Favorite Zuikos

What are your favorite Zuiko lenses?

 

Mine would be the "slower" wide angles and faster telephotos.

 

21/3.5, 24/2.8, 28/2.8 are as good as the f2's but smaller, lighter,

take the 49mm filter size and some have an extra stop on the small

end (f22). I had the 28/2 and as good of a lens as it was, I liked

the compactness of the 2.8 better.

 

I also had both 100mm and found here I really did like the f/2 over

the f2.8

 

Never really liked the zooms or the 200mm length lenses.

 

PS- love having an OM forum!!!!

16/3.5, 18/3.5, 24/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4, 85/2.

 

Of course I don't have most of the desirable lenses like the 21/2, 24/2, 24/shift, 90/2, etc.

Thom, I agree that the 2.8s are preferable, to me at least. I am lucky enough to have the 40/2 which I use as an everyday lens on one of my bodies. I read somewhere that it cost $70 when offered new in the mid '80s. They run a lot more these days.

100/2.8! I'm by nature a wide-lens fan, not a long-lens guy, but this one changed my whole approach - a downright wonderful lens, and so small!

 

I like the 24/2.8 and 28/2.8 a lot too... I also have a 35/2 that I use when I want to go out with only one lens (I never use a 50), but I have this creeping feeling that it's a bit less sharp than it should be (even stopped down)...

Hi All!

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I <i>love</i> my 21/2, it goes everywhere with me (well, almost!). Wayne, you really should get one - mine seems very sharp! I had another which was a bit soft, so I sold it. Then I found that I was pining after it, so when I found another (better condition & cheaper!) I jumped!

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Other favourites are my 16/3.5, 85/2, and 500/8 (which I use mostly for astro-photography).<br>

I also have a 28/2.8 which I like (I too like the fact that it goes to f/22!); the 50/3.5 macro (which also goes to f/22); the 80/4 macro (<i>fantastic</i> for macro, so sharp! and it goes to f/32), and the 135/4.5 macro (goes to f/45). I like <i>all</i> these lenses too, but I don't class them as favourites as I find that I don't use them so often anymore.

My three most used Zuikos are: 24/2.8, 50/3.5 macro, 100/2.8

 

Also enjoy using 28/3.5, 35/2 and on occasion 300/4.5

 

Gene

I like all my Zuiko lenses. I haven't use them long enough. I use 50/1.4 most of the time. I have all three 28mm lenses, I found 28/2.8 (bought new) is more contrast than 28/2 (MC) and they have different look-and-fell shown in the photos I took. I have no chance to use 28/3.5 yet. 135/4.5 is very good macro lens with its color and sharpness. 135/2.8 (MC) gives more contrast color than that from 135/3.5 (SC). I will give you following report later. How is the fixed RF lenses on Olympus 35 SP/RD/RC compared to OM Zuiko lenses?

The two I'd like to have are the 50/2 and 90/2 Zuiko macros. Those, plus a 28/2, would be all I'd ever need for 90% of my 35mm photography.

 

However I'm quite content with the 28/2.8, 50/3.5 macro and 75-150/4 zoom. The latter is one of my favorite portrait lenses, an ideal focal range for that purpose. The smaller diameter lens barrels (all 49mm filter thread) fit neatly into my Lowepro Off Trail waistbag.

 

I also have a couple of Tamron Adaptall ultrawides that double between my OM and Nikon systems, but let's keep that quiet.

So many lenses, so little time! :)

 

Thom I am a big wide angle fan myself. Like you I like the lighter and more compact lenses, and the fact that they will take 49mm filters. Unlike you I really like a number of the zooms. My favorite traveling kit is the 21 f/3.5, 28-48 f/4 and 75-150 f/4 Three lenses that cover from super WA to telephoto and all take the 49mm filters. Both zooms are two touch which I vasty prefer to the one touch zooms.

 

If I need fast lenses (shooting indoors available light for example) the 28 f/2 40 f/2 and 85 f/2 is what I carry. All fast lenses, but all still take the 49mm filters! If one did not have the 40 you could easily substitute a 50 1.8 for peanuts!

 

I also have a 135 f2.8 and the 85-250 f/5 zoom and both get a fair amount of use. The 135 is a wonderful portrait lens and the 85-250 is my favorite sports/action lens.

 

The two lenses I use the most though are the 40 f/2 and the "lowly" 35-70 f/3.5~4.5. both are light, compact, and relativly close focusing. I much prefer the 40 to a 50mm for a 'normal' lens. The 35 f/2.8 is also a nice 'normal' lens, and very affordable.

 

Someone else mentioned the 135 macro. This is also a wonderful lens, and is now my only macro lens. (I have also owned the 50 f3.5 and the 80 macro) I rarely used the other two, but use the 135 a lot. It gives more working distance when in the field. When coupled with the telescoping extension tube you have a fantastic macro set for flowers, ect. As a bonus the 135 macro will focus at infinity when mounted on the tele ext tube! Pretty handy.

 

Jim Couch

My main OM system 21F3.5, 28F2.0, 50F1.2 and 100F2.0. Fits neatly in a Domke 803 bag.

All my faves are 50s. Of course they are also my only Zuikos, the rest being Vivitar, Sigma, even a Spiratone, etc. I was bidding on the 40/2 last week at *Bay, then it disappeared into the $trato$phere. Meanwhile of the 50s: the 3.5 macro is the sharpest, followed closely by the 1.4, which is (obviously) the most useful. I dissed my 1.8s, gave one away, used the other for a loupe, but I found I missed it's smallness, so I've been taking it for a spin lately.

I love my 24mm F2.8, 50mm F2.0, and 100mm F2.0 lenses. I always take some combination of these three when I go out. I also have a 28mm F2.8 and 180mm F2.8 which I also like but use less often. Followed by a pair of 50mms a F1.4 and F1.8, I rarely use these, but I let my kids use them on an old OM2s, these lenese are easy to focus.

28mm F2 Zuiko and 50mm F1.4 Zuiko (make a nice fast pair).<p>

Just found this place too, bookmarked - will come back!

I really like my 55mm f1.2 (later, non radioactive elements). Not only is it amazingly fast, and looks like an amazing chunk of glass, but it's very sharp when stopped down a bit.

 

I also quite like the 24mm f2.8, but I recently got a non-zuiko 24mm f2.5 and really like the extra distortion and close focusing it allows.