Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

[Ian]

Ray Shotter recently started a thread about his 1973 Leica lens showing how well it worked on a contemporary digital body. So I thought - let's find out what everyone else thinks are inspirational lenses.

A German optics expert friend of mine surprised me by nominating the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 Macro from the OM film SLR system above any Leica, Carl-Zeiss, Voigtlander, etc., design. These lenses still command a price of around $800 on eBay.

So what's your nomination - you can nominate more than one lens if you like

Ian

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

The Olympus Zuiko 24mm f/2.8 works exceedingly well on E-System bodies.

I accept that it's all probably nostalgia, but combined with the E-500, the images have a look, similar to that of slides in their colouration and smoothness.

[David M]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

There's been a few over the years, in no particular order;

EBC Fujinon 600mm f/5.6

IFED Nikkor 600mm f/5.6

Zuiko 350mm f/2.8

Vivitar 35mm f/1.9 (used for all my nest box interior shots).

Tamron 135mm f/2.5

Digital Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 SWD

[mike_j]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

I would nominate the 15mm f4 Voigtlander. This lens equalled the widest lens ever produced for the Leica and was sold, complete with auxiliary viewfinder for a fraction of the price of anything else available. Field of view is 110 degrees. 4.5 to 22 with click half stops, uncoupled, but really not needed, focuses to 12 inches. Weight 4 oz, dia about 2 inches, length about 1 1/2 inch. Multi-coated 8 elements in 6 groups, 10 aperture blades

This is the lens that made Cosina (Voigtlander) a serious player on the rangefinder scene.

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

90mm Summicron M & R pre Asph. Good on film, M8 and 4/3rds.
Bob

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

Another that works exceedingly well is the Zuiko 80mm Bellows Macro. It can only be used with the bellows or certian extension tubes, but with a digital body and using live view with focus assist magnified view, the results are excellent.

As the lens is a long way from the sensor, the chance of internal reflections is virtually non-existent.

[David M]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

Agreed Graham, the 80mm was special. I never owned my own copy but we had one in the equipment cabinet when I ran the photo dept. at a research institute.

[David Rayden]

A picture speaks....

Hi,

Could we see some examples along with why, please?

David.

[Ian]

Re: A picture speaks....

Hi,

Could we see some examples along with why, please?

David.

Seconded

Ian

[David M]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

You'll have to check my gallery as this Blackberry keeps messing up links.

The Red Fox was taken with the 600mm Fujinon with an OM2 on Kodachrome.

The storm clouds and light beams was taken with a Tamron 135mm, OM4 on Kodachrome.

The Osprey with White Sucker was taken with a Zuiko 350mm, 1.4xA with an E-3.

[Bob Ross]

Re: Nominate exceptional lens or lenses

A German optics expert friend of mine surprised me by nominating the Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 Macro from the OM film SLR system above any Leica, Carl-Zeiss, Voigtlander, etc., design. These lenses still command a price of around $800 on eBay.

So what's your nomination - you can nominate more than one lens if you like

Ian

Hi Ian,
Your German optics expert has choosen a good one, the precurser to our ZD50/2 macro. Even the first 50mm macro, an f/3.5 is a gem, too, and can give the ZD a run. It should be noted that macro lenses are usually flat field highly corrected units. They are sterile in the character department (this is what the popular term "clinical" means) and are not a good match for portrait/people work where lenses that have a characteristic rendering are at home.....viv la aberrations!
Bob