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Re: [OM] beginner lens question

Subject: Re: [OM] beginner lens question
From: "Lex Jenkins" <lexjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 21:47:04 PDT
...are there other lenses that can be used on my OM-PC?<

I'm new to the Zuiks myself so I'll confine my comments to what I see most in my favorite shopping holes - pawn shops.

Over the years many lenses fitting the OM bodies were made by Tamron, Tokina and others. The well-known Vivitar label equipment actually has been made by various contractors, usually to Vivitar's specifications. Vivitar's Series 1 lenses were generally regarded as the best of their stock, but 't'ain't always so. Sometimes they put equally good glass in smaller, lighter and/or slower lenses.

F'r'instance, a Series 1 70-210 f/1.0 zoom may stretch three or four meters in length, 88mm in diameter, weigh equal to a yard of iron and fire upward of 15 rounds per minute with a well trained crew. Naturally, optics like this are normally turret mounted. Meanwhile the slightly slower non-Series 1 70-210mm f/4.5 zoom compares well against the more petite Zuiko zooms.

Okay, I exaggerate a bit.  But you get the drift.

The zenith of efficient construction must have been Vivitar's 135mm f/3.5 preset lenses for T-mount adaptors. Never has so much lens been crammed into so tiny a space for SLRs, with the possible exception of mirror lenses. But you have to be a bokeh freak, as I am, to enjoy or tolerate the hassles of working with presets.

The Tamron BBAR zooms were well made, optically competent (IMH but limited O) and moderately priced. The short focusing throw can be a blessing or a curse depending on your preferences.

Kirons were reportedly good quality lenses and made some stuff for Vivitar. They're usually moderately priced on the used market and snapped up quickly by savvy shoppers.

Some lenses with the lowly labels of Sears, JC Penney's, etc., may actually be pretty good. They didn't make these lenses so somebody did. Chances are it was one of Japan's many anonymous optics makers. Chances are it was one of the better ones in some cases. Example: my Sears SLR and lenses from my poor college days were actually Ricohs. Sears didn't even bother to change the model number or vary the cosmetics even slightly. And those were excellent, affordable lenses.

CPC and Toyo/Five Star (weren't these a stepchild of Tokina?) lenses I've seen appear to me to have been made by a single manufacturer. Only the labels vary. Construction quality is very good and optically they're at least competent.

Lex
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