Lenses

[j_boucher]

<p>I have many film camera lenses for the OM series. Will there ever be a day when these are usable on digital SLRs?</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>Zuiko lenses for the OM series can easily be used on Olympus digital SLRs. All you need is an adapter. Focal length will double, of course.</p>

[j_boucher]

<p>Does Olympus make adapters? Will the image quality change (suffer)?<br>

I have the original OM1 as well as the OM2S. Many lenses. Haven't been shooting for years and want to go digital. Which body can someone recommend?</p>

[jorgen_udvang]

<p>Not all of the OM lenses work well from a quality point of view on digital Olympus cameras. Primes work best. I use most of my OM primes on my Panasonic GH1 (Micro 4/3) with very good results.<br /> Be aware that the OM lenses can also be used on Canon EOS digital cameras. With a Canon 5D, there's no crop factor (no focal length multiplier).<br /> In general, few of the digital cameras have viewfinders that are as large and bright as those on your OM1 and OM2s. Olympus E1 (discontinued) and E30 are good, E3 and E5 are better, EP2 with external EVF is good, as are the EVFs of Panasonic G1/2 and GH1/2. Canon 5D/5DII/1Ds/1DsII/1DsIII also have excellent viewfinders.</p>

<p>Olympus does make adapters, but there are third party alternatives available as well.</p>

[vick_vickery]

<p>I use a Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 on my Olympus DSLR regualrly via an adapter...works great as a portrait lens in particular with its wide aperature/shallow depth of field and 100mm equivalent length.</p>

[j_boucher]

<p>What is the functionality of the adapters? I am sensing that the compatibility with the viewfinders is the issue. Is this correct? Who makes adapters? Are there variables re: quality?<br>

Thanks so much for the excellent information!</p>

[jorgen_udvang]

<p>The adapters have two functions:<br>

- Converting from one lens mount to another<br>

- Adjusting the distance from the lens mount (flange) to the sensor.</p>

<p>The use of OM lenses on 4/3, Micro 4/3 and Canon EOS cameras is possible because these cameras have a shorter flange to sensor distance than Olympus OM mount (and most other camera systems). The quality of the adapter is important to make the distance exact and constant, so that it will focus to infinity, but not <strong>past</strong> infinity. It's also important that materials and the fit of the adapter doesn't give to much leeway when mounting the lens. I have one OM to m4/3 adapter where the lens can be moved slightly when mounted, causing variations in focusing distance.<br>

Good adapters needn't be expensive. Most cost between $20 and 50 on the big auction site. Some are over 100. If you want to be on the safe side, cameraquest.com has some very good, but somewhat costly adapters. One forum that has lots of discussions/information about this (particularly about use of legacy lenses on Canon, but also on Olympus), is the "Alternative Gear & Lenses" section on fredmiranda.com. There's even a thread there that only contains photos taken with OM lenses, mostly with digital cameras.</p>

[deirdre_saoirse_moen]

<p>I have an el-cheapo OM adapter from Rainbow imaging. One of the problems of the el cheapo adapters is that they tend to focus just past infinity.</p>

<p>It works fine (meaning "fine within the limit of what I can handhold") at close-up distances, but I need to check its infinity as I wasn't paying attention and my long shots are out of focus.</p>

<p>Gallery is here: http://gallery.me.com/deirdre#100207&bgcolor=black&view=grid</p>

<p>Not art, just photos I took on a long (and breezy, making photos a bit more of a challenge) walk one Saturday a few weeks ago. Lens is an OM 50mm f/3.5 Macro. The photo ending in -161 is the last one taken with the OM; photos taken after that are with the Panasonic 20mm that came with the GF1.</p>

<p>There has been some post processing on some of the photos, but most are straight out of camera. Only the sign and the night shot have been sharpened.</p>

[jorgen_udvang]

<p>Here's one I took with the OM 28mm f/2.8 on a Panasonic GH1. I use that lens as a "normal" on the GH1, since it's equivalent to a 56mm lens on 35mm.</p>

<p>http://forum.getdpi.com/gallery/files/4/9/lunchbreak.jpg</p>

[wogears]

<p>One with the Zuiko 50 f1.8 adapted to a Panasonic G1 with a $20 adapter from Hong Kong. Total cost of lens and adapter--$40.<br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/11393451-lg.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="750" /></p>

[john_robison3]

<p>A lot of information about using legacy OM Zuikos on E-system cameras can be found at <a href="http://www.biofos.com">www.biofos.com</a> Just click on 'site A-Z' and then drop down to the L section. John Foster has tested most of the OM mount Zuikos on various Olympus DSLR's. One note, even the $100 OM adapter marketed by Olympus had issues with focusing slightly past infinity. For my use I just purchased one of those cheaper adapters available on the big auction site and then used thin paper shims to bring out to infinity.</p>

[rob_h5]

<p>Well you are late to the OM Zuiko / Digital camera lens, alternative legacy lenses with digital cameras... but better late than never! Photographers have been using their OM Zuikos on digital cameras for many years now ever since Olympus went digital with thier 4/3rd cameras starting in 2003 with the Olympus E-1. In fact Olympus for a while gave the OM/4/3rds adapter for free to Olympus OM camera users to help switch to the 4/3rds digital system with the early Olympus E-1.</p>

<p>Anyway because Olympus OM Zuiko lenses were designed so well they work great with digital. Your best choices are with Olympus 4/3rds and Canon EOS digital cameras because of their flange focal distances. I shoot with the Canon EOS 5DMKII Full Frame digital and OM Zuiko lenses. I have shot with the Olympus OM 100mm Zuiko f2.0 ED lens and Canon EOS 5D Full Frame Digital and was one of the first photographers to do so with that particular lens. Use this with a high quality lens adapter such as Olympus or Fotodiox (see link below). Fotodiox now makes a high end OM/Canon EOS with AF confirmation adapter (infinity focus guaranteed) . And as mentioned Olympus makes adapters for Olympus OM Zuikos lens for both 4/3rds and m4/3rds (see link below).</p>

<p>A few drawbacks you should know though to using Olympus OM Zuiko lenses on digital.</p>

<p>1) Manual focusing. If you don't enjoy manual focusing, forget it, this is not the route for you, stick with AF.</p>

<p>2) Stop down metering. This is fine at the maximum apertures. I almost always shot at max aperture f2.0 anyway on the Olympus OM Zuiko 100mm 2.0 ED lens. But the problem starts after f8-f22 it will get dim in the viewfinder at those f-stops even on the Canon EOS 5D FullFrame Digital camera and they have the brightest viewfinder!! It is difficult to impossible to focus at those f-stops (without a tripod) . This was the main drawback IMO to using OM Zuikos lenses on digital. I recently switched back to Canons equivilant of the Olympus OM 100mm f2 ED lens the Canon EF 135mm f2.0 L lens just to go back to AF!!</p>

<p>Olympus MF-2 Olympus OM / m4/3rds adapter<br>

<a href="http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/21693_pen-camera_mf-2_21785.htm">http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/21693_pen-camera_mf-2_21785.htm</a></p>

<p>Fotodiox<br>

<a href="http://www.fotodiox.com/index.php?cPath=21_29_32&sort=2a&page=2">http://www.fotodiox.com/index.php?cPath=21_29_32&sort=2a&page=2</a></p>