On 12/21/2015 8:51 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
Another vote for the lowly 50/3.5.
Cutting Sharpness Moose replies:
<<I've never thought of it as lowly. One of my first posts on this list was
about the f3.5 vs. the non-lowly f2. Based on Gary's lens tests and macro use
to 1:2, I couldn't see what the point of the extra speed and cost was.
<<Various folks, including, if I remember correctly, Gary, said that they were
really better at f2 than the test showed. I still couldn't see the point, as
the two looked the same at the practical working apertures of f8-11.
<<My subsequent testing, as re-reported yesterday, convinced me I was probably
right. The 50/3.5 @ 1:2 is really, really good.
<<Then again, I found the 90/2 to be lowly. If it didn't claim to be a Macro
lens, I'd have no complaint, but past about 1:4, it went all mushy. Likely the
only OM lens I bought, tried out, and sold on fairly promptly (which is why it
wasn't in the above test.)
Here is a Moose post from almost 11 years ago:
http://lists.tako.de/Olympus-OM/2005-01/msg02606.html
I vaguely recall the OMZ 50/2 to be a tad better at distance at wider apertures
than the 50/3.5. The "rendering" as a walking around lens is also better and
some dearly love it. The bokeh is often much nicer than the 50/3.5, but not
universally. I like mine but don't use it as much as I thought I would. It
may not be a cult classic like the 90/2 though.
I did not fully buy into the Z.90/2 rendering as that special--- the MTF
curves are virtually the same as the Tokina (Bokina) and the Viv S1 90/2.5
which I think is the same optic. I finally saw direct image comparisons on FM
about 4 years ago. The Zuiko 90/2 at low mag and wide open or nearly so
rendered the subject just a tad nicer with smoother OOF transitions and just sl
better bokeh. One would never know w/o A/B comparison but it was there. Again
this was at lower mag at wider apertures where it really shines. What is does
well is something special. I did not sell my Viv S1
and shell out the dosh for the Z. 90/2 but I could see why one might. At
higher mag, little point of paying dearly for that lens as Moose has shown.
Mike
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