Fuji Olympus OM 50/1.8 MIJ

[kevistopheles]

For Oberon by dixeyk, on Flickr

From my newest acquisition, an Olympus 50/1.8 "Made in Japan" version. I have been playing around with it for a day or so. It's decently sharp, not terribly contrasty, The bokeh isn't objectionable and it doesn't peak all that well with the Fuji. It's nicely made and VERY compact. The image above was shot at f1.8...the OM50 is pretty sharp wide open but it doesn't sharpen up all that much more until you get to f5.6. By comparison the Hexanon 40/1.8 is not nearly as sharp wide open but is much sharper and more contrasty from f2.8 on.

 

[charcoalblack]

thanks for testing this one. I was contemplating buying one since they are pretty cheap. I won't bother with it.

 

[kevistopheles]

thanks for testing this one. I was contemplating buying one since they are pretty cheap. I won't bother with it.

It's not a bad lens at all, in fact OM lenses are quite beloved by many people but I already have a Hex 40 it doesn't really give me something more over what I have now. Also, it has been my experience that there is a pretty significant variability between different samples of OM lenses. If you come across one at a good price it might be worth giving it a try.

Of course having said that there are a lot of nice cheap fast 50's out there. IMHO the sharpest fast 50 I have ever encountered was the Hexanon 50/1.7. It is a funky lens with a pretty squirrely build quality but holy cow is it sharp. It's almost too sharp.

 

[Cruzan80]

Best one I have found is the Minolta 50/1.4 (55mm threads). Beats most others by far.

 

[kevistopheles]

Best one I have found is the Minolta 50/1.4 (55mm threads). Beats most others by far.

My favorite thing about Minolta lenses is the fact that they are color matched to one another. The color is terrific, the rendering is great, they are not the absolute sharpest but they strike a wonderful balance. FWIW the MC 50/1.7 aint to shabby either.

 

[charcoalblack]

My favorite legacy that I have so far is the Minolta MD 50mm 1.7....it's super sharp from f2.8 on and the focus ring is very precise. I did buy a konica 50mm 1.7 a few months back, but the copy has some spots or something inside the rear element. They do not look like regular dust particles nor do they look like fungus but I don't want to take a chance if it is fungus, so I used once and stuck in a zip lock back after that.

 

[kevistopheles]

My favorite legacy that I have so far is the Minolta MD 50mm 1.7....it's super sharp from f2.8 on and the focus ring is very precise. I did buy a konica 50mm 1.7 a few months back, but the copy has some spots or something inside the rear element. They do not look like regular dust particles nor do they look like fungus but I don't want to take a chance if it is fungus, so I used once and stuck in a zip lock back after that.

My son had my old MC 50/1.7 and I agree it's a very nice fast 50 and cam be had for next to nothing. I think mine was $20. I really think minolta lenses are a cut above it the build department. They may not be as sexy as the Super Takumars but they're put together really well and have a very nice feel when you focus. Compared to the Minoltas, I find many Olympus OM lenses feel a bit wobbly and cheaply put together (and they aren't).

 

[kevistopheles]

My Better by dixeyk, on Flickr

Early Babylon by dixeyk, on Flickr

The 50/1.8 is starting to grow on me. It's still a bit of a puzzle but I do rather like the way it renders. These were both shot at f2.8. It's decent wide open (better than the Hexanon 40) but stopped down a little it improves considerably. I think the OOF areas are pleasing. I have a late model MC 50/1.4 on the way so I'm curious how it will stack up. Still not crazy about the build quality but the tiny size has its advantages (more so with the 100/2.8 and the 28/3.5).

It would be really nice with some Tri-X 400.