Jim Loudon wrote:
>I hear what you're saying about the lens, but
>the view through a 28 just never worked for me,
>or maybe I should say I could never get it to
>work. Same (to a lesser extent) for a 50...
Hmm, it must be a matter of fashion. Fifteen years ago,
28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm, and 200mm were immensely popular,
and practically every self-respecting lens purveyor,
whether OEM or aftermarket, felt obligated to offer one
or more lenses in these focal lengths.
Nowadays, it seems that 17 to 20mm, 24mm, 85 to 100mm,
300mm, and 100/200mm macros are all the rage. I wonder:
have our photographic practices and/or tastes changed
that much? Or is it the improvements in lens design and
manufacturing technology?
I seriously doubt it's the latter. Indeed, a close
examination of 85/f2 and 100/f2.8 Zuikos reveals that
these are very similar in structure -- both mechanics
AND optical recipe, to the 135/f3.5 and 135/f2.8 Zuikos.
If anything, the 135/f2.8 with its larger optical
elements should be costlier to make. Yet, one can
easily buy a pair of the 135mm lenses for the price of
a single 100/f2.8, and the 85mm lens costs even more.
IMHO, the arguments for (or against!) the usefulness
and value of the wider angle lenses are far stronger,
but I'll stop here and let others weigh in with their
opinions.
>Back to Konica, I still have the T3, though, and I'm
>tempted to drag it out -- prices on old Konica gear
>seem pretty reasonable compared to Olympus ;-)
Go for it! The T-3 is probably the finest mechanical
shutter body Konica ever made (the T-3N version was
particularly good), and the Hexanon lenses are first
rate. IMHO, a Konica with its inherent shutter priority
AE nicely complements an OM system.
Hexanon lenses are EXTREMELY solidly built: massive, high
quality construction, and excellent mechanics. However,
due to the renewed interest in Konica glass (some have
become rather scarce, almost collectible), the prices
have increased considerably.
For instance, just today two Hexanon lenses - an 85/f1.8
and a 300/f4.5, sold on eBay for $200 and $250, respectively
(still cheaper than the Zuikos, but not by much!).
I am sure glad I started my Konica collection 2 years ago.
Btw, I have quite a few surplus pieces, so if anyone is
interested -- pls feel free to contact me (off list, pls).
Cheers,
/Gary Schloss.
Studio City, CA
schloss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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