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Re: [OM] Just how sharp is the OM Zuiko 50/3.5 Macro?

Subject: Re: [OM] Just how sharp is the OM Zuiko 50/3.5 Macro?
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:47:46 -0700
Lovely image, Ken!!

On 4/29/2020 8:00 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:
Very nice sharpness, indeed.

Yes, it's very sharp, but that's only part of its magic. It is very flat field and, @ f8 about as good in the corners as in the center. A really wonderful copy lens.

How close does it focus?

Without extension tube, bellows, etc. it focuses to 1:2 = 0.5x. I have several MF macro lenses. I did a careful test of them @ 1:2 and 1:1 on the FF Canon 5D. In addition to the MF lenses, I included a Tamron 90/2.8 AF lens.

The OM 50/3.5 was the winner @ 1:2, although only by a whisker. The Tamron was very close. The Tamron focuses directly to 1:1. Using a tube for the 50/3.5, it was good @ 1:1, but not as good as the Tamron. I believe it is optimized for 1:2.

A really interesting thing is that, like a lot of newer lenses, and unlike older designs, the Tamron was sharpest wide open or @ f4, while the OM was best @ f8-f11. For some uses, other than working with flat copy, the OM is better, giving more DoF, while the Tammy works better in poor light.

I could natter on about MF macro lenses . . .

On 4/29/20 9:37 PM, Ken Norton wrote:
http://zone-10.com/d1/node/346

One of the questions about the OM Zuiko series of lenses is whether or
not the more common and affordable 50mm F3.5 Macro lens is sharp. I'm
of the opinion that this lens is actually one of the sharpest lenses
of any form in the OM Zuiko line.

Yup. I have two, just in case something bad happens to one.

<>

Honestly, I don't really know how sharp the lens is as it had exceeded
the resolving capability of any digital camera and film I've used.

It's not just sharpness, an undefined measure. Shooting a section of high quality text, there are subtle differences in edge qualities and subtle distortions. Some of the differences I saw between lenses were things for which I didn't have names. Rendition of the paper texture between characters also differs between lenses.

So, yes, there were ways in which the image was not perfect @ 100% on a 13 MP 
sensor. But amazingly good!

Same is true of many µ4/3 lenses. Using the HR Mode on an E-M5 II, it's clear that they far out resolve any of the existing 4/3 sensors. Shoot in HR, downsample to sensor size, and the images are significantly better than a direct shot. Most/much of this is elimination of the resolution loss of Bayer arrays.

Close Up Moose
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What if the Hokey Pokey *IS* what it's all about?
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