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[OM] new Zuikos desired

Subject: [OM] new Zuikos desired
From: Joseph Albert <jalbert@xxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1998 04:00:43 -0600 (MDT)
someone wrote:

>It makes me absolutely *nuts* that Olympus hasn't followed up this superb lens
>with others like a new tele zoom (80-200), or, as you suggest, new primes.

I was amazed that Olympus did the 35-80/2.8 zoom as they more or less 
surrendered the zoom market to the aftermarket companies.  However,
those companies are supporting OM mount less and less.  Tokina and
Sigma are not offering new lenses in OM mount, and seem to be discontinuing
many of the current ones in OM mount as well.  eg Sigma discontinued
the 70-210/2.8 APO in OM mount and didn't do an OM mount version of the
new 70-200/2.8 APO EX or whatever it is called.  Tokina still offers
the older ATX 80-200/2.8 for OM, but not the newer ATX 80-200/2.8 Pro.

Also, I have a hard time thinking about a 35-80/2.8 Zuiko for $1200
when the Vivitar Series 1 35-85/2.8 Varifocal is $175 in clean used 
condition.  The Sigma 28-70/2.8 (just discontinued in OM mount by the way)
is another good alternative.

In my opinion, the best deal around on a tele zoom is the
Vivitar Series 1 70-210/3.5 with 62mm filter threads.  It is
long gone as a new item, but still can be found used.  Moreover,
OM mount ones tend to be ones owned by amateurs and not 
heavily used-- near mint ones turn up often enough.
On the other hand, most of the Nikon mount ones I've
seen were heavily used, probably 80's press photographers
put them through their paces.  This lens was one of the few
late 70's zoom lens designs that meet today's quality standards
for a zoom lens.  It is, in my opinion, superior to the
Tamron SP 70-210/3.5, Tokina ATX 80-200/2.8, and 65-200/4 Zuiko (for close
focus), and I have used all of these lenses mentioned in this sentence,
as well as the Vivitar 70-210/3.5 67mm filter thread lens (that also wasn't
quite as good as the 62mm filter version).

But what I'd like to see Olympus do more than anything else would
be a floating element 180/3.5 macro that was compact for the 
focal length and aperture, and focused by extension down to 
1:2 without extension tubes.  (that is, not an internal
focusing design).

In the 20mm to 100mm range, Olympus might be the best system
around quality-wise... eg a setup with 21/2, 35/2, 50/2 macro, 90/2 macro
would be unrivalled by Contax, Leica, Nikon, Canon or other offerings.  
But it would also be rather pricey.  

Some of the focal lengths where a newer design prime lens offering
would be in order though would include: 135mm, 180mm, 200mm, 300mm,
400mm.  Olympus long ago surrendered the wildlife market to nikon and canon,
but an updated design 135/2.8, 180/2.8, and 200/4 would be in order, in my 
opinion.

j. albert

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