Test shots for Olympus OM 35-70 3.5-4.5

[glasslover]

Hi!

I took a bunch of test shots with the Olympus OM 35-70 3.5-4.5 using an Olympus OM-D E-M5. This is basically a shot-matrix of these apertures [3.5, 5.6, 8, 11] crossed with these focal lengths [35, 42, 50, 60, 70]. I refocused for each shot, and noticed that this lens really does need to be refocused when you change focal length. It isn't as bad as a vari-focal, but it surely isn't par-focal either.

The last two shots test the close-focus capability of the lens, which is pretty good, especially for such a small and light lens as this is.

I had heard here and elsewhere that this lens had good image quality, with very small size and light weight. I'd say the image quality is pretty good, though by no means superlative. It is indeed a wonder of small size and light weight (62mm x 51mm at maximum extension, 190g). For comparison, it's only 50g heavier than the (very small) Konica Hexanon AR 40 1.8 pancake lens, and 75g lighter than the very reasonably-sized Konica Hexanon AR 50 1.4. Tamron model 09A, also 35-70 and 3.5-4.5, which has similar optical performance, weighs more than 50% more than this Olympus, at 322g.

Focus is on the small window in the center of the photo. All shots taken at ISO 200 on an Olympus OM-D E-M5. These shots are raw out of the camera, resized and jpeg converted with LR4. No other changes:


35mm, set to f3.5, 1/800s


42mm, set to f3.5, 1/640s


50mm, set to f3.5, 1/400s


60mm, set to f3.5, 1/400s


70mm, set to f3.5, 1/320s


35mm, f5.6, 1/320s


42mm, f5.6, 1/320s


50mm, f5.6, 1/250s


60mm, f5.6, 1/250s


70mm, f5.6, 1/250s


35mm, f8, 1/160s


42mm, f8, 1/160s


50mm, f8, 1/125s


60mm, f8, 1/160s


70mm, f8, 1/125s


35mm, f11, 1/100s


42mm, f11, 1/125s


50mm, f11, 1/125s


60mm, f11, 1/100s


70mm, f11, 1/125s


70mm, f8, 1/100s, ISO 800 (pixel peepers can click here for HUGE full-size version)


70mm, f11, 1/125s, ISO 1600 (pixel peepers can click here for HUGE full-size version)

Cheers!

[Attila]

Nice presentation! Lot of work ! Thank you! I use this lens all time to make my equipment shoots.