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[OM] Re: Initials before Zuiko?

Subject: [OM] Re: Initials before Zuiko?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 21:52:51 -0700
Darin Rhein wrote:

>What color would the reflections be on a single coat lens? Mine has a 
>purplish reflection, but I don't see any green in it. It obviously isn't 
>marker MC, and says nothink about Japan on the front ring. Am I correct to 
>assume this is one of the two earlier versions? 
>  
>
Reflection gazing is the direction of madness. Oly changed coatings as 
the technology improved without any notice or indication. I've sat and 
gazed deeply into a SC and MC version of the same wide angle lens. They 
both had about the same colors of reflections in the same assortment. 
The big difference was that those on the MC lens were much less bright.

Leaving aside the very rare instance of a lens with the wrong front ring 
after repair or some odd factory variation, it is very simple for single 
focal length lenses tht mount directly to the camera.. If the word 
"ZUIKO" is preceded with another letter followed by a period, it is 
single coated. If not, it is multi-coated. There may be the odd 
18mm/F3.5, 21mm/F2, 24mm/F2, 28mm/F2 and 35mm/F2 lens lurking out there 
with the letter before the ZUIKO, but also the marking MC. Such a lens 
would indeed be Multi-coated.

Zooms and the special mcro lenses designed for use with bellows didn't 
use his terminology. Zooms are simple too. The 75-150/4 was SC. There 
have been rumors of MC ones, but if so, they are exceedingly rare and 
would by marked MC. All other zooms are MC.

Youu will see posts about "Silver Nose" and "Black Nose" lenses. As a 
matter of design cosmetics, early Zuikos had a shiny silver front edge 
to the lens and the aperture ring. Perhaps unfortunately, a conmetic 
change to balck noses occurred at about the same time the change to MC 
was occuring, so it is not uncommon to see silver nose and single coated 
equated. It is not a reliable indicator, see above.

The 50/1.8 went through five significant design changes. The very early 
ones aren't particularly good and they got better sometime during the SC 
era, but I have no idea the serial number range. The very last ones are 
just excellent. They are commonly called "miJ", not because the earlier 
ones didn't say that, but because the placement of the origin notice and 
the serial number were switched, with the words "made in JAPAN" on the 
front ring and the serial number near the back of the mount. The ones 
marked MC (this only applies to the 50/1.8!!) commonly developed a 
problem where the grease in the focusing mechanism broke down and 
released oil that migrated into the aperture mechanism, causing the 
aperture to be slow to stuck in stopped down position.

There is a similar story of several versions over the years for the 
50/1.4. Most other lenses didn't go through such changes. The 85/2 is 
the only one that comes immediately to mind.

For more info on Oly stuff in general, look at the eSIF 
<http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif.htm>. In particular, much about 
lens nomenclature and a pic of the front coating reflections from LOTS 
of Zuikos, look here 
<http://olympus.dementia.org/eSIF/om-sif/lensgroup/lensterms.htm>.

As to your other post asking bout the importance of multi coating, it 
depends. For most purposes, you may asssume that, all other things being 
equal, MC is better. That said, the SC lenses generally have a slightly 
warmer color cast, which is highly valued by some slide shooters. For 
any shots without bright lights within or near the field of view, you 
would probably be hard pressed to see any practical difference in 
resolution and contrst between SC and MC. In the opposite situation, MC 
will generally give better results with less direct signs of flare 
and/or loss of contrast.

This is an arer of subtle differences and mixed opinions other than in 
obvious flare situations. One specialty manufacturer of lenses mostly 
for other cameras has introduced some designs with both SC and MC 
versions and some B&W photographers, in particular, say the SCs are better.

Moose


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