p.24 #1 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
Anden, would you be up for inviting Nate to post some of his Nikon 18/2.8D pics in your Zuiko 18 thread? He has been going on and on about it, but I would love to see some shots, I don't think he has posted many in the Alt Image thread. Or maybe someone should start an "Alt Ultrawides Image Thread". Anyhow, sorry to go off topic.
Anden, the pano is magnificent, quite dramatic. Is it one image cropped, or a stitch?
p.24 #2 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
By the way, I found the image of the poet to have so much character, that I did some googling and found a blog that gives a little of Pat's background. Looks like a man as interesting as his picture.
p.24 #8 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
So here's the thing. Ebay right now has a Zuiko 18 3.5 in great shape except for some rather obvious cleaning marks on the front element. There's about 4 hours left, and it's just at $388 with no bids. I don't have any intentions on getting this one, but how much would those cleaning marks affect the image quality? Is losing that kind of contrast retrievable in post processing? Is this a good deal? Obviously this isn't going to be as good as most variations posted here, but for that price is this worth it?
p.24 #9 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
skulpt wrote:
So here's the thing. Ebay right now has a Zuiko 18 3.5 in great shape except for some rather obvious cleaning marks on the front element.
Based on the photo provided, the marks look shallow to me. If they're the only issue with the lens then the effect should be minimal. If they've only just scored the coating then for a couple hundred bucks the front element could even be removed, repolished, and recoated, returning the lens to near-new condition. On the other hand, such marks often go hand in hand with general abuse and there could be other issues with the lens.
p.24 #10 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
skulpt wrote:
So here's the thing. Ebay right now has a Zuiko 18 3.5 in great shape except for some rather obvious cleaning marks on the front element.
Who the hell would do that to a lens? Were they using Scotchbrite pads to clean the front element or what? My word.
p.24 #11 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
That eBay one might be worth a try, but I've found marks on the front element cause a lot more trouble than marks on the rear element. I suspect this lens will have funny flare problems and even less contrast than the already very low contrast zuikos.
p.24 #12 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
helimat wrote:
Who the hell would do that to a lens? Were they using Scotchbrite pads to clean the front element or what? My word.
Judging by the brassing, it looks like a well used lens. Probably a former owner cleaned too frequently, or failed to brush off loose dirt before cleaning more aggressively. A lens pen that picks up dirt can also do it quickly.
p.24 #13 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
A lens can be well used but does not necessarily have to be abused as well... I have lenses decades old with lots of brassing, however the optics are nearly unblemished. It's a shame to see a nice piece of glass like that treated with so little respect...
p.24 #14 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
You should see my distagon 35/1.4... and yes, scratches on the front are noticeable - at f11-f16 there is a noticeable patch in the middle of the image that is way lower contrast and less sharp. Its a non-issue from 1.4-5.6 though
p.24 #18 · The official Olympus Om Zuiko 18/3.5 thread
I saw that one, but passed on it. The price is not bad, depending on the condition of the front element. Still, not a huge bargain, overall.
Marks on the front element are much less of an issue than marks on the rear element, contrary to the previously posted info, for a variety of reasons. Primarily, a given mark will take up much more of the surface area of the small rear element vs. the larger front element, and the rear element has nothing to filter the issue out, as is the case with light passing through the front element ( since it goes through all other elements before being rendered on film - not the case with the rear element).
No real need to shoot this lens at f/8-f/11, really, unless going for utmost depth of field. It's peak sharpness is more around 5.6, and even wide open it's nearly as sharp as at 5.6 or 8, which is one of the beautiful things about this lens.
Were they using Scotchbrite pads to clean the front element or what? My word.