I loaded the camera with Ilford XP4 Plus 125 ISO film, grabbed all the lenses, and headed out to find a suitable subject. I knew I wanted something with receding lines, and I hadn't shot before. Found it in a parking lot in Salem, VA, where the convergence of a chain-link fence, stairs, poles, and a knoll made for the best location. All lenses were tested at the closest focal point of the fence on the extreme right, and then at infinity. This was just a quick test, as I was not sure if I'd get run off the property (though it wasn't being used), and I didn't want to spend a lot of film on it either.
I set up the camera on a heavy tripod, so there would be less chance of the camera shifting while changing lenses and settings. I won't bore you with all the test photos, as I was most interested in the F.Zuiko Auto-T 5/200mm, and the newer style S Zuiko Auto-Zoom 3.5-4.5/35-70mm.
The 200mm was tested mainly because I had repaired it after it had been dropped. Got it at the camera shop for $15, due to the damage. It was a simple matter of opening up the back, and getting the aperture control levers back in their proper positions. While I had it open, I took the opportunity to clean some junk out of the interior of the lens.
The 3.5-4.5/35-70mm Zoom came as a kit lens with the OMPC, so I was wanting to see how it performed in comparison to the older, heavier 4/35-70. Besides being smaller, lighter, and taking the same 49mm filters as most of my other Olympus lenses, it also adds a Close-Focus feature, which gets you down to about one foot at any focal length. I didn't have the matching hood for it, so I commandeered the 50/1.4-50/1.8-35/2.8 rubber hood. No problem with vignetting as far as I can tell.
The 1.8/50 used to take the base shot is a newer version than my other one, with the MC and Japan markings on the face ring, and the serial number on the bottom chrome ring. Never would have thought much about it, but then I read the other day there are five distinct versions, so I thought I'd point that out.
I'm satisfied with all the lenses. It's the cameras I'm having cross words with. What is it about Olympus meters being the weak link in the system?
PF
200mm Test by br1078phot, on Flickr
More photos at the link
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7699588@N ... 792982119/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
