Olympus OM 28/2 version identification, help needed

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

I just bought this lens and spent half an hour trying to find information about the different versions for identification. I'm sure someone here will be able to help. I'm hoping that my lens is a late multicoated version of the 28/2. Thanks!

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

I never see any Zuiko 2/28 are made without multi-coating. Even the oldest chrome noise version are marked MC.

SXR_Mark · Joined: 12 Jun 2010 Posts: 506 Location: England

The information I have in brochures and the 1984 Handbook suggest the 28mm f2 did not change optical design. All my sources say 9 elements in 8 groups. I think a lens this complicated would have to have been multi-coated from the start. The earliest source I have is the 1978 Lens Group book. The relevant page is below. Note the lens is called Zuiko MC 28mm F2.

By 1983, (see below) the MC is dropped.

This suggest later versions may not have MC on the name ring. Ultimately, as all lenses became multi-coated, the value of advertising the fact is reduced.

This is not conclusive, but I think your version is a later one.

Mark

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

Thanks Calvin! I remember reading somewhere that Olympus stopped writing MC on the lenses at some point because all their lenses were multicoated by that point. I guess this is one of those later lenses then.

EDIT: The above illustrative message was posted while I wrote this. Thanks Mark!

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

Does the serial number say anything to anyone?

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

Yes. Later lenses are not marked MC because all of them are MCed. There is a list of OM Zuiko lenses but I am not sure if all the information is correct. The page is gone but you can still find it in the Internet Archive
http://web.archive.org/web/20120215094519/http://brashear.phys.appstate.edu/lhawkins/photo/LensXCoatings.txt

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3462 Location: Northern Ireland

This might help:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/olympusom1n2/shared/zuiko/htmls/28mm.htm

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3669 Location: Calgary

notko · Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 55 Location: Uppsala, Sweden

This might help with the lens variants (German)

Translated

The links don't work for some reason?? Mad

First post probably

notko · Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 55 Location: Uppsala, Sweden

This might help with the lens variants (German)
Here is the translation

/Notko

Pontus · Expire: 2016-08-25

Thanks everyone and a special thanks to notko who posted his first post in order to answer my question. Welcome to the forum!

padam · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 175 Location: Hungary

The later Auto-W versions (without MC) have slightly improved barrel construction (different screw mounts, etc.) and possibly different (VMC) coating, although it is hard to tell if it makes any difference in practice. For instance the Konica 28/1.8 had coatings with different colours as well but no difference in image quality.
I had two 100/2 lenses at a time (where the only version is Auto-T) and the later one that I kept seems to have a coating with a stronger greener color (and I did not find anything about this either).

notko · Joined: 22 Apr 2014 Posts: 55 Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Thank you Pontus!
I have been lurking here for a while and indeed, your question was that last little nudge that I needed to register and post.

/Notko

mr_botak · Joined: 28 Dec 2011 Posts: 4

I've had four of these. The first two were 103k and 104k silver nosed marked MC. The later two were a 128k and 129k serial, not marked MC like yours. The date code on the later two indicated 1989, so yours will be a little earlier, but still definitely one of the later batch. The parts diagram shows some minor improvements, but does not specify any elements as 'NMC'. However, there is a huge difference in colour reflections between the coating on the earlier copies and the later ones. The later ones match other late series lenses I have. The latest serial I have ever seen is 131k.

The earlier ones both exhibited scratches on the front element, and I heard anecdotally that the front elements were soft glass. The later two were pristine.

In use all copies were very sharp, but prone to flare, even with the hood unless used carefully. Very beautiful rendering and colour in my opinion.