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[OM] Zuiko 18mm and 21mm

Subject: [OM] Zuiko 18mm and 21mm
From: "Mike Hatam" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 15:14:04 -0700

First, a quick update on my search for a Zuiko 24mm shift...

I have located two of these lenses from members of this list.  I appreciate
all the friendly emails and helpful information I've received from this
group during the search.

You are all a very friendly and generous group!  I'm glad I found this list,
and I will happily contribute knowledge about the Canon EOS 1-series digital
bodies, and Canon lenses, as I have already to some of you who emailed me
privately.

I would like to locate one more copy of this lens (I have two friends who
are also serious landscape photographers who would like to buy this lens),
so if anyone else has one they would consider selling, please contact me.

Now on to my next search
========================
I've heard/read some very good things about both the Zuiko 18mm and Zuiko
21mm lenses.  I know there are several versions of the 21mm, and would like
to hear from some of you which you think are the best versions for my use
(see below).

Also, if anyone is interested in selling either a Zuiko 18mm or Zuiko 21mm,
please let me know.


Background
==========
Many of you have asked me how I am using these Zuiko lenses.  So here's a
little background...

I am not a pro - but an enthusiastic hobbyist.  I use high-end equipment
(much to the chagrin of my wife), and I strive to achieve the best image
quality possible.  As we all know, that means the focus is on the glass (no
pun intended) more than the body.

But in digital, the body counts too.  Well, at least the sensor does.  So I
use the best sensor currently available in a 35mm digital format - the Canon
1Ds Mark II.  This sensor produces 16.6 mega-pixels, and Canon's DIGIC II
processor has some wonderful capabilities to go with this sensor. 

For long lenses, I use all Canon lenses, as they are very good in the long
range, and manual focus is not really practical beyond 100mm.  But Canon
wide lenses are poor compared to some other lens makers.  On consumer-range
bodies, such as the Digital Rebel, 10D, or 20D, the Canon wide lenses are
fine, and the deficiencies don't show up.  But on a demanding full-frame
sensor such as the 1DsII, every little flaw in the glass is exposed, and
Canon wide lenses cannot produce extremely sharp images, edge-to-edge, on
that sensor.

So I (and 3 of my serious landscape photographer friends - 2 of whom are
pros) have set out to build our collection of wide lenses that can produce
stunning sharp images on the Canon Sensor.

We've each built a nice stable of Contax Zeiss lenses (the best being the
15mm, 21/2.8, and 35-70 macro zoom).  We've also experimented with several
14mm lenses (Canon, Sigma, Tamron), and found Tamron to be the best of the
14mm lenses at the edges.  

I enjoy doing my landscape work by stitching multiple 16.6MP images into a
single, ultra-high resolution image, using PC (shift) lenses.  Doing this, I
end up with images ranging from 35 to 100 mega-pixels, and can print my
shots at 48" (and larger) sizes, with impeccable detail.  Two of my friends
often print their images in large format for display at fine-art exhibits,
so the high mega-pixel detail really matters.

I've used all the Canon and Nikon PC lenses for shift-and-stitch pano shots.
They are decent, but not critically sharp at the edges.  Currently, my
favorite PC lens is the Zeiss 35mm PC lens, which is nearly as rare (and
often even more expensive) than the Zuiko 24mm shift.

But 35mm is not really wide enough as a good general purpose landscape lens.
24mm is the perfect lens.  Recently, I discovered that the Zuiko 24mm Shift
lens is the "king of the hill" of wide perspective-control lenses, and thus
I am here on this list.  

My lens collection, on the wide end, has a few holes.  I think the Zuiko
24mm Shift and the Zuiko 18mm lens would fill them nicely.  I'm also curious
to try the Zuiko 21mm lens to compare it to the Zeiss.  Since the Zeiss
currently costs around $2,100, it would be nice to have a more affordable
alternative at that focal length.

Hopefully that gives a little background into my appearance on this list,
and my request for info about these lenses.

Thanks,
Mike



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