Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

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Archive 2009 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

pingflood
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p.1 #1 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

OK, I want to see some cheapo ($20-30 usually from what I see) Zuiko 50/1.8 love here! I am not sure if I got a really great one, or if they're all good.

Share! (Yes, the bokeh can get "busy" at times but I love the look.)

Read more about it here:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/50mm1a.htm

Very small, light, and surprisingly good.

Wide open!

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Stopped down a bit:

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Nov 20, 2009 at 08:30 PM

weezintrumpete
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p.1 #2 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I've only really taken the lens out once shooting on my 5D but for such a cheap, small lens, it sure makes some nice images! The 50/1.4 is not that much bigger, so I tend to take that for my 50 needs. But yeah, the 1.8 is a great little lens (emphasis on the little) and I'll definitely be using it more in the future!

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Nov 20, 2009 at 10:00 PM

Tom Harpstead
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p.1 #3 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

The Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 is no slouch. When you take into consideration the cost, it may have the highest performance / cost ratio of any lens sold. IMHO

Nov 20, 2009 at 10:12 PM

sebboh
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p.1 #4 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

i'm pretty sure mine is falls into the range of serial numbers people believe are less sharp, but it still performs pretty well. i'm afraid i don't use it that much since i got the hexanon 40mm f/1.8 and rokkor 50mm f/1.2, but i do like the color of the zuiko.

here are a few random ones found on my photostream, all wide open:

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Nov 20, 2009 at 10:31 PM

weezintrumpete
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p.1 #5 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Out of curiosity, which 50/1.8's are the "ones to have"?

Nov 20, 2009 at 10:52 PM

Ed Sawyer
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p.1 #6 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

the so-called miJ ones, supposedly. (Made in Japan on front ring). But they are all quite good. MP lens tests from across the whole range yeilded basically equivalent results, no major improvements at least that I recall from reading the tests, some of which I have posted at edsawyer.com/lenstests/

I have 2 of these, got them both for under $5/ea. one had some scratches so I use it as a loupe. It works great for that. The other is a nice shooter.

considering how good this is, I can't see why people pay the crazy $ for the OM 40/2 when it's so close in length and speed. The 40/2 was originally going to be a bargain pancake 50/2 actually, when it was announced.

-Ed

Nov 20, 2009 at 11:05 PM

sebboh
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p.1 #7 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

i've been told the versions with "made in japan" written around the front element rather than near the mount (as mine has) are superior and i believe there is some range of serial numbers within that range that are thought to be superior. no idea what that range is. i'm sure a google search will yield lots of conflicting opinions on the matter.

-hobbes

Nov 20, 2009 at 11:08 PM

Mike Deep
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p.1 #8 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

The price of the Zuiko 40/2 really is ridiculous considering the Zuiko 50/1.8 and Hexanon 40/1.8 can be readily had for $20. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Nov 21, 2009 at 01:36 AM

mcmill1599
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p.1 #9 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I got one a few weeks back and took some test shots today. Nice little lens. A little flare wide open and a bit of CA in contrasty light, but surprisingly sharp from 2.8 and smaller, and very nice colors. Mine is marked "made in japan" on the front. I recall reading that there were very minor changes made to the optical formula, and the later one is marked "made in japan".

$22.

Here is one of the test shots. 50% Center Crop on a 50D @ F8

2012 © mcmill1599

Nov 21, 2009 at 03:14 AM

PAWolff
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p.1 #10 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Here are a couple pictures taken with my Zuiko 50/1.8. I got this lens with a bunch of OM mount lenses needing repair. The aperture linkage was disconnected so I had to take it apart to get it working. It wasn't too difficult a fix, and it works great now.

I like the look of this lens so far. Here are a couple at minimum focusing distance:

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Here is a photo focused at infinity:

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(Edited to level out the crooked world.)

Edited on Dec 16, 2009 at 03:44 PM · View previous versions

Dec 16, 2009 at 02:12 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.1 #11 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Mike Deep wrote:
The price of the Zuiko 40/2 really is ridiculous considering the Zuiko 50/1.8 and Hexanon 40/1.8 can be readily had for $20. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Looking at e-bay there are two at 50$ and 65$. Not expensive but far from 20$.

Looks like a very nice lens, except when tilted.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 16, 2009 at 01:19 PM

eddiejclayton
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p.1 #12 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I just picked up a Zuiko 50/1.8 off of ebay for $18, still waiting on it to arrive!

Dec 16, 2009 at 01:32 PM

PAWolff
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p.1 #13 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Yakim Peled wrote:
Looks like a very nice lens, except when tilted.

Did I do that? I think all is straight with the world now.

50mm on my Rebel XT seems a little long around the house, but I keep going back to it for portraits. I am not a great portrait photographer (it shows, I know), but my granddaughter sometimes lets me get some practice photographing her. My back was against the wall for this one - so the feet had to go. I think I had this stopped down to f/2.8.

