really are a result of the
requirements of AF that led to internal focusing.
Moose
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