Chuck de Norcutt wrote:
> I'll have to give my 35/2.8 a good workout on the Canyon then. 35mm is
> not one of my standard focal lengths and I'm not sure it has ever taken
> a photo through any of my cameras, either film or digital. I inherited
> it somehow. Probably as a deal which included a body.
The 35mm focal length is one of my favorites. It allows me to shoot
right around that one body-length distance. It's like that perfect
"conversation" distance which not only seems natural when shooting,
but the photos of the people look to be at that natural distance too.
A longer focal length tends to make the photograph of the person
appear either too close (in your face) or isolationist. On the short
end, 28mm is about the widest and 40mm is about right on the long end.
I'll admit, though, that it hasn't always been my favorite, and I've
gone through various periods of my life where I've disliked it in
favor of the 24mm focal length.
But back to the Zuiko 35/2.8. I'm on my second one. I foolishly sold
the first one due to duplication of equipment (35mm shift, 35-70
zoom), but Tim Scales managed to find one last silvernosed one lurking
in the corner when he was gutting out the final stash of equipment and
made me an offer I couldn't refuse. This one is a keeper.
The optical design of the lens is such that it tends to resemble the
German lenses more than other Japanese lenses. In fact, there is a
false edge detail to the image which is usually seen with Leica
images, but without the excessive creaminess.
I REALLY like this lens in the following configuration, which is
possibly the best matched set:
1. Zuiko 35/2.8
2. Tri-X or Delta-400 processed DD-X
3. OM-3Ti or OM-2S.
4. Wedding
The 35/2 lens is also a jewel, albeit, a larger one. The extra stop of
lens brightness helps with focusing, and the bokeh better across the
boards. The 35/2 has that ability to isolate the subject from the
background, which is rather uncanny and a trait of only a small
handful of Zuikos. (35-80/2.8, 35/2, 50/2, 100/2...). While the 35/2.8
lacks that 3D quality, it makes up for it with a lens which gives a
more classical image--especially with B&W and just fits like an old
shoe.
On the www.zone-10.com website if you do a search for "35/2.8" it will
pull up three articles with sample shots. One of them is taken
wide-open.
I suppose I've been spoiled and not realized it. This lens seems to be
just a little bit better than the average bear.
AG
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