In the days of film I used to have an OM 85 mm f2. I thought back then that it wasn't all that sharp at f2.
Then @Genji reminded me that there were two optically quite different versions, the late one was completely recalculated with different nos of elements, and kept the Sonnar design and rendering, but was a bit sharper wide open. Both versions had floating elements for good close range correction, reduced coma and so forth.
So I got a late model of it yesterday (from Genji!): the very latest with the new formula, and the last and best coatings as well.
I'm very pleased. It's sharp enough wide open to be able to used without a second thought for portraiture and the like, and it really does have a nice Sonnar rendering, and is very small. It's also wicked sharp stopped down. It doesn't quite have the electric contrast of a modern high end 85 (think Loxia 85 or actually even Batis for that) but that's exactly the point of having it. There's something about the look of these Sonnar designs that you can't get just by dropping contrast or clarity a bit in post.
Only got it yesterday, so nothing great yet, but here are a few simple samples: all wide open.
In the days of film I used to have an OM 85 mm f2. I thought back then that it wasn't all that sharp at f2.
Then @Genji reminded me that there were two optically quite different versions, the late one was completely recalculated with different nos of elements, and kept the Sonnar design and rendering, but was a bit sharper wide open. Both versions had floating elements for good close range correction, reduced coma and so forth.
So I got a late model of it yesterday (from Genji!): the very latest with the new formula, and the last and best coatings as well.
I'm very pleased. It's sharp enough wide open to be able to used without a second thought for portraiture and the like, and it really does have a nice Sonnar rendering, and is very small. It's also wicked sharp stopped down. It doesn't quite have the electric contrast of a modern high end 85 (think Loxia 85 or actually even Batis for that) but that's exactly the point of having it. There's something about the look of these Sonnar designs that you can't get just by dropping contrast or clarity a bit in post.
Only got it yesterday, so nothing great yet, but here are a few simple samples: all wide open.
Feb 01, 2020 at 08:13 PM
Previous versions of DavidBM's message #15129984 « Late model OM Zuiko 85mm f2 »