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Dec 16, 2009 at 04:05 PM

alexandre
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p.1 #14 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Yakim Peled wrote:
Mike Deep wrote:
The price of the Zuiko 40/2 really is ridiculous considering the Zuiko 50/1.8 and Hexanon 40/1.8 can be readily had for $20. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Looking at e-bay there are two at 50$ and 65$. Not expensive but far from 20$.

Looks like a very nice lens, except when tilted.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

See Ebay item #260522093869.
OM-1 + Zuiko 50/1.8 for $30 and shipping.

Dec 16, 2009 at 04:34 PM

Michael Gordon
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p.1 #15 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Yes,
Likely under appreciated. Some body caps cost more. The Z. 50/1.8 has 5 flavors.

1: SC, sliver nose
2: SC, Black filter ring, glass different than #1
3&4 MC, mostly identical inside ---"Japan" on name ring. Type 4 has different lens
group 2nd in from the rear. Name ring
will say "MC" (type 3) or not (Type 4).
5: The "MIJ" MC, Has "Made in Japan" on name ring; shares NO optical parts with 3
or 4.
Uses same name ring as #4 and not marked multicoated.
Mike

Dec 16, 2009 at 08:47 PM

cgiff
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p.1 #16 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Hmm, looks nice, my local shop has quite a few of these little guys, I might get one just for fun. Certainly looks nicer than my Nikkor 50/1.8D, which I mounted the other day and was much less impressed by it than I used to be.

Mike Deep wrote:
The price of the Zuiko 40/2 really is ridiculous considering the Zuiko 50/1.8 and Hexanon 40/1.8 can be readily had for $20. I just can't wrap my head around it.
I agree, I can't believe how much the Zuiko pancake is going for on eBay (and KEH even). I want one so badly as a poor man's carry-everywhere setup, but the price of that lens is really preventing the poor-man's part. And as much as it's close, 40mm is different enough from 50mm to warrant a price difference... not 20x though.

I wish the Hexanon pancake fit the OM bodies

Or could be adapted to Nikon.

Dec 16, 2009 at 10:28 PM

dancam
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p.1 #17 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I purchased a mint late model "made in Japan" OM 50/1.8 about a month ago. I really am impressed with it so far. It's tiny and light and performs much better than the $40 I paid for it.

Dec 17, 2009 at 03:05 AM

jay tieger
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p.1 #18 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I just picked up an OM10 with the 1.8 and have to admit the 1.8 is a very nicely made piece of glass....Have to decide, with my F2 and 1.4 MF Nikkors, if I have enough...can you ever have enough....?

Dec 17, 2009 at 03:48 AM

dancam
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p.1 #19 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

jay tieger wrote:
I just picked up an OM10 with the 1.8 and have to admit the 1.8 is a very nicely made piece of glass....Have to decide, with my F2 and 1.4 MF Nikkors, if I have enough...can you ever have enough....?
No

Dec 17, 2009 at 07:16 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.1 #20 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

PAWolff wrote:
Yakim Peled wrote:
Looks like a very nice lens, except when tilted.

Did I do that? I think all is straight with the world now.

It's not you. It's the second pic posted by weezintrumpete. Of course, any lens would do that. Hence the smiley.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 17, 2009 at 08:54 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.1 #21 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

alexandre wrote:
Yakim Peled wrote:
Mike Deep wrote:
The price of the Zuiko 40/2 really is ridiculous considering the Zuiko 50/1.8 and Hexanon 40/1.8 can be readily had for $20. I just can't wrap my head around it.

Looking at e-bay there are two at 50$ and 65$. Not expensive but far from 20$.

Looks like a very nice lens, except when tilted.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

See Ebay item #260522093869.
OM-1 + Zuiko 50/1.8 for $30 and shipping.

1. It's 30$ now. It will probably be more when the bidding ends.
2. Shipping is an additional 31.50$.

Looks a bit costly if you are only after the lens. Also, the flavour is not clear.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 17, 2009 at 08:58 AM

jay tieger
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p.1 #22 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

I have no adapter for it, so I put the 50/1.8 up to the 40D and just held it there....and got these with no adapter...not bad....Full frame and 100% crops @ F2.8....
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Dec 19, 2009 at 05:32 AM

treebeard
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p.1 #23 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Here is one of my recent favorites with my "silver nose" 50/1.8. This lens is just plain awesome...and I have an MC 50/1.8 too.

E-500 1/250 sec 100 ISO 0.0 EV

Apr 15, 2010 at 02:38 AM

Ed Sawyer
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p.1 #24 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

the OM 50/1.8 and 50/3.5 macro are in some ways (resolution/contrast) the best of the OM 50s, based on the tests that Modern Photography and other magazines did of them back in the day. The OM 50/1.8 equals or betters the Canon EF 50/1.8, in the tests.

Apr 15, 2010 at 03:59 AM

staticInc
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p.1 #25 · Zuiko 50/1.8 -- a true thrifty fifty love thread

Ed Sawyer wrote:
The OM 50/1.8 equals or betters the Canon EF 50/1.8, in the tests.
My experience shows something different. The Zuiko may be sharper, but at least wide open the Canon shows less veiling which results in the images appear sharper.

Apr 15, 2010 at 09:16 AM


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