| Author |
Message |
    
Streetlife
Tinkerer
Username: Streetlife
Post Number: 31
Registered: 10-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 02:24 pm: | 
|
Hi all. In another thread I asked a question relating to my Olympus 50mm 1.8. Since then I've been looking into the Olympus lens history and quite fascinating it is too. Now; I maybe wrong but there appears to be a 'Hierarchy' amongst the 1.8's and on ebay I saw a 1.8 being sold and the seller stated that the lenses with only 'Japan' on the front ring were considered to be the best optically? So: Is this true? If it is then, would the hierarchy start with -----
Japan =1
Made in Japan =2
???????? = 3
etc
etc.
Would there be the same sort of hierarchy for the 50mm 1.4?
All the best.
Scott |
Olly_ympus
Tinkerer
Username: Olly_ympus
Post Number: 55
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 03:46 pm: |
|
There seems to be much controversy over which lenses are better. Newer lenses? Older lenses with the so called "silver nose"? I have two 1.8s. One is marked "Japan" and MC so it is definitely multi-coated. The other is marked, "Made in Japan" but the glass reflects 3 colors like the one marked MC. Both have black front rings.
The distinction I think lies in whether or not the lens is actually multi-coated, and thus marked "MC" to distinguish them from the single coated variety.
Some multi-coated lenses were not marked as such, but one can tell by the color of the reflections.
An Olympus lens will always have the violet and gold reflections on the glass, the multi-coats have an additional color. Usually green or blue.
There is a website that claims to track all Zuiko lens production by serial numbers, but I don't know how accurate it is. I will post a link later when I have more time. It's off to the processing lab for me to drop off a roll of film. :-) |
Olly_ympus
Tinkerer
Username: Olly_ympus
Post Number: 56
Registered: 08-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 10:15 pm: |
|
Could be some useful info here,...http://f.webring.com/hub?ring=olympusom
It does mention that there were no less than 5 different versions of the F1.8. |
Thuggins
Tinkerer
Username: Thuggins
Post Number: 10
Registered: 12-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 03:42 pm: |
|
Olympus began multicoating OM lenses early on, so it is somewhat rare to run across a single coated lens. I have over a dozen OM Zuikos and they are all multicoated. Some are labled as such, some are not.
There is a "common wisdom" that the Japan version of the 50mm f1.8 is best (I believe it is the last one made), Made in Japan is next (second to last one made), and then the rest. However, I have never seen anyone document any design differences. |
