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 p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 150-400mm f/4.5 Pro - Any word on quality of new units being made in Vietnam ? | |
dalegaspi wrote:
with all due respect, anyone claiming that the Japanese version of the lens is sharper should really show pictures and mention specifically how the images were captured. i mean, just about any _any one_ lens cannot perform 100% all the time due to various factors (even with a fairly static subject) that's why we take multiple shots of the same subject and situation when possible especially when you're after the resulting image to be close to technical perfection. i'm not even talking about lens manufacturing sampling variations for the same lens. otherwise you're not providing meaningful information to the person genuinely seeking it.
look, the only variable here is that new lens is made in Vietnam and the reason it was moved there is for labor cost reasons as the lens itself has not changed, design- and material-wise. There's a statement from OM System that says that lens has not changed since they moved factories. to be honest, the country of origin hasn't been an issue lately with more and more of the processes being mostly automated anyway.
I agonized through the same dilemma a few months ago researching high and low about this lens. every review/forum/album samples I saw shows that the lens produces astounding images with near-optical perfection even with less-than-capable skills regardless of where it's been manufactured. needless to say, when i had an opportunity to get the new lens at waaayy less than the MSRP, i bought one after selling both my kidneys and one of my kids.
I compared it with the already ridiculously excellent 300/4 here and came to the conclusion that it compares favorably to the prime and even if the Japanese version is sharper, it would be really hard to see how it could be sharper. and to me it doesn't really matter.
do you have to listen to me? of course not...but if it matters, i am somewhat of a stickler (for better or for worse) for optical perfection and i tend to stick to owning/using the best lenses (when I can afford them) even when paired with my far-less-than-stellar photographic skills. and the 150-400 is up there among the best.
I would not hesitate buying the new Vietnam version again.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53828544501_87acc2c64f_b.jpg
150-400 with 1.25x engaged
...Show more →
Agreed 100%. I started typing up a similar response yesterday but you put it so much better. The 150-400 has earned a spot in my very short list of "special" lenses; after some 30 years of this hobby there have been a handful. Zoom in to 100% and yep, still tack sharp. Seems highly unlikely that OM Systems would redesign the lens to use cheaper materials or something when moving production, so any issues would have to arise from sloppy assembly or QC. But so far I've only seen a couple of anecdotal posts and general speculation on the topic and it isn't all that convincing. Comparing any two copies regardless of origin is likely to reveal some minor differences.
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