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Re: [OM] Travel kit--suggestions, advice

Subject: Re: [OM] Travel kit--suggestions, advice
From: "Carlos J. Santisteban" <zuiko21@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2011 11:16:34 +0100
Hi Nicholas, Ken, Brian and all,

From: Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>I'll be remembering that every time I use the Zuiko 35-80 f2.8 zoom. :)
>> "If your pictures suck, is because you're using a zoom -- loser"

From: "Brian Swale" <bj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Don't take any notice about comments saying that zoom lenses give images
>that suck.

LOL! Please don't take that words seriously.

Thaqt was a quote from a rather "radical" Leicaphiles flickr group... in
fact, I gave up joining it because of the highly restrictive conditions...

Never mind. I am aware that many zooms (if not most) are capable of very
high quality, comparable to prime lenses, with the added value of
versatility. There are, however, a few models in my black list: Pentax-A
28-80/3.5-4.5 and Tamron SP (yes, my only disappointment with SP lenses so
far) 28-80/3.5-4.2

Anyway, my particular vision of a zoom as a 'universal lens' makes almost
every zoom fail in one (or more) of the following criteria:

-High optical quality (usually achieved)
-Not too big/heavy (otherwise it will stay gathering dust at home, instead
of stuck on the camera)
-Not too slow ("available darkness" is the field where primes shine, but
anything slower than f/3.5 is a bit hard, unless you're in daylight
outdoors)
-Wide enough range form wide to tele, in that kind of zooms (starting at
35mm is, to me, much less usueful than at 28mm)

Some samples of otherwise very good zooms:

*Tamron SP 28-135/4-4.5 => PERFECT range, very sharp even wide open; but a
bit on the slow side, and too BIG and HEAVY!
*Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 28-85/3.3-4.0 => more or less the same, acceptable
range, bit faster, but BIGGER (82mm filters!)
*Zuiko 35-70/3.5-4.5 => Amazingly tiny and featherlight as a 50/1.8 with
superb optics and convenient close focus at any fl... but slowish and starts
at 35mm
*Zeiss Vario-Sonnar 35-70/3.4 => Speed, size and weight just right, but
limited range again.

But if you can live without the speed and/or you don't need any wider than
35mm, many zooms will fit the bill. They'll make life mush easier.

From: "Brian Swale" <bj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>My first choice for the OMs would be the Zuiko 35 ~ 105.

Seems a good choice for most users, although I think Nicholas doesn't own
one.

>and the zoom range enables you to compose
>most shots very nicely without using your feet a lot or swapping lenses.

If the range is enough, anyway. Swapping zooms is not much better than
swapping primes, I'm afraid.

>Have your wide-angle / faster lens on the other body.

A wise advice, since Nicholas intended to carry two bodies.

Cheers,
-- 
Carlos J. Santisteban Salinas
IES Turaniana (Roquetas de Mar, Almeria)
<http://cjss.sytes.net/>
-- 
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