At 09:52 PM 4/19/99 -0700, Acer you wrote:
> Well, I've let off on the 90/2 because of the high price (and I
>cringe knowing that my supervisor at work has this lens and didn't take
>care of it :-( ) in favor of the 50/3.5. So, now the lenses I would like
>to finish my outfit with would be:
>50/3.5 macro (obviously, for macro work)
>85/2 (nice all around and general portrait lens)
>200/5 (tele, and would could use the 2x TC to get 400 (and lose 2 stops;
>no big deal with tripod and fast film))
>The 200/4 would be nice, but it's 55mm dia filter--the above are all 49s,
>which I have.
>Also, I plan on selling my 75-150/4 as it's not something I use much,
>preferring the 28/3.5 and 50/1.8. (might get a wider angle zoom, but
>that's iffy)
>
Hi Saddiq:
If you like the idea of a 90-100mm macro, you might try to find a Vivitar
100/2.8 macro, which I find to be a very fine macro lens. I bought it
before I actually got the 50mm/3.5 macro. Having both, I would say that
the 50mm macro is better to have if you can only have one, especially if
you're going to use a small flash in the field. But the 100 is very nice
for all sorts of things. A trifle warmer than a Zuiko, but entirely
pleasing. Expect to pay $200US and up.
The 85/2 is indeed a legendary Zuiko. It's very hard to interpret Gary's
lens tests, which make it look like the more beat up and SC the example,
the better it is! I think my MC version is a little sharper at the middle
stops, which makes it perfect especially for hand-held portraits. This is
where I live with this lens and love it. For landscapes, where the smaller
apertures may be desirable, I'm satisfied with its sharpness, although it
is not quite as sharp as a 50/1.8 or 50/3.5 macro.
The 200/f4 is a very tricky lens, in my opinion. In Zuikoid terms, it's
longish and heavy-ish on an Oly bod. I get better performance with it
using a long lens support, which tells me that some sort of shutter
"resonance" is an issue in degrading image sharpness. If your tripod has
any inherent defects, you will find them with the help of this lens. I've
made my peace with this lens, I use it quite a bit, and really do enjoy it,
but all things being equal, I'd support your decision to go for the the
200/5, and the last reason would be to get the 49mm filter size. However,
I've never used the 200/5, so let your own test results be your guide.
Good luck building your kit.
Joel
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