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Re: [OM] 90/2.0 vs 135/3.5 for distant landscape

Subject: Re: [OM] 90/2.0 vs 135/3.5 for distant landscape
From: Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:18:47 -0600
>From what I've been told by those who have the 90/2, there is no comparison.
The 90/2 rules the world and is the cat's meow of all lenses.  I've had the
pleasure of fondling one of these, but otherwise been denied any long-term
testing of the lens.

And NO, this is not a pleading for one.  I'm actually quite happy with my
tiny (by comparison) 100/2.8, 50/3.5 macro and 35-80 lenses.  I don't think
I could carry another mid-range lens!

Anyway, I have owned the 135/3.5 though.  Wide-open it is a touch soft, but
two stops down and it's as good as anything else out there.

http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=265&Itemid=97

An argument could be made that the 135/3.5 is the longest lens you can
comfortably handhold due to the weight and balance of it on the OM system.
The lens is 50% "longer" than the 90mm, so it's actually in the realm of
being in another focal-length range.  (80-110 is mild-telephoto, 135-200 is
moderately long telephoto, 250+ is extreme telephoto).  The 135 and the 90
are night and day different lenses in handling and angle of view.

I really did like the 135/3.5 from a size/performance perspective.  However,
I found the bokeh to be not nearly as nice as the 100/2.8. The 135/3.5 is
one of those hold-over lenses from the olden-days, but being halfway between
100 and 200mm (in coverage) it seems to really be a nice focal length when
100 isn't enough and 200 is too much. The 135mm soup is just right.

Where the 90/2 shines is that it is excellent at nearly all focal-lengths.

http://zone-10.com/cmsm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=258&Itemid=97

What's not to like about the 90/2?

As to darkroom work, the 135/3.5 is, in my opinion, a bit better due to the
lower contrast. You'll find shadow details hold better with the ancient,
silver-nosed lenses--especially of this particular lens.  I personally found
it to be a little more flare prone than either my silver-nosed 100 or 200
lenses, but that may also be sample variance.  However, I suspect that the
135/3.5 is the oldest lens formula in the Zuiko lens line.  It's not my
favorite, by any means.

That said, it's a Zuiko.  What Zuiko is "evil"?  None.  I could probably
have been satisfied with the 135/3.5 had I not had the 100/2.8.  But I found
the lens too limiting with only a couple usable f-stops, the substandard
bokeh and the flare didn't help my color photographs.

AG
-- 
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