But CR doesn't test lenses nor do they test cameras for reliability
other than the same sorts of consumer surveys they use for cars and
appliances. I'm sure that the only thing they had to go on was lens
tests as found in Modern Photography. My recollection is MP's tests did
show that Oly lenses generally did test below the competition on
resolution. I don't recall the contrast numbers. There are some
exceptional Oly lenses to be sure and you will recognize them on
Photodo's Oly test page. There aren't too many Zuikos here with MTF
scores but some sacred cows don't fare so well. The 21 and 28mm f/2's
show some actually rather poor results considering that they're
expensive primes. Performance at f/8 isn't too bad but nothing to brag
about either. <http://www.photodo.com/products.html?manuid=9&name=Olympus>
I was never unhappy about my decision in the mid-70's to buy an OM-1 and
a 50mm/1.4 but, at the time, I bought it because that's what I could
afford. I already wanted a top end Nikon or Canon which I already
perceived as optically superior. And I really, really, really wanted
that removable pentaprism that made screen changing so easy since I'd
had it all along in my Miranda GT. Over the many years since then I've
come to appreciate many things about a camera and lens beyond it optical
test scores. If I was to do it all over again I'd still buy the Oly.
But it wouldn't be because I considered Olympus to have better lenses.
If CR actually did test a 50/1.8 and found it wanting then they must
have gotten a bad sample. Unfortunately, that's possible.
Chuck Norcutt
Chris Crawford wrote:
> I remember years ago when the OM system was still in production seeing
> consumer reports articles on 35mm cameras and lenses and they always rated
> Olympus lenses as average to below average in sharpness, with Nikon and
> Canon always getting the high ratings. I had Nikon and Olympus stuff at the
> time and remember thinking that CR must be biased or crazy cause I didn't
> see any superiority in the Nikon lenses I had compared to my Olympus
> equivilants (the 50mm f1.8 was one in particular I remember that CR didn't
> like from Olympus).
>
>
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